LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight Review

My initial read on LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight was based on trailers and screenshots, where I assumed it would be a nostalgia-heavy theme park with a classic LEGO finish. I was wrong. That perception changed when I went hands-on with the game during a preview event, which left me feeling certain it would be a far more in-depth jaunt through Batman’s greatest hits, stuck together with some impressive combat and exploration. I was wrong. It’s only now that I’ve hit credits and immediately jumped back into its impressive open world that I see Legacy of the Dark Knight for what it truly is: the definitive Batman experience for every kind of Bat-fan.

Using the Dark Knight trilogy as a narrative foundation, the campaign starts with a young Bruce wandering the gardens of Wayne Manor before a fateful night at the cinema, moves to training under Ra’s Al Ghul, and hits just about every major milestone in Batman’s crime-fighting career before things are said and done. Inspirations are drawn from all sources, with Poison Ivy’s look and mannerisms lifted from Batman and Robin, Joker’s museum scene taken from Batman 89, and the Penguin chase sequence borrowed from Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Incredibly, however, Legacy of the Dark Knight manages to pay homage to countless Batman stories while telling a worthwhile tale of its own.

Across the roughly 12-hour campaign, players will progressively build out the Bat Family, with playable versions of Catwoman, Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Gordon, and another that I’ll keep under the cowl, making the Batcave their home. The story is littered with goofy antics and wacky happenings, as you would expect from a LEGO title, but every step along the way is decidedly Batman. For instance, you’ll play through Two-Face’s attack on Haley’s Circus, which traditionally ends in tragedy, leading to a young and grieving Dick Grayson being adopted by a sympathetic Bruce Wayne. Here, the future Robin still ends up as a Wayne ward, but he’s fired from the circus after causing property damage. I’m sure his parents are thrilled with this kid-friendly change.

Well, Batman, you are a minifig after all…

You’ll find a grittier interpretation of The Bat in Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns, a more grounded one in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy, and an infinitely campier one in Adam West’s ’66 version, but it’s the way in which Legacy of the Dark Knight manages to pay tribute to every facet of this storied hero’s history, all while feeling unique in itself, that makes it so extremely special.

Being a complete tale of Batman’s origins, you’ll begin by learning the basics of movement as a yet-to-be-traumatised youth, but it’s with the League of Shadows where your combat skills are sharpened. This training tutorial is fitting too, as Legacy of the Dark Knight forgoes the one-button style from LEGO games gone by, opting instead for a far more character-appropriate approach that borrows from the Arkham series that once redefined action titles.

Once the donnybrook begins, the camera will zoom out, giving you a proper look at what you’re up against. Attacking with one button, dodging with another, and parrying with a third, the playable Bat Family will deftly zip around combat arenas with precision, with knockout blows punctuated with a comic book-style “WHAM, POW, THWACK.” Already a huge departure from the norm, this foundation is deepened with character gadgets like Batman’s Batarangs, Catwoman’s whip, Batgirl’s drone, and Gordon’s goo launcher (just go with it).

R-Bats would be proud 

You’ll want to engage with these additional tools to take down a wide variety of baddies, like brutes, shielded goons, and snipers, all of whom require a different and deliberate approach to best. Just as those looking for a simpler experience can flick the difficulty down and enjoy a more classic experience, those looking to explore the depths of the new system can do so as well. Not just with a welcome hard difficulty, but also by interacting with a universal skill tree, as well as one for each individual character. I was genuinely blown away by the scale of this excellent and fun new combat system and was throwing out Arkham-level combos and moves by the time I faced the final boss. Sure, you won’t be white-knuckling it through every encounter, and the speed of combat is slower, but I don’t think there will be a soul among us who won’t be impressed with what’s on offer here.

As I alluded to, another major shift for the series is the character count. Gone is the staggering roster of playable minifigs that fall into vague archetypes, and in is a small selection of well-rounded heroes. Those gadgets I mentioned are just as useful out of combat as they are in, with each being integral to puzzle-solving and platforming during missions. As a result of this change, level design is drastically improved, with each section feeling like a bespoke playground for the two locked-in characters. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the approach that older LEGO titles took, as they tried to drive replayability, but from a moment-to-moment perspective, this is a huge improvement.

While your choice of character will depend on the mission, while you’re out in the fully open world of Gotham, you’re free to swap and change to your life-giving heart’s desire. One of the major selling points for Legacy of the Dark Knight, this bricky version of Gotham City is outstanding. From an aesthetic perspective alone, this open world is top-tier, with rain-soaked buildings and bustling streets teeming with references and touching tributes. Outside of tearing through alleyways in a variety of Batmobiles, all of which handle with an arcade perfection I was not expecting, Batman and friends have plenty to do.

It’s worth it to just spend time gliding and driving around this beautiful bricky Gotham 

Riddler Trophies (stay with me now), escaped zoo animals, Cluemaster puzzles, random crimes, and a raft of other activities are dotted across the reasonably-sized city, tempting you to reach for that coveted 100% completion. Each of these open-world distractions takes no more than a few minutes to tick off, and often uses a character’s kit in otherwise unexplored ways. I often found myself drawn away when driving, gliding, or grappling to my next objective, too tempted by the icon that just popped up on my screen. You won’t find in-depth side quests or hidden stories to unfold here, but what you will find are fun and fast activities that add to your enjoyment.

Fighting bad guys, smashing furniture, helping citizens, everything will reward you with iconic Studs. And trust me, you’ll want to keep those multipliers high and hoover those purple variants, because they have a very practical use. Of course, you can spend your earnings on the 100 unlockable costumes at the Bat-Mite Store, but you’ll also want to save some coin for the dozens of items you can take back to your customisable Batcave. I’ve written an entire article on this game’s incredible Batman museum of a base, but it’s worth mentioning again that this hub area does more than let you upgrade your character and replay missions; it celebrates the Bat in the coolest and most tactile way possible. I spent a long time going full Sims in my Batcave, and I don’t expect that to change now that I’ve wrapped up the main story.

It’s so clear to me that the folks at TT Games truly love the source material, and not just the surface-level stuff either. I had run-ins with B-level characters like Gentleman Ghost, Egghead, and Condiment King; I found the dishevelled diner from the opening of Arkham Knight; and I lost count of how many easter eggs I spied on billboards or plastered in neon across Gotham’s skyline. One of my favourite, easily overlooked nods comes when Batman and Catwoman embark on a mission in a department store. Playing as Catwoman, if you whip a mannequin, its head will fly off before damage is caused anywhere else, paying homage to Michelle Pfeiffer’s insane feat when portraying the character in Batman Returns. It’s brief, it’s clever, and it made this Bat-fan’s day.

How would you get through a locked door if not by way of rock?

My poor partner, whom I played co-op with, had to deal with perpetual screen pointing at obscure, niche, and always excellent references like I was Leonardo Diacprio in that one scene from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The reverence that this game has for Batman and the wider DC world is endlessly commendable, and I have no doubt that I’ll be gawking at many a reference more as I journey towards 100% completion.

With seven playable characters, it shouldn’t be surprising that you can play through the game in couch co-op. It’s undeniably entertaining to play alongside a friend or partner, and it’s going to be just as fun for them as well, thanks to each character feeling fleshed out and useful. That said, regardless of your visual setting preference, you should expect a noticeable drop in frames when your player two drops in. Speaking generally, the game’s technical performance was a little inconsistent during my playthrough, with a handful of crashes and a progress-halting bug muddying the fun somewhat. That said, I would expect these kinks to be ironed out over time, so hopefully you won’t have a similar experience.

Final Thoughts

Using the word “Legacy” in the title of a game centred on a beloved hero with decades of history is a bold and daunting choice, particularly when the game is literally built from kids’ toys (no offence, adult LEGO enthusiasts). TT Games has not only shown extreme care and love to the Caped Crusader by delicately weaving depictions throughout its excellent campaign, but it has also paid service to the Bat with a deep, modular set of combat and exploration systems that far exceed the expectations of a LEGO game.

Reviewed on PS5 // Review code supplied by publisher

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