I admit, like many, I`ve been hit by Lego game fatigue. Despite all my love for franchises like `Avengers,` `Lord of the Rings,` or `Indiana Jones,` of which countless Lego adaptations have been released, maintaining interest in each of them, given their extensiveness, has become extremely difficult.
However, it seems the Lego game series is undergoing a revival. `Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga` already offered a fresh take on the familiar formula, while retaining the core principle of collecting items. And `Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight` promises to be an even more significant departure from the usual, being based on a deep affection for Batman in all his manifestations.
Initially, it might seem that `Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight` is just a compilation of Lego-ized Batman movies, similar to `Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.` But that`s not quite right. It would be more accurate to call it a `fusion` of various films, supplemented by other influences and stories, allowing for the creation of something completely new and unique from all these elements. In this sense, the game truly embodies the Lego spirit.
For instance, the story mission I played at Gamescom took place in Axis Chemicals – a location instantly recognizable to fans of the 1989 Michael Keaton film as the birthplace of the Joker. However, instead of the gangster sociopath Jack Napier, dispatched to destroy incriminating evidence (and set up for death there), we find Red Hood #1, leader of the Red Hood Gang, whose story in some comics is also linked to the Joker`s origin. Red Hood is producing a strange substance at the factory that makes victims laugh uncontrollably until they die. Under the mask is an unmistakably (and quite convincing) impression of Jack Nicholson`s voice. Thus, the character is simultaneously the Joker from `Batman` `89 and an embodiment of other storylines.
Similarly, the Batman confronting him in this demo was the Robert Pattinson iteration of the character, accompanied by a Jim Gordon who strongly resembles a Lego-fied Jeffrey Wright – both from the 2022 film `The Batman.`
This blending and combination of the greatest moments from Batman`s cinematic history is central to the spirit of `Legacy of the Dark Knight.` The game sets itself the ambitious goal of weaving elements from all Batman films with other media into a single, cohesive narrative. When asked what this means for recurring characters played by different actors, like the Joker, Jonathan Smith from TT Games stated that perhaps some terrible events will befall the Joker, making him even more sinister and – presumably, though left unsaid – more akin to Heath Ledger`s incarnation in `The Dark Knight.`
The same playfulness extends to the Easter eggs, which have always been a Lego hallmark but feel more focused here. Instead of collecting hundreds of trinkets to unlock two hundred different but mechanically identical characters, you`re unlocking unique styles for Batman and Commissioner Gordon. These include expected ones, like iconic movie appearances, as well as surprising ones. Batman looked especially striking in his Brave and the Bold costume, modeled after the 2008 animated series.
The biggest surprise was Batman`s Rainbow Suit – a fully rendered Lego version of a classic and hilariously absurd image from Silver Age comics that has achieved cult status.
But `Legacy of the Dark Knight` isn`t content to borrow only from outstanding Batman films; it also draws inspiration from great Dark Knight games. The combat system is clearly inspired by the Arkham series: Batman can perform stealth takedowns on unsuspecting Lego enemies or engage in timing-based brawls. While simplified – timing windows are wider and visual cues larger than in Arkham games, and you only have two gadgets for combat – it feels like an affectionate homage to mechanics that have become as integral to the character as any film in the minds of Arkham fans. `Legacy of the Dark Knight` also introduces difficulty levels, allowing younger or less-experienced players to `WHACK!` and `POW!` like Batman, while offering more numerous and tougher enemies to seasoned Arkham fans, and for the first time I can recall, a limited pool of lives per encounter.
And, like the later Arkham games, the game`s hub world is a vast, open Gotham City that can be freely explored. You can thwart crimes, find Bat caches, smash collectibles like Penguin rubber duckies, and silently traverse rooftops or gracefully glide between them. You can use a zip-line to gain speed and then soar through the air. Having accumulated enough energy by beating down thugs, you can launch even higher to enjoy a bird`s-eye view of the city. If ground-level traversal is more your style, you can summon the Batmobile anywhere in the open world. In my demo, I only saw the Robert Pattinson muscle car version from `The Batman,` but TT Games has already hinted at many more Batmobiles to come, which can be freely swapped, just like Batman`s and Gordon`s costumes.
Honestly, I didn`t know what to expect from TT Games after `The Skywalker Saga,` but `Legacy of the Dark Knight` has been an incredibly pleasant surprise. When you finish building a Lego set, sometimes you want to take it apart and see what else you can create from the same pieces. It seems TT Games is doing just that with the Batman mythology, and I eagerly await what they will build from it.