SDCC 2014 Hands On: LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

While At SDCC I Got To See LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham In A More Intimate Setting Than Just The Trailer. Here’s My Take On It

It was Comic Con and what kind of convention would it be if we didn’t cover LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham or something comic book related in gaming? Am I right? Well in a few months time we are getting the release of LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham on damn near every platform under the sun so I stood up and gave the game a whirl on the show floor. All just before the huge announcements that now surround the game and make it just that much cooler. Here’s what I thought when I finally got my hands on LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham.

From the start LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham feels just like all of the past titles in terms of controls. There have been a few things added to the mix but it is still all about the same. Unfortunately, the additions to the controls didn’t seem to function as well as one would expect. Primarily the addition of being able to swap characters and costumes at any time during the game by pressing and holding a button. In this instance it was the triangle button on the PS4 controller. It was more of a pain in the ass as you had to hold it for a specific amount of time to get the costume wheel and another amount for the character swap. Even the developer showing off the demo had issues with this. This was also the “interact with the world” button in some cases.

Controls aside there, I will say that it was a nice addition to allow us to have access at all times to the various costumes we will acquire during LEGO Batman 3. Previously we had to search around or hope that the costume switcher was close by to get the tools we need. Now, hopefully after a fix, it will be available at the press of a button and not through hunting. I don’t know how many times in previous games I had wished to have a different suit on for the gear but could have it due to this limitation. Not only can we swap characters but now any of their costumes that we may want to use. This includes the addition of all the flying suits.

Speaking of characters, it sounds like the roster has grown even more so for LEGO Batman 3. I was shown about 30 different characters ranging from heroes to villains that we could play as. There were even a few new “big” characters that the LEGO games began using with characters like The Hulk in the Marvel titles. We also got to tool around with the recently announced 60’s era characters that were made popular by Adam West; whom is also a character in LEGO Batman 3 that we will have to save. All kinds of fun although there was no news on the addition of Dog Welder to the lineup of DC characters we will get to have full control over. He would be a fun LEGO character. Make it happen!

Lastly, as we only got a very small taste of it and mentioned it above, we can’t ignore the 60’s version of LEGO Batman 3 that will complete out the fun. This isn’t some crazy pre-order exclusive or anything but it is a way to keep the fun of LEGO Batman 3 rolling once the game is beat. We only got to toil around with the character costume and Batcave for it, but from what we are told this mode will add a whole new experience to playing LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham again. As if the free play mode wouldn’t be enough. We can just take it as another way to get more Adam West in our lives.

I’ve been a huge fan of the LEGO Batman and all the LEGO franchise games forever. LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is going to be yet another great addition to the roster of titles from what I’ve been able to play so far. I do hope that the controller issues get tweaked out or at least become more intuitive outside of the little bit I was able to play on the floor at SDCC. I do know that like the other titles in the franchise, LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham will be a day one purchase for me. If you want to get a better idea though, here is a video shot with one of the developers of the game. A lot is explained in the hustle and bustle of the SDCC noise.