As the ever-popular LEGO brand has grown, so has its licensed products, and since 2005 Traveller’s Tales have been developing video games based off a variety of famous universes. After many successful releases based around Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings (to name but a few), it was in 2008 where the developers delved into the Batman license. Proving to be a fan-favourite amongst LEGO fans, a sequel was spawned a few years later in 2012 that marked a HUGE step forward. Incorporating characters and worlds from the entire DC universe, using full voice acting for the first time in any Traveller’s Tales LEGO release, and even cramming in an open-world environment to explore, LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes was a fantastic game. Fast-forward to 2014, and LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham has arrived that takes the entire DC universe and places it in outer-space. Building upon the foundations of the previous series entry, is this once again another big transition that’s set to lay down the standard for future LEGO games?
In regards to storytelling this is certainly true, with Beyond Gotham featuring one of the best LEGO narratives to date. With such a great cast of characters filling up the main roster, and equally as talented voice actors playing those roles, this game contains wonderful cutscenes that are a joy to watch from the very beginning. Things are improved even more thanks to the premise of both the heroes and villains working together to defeat a common foe, leading to some fantastic moments. Thanks to the wacky characters and their diverse personalities, the silly humour is cranked up to 11 and this will often result in many laughs from gamers both young and old. Due to the unpredictable nature of the LEGO games themselves, this also means that players have no idea where the story is going to take them next, with some great ideas thrown in along the way to create a story that feels like a fleshed out adventure.
The downfall of Beyond Gotham then is not within its narrative, but within its gameplay offering, of which feels uninspired and evokes constant feelings of “been there, done that”. Though the previous entry took great strides to produce something new, this game sticks to what is familiar – resulting in an experience that while can be fun, is far from exciting or daring. The traditional combat mechanics are present from previous entries, the same co-op based entry-level platforming fills each level, as do the various collectables (mini-kits, red bricks and studs), and though the puzzles are a little more complex thanks to the wider selection of ‘suits’ to equip (a mechanic originally found in DC Super Heroes), they never feel particularly fresh, and don’t open up to many interesting moments. Then again that statement could be applied to the level designs in general, which for the most part are unfortunately pretty dull.
Starting off on a sour note, LEGO Batman 3 has it wrong from the very first minute, placing you in a slow and uninteresting sewer level that feels almost offensive. As something that should be getting you interested into the wider game, this level (and the ones that follow) did nothing but bore me to tears, and in all honesty would have put me off playing much of the title had I not had to review it. Failing as an opening and being completely inferior to other openings of existing LEGO games – most notably the Marvel Super Heroes intro that throws you into an inventive boss battle set piece, Batman 3 thankfully picks itself up off the floor a few levels in when you eventually find yourself out in space. From here on in things do improve and become a little more interesting as environments take on the bizarre, but their designs do little to differentiate themselves much from the earthly areas, and the ideas behind them don’t take up much creative use of the outer-space setting. While in space you will visit different planets, space stations, and even take part in Galaga-style missions – that while hardly challenging, offer a nice diversion from the classic LEGO gameplay. The overall experience is definitely comfortable (and one that is improved when played in co-op), but it doesn’t do anything to break the mould, and this is where the game’s biggest disappointment lies. But hey, at least the game world looks stunning.
Graphically speaking, LEGO Batman 3 doesn’t push next generation hardware, with things looking just as nice as they have done for the past year or two. This isn’t a bad thing however, as the look is very simple and very easy on the eye, with LEGO characters and environments having great texture work, inventive and accurate-looking LEGO models, and silky smooth animation that brings the LEGO universe to life before your very eyes. Bright contrasting colours are rife throughout each level too, with the alien planets in particular looking gorgeous.
As you would expect from any TT Games LEGO game, players can revisit levels they’ve previously completed by using ‘Free-Play’, a mode that enables you to play as whatever characters you wish and access areas you previously couldn’t within the story playthrough. As you would imagine this adds plenty of replayability to the game and easily adds hours and hours on top of the already 10-12 hour length of the story mode. Players are encouraged to repeat levels over and over in order to grab all collectables and unlock as much content as possible, whether that be in the form of LEGO models, cheats, or playable supporting characters.
Adding on top of all of this, there are a series of ‘hub’ environments too such as the Bat Cave and the Hall of Justice (to name but a few) that the player can choose to explore that off-shoot from the mission select area. These can be fun diversions that the player can put a few hours into fully exploring, but unfortunately these feel rather underwhelming when placed in comparison with the previous games open-world Gotham City. Some bite-size planets do open up further into the story that the player can freely explore, but they aren’t too engaging, and I found myself dismissing them after a short while. Despite none of this content offering anything particularly new, there are selections of enjoyable mini-games that can be played within the main hub area that despite their simplistic nature – were fun and I found myself going back to them after every few missions to soak up a bit of my time.
Verdict
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham isn’t a bad game by any means, it’s just incredibly underwhelming – feeling almost like a step backwards for the LEGO franchise. Whereas LEGO Batman 2 improved massively upon its predecessor in every way, this new entry lacks much ambition, going as far as to not experiment too wildly with the concept of outer-space. It really does feel like a missed opportunity, though fun can certainly be had here. For those growing tired of the current LEGO formulae you might not want to part with your money, but for those that lap up every LEGO release that arrives, there’s plenty to get involved in and kids will certainly have a whale of a time.
Positives:
- Fantastic narrative.
- Great cast of DC characters.
- It’s a LEGO game – fun for all ages.
- Plenty of content for your money.
Negatives:
- Feels like a step backwards.
- Game lacks much ambition.
- Level designs aren’t that imaginative.
- Gameplay feels stale.
Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.
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