No Batman game would be complete without Robin, and Legacy of the Dark Knight gives the boy wonder a cracking intro.
If there are two things TT Games knows better than most other developers, it's LEGO and Batman. Sure, there might be a whole bunch of Star Wars in there somewhere, too, but after having worked on no less than four LEGO games set in the Batman universe already, there's simply a level of comfort and understanding for the IP I was able to enjoy while playing LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight at a recent preview event for no less than four hours.
In that time, I got to play two story missions, one boss, and a large chunk of this new, interactable version of a brick-ified Gotham City. As a result, I came away confident that this could easily be the best Batman game ever.
Regardless of the LEGO-ness of it all, Legacy of the Dark Knight excels mostly in part due to its clear affection for DC's caped crusader in all his forms, and the way it neatly packs in countless nods and call backs to all the Dark Knight's nearly 90-year history.
Better yet, a revised, Arkham-like combat system and more stripped-back approach to playable characters ensures a degree of focus other LEGO Batman games simply didn't attempt. It's no longer more for more's sake. Needless to say, if you're keen to roleplay Batman in the most faithful and affectionate way possible, Legacy of the Dark Knight is shaping up to be it.
My preview started me off in one of Legacy of the Dark Knight's earlier missions, with Batman and James Gordon infiltrating the Iceberg Lounge in a sequence that takes direct inspiration from Matt Reeves' most recent The Batman film. Getting in meant pummeling through countless thugs and baddies in the rooms and dance floors of the club, where LEGO Batman's new Arkham-inspired fighting style was on full display.
You see, combat is no longer totally reliant on button mashing, with Batman and his mates now able to take down foes in a more balletic fashion, tapping triangle to counter attacks, circle to hop over larger enemies, and building up a combo meter that allows you to pull off a zoomed-in, more cinematic takedown finisher.
Put simply, this is the most in-depth fighting system set to feature in a LEGO game. And yes, I include LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga's mix of melee combat and third-person shooting in that. Legacy of the Dark Knight might not feature any real shooting, but with each character able to deploy the same two gadgets you use to explore the open world and solve puzzles mid-fight, there's a lot of variety to be enjoyed in even the simplest of bouts. I wouldn't say it's particularly challenging. After all, this is a family-oriented game. But Legacy of the Dark Knight's combat rarely feels like going through the motions.
The Iceberg Lounge's mission itself benefits from a similar amount of variety and surprise. One minute, Jim and Batman are required to leap and grapple from the rafters of the club from up on high, while minutes later, we're cracking safes, engaging in a QTE-driven dance battle, before ending up in the 'Falcone's Funhouse' portion of the nightclub, which essentially means finding hidden collectables and beating up thugs in an oversized ball pit. Because yes, despite centring on an inherently dark hero, TT Games hasn't lost any of its poking humour in Legacy of the Dark Knight. In fact, hearing the line, "This is how Batman Begins... To dance" got a big cackle out of me.
Another big change comes from how collectables are handled - both in and outside of main missions. Gone are the avalanche of minikits that have you poking and prodding the corners of each area incessantly, replaced in favour of a handful of collectables unique to the stage (disco balls, in this case), just one red brick, and five Wayne Caches, which when collected sees you well on your way to unlocking all kinds of familiar and deep-cut character outfits. Speaking of which, there were plenty of Batmans available for me to switch between in my demo, all viewable back at the Batcave, and Rainbow was definitely my preference.
The second level I got to play will be instantly recognisable to anyone familiar with 1995's Batman Forever. Set within Haly's Circus, it transforms the iconography of Joel Schumacher's film into the Robin origin story most of us know and love - right down to Two-Face's explosive role within it. Completing the goal meant building various lavish gizmos and contraptions, at which point Batman and Robin have to leap above the space in some of Legacy of the Batman's most challenging platforming sections.
It's yet another example of how TT Games takes a familiar moment from Batman's history and smartly adapts it into a stage that is fun and unexpected to play through. Less successful was a brief segment I got to play involving Poison Ivy as a boss, which looked cool in that it saw her ride a plant-constructed dragon, but was a little simple in gameplay terms. I hope the game's other bosses are a bit more inventive.
In terms of the open-world, it wouldn't be averse to say that this is probably LEGO Batman's most ambitious take on Gotham yet. And I say this as someone who had endless fun 100% the version in LEGO Batman 2 back in the day. Now, however, TT Games has created a version of the city that's fully explorable by foot, air, and vehicle.
This is where Legacy of the Dark Knight totally rivals the open-world Gotham from Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham Knight in that there are racing courses to complete, Catwoman heists to pull off, and yes, so many Riddler trophy challenges to overcome. Most of these function and operate as expected, fuelling my thirst for studs, after which I was able to unlock Ben Affleck's Batmobile from 2016's Batman Vs Superman back at the Batcave.
Speaking of which, no Batman game would be complete without the Batcave, right? And in my preview, I was able to glean how Legacy of the Dark Knight aims to make exploring this space a true event. Costumes for all seven playable characters, from Robin to Catwoman to Batgirl, are fully on view once unlocked, yet so is each available vehicle for each, including the swathe of Batmobile variations.
It's here, in the Batcave, where you're able to soak in the hard-earned rewards you've unlocked after discovering enough collectables. It's your very own trophy room of sorts. Better yet, the Batcave can be expanded the deeper into the story you progress, with the added ability to customise the space using posters, decorative items, and more, ensuring that your Batcave in Legacy of the Dark Knight needn't quite ever look like anybody else's.
Ultimately, judging by the four or so hours I got to play, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is pulling out all the stops to try and be the uncontested king of Batman video games. What initially seemed to me like an impossible task, TT Games is actually doing a pretty good job pulling off, cherry-picking the best form of Batman comics, films, and TV shows before distilling it into a charming and thoughtful Dark Knight video game. Is there a distinct lack of challenge, and could the Poison Ivy boss fight I played be better? Sure, but then this low barrier to entry is to be expected in such a family-oriented LEGO game.
From what I played, this is a Batman game intended to end them all. It looks to mostly be succeeding, filling the gap for an ambitious take on DC's most famous superhero with a renewed focus on fun, invention, and exploration. The kind of which is only made possible through LEGO.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is scheduled to release on PS5, Xbox, and PC on May 22, 2026, and Nintendo Switch 2 later.
