Also known as:  “LEGO Skittles in Space”

LEGO videogames are known for their freeform exploration gameplay, their tongue in cheek humor, and their vast assortment of playable characters. Batman 3: Beyond Gotham supplies all those things with a bit more to boot. Join Batman and the Justice League as they battle Brainiac’s evil plans to use the various colors of Lanterns (green, yellow, red, etc…) to obtain ultimate power (is there any other power worth getting?) Beyond Gotham manages to use the best bits of previous LEGO games rather than trying to “improve” upon what has gone before. Thus, fans of the series should be happy with its implementation, and new LEGO gamers are treated to some of the most entertaining videogame series around.

For those unfamiliar with the LEGO videogame series, the game is played in a world made entirely of LEGOs (think the LEGO movie). Players control one (in multiplayer) or two (switching back and forth) LEGO figurines as they explore through levels. Almost everything in the level can be destroyed to award LEGO “studs” – the currency in the game to unlock things. If you “die” you simply lose some of your studs and come instantly back to life. Each LEGO figurine has its own powers (sometimes even different “suits”) and thus the game can present simple challenges and puzzles that require specific characters to solve. Even after the story is completed, there is plenty of replay value as many items and locations cannot be obtained on one’s first play though since they require specific characters that have not yet been unlocked. (This is one of my gripes about the game. A completionist may try several times to obtain something on a level, only to learn later that a specific character is required to obtain it.)

As for Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, the story obviously centers on Batman and Robin (and a hefty number of the unlockable “characters” are variations on the two of them.) However, the story also highlights the Lanterns. Green Lantern has always been my favorite superhero (I like green), and having him and the whole “Lantern Corps” featured is a big win for me. A decade or so ago DC comics came up with new colors of Lanterns – in addition to the classic green (good, based on will) and yellow (bad, based on fear.) These various colors included red (rage), blue (hope), and violet (love). (Keep a lookout for a particular Warner Bros “special” Green Lantern.) All these crazy “new colors” of Lanterns gave them my favorite nickname “Skittles in Space”. Gamers who lean towards Batman have plenty of classic Batman figures with which to play – different bat-suits, robin-suits, and even Adam West! (In fact, he shows up in every level “in peril” and one of the things you can do in each level is to find a way to rescue him.)

I’m obviously biased about the story, but the standard LEGO interface holds up well. Multiplayer is the most fun, and the screen can be set to auto adjust (by splitting diagonally) whenever characters drift apart or be set up to be permanently split screen. This is great for family multiplayer, since an experienced player can push the story along while a younger gamer just wanders around having fun. There are very few LEGO adventure games that are poorly implemented, and LEGO Batman 3 is not one of them.

Final Thoughts: LEGO Batman 3 has also fallen prey to the whole “buy add on packs for the game you already purchased” craze. There are three “packs” available for purchase and three more on the way. Each adds a fair number of new characters to play as well as new areas to explore. You can buy them separately or purchase the “season pass” which will give you all of them for one price. I understand that it’s a way of providing more content, but if you (like me) prefer to buy your game all at once, the add-ons can get a bit annoying. Just be prepared for your kids (or yourself) to see ads in the game for the extra material.
Kid Factor: It’s LEGOs, so no disturbing violence here. Some of the cutscenes are a bit more dramatic but I can’t imagine it being too disturbing for any child who is decent with a controller. No reading is required, but the occasional battle or puzzle (or even “platforming” – running and jumping) might need a bit of help from an experienced gamer.

*3DS: The 3DS, as a handheld, is often left in the cold in terms of story and gameplay. This time around the game stays closer to its console cousins. Back is the ability to “jump” (yes it was removed in some previous games) and characters only lose studs when dieing (they used to have to restart the level). The game gives a nod to the 3DS interface, using the stylus for some of the puzzles in the game.

Tags: Game Reviews