Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight Review — The Best Batman Game in Years Isn’t From Rocksteady

The Brick Knight returns (again) for Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. It’s not the first Lego Batman game, but it’s the first that pulls from multiple corners of the lore and snaps it all together for a definitive experience.

The story starts at the beginning, covering young Bruce Wayne’s obsession with the Gray Ghost and the fateful evening in Crime Alley that changes everything for him. From there, it moves to his training under Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Shadows – much like the events depicted in Batman Begins, but with some creative license and the typical Lego sense of humor. Think of this section as the tutorial, as the game truly comes to life when Bruce returns to Gotham City and assumes the mantle of Batman.

If you have played the Lego games before, you’ll know the drill: Defeat enemies, smash blocks, build contraptions, drive around in vehicles, and solve puzzles. Nothing here is out of the ordinary in that sense, though there are clever new additions to freshen things up. For instance, never in my life did I think I would be fighting Carmine Falcone’s thugs in a ballpit, or find myself experiencing Saturday Night (Bat)Fever with Jim Gordon on the dancefloor of the Iceberg Lounge. Even after all these years, Traveller’s Tales continues to find ways to surprise us!

What makes Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight different from previous Lego Batman games is how it leans further into the Arkham gameplay mechanics. Stealth takedowns, vent crawling, vantage points, and Detective Vision play crucial roles in every mission. Even those pesky Riddler trophies are back – albeit under a different name! Christian Donlan from Eurogamer referred to parts of the game as “Arkham-light,” which is perhaps the most accurate and apt description for it. Look, don’t expect the depth of combat from the Arkham series – and the stealth takedowns could have been more challenging in retrospect – but this condensed version of it works well in the context of the Lego world.

It’s obvious that Batman fans worked on Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, because they have found a way to weave all the mythology from different movies and comics together in a way that’s cohesive, enjoyable, and sometimes even better than what the filmmakers themselves did. No spoilers here, but if James Gunn is looking for smart and passionate people to work on scripts for new Batman films in the DC Universe, these are the folks to call on, since they know the lore inside and out.

It isn’t only the overall storyline that appeals; it’s also the witty interactions and hilarious moments that keep you chuckling all the way through the game. Every Batman fan has questioned how tough it must be to manage the bat poop situation in the Batcave, and poor Alfred provides the answer as he’s constantly sweeping. Also, if you’re meant to approach an NPC with, say, Jim Gordon, but you do so as Batman, you might get an unexpected response. Renee Montoya, for instance, tells the Dark Knight that she doesn’t want his mixtape. Burn!

While Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is a delight for Batman fans, it does have its flaws too. There are laggy parts that are highly noticeable. I’m not playing on a PS5 Pro, but come on, this is a Lego game – not Cyberpunk 2077 – so there’s no excuse for the stuttering here.

Also, be careful in sections where it might be tempting to knock enemies off cliffs in combat. Sometimes, these rogues end up in suspended motion, where you can’t see, reach, or defeat them. This forces you to restart from the previous savepoint, which is annoying, since there’s no way to progress without doing so.

Minor gripes aside, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight sticks the superhero landing. I promised myself I wouldn’t close off with a corny quote about this being the hero we deserve, so I’ll only say the following: When Lego Batman says, “I’m Batman,” he isn’t lying. Even though this is a conclusive beginning-to-end Batman story, let’s hope this isn’t the last one. Otherwise, we might need a “Restore the Legoverse” fan campaign on our hands.  

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