The new king in town
The LEGO games have been around a long time and quickly became oversaturated for an extended period of time. So much so that I found myself just ignoring most of them simply because the formula was so repetitive. Recently they have taken a sort of sabbatical, and this latest entry is all the better for it. Batman is no stranger to the LEGO universe, so when this title was unveiled, I was curious what could even be possible. It has all been done before. Thankfully, I was dead wrong. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is one of the best in the series, while also being one of the most delightful games released this year.
The most exciting thing about Legacy of the Dark Knight is that TT Games has taken decades of Batman history and somehow weaved it all into one cohesive story. All the beats are here, and the further I progressed into the game, I was constantly surprised at how they handled different aspects of the Dark Knight’s lore. From Batman 89 all the way up to The Batman, all the notes are here. What makes it even more exciting is that they sprinkle in humorous bits and change things around to fit the narrative. I cannot even fathom how hard it was to keep track of it all, but they did it and did it flawlessly.
MSRP: $69.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $69.99
One of the things I was never a fan of with the LEGO games though is its forced co-op mechanics. This makes the transition into this new game sadly. As the story progresses, Batman will gain a new companion that always tags along, even in single player. This is to introduce new mechanics into the game as a way to solve various puzzles. I get it, I understand what they are going for, but being primarily a solo player, this just adds swapping constantly as the game goes back and forth on puzzles to keep both players engaged in co-op. It is tiresome and I would have loved to see them just implement all abilities to Batman in solo mode.
Each character has their own abilities as well as a massive upgrade tree that unlocks new twists to their kit. This is nice, but the game never poses enough challenge to warrant them. I would go for hours without ever upgrading anything, and still never had issues. In addition, all the characters have a metric ton of costumes, once again spanning everything. There are some true deep cuts here, and being able to see them all on display in the Batcave is a nice touch. Speaking of Batman’s home base is completely customizable as well as expandable. Players can spend hours unlocking and exploring this world alone.
This brings us to Gotham itself. The world is broken up into four distinct islands and is a ton of fun to explore. This open world is packed with Riddler challenges, collectibles, and plenty of puzzles to solve. This world is also built for all of Batman’s mobility including a grappling hook that feels strikingly familiar to the Arkham games and a plethora of Batmobiles that can be unlocked. Of course, I immediately unlocked 89 and the Adam West ones and barely looked back, but the Tumbler is also here if that is your jam. Gaining 100% will take a long time, and it helps that it is addictive. I could find myself exploring this world for months to come.
Packing on to the Arkham comparisons, the combat in Legacy of the Dark Knight feels ripped directly out of those games. It is a counter-based system complete with gadgets. The enemy types are fairly familiar with thugs with guns and of course those with shields you must jump over and attack from behind. Much like everything else in this game, it is not challenging in the least. Even on the hardest difficulty most players won’t struggle much with combat in this game. The stealth sections are also here, but fairly simplified. Most enemies just wait for you to take them down, which makes sense, but those looking for a challenge probably shouldn’t be coming to LEGO games for that.
Visually this game is great. It of course has that blocky aesthetic, but it manages to still look impressive. The world is very detailed, and some of the effects are stunning. The rain glistening off the LEGO pieces is a really nice touch. The game also maintains a steady frame rate most of the time. I rarely had any issues. The audio is excellent with some solid voice acting and a soundtrack that Batman fans will smile at. The fact that Party Man is here in its entirety is impressive. I did run into some glitches during my playthrough, but it was few and far between. Overall, the game just does so much well it is easy to forgive.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is an outstanding return to the formula. Fans of the Dark Knight will be pleasantly surprised at all the suits, songs, and storylines included. If they could figure out how to cater to solo players a little more, it would be nearly perfect. As it stands this is a game you need to play if you have any affinity for Batman at all. It is just pure joy 99% of the time, and I cannot wait to collect everything it has to offer.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
