Legacy of the Dark Knight draws upon over 80 years of DC Comics lore, TV shows, films and games, and can be best described as one colossal love letter to the Caped Crusader.
It is an ambitious video game from the get-go, retelling the story of Bruce Wayne from his beginnings with the League of Shadows, to training his team of fledgling sidekicks, to cleaning up Gotham City's streets and becoming its go-to protector.
But this retelling has a distinct, blocky twist for fans, young and old, to revel in. And it pushes the boundaries in what we can expect from both future LEGO and superhero games.
The story beckons a new era for Batman, LEGO... and comedy?
While Legacy of the Dark Knight remains faithful to the overall lore of the Caped Crusader, it also takes all the freedom of our favourite building blocks and injects an enormous amount of comedy into the mix.
Trust that no matter whether battling Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Joker or Bane, you're never far away from a corny Dad joke that gets you chuckling. Or a slapstick gag that has you rolling your eyes.
The comedic writing is top-notch, and it's so refreshing to play a game that is so unapologetic in trying to get you to laugh throughout. And it almost always will succeed.
One minute, you’re scaling the rafters of a nightclub in pursuit of Carmine Falcone, a setting you can kind of get behind as being faithful to the actual story. And the next, you’re in a labyrinth of underground ball pools, taking out his henchmen while they’re on their play break. I challenge anyone not to laugh.
Rather than taking an elevator to a basement, Batman instead builds a giant drill (because it’s safer). And then finds himself in a dance-off scene with Jim Gordon, so he can 'blend in' with the crowd. In this game, you really can’t predict anything.
But don’t let the silliness fool you. The game never truly takes its focus off the starring hero. And the game provides a pretty conclusive recount of Batman's achievements, with each one of the game’s six chapters covering a specific iconic era of his career. And with over 100 suits to collect, and a wide catalogue of vehicles to drive, trust that you can play as your 'favourite’ Batman with gusto.
Granted, there are some slight changes to the story, which I imagine is an attempt to tone down some of the ‘darker’ events. This is a LEGO game after all, and the abject violence and tragedy Batman is sometimes associated with is never allowed to linger for long. Whether that is sacrilege or not for die-hard fans remains to be seen.
But for me, Legacy manages the impossible: balancing the seriousness of Batman with the outlandishness of LEGO. It had enough humour to keep me laughing consistently throughout, but no joke ever overstays its welcome, nor outshines the source material for too long.
In Gotham City, combat triumphs over stealth
As a superhero game, Legacy of the Dark Knight has no shortage of action to enjoy. And it's clear developers drew heavily on the Arkham series to perfect its combat system. With a LEGO twist, of course.
Like everything else in the game, combat is a clever blend of reality and ridiculousness, where one minute you’re delivering an Olympic-style gymnastics routine and chaining combos to defeat mobs, the next you’re attaching helium balloons to send them sky-high.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is a game of pure joy and unapologetic humour.
Melee fighting will see you button-bashing, slowly building up your focus bar to unleash one-shot executions. Batman and co. can dip and dive around the screen with incredible finesse, slipping in some gadget attacks for pizazz while hordes of mobs run amok. As the game progresses, enemies arrive larger and better equipped than before, sporting shields and long-range weapons, keeping Batman constantly on the move.
While there is a stealth element to the game, where you can take out enemies one by one from the shadows, I feel like it’s a bit underutilised. Sure, you can execute a foe while perched on a rooftop, but the zany active combat and chaos of fending off ten goons at once is almost always too fun to pass up.
A clever cast of cats, birds and Jim Gordon
Joining Batman are a mixture of familiar sidekicks, each introduced in a new chapter, and each bringing with them new combat abilities, skills, vehicles and one-liners to enjoy.
Catwoman arrives with both her iconic whip and a laser pointer that can summon a harem of cats to do her bidding. While she can use her claws for good, players always have the option to steal any priceless artefacts they happen upon in levels, much to the annoyance of Batman.
Batgirl is equally fun to play as, arriving later in the game with a complete arsenal of tech that can render security systems useless, hack enemy weapons, and confuse foes with VR headsets into firing upon each other.
Both Robin and Nightwing are similar in playstyle (representing Dick Grayson’s graduation from sidekick to solo hero). They promise a host of acrobatic gadgets that can help take out multiple enemies in quick succession and solve a wide range of clever environmental puzzles.
Rounding off the team are Talia al Ghul, a martial artist with a blow dart that renders foes unconscious, while Commissioner Jim Gordon comes with a totally bemusing foam gun (just because) that can freeze foes and machines alike.
Anything your friends can’t do will fall on Batman’s capable shoulders, who has an encyclopaedia of gadgets, including Batarangs, a Batclaw, UV vision, exploding foam, and of course, shark-repellent spray, to get you out of most trouble. With each new addition that joins your team, you’ll be well versed in facing anything (and everyone) Gotham City throws at you.
Gotham City is a genre-defining open-world experience
The litmus test for any successful open world is how excited or worried you are when optional content appears on the map. You want the freedom to go off the main quest and be rewarded for your efforts when you feel the itch. You never want to be overwhelmed by choice.
Thankfully, Gotham City is a treasure trove of fun, approachable discoveries. Whether you’re gliding across picturesque skylines, perching on rooftops or patrolling the dangerous streets, simple exploration could easily become a separate game for you; it’s that much fun.
The city feels alive at every corner. There’s an endless supply of citizens loitering about. Cars are constantly driving around the labyrinth of streets (waiting to be crashed into). Rain continues to pelt down, creating a haunting atmosphere and beautiful visuals. All the while, you’ll hear of nearby crimes in motion on your police scanner, drawing you into the city’s murky danger.
Given the open-world ambition and high-spec display, online chatter has been concerned about how well the game runs. Playing on the PlayStation 5, I can say my time spent in Gotham went incredibly smoothly, with pristine visuals and consistent frame rates throughout.
Granted, there are load times that will pop up with each new mission and re-entry back into Gotham from the Batcave. But these are the definition of first-world problems, and will become totally understandable to players once you see the immense scale of the city, and how many things come to life as you walk, drive and glide about it at record speed.
A must-play game for fans of LEGO, Batman, or fun
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is a game of pure joy and unapologetic humour. It blends the imaginative magic of our favourite building blocks with high-energy action-adventure only a video game can provide.
It recounts all of the glory days from Batman’s incredible career, striking a healthy balance between silliness and seriousness. While some of the story might have been toned down for a younger audience, you’re still getting an amazing tribute to one of the world’s most beloved heroes.
All the while, Gotham City is a playground of immense possibilities, and a seemingly unlimited supply of things to do will keep you busy for some time. And there’s already talk of a new DLC arriving in September (introducing Joker and Harley Quinn as playable characters).
The Legacy of the Dark Knight may shine a light on his past, but it’s equally the start of a bright new future for Batman.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight will be available to play on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC
