During the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con, I got the chance to pick up and play the new demo for LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham at the DC Entertainment booth on the convention’s show floor. The demo available was the PlayStation 4 version of the game. Based on what I got to play, I believe longtime fans of the LEGO Batman franchise will be quite happy with how the new game is shaping up.
While the game is marketed by Warner Bros. Interactive as a “Batman” title, it is filled with characters from the DC Comics Pantheon. I was quite surprised and happy with the breadth of playable characters available in the game. Besides Batman, Robin, Superman, Wonder Woman and the other main heavy hitters of the Justice League, additional playable characters include the likes of Bat-Mite, Plastic Man and even villains such as Lex Luthor and The Joker. One of the major selling points of the game is that Adam West is in the game as both himself and the Adam West version of Batman. In total, the game has over 150 playable characters. Each one has its own unique abilities and play style.
In the playable demo, the Lex Luthor and The Joker have allied together in the Legion of Doom and have taken over the Watch Tower. Batman and his comrades then have to go into space and battle their enemies. In the demo, Batman goes into space and the first area was something a little different for the series, since it was it was a scrolling shooter-type level. Using Batman’s ship, Batman has to shoot down a number of Joker drones. Eventually, using rocket power-ups, you take out a bigger drone before infiltrating the Watch Tower.
The next area has Batman on the outer hull of the Watch Tower. In this area, Batman and the other Justice League members have to fight through various goons. All of the heroes have alternate suits and abilities that are required to progress throughout this stage. Eventually, the heroes make it into the Watch Tower. This level requires a bit of thought as well as combat. Certain characters are needed to build certain type of items in the Watch Tower in order to regain control of the citadel from the villains. The heroes have their own unique special abilities. All the LEGO heroes have the ability to build items, but certain ones can only pull off a required action in this level.
The music for the game is great. The game features the classic Danny Elfman music from the 1989 Tim Burton Batman film. The final game will also feature John Williams’ Superman score. LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham looks like a great game for kids and families to play together. It contains fun building elements that are great for kids as well as a nostalgic flair that comic fans will enjoy. The game will be available on all platforms later this fall.
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