The shrinker of worlds is here and he’s coming for planet Earth! But with an array of DC Superheroes populating our planet such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg and more, Brainiac will certainly have his hands full.  Being the super intelligent being that he is, Brainiac has an evil scheme up his sleeves, he is using the power rings to capture and mind-trick the likes of Green Lantern, Sinestro, Atrocitus, Larfleeze, Saint Walker and Star Sapphire to fulfil his diabolical intentions.  With planet Earth and all its inhabitants now under serious threat, a very unlikely team is forged.  The Joker, Lex Luther, Solomon Grundy, Cheetah and Killer Croc have now joined forces with the Justice League to put a stop to Brainiac’s plans.  But how long can these heroes and villains work coherently and put their differences aside?  After all, we all know that only The Joker gets to kill the Bats!

If you’re familiar with the Lego series, then it’s pretty much a guarantee that you will know how Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham will play.  It’s the same lovable and enjoyable gameplay that we’ve come to expect from the series, with a couple of new or borrowed additions along the way.  For example Superman and The Flash can now quickly build Lego structures by selecting the highlighted pieces similar to the likes of the Master Builders Wyldstyle and Vitruvious can in Lego The Movie Videogame.  Also in Lego Batman 3, once you have acquired a certain outfit with its special ability, you will then be able to switch over any suits that you have found for your characters at any time by opening up the selection wheel, a similar process to swapping over your desired character.

While Lego Batman 3 will offer little surprises, there are however some surprises mixing up the gameplay.  Such as when you first enter space, there’s an awesome gameplay segment that is very reminiscent of the PS4’s awesome shooter Resogun.  Some sections will also require you to hack computer terminals with the likes of Robin that will prompt a mini-game that is kind of like a cross between Pac-Man meets Tron.  It’s a simplistic feature, but fun none the less.  Jedi-like Mind-Tricks also play a part in Lego Batman 3, and thankfully Brainiac is not the only hero/villain to have mind control abilities, as The Joker and Martian Manhunter also have this ability to progress during certain sections of the game.

If I was going to have one negative in terms of Lego Batman 3’s gameplay features, is that we no longer have an open-world to explore such as Gotham that we had seen in Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes.  However, this didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the game and I guess with the new outer space location, in all fairness an open-world wouldn’t have really worked (unless you can explore our Galaxy, which is an entirely different game), but it feels a little restricted considering what we have become use to this with also Lego Marvel Super Heroes and Lego The Hobbit.  So perhaps I’m just being a little spoiled in that respect.  Instead most of your time will be spent in such locations as the Batcave, the Hall of Justice and the Watchtower, which are as iconic locations as you will ever find in any superhero themed videogame.

Even on the last gen, the Lego series are games that have always held up well regardless of its theme and Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is no exception.  Regardless of whether you’re in the Batcave, the Tower or somewhere else in outer space, the game looks fantastic in the way that only a Lego game can deliver.  The Dark Knight may be the star of the show here, but there’s certainly nothing dark in this colourful and vibrant instalment and this is symbolised further more in the 75^th Anniversary Pack, especially when playing in the wonderfully camp setting of the iconic 1960’s Batman TV series.  If I was going to wish for one change in the visuals department, while Lego The Movie Videogame perhaps wasn’t the best instalment in the series, but I loved how its whole world was created from Lego, brick to brick.  Whether it’s the next Lego Batman game or another theme, this brick to brick world is something that I would love to see adopted with future Lego games.  As they say “I can only but hope”.

Ever since scripted dialogue was introduced in Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes, it’s a trend that’s followed suit with every other Lego game ever since.  While this direction has been debated by many, it’s one that I love and is something that the series needed to develop with its narrative in my opinion.  Don’t get me wrong, I also loved the mumbling voices of what went before, but having actual dialogue helped to give each of the characters in this game even more character and personality.  Without it we wouldn’t have Robin’s missed placed enthusiasm (to Batman’s annoyance) or the macho charm of Superman (to Batman’s annoyance) or even the wacky insane deranged brotherly love of The Joker towards his frenemy Batman (once again to his annoyance).

The story of Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is certainly one of its strongest assets and has superb delivery from its talented voice cast.  Now with a game that boasts around 150 characters, that would result in a lot of talent needed (and some reprising more than one role).  It’s certainly a star-studded roster and with it comes a star-studded voice cast.  It would be insane to list each and everyone, but just checkout the pick of the bunch.  For example we have man of the moment Troy Baker voicing Batman (and various other characters), the legend that is Michael Caine as Batman’s loyal butler Alfred, Russell Crowe as Jor-El (with The Man of Steel Pack) and even Stephen Amell as The Arrow (with The Arrow Pack).

However the top trump for me has to be Adam West, who is of course Batman from the cult 1960’s TV series.  Adam West not only plays the role of Batman once more in the 75^th Anniversary Pack, but he also plays himself as “Adam West in Peril”, the Lego DC’s answer to Lego Marvels “Stan Lee in Peril” and Mr West brings with him plenty of laugh out loud moments, as you might expect from the man who also plays Mayor West in Family Guy.  Other cameos include comic book writer and movie actor Kevin Smith, who plays his cameo very well.  The other cameo oddly includes TV Talk Show host Conan O’Brien.  Now I’m a fan of his, especially his Clueless Gamer segments, but he just seems out of place here and his comedy delivery feels rather static.  I can’t help but think that a friend of a friend may have owed him a favour by getting him this cameo gig.

Unless you haven’t been following the game progress or have skipped sections of my review, then you would know that Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham features over 150.  Just about with any Lego game and especially in recent years, they come with replay value in abundance and that still remains the case here.  As always by unlocking characters, you are then able to back track via the free-play mode to reach those areas in certain levels that were previously unreachable.  All in aid of rescuing Adam West, collecting those mini-kits, gold & red bricks and more.

I’m not one to talk of DLC as added replay value, because I only often believe in reviewing what you get in the initial purchase (for obvious reasons).  The only reason that I have an exception for that rule here is that in previous Lego games, DLC within the Lego series mostly consists of characters and other items such as weapons.  DLC that if I’m being honest, I had no interest in picking up.  The DLC with Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham will grant you extra characters and what not, but now you will also get special themed DLC that adds missions/chapters to the game.  I’ve already briefly mentioned the 75^th Anniversary and The Man of Steel Packs, but we will also see The Dark Knight Pack which allows you to play as Heath Ledgers Joker (among other characters).  Not only that, but we will see The Arrow Pack (as previously mentioned) and further DLC is promised.  The season pack costs a modest £11.99 (or £2.49 for each DLC pack individually) and includes all previously mentioned DLC; you can find out more details and watch a special trailer here.

Overall I love Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, as it has everything that a Lego fan loves about the series.  However it is my role as a reviewer to be objective and in all honesty, as much as enjoy this game and the series, the franchise needs somewhat of a shake-up.  Nothing to alienate its fanbase or anything so drastic that it takes away what we love about the series in the first place.  I guess it’s down to the talented folks at Travellers Tales to bang their heads together.  I have already stated that I would love to see the games worlds built with entire Lego, similar to that of Lego The Movie Videogame, but that’s just cosmetic.  While Lego The Movie Videogame introduced (which was later used in Lego The Hobbit) a great little mini-game that saw us construct contraptions from selected Lego pieces via a blueprint, what about if  that mini-game took a step further?  I know it’s something that many fans have voiced before, but what if we were able to build certain objects relevant to the story progression by placing our own bricks?  Obviously it would have to be a natural fit and we can’t expect the creative freedom that we see in the likes of Minecraft, but it would be great if Travellers Tales could take some kind of influence from immensely popular Mojang series.

So in a nutshell, are you as a Lego gaming fan going to enjoy Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham?  Sure you are, but are you going to see anything revolutionary?  The simple answer to that is no.  Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is a superbly fun game, which has given me memorable moments such as playing the game in co-op with my son for the very first time, its wide age range is one of the series biggest appeals.  But now I believe it’s time for Travellers Tales to step out of their comfort zone and give us something to really impress us the next time they take on a new themed franchise.  For now however, Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is one of the most charming games you’ll play this side of Christmas and I would recommend it to any Lego and Super Hero fan.

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