LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

Lego Batman 3 has loads of great DC characters and missions, but suffers from an inconsistent tone.

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham celebrates the history of Batman while offering loads of extra content.

Lego Batman 3 has all the ingredients of the other, enjoyable, Lego superhero games, but is let down by clunky controls, poor signposting and questionable translations of well-known comic book personalities.

A hefty experiences that bounces all over the place, but is still strong at its core

Fans of the Justice League (or DC comics in general) will get a lot of enjoyment out of this game, but I wouldn't recommend playing if you're looking for a Batman adventure. There's simply too much fun to be had in the DC universe to give it all to one man. As far as Lego games go, it's not perfect, but it delivers a solid story and a plethora of DC characters to play around with, which is more than ICE can ask for.

Less Batman, more Green Lantern. This is good.

LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham feels like a step back for the sub-series. A lazy story, as well as a lack of open world content, prevents this from building upon the broad shoulders of its PlayStation 3 predecessor – even if it does have stunning visuals and some neat minigames.

Lego Batman 3 may not be the greatest adventure — or even the greatest LEGO adventure — on the Wii U, but it's certainly still well worth a look for series fans. Repetitive gameplay elements and some occasionally awkward controls bring down the Dark Knight's latest, and the lack of an explorable open world feels like a step back from its predecessor, but fun writing, excellent co-op, and lots of LEGO charm are more than enough to seal the deal for DC devotees.

[T]his is a very good game and it's definitely showing another side of the franchise that isn't just a tired, cloned cash-cow in a new dress.

If you're a fan of DC Comics and don't mind the simple gameplay mechanics the Lego series is known for, then Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham will give you and your family hours upon hours of enjoyment. It also won't lead you to taking out a second mortgage on your home as you won't need to buy hundreds of physical toys to play the game; but after your kids start playing Lego Batman 3, I'm sure you'll end up buying them Lego toys anyways.