#PS4 LEGO BATMAN 3 BEYOND GOTHAM SERIES#

Why, then, the slightly downbeat reception? Well, the goal of Lego Batman 3 is, as the title suggests, to take the series ‘Beyond Gotham’. The visuals might not be convincingly lifelike, but convincingly Lego-like? We’d certainly say so. And while the graphics aren’t exactly cutting-edge, they do more with plastic surfaces and coloured lighting than any Lego game before. Kids will seriously bust a gut with the Joker’s routine about ‘pants’, and even adults as grouchy as Batman might be caught smirking from time to time. The other heroes and villains – with more of them voiced – get their own share of dastardly puns and self-consciously cheesy lines, and there’s some great slapstick stuff to enjoy. We get a huge 150-strong cast of DC heroes, villains and side-characters, while po-faced Batman and youthful, attention-seeking Robin have never been such an entertaining team. The series’ secret ingredients have always been fan service and humour, and here Lego Batman 3 doesn’t disappoint. Even the traditional arcade elements – particularly an excellent Resogun-style shoot-em-up – work better here than they have in years. There’s nothing all that new here, but the old adage ‘if it ain’t broke…’ still applies. Following on from Lego Marvel Super Heroes, each of the game’s stars gets his or her own distinctive moves, and the giant-sized characters (or those with transforming robot suits) can really trash the scenery in style. There’s plenty of fighting, too, as you bash, smash and sometimes tear your enemies apart, plastic piece by plastic piece. What’s more, more of these characters get extra forms or extra suits, so that Cyborg, Lex Luthor and the Joker get variations of Batman and Robin’s kits, while Martian Manhunter gets a larger, secondary form and cool mind-control powers. While the early sections stick to the dynamic duo, it’s not too long before you’re handling Superman, Cyborg, the Flash, Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter, and not too long after that before you’re playing as the villains too, with Killer Croc, Solomon Grundy, The Cheetah, Lex Luthor and the Joker joining in with the main campaign missions, not just the unlocked free-roaming stuff. Lego Batman 3 doesn’t make the same mistake.

The one thing we didn’t like about Lego Batman 2 was that it sidelined its other DC super heroes, giving you a little time with Superman, but holding back the rest of the Justice League until the last few missions. Only by switching characters (if you’re playing solo) or through teamwork (in co-op play) can you use all your powers and all your costumes to make your way from start to end. Robin’s hazard suit is proof against chemical spills and can hoover up and deposit useful bricks, while his magnet suit has magnetic boots and the power to attract glowing objects. His power suit has missile launchers which can shatter silver objects, while the space suit has a jetpack and a laser that can cut through gold bricks. The heroes themselves have their own specific capabilities, but Lego Batman has already focused on the role of suits, with Batman and Robin switching costumes to tackle certain tasks.īatman’s sensor suit, for instance, can highlight hidden grapple points or enable him to sneak past security. Each level is effectively a series of simple puzzles where Batman, Robin and the other playable heroes have to work their way past each obstacle en-route to the level’s conclusion. There’s nothing wrong with the minute-by-minute gameplay, which sticks to the tried and tested formula laid down by Lego Batman 1 and 2.

#PS4 LEGO BATMAN 3 BEYOND GOTHAM FOR FREE#

Put it down to a failure to introduce something fresh and unexpected, or to a structure that doesn’t leave as much room for free play, but it’s the first major Lego game in years that doesn’t feel like an essential family game. Yet while Lego Batman 3 is fantastic fun, it’s also slightly less satisfying than its predecessors. TT Games’ fourth Lego superhero opus could have been its best, fixing the few complaints fans had about Lego Batman 2 and boasting some of the strongest levels in the series.

#PS4 LEGO BATMAN 3 BEYOND GOTHAM PS4#

Available on Xbox One, PS4 (reviewed), Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PC

Ps4 lego batman 3 beyond gotham