izigame.me

Disclosure. I bought this game as part of a bundle, and at a large discount. My thinking was, even if I hated the games, it would just be a few dollars (on average) per game -- and if one of the games in the bundle was good, then the rest would just be gravy. Luckily, I liked the first two games in the series, making the discounted bundle a really good deal. Lego Batman 3 is the third game in the series. Most reviewers seems to think that this is the worst of the series. I am going to disagree with this sentiment somewhat -- and the reason (I think) has to do with the open world.
In my review of Lego Batman 2, I did a long discussion regarding the open world feature (which I won't repeat here). Basically, while I liked the feature, it was only after the main story was completed, and also, after the map was completed. Until that point, the open world feature seems to make the game a bit tedious, as traversing the open world served little benefit, in the early stages of the game. Interestingly, it looks like the developers may be thinking the same -- as Lego Batman 3 seems to have removed the open world completely. I think this may be a big reason why many reviewers disliked this game -- while I seem to like it better.
So, how does the replay system of Lego Batman 3 work? The story is very similar to the setup used by Lego Batman 2. There are long stretches of play, with chapters, and checkpoints within the chapters. Unlike Lego Batman 2, there isn't an open world, as it reverts to a hub system, that seems to be much more complicated than what was used by Lego Batman 1. Actually, in the beginning, it stays linear with the story for quite a while, with no hub to be found. You actually do visit the hub level(s), but you may not know that it is a hub level, until you progress further into the story. In other words, it feels like a linear game, for quite a while, before it eventually opens to a hub, at various points in the story, with a way that allows you to choose which chapter to play or replay.
Regarding the outfits/suits. there is a somewhat significant change related to this. Instead of having platforms to change to different suits, you only need to earn the suit. Once a suit is earned, you can change to that suit, and (almost) at any time. This may make it a bit more complicated, which seems to be resolved by a combination of having signs (with help tips), and/or simply having the character switch to the correct outfit (by pressing B), when nearing the situation when the suit is needed. While I like the ability to change to any suit, at any time, I am not sure if I like either quality of life option, as each option has flaws.
Regarding the Batman Rogues Gallery, with Lego Batman 2, one of my issues was the lack of ability to play as a villain during the story. Interestingly, this is not an issue here. You do get to play as different villains as part of the story. And unlike Lego Batman 1, it's pretty well integrated into the Story. Don't want to give any spoilers... It's pretty cool.
Regarding an issue by other reviewers, one major concern seems to be the lack of innovation -- to which, I am in partial agreement. I have little issues with a lack of innovation. If a game is good, in my opinion, there is little wrong with the sequel being very similar. However, in this case, I am playing this game directly after playing Lego Batman 2. Due to this, some boredom has set in. Many times, I felt the need to stop, to later return to playing this game again, when I get into the mood.
Regarding the stability, this game seems to have the most bugs (in the series). So far, I encountered a few issues, where items can't be destroyed, where characters get stuck (and can't get unstuck), and where animations stopped working. And with the first case, I didn't know it was a glitch, so couldn't figure out the solution for quite some time, eventually quitting for the day. Heck, I even found (and confirmed) a checkpoint that didn't work -- quitting after saving at that checkpoint, actually reverts to the start of the chapter.
Final thoughts... This review may not be needed, as anyone who played the first two games already have an opinion whether (or not) to finish the series. For me, I highly recommend the Lego Batman series, with the first game being my favorite, and this game being a close second. Admittedly, it does take some time to get used to the Lego types of puzzles and solutions. Also, with the large cast of characters, large set of powers, and large number of suits (for some characters), this game may be the most complex of the series. Regardless, these games are fun to play, and Lego Batman 3 is a great option, for players who liked the first two games, and am looking for more of the same.