From the moment I saw the trailer for the newest title from Traveler’s Tales (LEGO Star Wars, Spyro the Dragon) and Warner Bros. (Batman, Superman, Looney Tunes), I knew it was going to be huge. I also knew that this was firmly in the “not for me” category of media. I fully admit to going into this game as a fan of neither LEGO nor the LEGO video games.
In a way, that was the point. I wanted to see what this game could do without standing on the bias of someone who was a fan of the series.
To be clear, here – I think the games are totally fine. Good, even! Just not my cup of tea. I think that nuance is lost in a lot of gaming discourse these days and that is part of what motivated me to take on this project.
The High and Not the Pill
I am delighted to say that I could not have been more wrong when it came to LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. This game is, unequivocally, for me.
To start, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is a linear story that combines multiple continuities into one surprisingly effective narrative. I choose my words carefully there; I was genuinely shocked at how well the game combined elements of all of the live-action films, major stories from the comics, plot lines from Batman: The Animated Series, and even the Arkham series of games. The plot, as the name would suggest, follows a long legacy of Batman, from his origins going with his parents to the movies to see the fictional ‘The Gray Ghost’.
Baby Bruce is assembling his costume before heading out before that fateful night. The scene then does a brief montage and flash-forward and we see our hero scaling a mountain to reach Nanda Parbat, the lost city that is home to the League of Shadows (Assassins, if ya nasty). From here, the story takes on an episodic structure, with its chapters combining various elements of Batman mythos to create a throughline that builds the dark knight’s life as a vigilante.
My Eyes Become Large
Along the way, Batman works alongside a rotating cast of partners, including detective (commissioner) Gordon, Catwoman, Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Talia Al Ghul. Each character has 2 gadgets, which offer unique combat and world-navigating abilities.
And you’ll need those abilities, as LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight has an absolutely sprawling open world, with a Gotham that is only rivaled by Batman: Arkham Knight. There are challenges aplenty, from the Riddler and Cluemaster(!) all the way to a zoo breakout and hunting down criminals from wanted posters. Across multiple districts, the world is vibrant in a way only a LEGO world can be, while also being surprisingly faithful to the design aesthetics of its various source material. There is also the Batcave, where you can level up, purchase vehicles, and see the first location of the merchant in-game, Bat-Mite. Bat-Mite has rotating stock throughout the game in the form of cosmetics.
Without giving too much away, the game adapts every movie from the 1989 classic through The Dark Knight Rises. The chapters combine elements from multiple avenues and streamlines their stories. For example, the Joker in this story’s continuity is the same person throughout the whole game, so Jack Nicholson’s Joker dons the famous nurse’s outfit that Heath Ledger wore. This makes for some amusing crossover and allows for stories to be told a bit more sensibly than some of their source materials (the adaptation of Batman & Robin is especially good).
My Power, My Pleasure, My Pain
This game shines in its immersive world, wealth of colorful and nostalgia-inducing cosmetics, and a sense of humor that perfectly toes the line between kid-friendly schtick and more mature irreverence and referential jokes. The world stays busy and feels alive. In an open-world game, that is the first thing I look for. There is ALWAYS something to do – be it random crimes being committed around the city, activities like AR trials (à la the Arkham series), or a wealth of collectibles to make any game in the LEGO series proud.
The cosmetics are top notch, with deep cuts like the rainbow Batsuit from Detective Comics #241 (1957), Gotham By Gaslight (1989), and Nightwing’s original, disco-inspired outfit, along with outfits from The Animated Series, The Brave and the Bold, and all of his film appearances.
Batman has dozens of suits to unlock, and every other character has at least 10. With characters like Jim Gordon and Talia Al Ghul in the mix, this is an impressive feat. You can further modify these costumes with the red bricks found for completing puzzles throughout the game’s missions.
The game does falter at points, though. One of the biggest reasons that this game series hasn’t been for me is a feature, not a bug, and I can accept that: the collect-a-thon nature of it. I am certain that this is easier to deal with when playing with a friend; however, I played alone and so that’s the lens through which I judge it. That being said, the grinding and collecting does at least feel fun for a good while, and some of the puzzles are surprisingly devious.
Additionally, if you’re looking for a challenge, this might not be the one for you. It is a LEGO game, after all, and is not made to be Dark Souls, but the game never feels stupendously challenging in its combat or boss fights. The combat works, though, and is a strong adaptation of the Arkham rhythmic style to this format.
Last but not least, some of the side missions, especially the crimes, can start to feel a bit same-y, which can be hard if you’re grinding a particular side mission or stud collecting.
A Growing Addiction That I Can’t Deny
Overall, what did I think of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight as someone who is not a fan of LEGO games?
In a word: awesome.
This game is a love letter to a franchise, condensed in a truly creative way and simplified to make it fun for the whole family. It’s vibrant, hilarious, and underneath it all, has a lot of heart. Its weaknesses are far outweighed by its strengths, and you will lose hours if you’re not careful.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is available now for PlayStation 5, XBox Series consoles, and Windows. A Switch 2 release is forthcoming with date TBA as of this release.
Cover image via LEGO
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