LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight Review – Lego Knight
The caped crusader is back, though this time he’s taking his vigilante antics to a world made entirely of plastic bricks in his latest adventure, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen a Batman LEGO game, seeing as the hero has a rich history in the brick-built gaming world.
But Legacy of the Dark Knight is entirely a different beast from what came before, building on the success of Rocksteady’s Arkham games set in a block-filled universe. Does it live up to the expectations that fans have been hoping for? The short answer is a resounding yes.
I am Vengeance! I am the Night! I am LEGO Batman!
If you’ve been keeping a keen eye on LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight since its initial reveal, then you’d likely already know that the story revolves around retelling crucial points in Batman’s history. Specifically, his collection of live-action films spanning across decades. From Tim Burton’s Batman to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy and even Matt Reeves’ The Batman, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, as the name suggests, is a celebration of the cape crusader’s legacy.
But the story isn’t just some play-the-greatest-hits type of game. I mean, yes, you’ll recognize most of it from the films and the Animated Series, but at the same time, it’ll feel like something new and original. They’ve remixed many of the key stories from each film in a way that doesn’t feel like a mess and doesn’t rely solely on nostalgia for its own sake. Take Batman’s origin story from Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. It plays out the same, but some key moments, such as his parents’ death, blend with Tim Burton’s Batman Begins. Another early origin example from Batman Begins is when Bruce goes to confront Carmine Falcone for the murder of his parents; the game takes the opportunity to introduce other characters seen in Matt Reeves’ Batman film, but in a very fitting way that ties the two films together.
I’m trying to be very careful with spoilers here. I know, I know, we’ve all seen the movies, and we all know Batman’s origin story, but I genuinely think the story in Legacy of the Dark Knight is one of the best Batman stories we’ve gotten in a video game, because it’s so well composed, so well put together, in such a way that it feels original. It feels fresh, even though I could tell you which movie any scene in the game came from.
That blend of cinematic universes creates a bizarrely brilliant scene that’s familiar yet different. It treats Batman’s 85-year history not as a rigid timeline to be strictly adhered to, but as a toy box where the pieces actually fit together. You think you know exactly how a scene is going to play out because you watched it on an IMAX screen ten years ago, only for the game to pull the rug out from under you by introducing something from an entirely different era of the franchise, or even at times, something completely original made specifically for the game. It keeps you on your toes in such a fun and surprising way.
Again, I’m trying to keep things as spoiler-free as possible, but one thing I will tease is that if any of you had issues with some of the films, just know that this game actually addresses them, rather than leaning into their humorous film turnout. Things that didn’t land quite right, whether it’s a questionable character motivation, a tonal clash, or a plot point that felt rushed, now have room to breathe, thanks to how the stories of each film all mix together.
The best way to describe it is as a massive director’s cut of the entire film collection and other popular Batman series, with reshoots and new scenes added to tie it all together, rather than just a supercut. I went in fully expecting the story to be one of the weakest parts of the game, but it actually turned out to be one of the best Batman stories ever told. Games based on movies are more often than not a total disaster, usually regurgitating a checklist of scenes you already know by heart. I’m not saying this game doesn’t have a checklist of scenes, but it handles them with a level of narrative care that completely elevates the experience.
I really do think this is one of the best Batman adventures we’ve ever gotten. That success, however, isn’t just due to the writing; it’s heavily backed by gameplay that, quite frankly, is a Rocksteady Batman game in disguise as a LEGO adventure.
Batman: LEGO Arkham
Taking a look at the gameplay of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, you can instantly tell that it was heavily inspired by Rocksteady’s Batman Arkham series. In fact, I would go so far as to say it’s a near-exact replica, only dropped right into a LEGO universe. That shouldn’t come as a massive surprise, seeing as Rocksteady essentially set the gold standard for what a Batman game should be. That, and some members of Rocksteady actually worked on this, too. But what is surprising, however, is just how seamlessly those gritty, high-octane mechanics translate into a world made of plastic bricks.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark has the full free-flow combat of the Arkham games, meaning during punches, you can counter enemies’ attacks, dodge over them, and even use your gadgets freely in such a seamless and fluid motion. But instead of breaking bones and leaving bruises, finishers will make thugs explode into a shower of plastic bits. This is a LEGO game after all, so it does keep some of the humor and rules of its universe intact. Which, fitting enough, you can see the comic and Adam West’s Batman show inspiration in the combat, as text bubbles pop up to further emphasize the impact of your strikes. It’s a little stylistic touch that fits perfectly with the LEGO aesthetic, making sure the game never takes its blocky violence too seriously.
But it doesn’t stop at just combat, as the game is designed to let players take a stealthier approach. Much like in the Arkham games, Batman can hide in vents, grapple to vantage points, and perform all kinds of takedowns while staying hidden. Enemies have their zone of vision, which adjusts with the level of difficulty you play on. Alerting an enemy not only alerts nearby enemies but also calls in backup. When you perform a stealth takedown, it’ll even call the nearby enemies to that location, wondering where their fellow henchmen went.
It really is just an Arkham game, wrapped with LEGO visuals, and I’m all for it. Like they say, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
My only complaint with the combat that is holding it back from being called perfect, is the speed at which it flows. It’s not quite as fast as the Arkham games when throwing punches, which in turn can feel sluggish at times. It’s not a massive complaint, but I think if it were tuned just a tad faster, it would have perfectly captured that rhythm that made Arkham’s Freeflow system so legendary. As it stands, there’s a slight weight to Batman’s animations that doesn’t quite match the lightning-fast reflexes you expect from the Dark Knight.
Open-world traversing is very similar to Batman: Arkham Knight. I think they improved how gliding and grappling flow while moving around the world, making it feel much smoother and more responsive. Yes, Batman essentially flies in this game, due to how fast he can move and the amount of air currents placed around the map to help him navigate the city. I don’t mind it, though I think I would have preferred a flyable Batwing.
Speaking of vehicles, players will eventually get the Batmobile for Batman and, for other characters, their respective vehicles, such as Batgirl’s and Robin’s motorcycles, and other character-specific vehicles. There’s a ton of skins for each of them, too, so if you want to cruise around in the Tumbler from Nolan’s Batman films, use the classic Animated Series, or something more recent, as the one from Matt Reeves’ Batman, you can.
Besides the main story, there are plenty of side activities you can do, like patrolling the city and stopping crime, taking on some side quests, and, of course, the return of Riddler challenges. Ah, yes, those pesky Riddler challenges are back, and in full force as they’re scattered around the city, waiting for you to solve them. However, he’s not the only intellectual narcissist looking to test Batman’s wits this time around, as players will encounter yet another villain that we’ll just say is quite the master of clues.
There’s plenty to do in Gotham, though admittedly, the content isn’t as compelling as the Arkham games’, as it mostly feels like generic mini-games.
One thing to note that makes this a very different LEGO Batman game is the number of playable characters. The very first LEGO Batman game (LEGO Batman: The Movie (2008)) featured nearly 50 characters, with its sequel having a similar number of playables. It was not until the third LEGO Batman game that we saw that number climb to over 200 characters, though it included other characters across the entire DC Universe. But compared to those, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight has only seven characters you can choose from.
It’s not much, but the collection of unlockable skins for each character makes up for it. Even so, I completely understand why some might be disappointed by that news. But at the same time, this is a game that is mostly based on the live-action movies. That means this universe is more self-contained, separate from the larger DC universe, and focuses mostly on the Bat Family. Characters such as The Flash, Wonder Woman, Superman, Green Lantern, and other superheroes just wouldn’t make sense in this “grounded” universe that the solo films have created.
Would I have loved to see those characters given the amount of work that was put into making this game? Of course, but this isn’t that kind of game; it’s a celebration of, well, the legacy of the Dark Knight.
A Fantastic Celebration of Batman’s Legacy
It’s not often I find myself being blown away by a LEGO game. In general, they’re games geared towards a much younger audience of players, and while LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight still maintains much of the playful, blocky heart and soul that makes the LEGO universe so enduringly charming, it also does something very impressive with the Batman IP, both narratively and mechanically, that makes it feel like one of those big blockbuster AAA Batman game that we would get from Rocksteady Studios.
With it pulling from 85 years of Batman history, this feels like a worthwhile tribute to the Caped Crusader. It’s a reminder of why we love him so much, whether we first met him through the gritty lens of modern cinema, the animated classics of our childhood, the comics, or a pile of plastic bricks on the living room floor.
Without a question, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is a must-play for all Batman fans out there.
Pros
- Story - A retelling of the history of Batman with fun and unexpected twists. It does an excellent job at blending all the films together in a structure that makes sense.
- Gameplay - It's basically a Rocksteady Arkham game, set in the LEGO universe.
- The visuals are fantastic, with performance that is mostly locked on consoles.
- Soundtrack that pulls from the films and animated series.
- Voice acting - Although it can be rough in some parts, I did enjoy the voice acting, especially when a character switches up their personality based on the era their character is in that moment.
Cons
- Open-world activities are pretty basic for the most part.
- Combat could have been sped up a bit more.
Our reviewer purchased a copy of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.
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