These days, it is hard to think about a character more universally beloved than Batman. For almost 100 years, his stories have captivated each generation in new ways. Whether you grew up with the comics or were introduced to the character through Matt Reeves’ The Batman film, everyone has a “core Batman memory.” Those who grew up in the early 2000s and were unable to watch any of the films for a while likely became acquainted with the Batman mythos through the LEGO Batman games from Traveller’s Tales.
LEGO games, over the years, have served as experiences designed for families and young children to play together. This is evident in the overall game quality of these titles, as they’re relatively simplistic platformers at best and monotonous time-wasters at worst. There is no fundamental difference in the gameplay experience between LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues. As such, when Traveler’s Tales announced a new LEGO Batman game that combined elements from throughout the character’s 87-year history, I was cautiously optimistic.
Early gameplay for LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight seemed to indicate that this would be the most ambitious LEGO game to date, as it promised a fully explorable Gotham, 126 costumes, multiple playable characters, and a story that adapts every single Batman movie into one cohesive experience. Certainly, I knew that the game would be, at the very least, enjoyable. However, I wanted to see if it could be more than that and if Legacy of the Dark Knight could be a great experience, not just by LEGO standards, but by the standards of the genre at large. After playing the game for myself, I can confidently say that this is one of the best Batman games ever made and is only held back by a few major issues here and there.
Batman Begins
Legacy of the Dark Knight focuses on the entire lifecycle of the titular character, and as such, it starts right at the beginning: with a little boy getting ready to go to the movie theater with his parents, unaware that his life is about to change forever. You play as Bruce Wayne in the moments before this traumatic event, re-experiencing the moments of calm with his parents, in a charming tutorial that introduces the basic LEGO mechanics that you will undoubtedly be more than familiar with at this point.
The first few hours of LEGO Batman are pretty poorly paced, sadly. It takes you through the entire origin story of Batman, including the death of his parents, his brief encounters with the Falcone crime family, his training in the mountains with the League of Shadows, and his eventual decision to “become a bat” and put on the cowl for the first time. These segments introduce players to the gameplay mechanics and to the characters of Bruce Wayne, Ra’s Al Ghul, and Talia Al Ghul. The amount of time that you spend being taught how to play the game before you eventually hear the words “I’m Batman” is frankly staggering. Thankfully, though, the long wait is worth it.
Legacy of the Dark Knight compiles every single Batman movie into one cohesive experience. It starts with Batman Begins, then transitions to The Batman (2022), Batman (1989) and Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, and finally The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. Rather than trying to individually adapt each film with different versions of Batman, it instead justifies it as one version of the character that is constantly growing. Each chapter highlights a specific era in the character’s life, and after one ends, there is an in-game time jump to justify the shift in characters.
I absolutely adored this concept, as it gave me a chance to see Batman grow as a character in real time, in ways that few adaptations are able to capture. You see Bruce evolve from someone more angry and serious to the slightly more lighthearted member of the so-called “Batfamily.” This evolution applies to the other playable characters, such as Jim Gordon, Robin (Dick Grayson), Catwoman, and Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), among others. In Catwoman’s case, she’s first introduced as a foil to Batman and an uneasy ally. However, in the next chapter, they’re on a first-name basis and far closer with each other than previously. It feels like a natural progression, and one that feels even more satisfying if you’re a fan of the broader mythos.
In general, countless nods and easter eggs signal a great admiration for not just Batman films, but also his comics and the broader film medium, too. Each chapter starts with an intro that uses the music from the film that it’s based on, with Chapter 4 starting with a sequence based on Batman: The Animated Series. There are references to, of all things, American Psycho and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which older fans are sure to get a kick out of. In general, the writing has the same wit to it as other LEGO games, meaning that regardless of your age, you will get a kick out of at least one of the jokes.
At its core, the narrative, writing, and characters are all in service of creating the ultimate love letter to the Batman character. Regardless of how you became interested in the character, be it the comics or the Nolan films, there will be something here to appeal to you. On the one hand, this means that this is a must-play if you’re a Batman fan of any age. On the other hand, though, there are some flaws with this approach, as sometimes the overemphasis on nostalgia can get a bit distracting.
Much like older LEGO games based on specific film franchises, it adapts the original movies almost 1:1, with Traveler’s Tales’ execution here being admittedly more elaborate than previous instances. However, what this means is that it is almost too reliant on the stories of the films, at the expense of the comics themselves. For example, rather than Talia Al Ghul being of Chinese and Arabic nationality, she speaks with a French accent because the actress who played her in The Dark Knight Rises was also French. No other Robins or Batgirls make an appearance aside from Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon, as both are the only iterations of the characters that have debuted on the silver screen. As such, if you’re a fan of Jason Todd, for instance, you’re fresh out of luck.
While this doesn’t ruin the overall experience of Legacy of the Dark Knight, it does mean that some elements of that legacy are left by the wayside in favor of specifically paying homage to the movies. However, in the grand scheme of things, these issues are fairly minor since most fans of the character were introduced to him via said films. At the end of the day, as previously stated, you will adore this game and find a reference that clicks with you regardless of how you became a Batman fan. Most importantly, much like the initial LEGO Batman games released throughout the 2000s, this game is clearly partly meant to introduce younger audiences to the character in the most family-friendly way possible. In that respect, Legacy of the Dark Knight more than succeeds at its goals.
So, while the story pulls elements from the Batman movies and delivers those narrative beats in an unorthodox way, does the gameplay try to do anything new mechanically compared to previous LEGO games? Thankfully, yes, it does, but not without flaw.
Absolute Warrior
It’s impossible to talk about Legacy of the Dark Knight without mentioning the most iconic superhero game franchise of all time: the Batman: Arkham games. Said games defined an entire era of licensed games focused on superheroes, with games being based on other heroes shamelessly adapting their mechanics until Marvel’s Spider-Man released in 2018. As such, it is perhaps unsurprising that the game dedicated to adapting Batman’s past also adapts the gameplay style of the most beloved series based on the character.
If you’ve played any Batman Arkham or LEGO game, you know exactly what to expect from Legacy of the Dark Knight. Combat requires you to take advantage of your gadgets and combos to either defeat an enemy through whittling down their health or by using a takedown gained by a Focus meter to instantly knock them out (or break them apart, since all LEGO minifigures break apart upon defeat). If any enemy goes to attack you, you can counter with the simple press of the Triangle/Y-button, and if you prefer to go for a more methodical approach, stealth is a viable option.
In between encounters, you’ll be jumping from platform to platform and building objects using LEGO pieces to progress. There are plenty of collectibles to find in each level, which can be used to add more goodies to your Batcave. Additionally, there are also secrets to be found throughout Gotham itself, such as the typical Riddler collectibles from the Arkham games, as well as some other side quests here and there. These can be completed to get the most important collectible of all: different costumes and Batmobiles. The latter of which can be used to traverse the environment in a way that focuses on speed over combat, which immediately puts it over the combat-focused Batmobile of Batman: Arkham Knight.
On the one hand, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight executes its gameplay formula very well. It manages to adapt the Arkham formula into a more cohesive package, which makes it a bit more accessible for younger audiences. Additionally, there are difficulty levels for those hoping for a more easier or more difficult experience, which I’d never complain about. Most of all, the massive Gotham map and the way better handling of the Batmobile as a tool for traversal rather than a form of combat means that it does certain aspects better than Arkham itself.
Further, I absolutely adored the customization options that are offered. There are a staggered 126 costumes you can unlock for not just Batman, but for every other playable character. Each suit is designed to pay homage to a specific era in its respective character’s history, and can range from easily recognizable to downright obscure. One of my favorites was a costume modeled after the ongoing Absolute Batman comic book run, which reinvents the character entirely. The fact that the team included recent suits further helped this game go above and beyond in comparison to other LEGO games. This also applied to the Batmobile options; if you have a favorite Batmobile or Batbike, then there’s a chance that it shows up in Legacy of the Dark Knight.
However, at times, it feels a little too reliant on the formulas of the Arkham franchise and other LEGO games. The game rarely tries to do anything new that separates it from these games. The combat system, the stealth, and even the collectibles are all lifted 1:1 from the Arkham franchise. Further, there aren’t really any new changes to the typical LEGO game formula. I haven’t played a new LEGO game since DC Super Villains, and save for the more complex levels and overworld, there isn’t really a fundamental difference in style. As such, if you are already very familiar with both LEGO and Arkham, then there really isn’t anything that justifies paying the $70 price of admission to get a game that you have technically already played.
Unlike other LEGO games, though, the number of playable characters is severely lessened. Rather than hundreds of different characters to choose from, you can only pick from a list of six, other than Batman. While it does mean that each character that is present has capabilities that are entirely unique to them, it also means that you can’t play as any villains or other major characters from the world of Batman, which makes the post-game feel way less exciting than other LEGO Batman games. Sure, more characters will be released post-launch, but the fact that Harley Quinn isn’t even in the game by default, while the very first LEGO Batman had an entire campaign dedicated to the villains, feels like a downgrade. It doesn’t help that there is an overabundance of technical issues, like crashes, physics glitches, and long loading screens.
At the end of the day, though, these issues will only apply to those who are massive fans of the character and for those who have played either the Batman: Arkham games or other LEGO games at length. For younger audiences and families, for whom LEGO games are always designed first and foremost, then adapting the Arkham series into an extremely ambitious LEGO release is more than enough to satisfy them. Plus, there are plenty of surprise gameplay segments here and there that are sure to charm even the most “hardcore” of gamers.
So, is Legacy of the Dark Knight able to deliver a great experience and go above and beyond the standards that previous LEGO games have set? The answer is both yes and no.
Something in the Way
When I was a kid, one of my first exposures to the Batman character was through LEGO Batman: The Videogame on PlayStation 3. I vividly remember playing through both the Hero and Villain campaigns with my dad, trying to get all the Minikits and unlock one of the game’s many secret characters. This experience would lead me to watch all of the Batman movies, play all the games, and read the comics. Nowadays, Batman stands as one of my favorite characters in all of fiction. The best thing I can say about LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is that it reminded me why that is.
Legacy of the Dark Knight isn’t the best Batman game, nor is it the definitive Batman game. Its story adapts the entirety of the movies, at the expense of the comic book stories that fans have grown to love over the years. The gameplay is an almost identical replica of the Batman: Arkham games, without adding anything new to either its formula or the traditional foundation of other LEGO games. Additionally, the limited roster of characters and the numerous technical issues mean that it may be harder to justify purchasing Legacy of the Dark Knight compared to the games it’s based on. However, Legacy of the Dark Knight is worth the price of admission alone due to how it succeeds as a tribute rather than the “perfect Batman game.”
Any fan of Batman will find something to love in this experience. The story, despite being an adaptation, manages to combine each film into one coherent experience in a way that is genuinely brilliant. Further, the writing and characters maintain that typical LEGO charm, and there are plenty of jokes that will get a laugh out of any player, no matter their age. The gameplay, while pulled directly from Arkham, is simplified enough that younger audiences will quickly be able to wrap their head around it. Though more hardcore players will find enjoyment in the surprise gameplay sequences throughout. Plus, the abundance of customization options and the great use of the Batmobile mean that Legacy of the Dark Knight improves upon aspects of the Arkham series.
At the end of the day, while a hardcore Batman fan may take issue with some aspects, the joy that the game provides more than makes up for those problems. If you love the character as much as I do, then you owe it to yourself to play Legacy of the Dark Knight for yourself, as it is the ultimate love letter to one of the best characters ever created. For kids and families, this is even more of a no-brainer, as this is the best possible way to introduce new audiences to the Caped Crusader. All in all, while this may not have been the Batman game I needed, it was the one that we deserved as an experience that truly captures his iconic legacy.
Disclaimer: LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight was reviewed on PlayStation 5.
