Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight review – A Batman fan’s dream

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Wow, it’s been eleven years since we got a proper, big Batman game from Rocksteady – if you don’t count their VR stuff or the Suicide Squad game. And honestly, if you’re like me and still miss the Arkham games, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight just feels…right. It totally scratches that itch!

Lego games are so popular they’ve almost created their own category of gaming. Players generally know what they’re getting – whether it’s a Harry Potter or Star Wars adventure – as most Lego games share a similar style and gameplay.

With Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, the developers at Traveller’s Tales did something clever: they made a true Batman game, but built it with Lego bricks. It’s not just a Lego game with a Batman theme – it feels like a real Batman experience reimagined in Lego form.

This film is a delightful tribute to Batman, capturing the spirit of all the best classic Batman movies in one exciting package.

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight screenshots

Batman in Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
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What is Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight about? 

The plot is pretty straightforward: after Bruce Wayne’s parents die, the wealthy man – or his Lego version – trains with the League of Shadows to learn combat skills. He then returns home to become a masked crime fighter and improve his city.

The game then plunges you into a gritty, reimagined Gotham City, built as a massive, detailed playset. Beyond driving the Batmobile and fighting criminals, you’ll complete numerous missions that cleverly revisit iconic moments from Batman’s history.

Building blocks 

Legacy of the Dark Knight feels very similar to the Arkham games, but in a more focused way. It captures everything fans love about that famous Batman series, making it instantly familiar and easy to pick up.

The game’s unique style is most noticeable during battles. Combat involves quick button presses, well-timed parries, and dodging unavoidable attacks. When your Focus meter fills up, you can perform a special finishing move, but instead of something serious, it’s now a funny, over-the-top gag – like throwing a pie or hitting enemies with a fish.

The game throws in cool gadgets like Batman’s grapple or Gordon’s foam cannon for some extra fun, but honestly, you can beat almost everything – even on the toughest setting – with just three buttons. The boss fights get pretty epic, but for regular enemies, it’s surprisingly simple!

Even though it’s a familiar system, building up long combos is still incredibly rewarding, just like it was when it first appeared in 2009. Unlike in previous Lego games where combat felt like a chore between collecting, this game makes fighting genuinely fun. While battles might become a little repetitive towards the end, they remain enjoyable throughout.

While the game is easy to pick up and play, it would have been better if each of the seven characters felt more unique. Right now, Batman, Catwoman, and Jim Gordon all play very similarly, mostly differing in their gadgets and animations. Adding more distinct playstyles would have kept the gameplay more engaging over time.

Holy map markers, Batman!

There’s still plenty to do in this blocky version of Gotham, with a large number of activities and collectibles to discover.

The side activities range from simple fun, like rescuing escaped zoo animals, to things clearly inspired by the Batman universe, such as Batmobile races and collecting Riddler trophies. They aren’t very difficult, but they offer just enough to satisfy players who like to complete everything.

When you’re not fighting, the game throws in puzzles that are pretty typical for Lego games – you’ll be jumping around, breaking things, and building new stuff to get past obstacles. They aren’t super hard, but they’re a good time, and they let you really use each character’s special abilities. Like, I loved playing as Catwoman and actually sending her cat into small spaces she couldn’t reach herself – it was a clever touch!

It’s understandable that the game isn’t very challenging, since it’s designed for kids. However, it’s annoying that the characters immediately tell you how to solve every puzzle. You barely have time to look at a challenge before Batman or his sidekick explains exactly what to do or which tool you need.

This isn’t a super complex game like The Witness or Portal 2, so it’s a bit odd that there’s no way to disable the hints for players who want to solve things on their own.

A Batman fan’s dream 

The best part of starting any Lego game is getting that familiar feeling of enjoyment from the original story, and Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight delivers that perfectly for Batman fans.

The game is full of fun references and hidden details, from clever visual jokes to costumes inspired by different versions of Batman. You can even customize your own Batcave, complete with collectibles like Batmobiles from the comics and movies.

As a huge Batman fan, I have to say the missions in this game are awesome! They feel like really cool, extended Easter eggs, and they almost always bring in one of Batman’s classic villains – the ones straight out of the movies, you know? Some of them are just incredible, like getting to relive that amazing car chase from The Dark Knight. And the Mr. Freeze mission? It’s spot-on, totally capturing Arnold Schwarzenegger’s version from Batman & Robin, complete with all his hilariously cheesy lines! It’s like they really understood what makes those villains so memorable.

However, the standout character is definitely Bane, brilliantly voiced by Matt Berry. He perfectly imitates Tom Hardy’s portrayal of the character from The Dark Knight Rises, and his over-the-top performance and witty lines are consistently hilarious, especially as the game progresses.

The game’s silliness can occasionally feel a bit much, particularly when you compare it to the clever and funny writing in the Lego movies. However, it generally strikes a good balance, offering plenty of kid-friendly humor alongside jokes and references that adults will appreciate too.

Verdict 

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight celebrates over 87 years of Batman lore in a single Lego set. Fans will love all the references to classic Batman comics, TV shows, and movies – it’s packed with delightful details that will keep them smiling!

Honestly, the combat is just so good – it’s what really keeps this game from being just another ‘find all the things’ type deal. It does get a little samey towards the end, I won’t lie, but if you’re a completionist like me, you’ll be happy to know Gotham is packed with stuff to do around every corner. There’s always something new to discover!

Honestly, I loved this game, but I wish it had been a bit more challenging! Sometimes it felt like it was holding my hand too much, especially with the fights and puzzles. That’s really my only big complaint, though – everything else was fantastic.

Don’t let the cheap-looking plastic case discourage you – this is a surprisingly delightful, well-rounded, and arguably one of the greatest Batman games ever made.

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2026-05-19 13:21