Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is like reading a pile of old comics you find in your basement. You still enjoy them for what they are but you just cant escape the feeling that you've seen all this before. As a diehard fan of Batman and the lore his adventures have created, I found a lot to love about Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham but it never did anything I didn't expect, and it was clear very early that this was in fact another Lego game. There's an amazing amount of fan service here, and it still succeeds everywhere the series has in the past, but I've played this game before - for better or worse.

"There's an impressive amount of characters here..."

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham: Beyond Gotham isn't really a Batman game as much as it's a Justice League game with Batman as the focal point. Throughout the game's extensive story you'll be playing as different members of the Justice League and even a few oddball DC characters sprinkled in for good measure. There's an impressive amount of characters here (over 150 of them) and they range from fan favorites like Superman and Wonder Woman to more obscure characters like Cyborg and Detective Chimp. There are even some really out there characters like comic scribe Geoff Johns, director Kevin Smith and even the Daffy Duck version of the Green Lantern; The Green Loontern.

Beyond that, there's a pretty fantastic sense of progression through many of the characters as you play through the game and unlock new suits, abilities and upgrades. As the title suggests, Batman is the real star here and his suits unquestionably steal the show but the Batman '66 suit is unquestionably the coolest. Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham features an entire level based on the old campy sixties TV show and Batman is even voiced by Adam West. It's a very cool touch for fans of the bat in this, his 75 anniversary.

All of these DC hereoes need a reason to get together and as the title suggests, Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, takes you Beyond Gotham - much further beyond. Braniac is harnessing the power of the Lantern Corps to shrink planets down to size and add them to his collection and it's up to Bats and the rest of his super pals to stop him from collecting Earth. It's not the strongest story and though it does set its sights and ambitions high, it falls short of Lego Batman 2's more focused story. The space battles are definitely a highlight here, but they're few and far between.

"...recycles a lot of content from previous games."

Gameplay wise, Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is essentially a Lego game and if you've ever played one, you'll feel right at home here. There's pretty much nothing new and Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham recycles a lot of content from previous games. There's still a lot to love here, especially if you're playing with a younger gamer as your co-op companion but this is a game engine that was showing it's age years ago and it's becoming even more clear that the franchise needs something to shake it up.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, even if none of it surprised me. I had fun finding the different characters and fan service nods thrown in but the core Gameplay remains almost untouched from previous games and while it's entertaining enough, it's a formula that started showing its engine long ago. Younger gamers and fans of the Bat and the universe he's created will find much to love here, but don't be surprised if it feels like you've already played it.