by Alex QuevedoBruce Wayne, you really are the most devious bat in Gooooothaaaam Citaaaaay. With so many references in LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, I figured, why not kick off this review with such a reference? Luckily, though, the game isn’t all about references. There’s a whole lot of excellence that makes the game a must-play.
This LEGO Batman is truly about the legacy of the Dark Knight. Instead of telling an original story that weaves into the larger DC Universe (as with other LEGO Batman games), Legacy blends the movies into a single larger story.
Overall, the game follows the beats of Bruce Wayne’s life. Naturally, it starts with young Bruce and the murder of his parents before moving into Batman Begins territory. But considering the overlap of storylines and characters between The Batman and Batman Returns, the story won’t be the same as the movies. The true nature of the story is taking Batman from his beginnings, solitary and stubborn, to more of a partner with his Bat-Family members.
It would have been so easy for Legacy to be a chaotic mess. Almost everything blending together with clashing tones? In any other setting, it probably doesn’t work. But the LEGO setting makes it work incredibly well. It feels natural and rarely forced. Beyond just weaving things together, there’s a cohesive story. Things really pick up to show that off as you get towards the third act.
Where the story does stumble is in its balance. A few enemies get just enough time to shine through their missions, then generally disappear or are only connected through some optional quests within Gotham. This is most apparent at the end. The game’s focus shifts after just a couple of fight rounds. Where it went makes sense, but it did make things feel quite rushed with the characters.
Batman movies aren’t the only source of inspiration. The Arkham trilogy plays a critical role. From a combat and general gameplay sense, we’re essentially talking about LEGO Arkham: Legacy of the Dark Knight. This is exactly why it works so well. The gameplay is snappy, quick, hard-hitting, and fluid. Batman feels so much like Batman and grows in power as you move along his life. At all times, you’ll have at least one partner, so that gives you chances to control Catwoman, Gordon, Robin, Batgirl, Nightwing, and one other that I won’t mention. Each has their own powers or gadgets, but I liked how much equal ground they get with Batman. Each secondary character gets a grappling hook and a glider to keep up with traversing, plus their own vehicles.
Gameplay challenges are quite minimal. Navigating streets can be a little confusing while driving. The map is generally helpful, but some areas are packed in so tightly, and not everything is clear about how it connects to bridges to get you to other parts of the map. It can be a waste of time if you’re manually driving around. It gets easier to unlock fast travel points.
Beyond that, some technical glitches popped up a couple of times. Batman gets stuck on the floor while jumping into a vent below ground. In another instance, Batman falls completely through the map into an infinite freefall. Luckily, no progress was lost. It was easy to switch to the other character and have Batman reset himself.
While there aren’t a lot of characters to control, the easy customization makes up for a lot of that to keep things fresh. As with most LEGO games, it’s generally cosmetic, but when it comes to the vehicles, I felt there were some non-cosmetic differences that I enjoyed. If you have a favorite Batmobile, chances are it’s in the game. Personally, I liked using Pattinson’s Batmobile, the Tumbler, and Bat-Pod the most. I felt they had the most power compared to Keaton or Kilmer’s Batmobiles. Motorcycles are some of the most fun because your partner rides in a seat over the wheels, so seeing them flop around and make comments is a nice bit. For suits, there are more than 100 of them, and the Batcave can be expanded to display whatever you have (and more).
Legacy is dense with things to do around the map. Plenty of collectibles to find to either improve your weapon capabilities or decorate the Batcave. Challenges will unlock suits or vehicles. The Riddler challenges are their usual type of annoying things to do, but are still more fun than not. And now there’s Cluemaster to offer similar challenges. Some enemies who don’t have as much time in the story will have their own elements to overcome.
Other challenges focus on racing, traversing, and fighting. There will be plenty to do with just enough variety that things won’t get boring.
And finally, the references. This is where the game is most dense. References run the gamut between being incredibly obvious to so subtle you have to really be paying attention. American Psycho, Risky Business, Always Sunny, I Think You Should Leave, and Home Alone all find their way into the game. There are plenty of Batman references included, so it’s not all pop culture. My favorite references were American Psycho, the 66-style spinning of the Bat logo when Robin shows up, and Always Sunny.
There’s not much I can say about the game that doesn’t praise it. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is hard to knock. There are some hiccups, but generally, the game is a fantastic way to celebrate the impact of Batman in another way. Blending the movies was a smart move to tell a familiar but somewhat new story. The combat is familiar yet fresh. It’s the perfect balance of fun and broodiness that a LEGO Batman game should be. And with so much to do outside of the story missions, there’s a ton of value to picking this up.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
