The game more than doubles the character count of its predecessor, bringing in about 150 playable characters to unlock. But I was also pleased to see the game give a fair shake to characters such as Plastic Man and the Atom, who both play an equal role in discovering hidden content. Many of the Justice League big shots, such as the Martian Manhunter and the Flash, are here in full form. Without question, Lego Batman 3 is a big party, and nearly everyone got an invite. Invisible walls surrounding levels drain the joy that comes with flying characters, even as the game encourages you to explore, with hidden secrets often found just out of sight.

Another source of annoyance comes from iffy button prompts, which require you to be in an exact position to activate otherwise you are forced to circle back and try again. When your allies aren't completely ignoring enemies, or just meekly punching away without causing much damage, you will often find them stuck on platforms or in a cluster of rocks. It also doesn't help that your computer-controlled partners are comically dumb. It's not a question of insight no, rather you are left cycling through characters and suits until you find the right peg for the predetermined hole, which quickly gets frustrating. While most puzzles rarely put up much of a fight, there are several that offer no clear direction on how to proceed. Not all is perfect in this brick-laden superhero adventure. A wide variety of suits play a large part in exploration and puzzle solving, which includes wading through toxic sludge to knock down a ladder, or using an electricity suit to power doors. As an old Lego fan, watching those plastic bricks fly through the air, skimming by just close enough for you to make out the LEGO name stamped on the tiny pieces, caused my heart to flutter with nostalgic delight. The bilateral system of destruction and creation is just as enjoyable as ever, and collecting those precious studs is just as satisfying.

Puzzles, which mostly involve opening doors or creating some other method of progress, are solved by breaking apart Lego objects and using the scattered pieces to create something new. Gameplay in Lego Batman 3 doesn't stray far from the classic Lego design.

Lego batman 3 mission list