What LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is about
Brainiac is shrinking worlds to add them to his collection of miniature cities, and he's using the power of the Lantern Rings to do it. Batman teams up with heroes and villains from the DC Comics universe to travel to different Lantern Worlds, including Zamaron and Odym, collect Lantern Rings, and stop him before Earth gets shrunk too. The story throws in surprises like disguises, Brainiac's mind control, and the influence of the Lantern rings on characters you think you already know.
Alongside the main plot there's plenty of side activity. You can hack computer terminals to drop into a virtual world where you escape mazes, fight in arenas, and race to find a code. The Bat-tastic Gadget Wheel lets you pick and upgrade suits and abilities for selected characters with a single button press. Iconic locations like the Hall of Justice, the Batcave, and the Justice League Watchtower serve as hubs where you can visit shops, trophy rooms, and the hero and vehicle customizers.
Playing it together
The game supports co-op play, so you and a friend can work through the adventure as a team. It also has Split Screen and Local Co-Op, which means two people can share one screen and one setup without needing extra accounts or connections. Remote Play Together is available as a Steam feature, letting someone join in over the internet as if they were sitting beside you.
With more than 150 unique characters to play and unlock, each with their own powers and abilities, splitting up and covering different ground works well. Some of the roster are BIG LEGO Figures such as Cyborg and Solomon Grundy, which changes how a character handles in combat and traversal. Puzzle sections and the hacking sequences give both players something to chew on rather than one person doing all the work.
Before you start
Expect a mix of third-person action, puzzle solving, and open-world exploration across a range of locales, including space combat sections, which are new to the series. The tone is comedic and family friendly, with plenty of comic-book humor alongside the fighting.
The character roster is large, and unlocking everyone takes time, so don't expect to have the full lineup available right away. Suit and ability upgrades go through the Gadget Wheel, so it's worth checking it regularly as you unlock new characters. If you're playing locally, both players will want a controller ready for the split screen setup.