Zadzooks: Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham review

One of the cooler ways to help celebrate the Dark Knight’s 75 years of existence in comics arrived late last year in the highly interactive Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games, $59.99, Rated E10+, reviewed on PlayStation 4, $59.99).

Offering an expanded view of the DC Comics’ universe anchored by the Caped Crusader, the third-person action delivered all of the familiar fun of a constructible and destructible Lego video game for youngsters and a steady stream of tributes for pop-culture fans.

A story finds core members of the Justice League and Legion of Doom working together to stop Braniac from harnessing the power of Green Lantern rings and shrinking worlds.

Up to a pair of players explore famed comic-book hotspots on missions to solve puzzles, collect studs, unlock areas and build contraptions and vehicles while beating on the bad guys until they explode into Lego blocks.

That translates into eventually having access to over 150 mini-block characters of varied stardom to control such as Superman, Sinestro, Lex Luthor, Hawkman, Swamp Thing, Aquaman and, of course, Batman and Robin, all with signature powers.

Fans will love using Martian Manhunter’s large alien form or quickly move the Flash around with a dazzling trail of sparks following him while hanging out in locales such as the Batcave, Watchtower, Hall of Doom and various Green Lantern home planets though the 15 hours of story action and near unlimited hours of free play.

Welcomed options to the game include a small collection of mini-challenges (the Tron-like security hacking is slightly befuddling) and the ability for many characters to change into helpful suits with a click of a controller’s trigger or using a handy navigation wheel.

For example, Robin’s Techno suit can deploy the Toy Wonder (a miniature Robin in retro costume on a hoverboard used to get through small doors and interact with gadgets) while Batman’s sleek Space Suit has a laser to cut through golden bricks.

Also, using the Bat’s sensor suit with a button tap presents a blueprint overlay of any environment to find interactive spots

However, what truly stands out among the building and rampant destruction is an adventure looking more like an episode of “Laugh-In” or “Robot Chicken” due to guest stars and pop-art nostalgia.

Suffice to report, it’s a game well-suited for a geekified parent and his child to cooperatively conquer as the elder player can offer plenty of explanation for the many of the pop-culture references scattered throughout the action and cut scenes that can span decades of lore.

First and foremost, let’s start with a distinguished voice-over cast known from animation, video game, television and movie franchises.

They include Troy (The Last of Us) Baker as Batman, Tara (“Teen Titans”) Strong as Harley Quinn, Clancy (“Starship Troopers”) Brown as Lex Luthor, Gilbert (Disney’s “Aladdin”) Gottfried as Mr. Mxyzptlk, Scott (“Friday Night Lights”) Porter as Aquaman and even the CW Network’s “Arrow” star Stephen Amell as, of course Green Arrow.

Best of all, the distinguished Adam West (TV’s Batman from the 1960s) appears throughout as his blocky self and even donning the cape once again (find a fantastic secret mission in the Batcave to use him). Mr. West is also often found in precarious positions requiring a specific hero or villain to assist him. 

That could mean harnessing the might of Solomon Grundy to break open rocks and wield a can of shark repellent to scare off a Great White and save Mr. West who is holding on to a raft for a dear life. Dad might need some time to explain the Adam West phenomenon.

Or, how about ludicrous walk-ons by a Lego-ized version of talk show host Conan Obrien or director Kevin Smith?

Next, moments such as the Batplane hovering in alignment with the moon before plunging back to Earth (seen in the 1989 “Batman” movie), or Mr. Freeze offering the silliest of Arnold Schwarzenegger accents imaginable (Mr. S played the chilly villain in the 1997 movie “Batman & Robin.”)

Better yet for lovers of the obscure, Wonder Woman twirls into action like she did in her 1970s television show (complete with the theme song playing as she flies).

The pop-culture references never stops. Look for an appearance by Doctor Who’s Tardis, listen to the booming musical score from Danny Elfman (heard in the 1980s Batman movies) or John William’s theme for Superman or even control at least three different version of Catwoman (including the 1960s Julie Newmar/Lee Meriwether version).

Additionally, obscure characters will delight such as Daffy Duck dressed as Green Lantoon, the pint-sized Bat-Mite offering game instruction, Ambush Bug (an obscure teleporting friend and enemy to Superman originating in the 1980s by comic book creator Keith Giffen) and the involvement of a cape wearing cow. Yup, Bat-Cow (Robin’s pet in the comics and caused him to become a vegetarian) even stops by for assistance.

Dynamic gaming duos also have a highly incentivized reason for finishing the game. The rolling credits feature the 1966 Caped Crusaders scaling the side of a building (recreated right from the television show) while celebrities pop out to greet them, and an occasional cut scene pops in to tickle a comic-book fan’s funny bone.

I’ll not go into specifics but that ending, combined with Traveller’s Tales expertise for designing humorous and inventive interactive wonderlands, certainly helps make “Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham” a real treat for the young and old DC Comics fan in the family.

Note: Players smitten with game should further invest in the steady stream of downloadable content packs ($14.99 for a Season Pass delivering all six) that offer even more nostalgic action.

For example, The Dark Knight pack features a chase scene from the 2008 movie played out during Harvey Dent’s police escort and characters from the Christopher Nolan film franchise such as Joker (dressed in a nurse’s outfit wielding a rocket launcher), Bane and Selina Kyle.

Or, The Man of Steel pack has a player control Jor-El and his wife to help Superbaby Kal-El escape Krypton and even involves a fight with General Zod.