In the familiar Lego video game style, you and another player can explore different stages, collect Lego bricks and studs to unlock upgrades and outfits, fight enemies with melee combat and gadgets, and overcome puzzles with character-specific talents. It’s essentially a classic action platformer, but with a heavy emphasis on comedy and cartoonish action with Lego characters. The combat upgrade, which channels Arkham-style free-for-all combat, also really plays into the Lego style. I especially liked that they added comedy from the Adam West era of Batman to make the battles even more wacky.
The first mission I played was a chapter dedicated to Batman’s beginnings as a crime fighter – a retelling of the 2022 Iceberg Lounge scene. The Batmanarguably the darkest Batman film. Surprisingly, seeing the Lego version of Matt Reeves’ film worked because it relied on the inherent ridiculousness of a masked vigilante breaking into a club to fight goons. Alongside Batman, Commissioner Gordon joins the fight, which also provides some comedic moments as the two men build safe-smashing Lego machines to break through barriers and reach the deeper levels of the lounge.
The scene looked a lot like a classic Lego video game experience, but Legacy of the Dark Knight goes further by drawing inspiration from the Batman: Arkham games. This really comes into play between missions, letting you explore the open city in the Batmobile or by soaring through the sky. This was a particularly satisfying moment for me because it felt like a very casual version of the sprawling gameplay of Batman: Arkham, with more playful moments where the citizens of Gotham City watch and gape while Batman and Robin run through the streets.
“Like us, our friends and colleagues at Rocksteady Studios have taken inspiration from some of this material in the past to create these really engaging and exciting environments,” Smith said. “We’ve also gone our own way in other ways, as gamers who have played…and loved the Arkham games. There’s a certain amount of muscle memory that you want to think about and rely on, but we’re always trying to find a distinctive Lego way to make that gameplay accessible and user-friendly for as many players as possible.”
The combat and exploration still matches the simplicity of other Lego games, and admittedly, most of the encounters and open world sections weren’t as mechanically deep as those in other Batman games. Still, it’s an admirable attempt to elevate the always easy gameplay of Lego games.
The next mission focused on a very Lego version of the Flying Graysons circus scene from the Joel Schumacher film. Batman forever. Of course, I have a weakness for Batman forever the balance between charm and wit Legacy of the Dark Knight has done wonders in recreating this scene as a puzzle and platforming sequence that fits well with the style of the original film.
In addition to exploring Gotham City and undertaking various missions with allies, I was surprised to see that Legacy of the Dark KnightIt also includes a fully explorable and customizable Batcave. Between missions, you can return to Batman’s base to purchase unlockables for your collections, add Lego stickers and iconic Batman collectibles throughout the cave, and even interact with different characters like Batman’s interdimensional fan-boy Bat-Mite.
Whether it’s Star Wars, Indiana Jones or DC Comics, TT Games has a special talent for reinterpreting classic characters and inserting their stories into the Lego universe. So far, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight continues in this direction, with the strongest attempt yet to expand the scope and activities of an open-world Lego game. It is essentially Batman: Arkham Knight for all ages.
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight will be released on May 22, 2026 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with a release on Nintendo Switch 2 at a later date.
