Mobile technology has advanced so much in just a few years that it is hard to believe that mobile gaming used to be little more than physics-based puzzle games and endless runners.
LEGO Batman: Beyond Gotham proves that you can immerse yourself in rich gameplay with quality graphics right on your iPhone or iPad. We’ve got a full game review of LEGO Batman: Beyond Gotham for you today.
Concept
Play as the Dynamic Duo as you try to stop Brainiac from destroying Earth. Robin is faced with serious trouble when Batman gets a case of the brainwashing. In order to keep Brainiac from turning everyone into a bunch of mindless followers, the Justice League teams up with the bad guys to stop the invasion.
Design
This game first made its way onto consoles like PlayStation and XboX in 2014 (also known as LEGO Batman 3). It is not a direct port, there have been a few changes made to fit the mobile environment. So, this is a console game and plays like one, but it fits on your iPhone screen just fine.
Gameplay
Players control various super heroes (and villains) as they try to stop Brainiac from taking over the world. Each character has special abilities and can wear special suits. Once a level has been unlocked by playing through the first time, it can be replayed by each character that you’ve unlocked. Different characters and different suits have access to different objects in the game. So, after you’ve unlocked Batman’s missile suit, you can replay the first level to smash apart silver bricks and reveal more collectable stuff.
The game plays out with a storyline that keeps you entertained and interested. Why did Batman get brainwashed? What does Brainiac want with the Lantern League? Only by playing the game will you discover the truth.
The game controls are based on either Casual controls or Virtual D-Pad. To play with your MFi controller, use Casual controls. The game uses a fairly complex mechanic, so controls are difficult to get used to at first. I highly recommend using an MFi controller for the best experience.
The Good
This experience is fully comparable to console gaming when it comes to mechanics, especially when you use an MFi controller. The storyline is rich. The voice acting is wonderful. The music is perfectly suited to the game. It is a really fun game to play.
The Bad
The touch screen controls are not very good. If using the Virtual D-Pad, there are a lot of buttons to get used to and the virtual joystick is a bit too loose. If you are using Casual Controls, it is borderline abysmal. You are constantly tapping all over the screen to move or do anything. Clearly, the game was built for consoles and ported to mobile or the control scheme would never have been made so complex. That being said, if you use an MFi controller, you will not be disappointed at all. It plays perfectly and intuitively. The game was meant to be played with a physical controller.
Value
LEGO Batman: Beyond Gotham costs $4.99, which frankly is a steal for a game of this caliber. It is just as feature rich as console versions at a quarter of the price. The replay value is very high since you can replay unlocked levels with new characters to discover new items.
Conclusion
I thoroughly enjoyed playing this game, so much so that it took me three hours to write this review because I just kept playing instead of working. However, I had the joy of playing it with an MFi controller. If you have one, this purchase is a no-brainer. However, if you use the Virtual D-Pad or Casual controls to play, you may experience some frustration, especially at first, with moving around and interacting with objects. So, keep this in mind when making your decision to buy. This game is available on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Download it in the App Store today.
Related Apps
LEGO Batman: DC Super Heroes is the second in the LEGO Batman series and is also available on iOS.
What do you think of this game? Let us know in the comments below.