It is no small feat to take over 30 years of cinematic history and turn it into a cohesive, brick-building adventure, but LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight manages to do just that. Moving away from the standard original stories of past iterations, this latest entry does the impossible: it successfully interweaves the overarching narratives of the Batman film franchises, seamlessly blending the gothic charm of the Michael Keaton era, the grounded realism of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy, and the moody, rain-soaked grit of Matt Reeves’ The Batman.
If that wasn’t enough, there are plenty of nods here to the Caped Crusader’s small screen appearances, as well as plenty of nods to Batman: The Animated Series, the Adam West TV show and even Batman Beyond.
Bat-Bricks
The result is a love letter to the bat’s cinematic history, packed with both blockbuster moments and deep-cut surprises. The most surprising and unexpected of these is a chapter dedicated to Batgirl and Firefly—a brilliant, bittersweet sequence that harkens back to the cancelled live-action film we never got to see. It’s an incredibly bittersweet moment that interweaves with the original story naturally while also showcasing just why Batgirl needs a movie of her own.
When it comes to the roster, the game is packed to the brim, though not every sidekick is a winner. Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: Robin is incredibly annoying. Between his grating dialogue, never-ending puns and underwhelming gameplay loop, the sooner he is out of the story, the better. Once the narrative allowed me to bench the Boy Wonder, I never went back to him unless his powers were necessary. Fortunately, most of these abilities transfer to his next iteration, Nightwing, but still, I never understood why people didn’t like Robin before I played this game.
You can only unlock 6 playable characters here and, thankfully, the rest of the Bat-family more than picks up the slack. Batgirl is a fantastic swap, bringing incredibly useful tech abilities to the table that make hacking and puzzle-solving a breeze. However, the absolute peak of the game is pairing up Batman and Catwoman.
They are by far the best combo of characters; their banter is sharp, and their dual abilities feel incredibly natural when traversing the world together. Running around as this duo invokes a heavy, wonderful dose of nostalgia for the ‘90s films. The last unlockable character is Commissioner Gordon, who is your very first companion in the early hours of the game. He may not be your favourite or first choice, but he does offer some powers that no one else has.
Building a Legacy
Mechanically, the gameplay has taken a massive leap forward by borrowing heavily from the Arkham series. You are no longer restricted to simple button-mashing brawls. While you can absolutely go all-in, throwing punches and utilising fluid counter-attacks in the middle of a street fight, you also have the option to play stealthily. Grappling up to the shadows, stalking your prey, and dropping down for silent takedowns adds a layer of strategy that feels incredibly satisfying in LEGO form.
What surprised me is the mix-up of combat offered here is surprising for a LEGO game. There is the usual attack to take down enemies, but mixed in is Rocksteady’s Arkham combat, allowing you to hide in the shadows, drop down and take enemies out quietly. This is no surprise considering that about 24 devs from the studio worked with TT Games to bring this to life. You also take on hordes of enemies, and if you time everything well, you can get combos in the triple digits, which is no easy feat.
You will need those traversal and combat skills, because this iteration of Gotham is absolutely HUGE. The map is a sprawling, incredibly detailed playground. If you stick purely to the main narrative, you’re looking at a solid 17-hour campaign. But once the credits roll, you quickly discover just how much more there is to do; the sheer volume of endgame content across Gotham’s districts will keep completionists busy for weeks.
If that wasn’t enough, on top of that content are random crime events that generate as you travel around. Criminals robbing banks, attempted break-ins, and little old ladies getting robbed, it is your job to stop it all. On my playthrough, every time I spawned in an area of Gotham, it would be 5 minutes between a police callout for assistance.
It is a great way to earn some extra LEGO bits and break up the gameplay of missions. The Riddler trophies from the Arkham games also make a comeback here, in the form of puzzles that unlock a collectible. They are of varying difficulty and are easily found using the map and your Bat-senses. If that wasn’t enough, Cluemaster also has his own puzzles, so there is plenty to tickle your brain and depending on the difficulty you are playing on will determine your success.
To navigate a map of this size, you need a good ride, and the Batmobile variety here is fantastic. You have access to a massive garage of iconic vehicles. While I suspect most players will immediately want to cruise the streets in the Nolan-era Tumbler, I actually found the Batman v Superman Batmobile to be the most fun. It’s an absolute tank, and tearing through the destructible LEGO environments of Gotham in it is an absolute blast.
It has a boost function that helps you rip through bricks easily, and while the speed never feels too crazy or fast, it is quite easy to handle and maneuver through the busy streets. Unlike the Arkham games, Gotham is teeming with life; there are residents everywhere, cars, businesses, so there are always obstacles to avoid, which adds an extra layer of challenge to vehicular combat.
Final Thoughts
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight isn’t just a great LEGO game; it’s a genuinely fantastic Batman game. By marrying Arkham-style combat with a massive open world and a heartfelt tribute to the films, it delivers an adventure worthy of the cowl.
Previous LEGO Batman games have crafted an original Batman story; this game succeeds by taking the best parts of the caped crusader’s history and fusing them together to make the ultimate Batman tale that covers many villains and timelines.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: A complete Batman story, Challenging combat, Open-world Gotham, Arkham-style gameplay
Lowlights: Limited characters to play as
Developer: Travellers Tale
Publisher: WB Games
Platforms: Windows, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5
Available: Now
Review conducted on PS5 Pro with a pre-launch code provided by the publisher.
Featured header image also provided by the publisher.
