Rating: 4.0/5.0
In 2008, Traveller’s Tales released the first Lego video game to feature a fully original story: “Lego Batman: The Videogame.” Replete with Chaplin-esque humor and silent storytelling, the game featured some of the most notorious members of the Caped Crusader’s rogues gallery. Since then, the Lego Batman games have consistently featured original stories while pushing the boundaries of the classic Lego game style.
In 2026, “LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight” pushes the boundaries even further, taking the humorous aesthetics of a Lego Batman game and marrying them with the combat systems of the Arkham trilogy and the largest open world for a Batman game to date. It’s as ambitious as TT’s last game, “Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga,” and the effort has mostly paid off.
“Legacy” aims to tell the most complete and sprawling Batman narrative, covering beats from the Tim Burton films, the Christopher Nolan trilogy and even parts of the acclaimed ’90s animated series, to name a few.
The story follows Bruce Wayne’s humble beginnings, his first meetings with the Joker and Robin and his journey to become the legendary Dark Knight. It’s a messy, “everything is canon” story that could only work with a character such as Batman whose iconic history spans film, TV and video games. The retellings of each Batman film are so fun that they even improve on some of the source material.
The freeflow combat system from Rocksteady’s Arkham trilogy is one of the biggest revolutions for a Lego game. The traditional action-puzzle quality of Lego games has taken a back seat as their two most recent games emulate big triple-A open worlds aimed at younger audiences. While the combat is not as diverse or intricate as in “Batman: Arkham Knight,” the simplified approach feels right for a game intended for younger players. Stealth is one of the few big missteps during the mostly delightful playtime of “Legacy.” Takedowns and sneaking up behind enemies are simplistic to a fault and quickly become a slog.
While overall a big upgrade over previous Lego Batman games, “Legacy” offers one of the smallest character rosters in a Lego game thus far, featuring only seven playable heroes. Members of the Bat-Family — including Robin, Catwoman and Commissioner Gordon — accompany the Caped Crusader, each with a chapter in the game’s narrative focusing on their developing dynamic with Batman. While the roster is a far cry from the 380 characters featured in “Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga,” the stripped-down character pool of “Legacy” works in favor of the narrative. Each sidekick feels unique, with different combat styles and abilities to keep exploration varied.
Much like every other TT Lego game, “Legacy” is a collectathon that makes for a lengthy post-game experience. Driving and combat challenges are scattered throughout the map, along with sidequests that follow Batman heroes and villains absent from the main story. Even the infamous Riddler puzzles from the Arkham games are here, with over 120 to collect, keeping players engaged long after the credits roll.
“LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight” is an undeniably fun game, as most Lego games are — the universal quality of these games is one of the many reasons Lego games are so successful. While “Legacy” does not retain the same simplistic fun of TT’s older action-puzzle games, the open-world exploration and combat will likely win over fans of Lego games — especially if they’re fans of the world’s greatest detective.
