LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight Review - Holy Video Game, Batman!

1 week ago 7

Published May 18, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT

Ethan Krieger is an Editor at DualShockers, where he covers reviews, guides, lists, features, previews, interviews, and gaming news. He began writing professionally in 2017 as a sports writer before moving into games coverage with DualShockers in 2024.

Before joining DualShockers, Ethan wrote for the FanSided Sports Network, including 8 Points, 9 Seconds, where he covered the Indiana Pacers, and Pelican Debrief, where he covered the New Orleans Pelicans. His background in sports writing, editing, and content strategy now informs his approach to gaming coverage, especially around reviews, rankings, guides, and event reporting. Ethan studied English at Arizona State University, with a focus on writing and text editing.

By now, you're probably already aware if LEGO titles or superhero video games speak to you. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Night is the latest entry in the storied and long-standing collection of mega-popular IP getting the full LEGO treatment. Much more often than not, we all know these efforts result in joyful video game experiences, full of cool references and tons of fan service for those invested in the property.

8 LEGO Video Games That Were Way More Ambitious Than Anyone Expected

These games were bigger in scope than their block-y appearances suggested.

In some ways, Legacy of the Dark Knight is no different. You're probably already sold on this game based on your knowledge going in. But I'm also here to tell you that, in terms of this type of LEGO experience, Legacy of the Dark Knight is the best game we've ever gotten in this style, and it's not exactly close anymore. This game rules.

Personally, my favorite LEGO game ever created is LEGO Voyagers, and Legacy of the Dark Knight hasn't yet overthrown it (though I'm still chipping away at 100% completion). But holy cow, Batman. Legacy of the Dark Knight is everything that both LEGO and Batman fans could've hoped for during the lead up to this much-anticipated launch, and in many ways, I believe it also surpasses the lofty expectations as well. Let's suit up.

A Batman Lover's Paradise

Something I'd like to shine a Bat Signal on first is just how incredible LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight feels from the perspective of such a fan of the character and franchise. Imagine some deep cut Batman reference you'd doubt is in this game, and it's probably actually somehow there. It's a very obvious labor of Batman love here that's resulted in one of the deepest and most complete-feeling collections of Batman lore and nostalgia ever put together into one video game.

Legacy of the Dark Knight is everything that both LEGO and Batman fans could've hoped for during the lead up to this much-anticipated launch.

There are over 100 suits to unlock between all the characters, each with a little (often humorous) history lesson attached in the item description. There are dozens of vehicles to unlock, from all of your favorite Batmobiles to more obscure options, like the Robinmobile, which first appeared in a comic in 1951, and was only seen a handful of times since. It's attention to detail like this that will win over tons of fans very, very quickly.

And of course, the cast of characters in Legacy of the Dark Knight is also truly vast, with Batman, Batgirl, Jim Gordon, Robin/Nightwing, Catwoman, and Talia al Ghul all being playable characters who band together to thwart one of the most impressive Rogues Galleries we've ever seen in the same package before.

Joker, Bane, Two Face, Poison Ivy, Penguin, Riddler, Mr. Freeze, and many of the other heavy hitters are here, and each feature either a cool and creative boss fight to defeat them in, or some other entertaining and creative way to have your ultimate final showdown. This is also a game that spans several eras of Batman's existence, so seeing Joker portrayed in both Jack Nicholson's and Heath Ledger's iterations, for example, is simply awesome.

But, holy minor villains, Batman, does Legacy of the Dark Knight really push things beyond the typical baddies as well. There are inclusions as obscure and recent as Condiment King, as silly as Kite-Man, and as downright cool as Deadshot all popping up along the way. If you have a deep-cut favorite character in the Batman universe, they're probably here.

As a total package for a superhero title, it's genuinely on the same level as Sony's recent Spider-Man games in terms of meaningful and amazing fan service and historical inclusions/references. Of course, these LEGO games are always chock-full of so many characters for whatever IP they're currently tackling, but Legacy of the Dark Knight feels like it's operating at an entirely different level, too. This is a Batman game for Batman nerds through and through.

Familiar Stories Tied Together in a Cool, Creative Way

From the early days of Bat Shark Repellent to Oscar-worthy performances, reboots of reboots, various tightnesses and shades of spandex, and everything else in between, our beloved Batman has been around the block. The only question that really remains is "Which era is your favorite?" Amazingly, Legacy of the Dark Knight allows you to re-experience pretty much all of it.

It's a very obvious labor of Batman love here that's resulted in one of the deepest and most complete-feeling collections of Batman lore and nostalgia ever put together into one video game.

While I won't give away the largest plot points here, between a Batman Begins-themed prologue which follows Bruce through his training with the League of Shadows, and six additional chapters all tied into a specific movie (Batman '89, Batman Forever, The Batman, and much more), there's something here for literally every fan of The Dark Knight.

The story beats will be familiar, but also have some liberties and creative changes taken in order to link so many movies and shows together in a way that makes sense. Personally, I think there was probably room to get a little more crazy with where things ultimately end up to make this a more unique-feeling story on its own, but that doesn't take away from just how fun and cool it is to see all my favorite movies tied together, either.

As you'd expect from the masters at LEGO at this point, the 11 or 12 hour story is also jam-packed with so many incredible references, jokes, and Easter Eggs. The bigger the Batman fan you are, the more you'll catch, appreciate, and laugh out loud at. So many lines are lifted, rethought, recontextualized, and repurposed in awesome to downright hilarious ways.

And of course, it all takes place is a version of Gotham that looks amazing, feels as alive as you could realistically expect, and is somehow the ideal mix of crime-laden drab and oppressive combined with LEGO's creativity and vibrancy to make it all feel unique and special in a very specific way. You'll see ACE Chemicals, Falcone's docks, the art museum from '89, Wayne Manor/Tower, and so many additional iconic Batman locations.

On the performance front, everything typically looks and runs impressively well about 99% of the time, though I did personally suffer one crash back to the PS5 menu, an occasional unwieldy camera, some overlapping radio messages, or a randomly disappearing interactable object or two. But please, don't let these things discourage you. It's not a 100% flawless experience, but I was still much more often impressed with how well TT Games pulled off a game of this scope and magnitude with so much overall polish and success.

Becoming the Caped Crusader (and His Sidekicks)

The hype coming into Legacy of the Dark Knight was that it seemed to be LEGO going open-world and also bringing in the combat vibe of Rocksteady's well-loved Batman titles, and I'm happy to report that this really is what the game is, and they've nailed it. In fact, the credits even mention "Co-Dev Rocksteady," which I can't believe wasn't somehow news before the release of this game, as that's clearly a huge deal.

It all takes place is a version of Gotham that looks amazing, feels as alive as you could realistically expect, and is somehow the ideal mix of crime-laden drab and oppressive combined with LEGO's creativity and vibrancy to make it all feel unique and special in a very specific way.

With that in mind (even though we don't really know how much aid Rocksteady was lending here), it makes so much sense why Legacy of the Dark Knight controls as well as it does on the gameplay front. Arkham's brand of hand-to-hand combat is the vibe, though LEGO-fied perfectly. You'll flow freely between enemies, timing counters, dodges, punches, kicks, and special moves all in a near ballet-like dance of swirling fury.

The stealth is also a blast, as enemies work on awareness alerts above their heads as you slink around in the shadows or rafters, choosing when to pick them off one by one with aerial attacks, or by sneaking up behind them and hitting them in the head with silly objects like frying pans and cod fish. Or, of course, you can just run in fists-blazing and take a more direct approach. Legacy of the Dark Knight leaves the combat style up to you for the most part, and whatever you choose, it's a joy, and it works well.

Each main chapter of the game also comes along with new gadgets. Batman, of course, has Batarangs and grappling hooks, but like unlocking a new item in a Zelda dungeon then using it to solve puzzles, Batman's sidekicks are actually the ones that become the stars of the show many times.

Catwoman can crack safes and throw out a controllable, real cat to reach tight spaces. Batgirl can hack terminals in a Frogger-like mini-game, and also spawn drones to use as grapple points. Gordon has a foam gun to disrupt machinery. Everyone's gadgets are all genuinely fun to use, and it's a blast to see how each level is designed in order to best utilize and highlight their use cases. I never got tired of any of them, and instead was just interested to see how they'd come into play in each new reveal.

10 LEGO Games that Prove These Aren’t Just ‘Kids’ Games

There are many things within the gaming sphere that are thought of as being directed at or primarily made for children. But LEGO is for everyone.

Everyone has a grappling hook, which works impressively well. Everyone gets a glider to cruise around Gotham from above. Everyone has specific, visually customizable vehicles to take to the streets. And somehow, incredibly and amazingly, all of this stuff is simply cool and fun to use consistently. Whether you're playing alone or in local co-op, every team member is a blast, and swapping between them all depending on when you need a certain character to solve a certain puzzle is rewarding, interesting, and entertaining throughout.

Content on Top of Content

Legacy of the Dark Knight can be played in a fairly linear fashion if you'd like, but wow, is the open world they've created here impressive if you want to partake in it. Think Sony's Spider-Man games, as New York was loaded with crimes to stop, activities to complete, and secrets to discover. Truly, we now have a LEGO Batman game that functions within the same formula. And no, it's not quite on the same scale as Spider-Man, but it's darn impressive and fun regardless.

Whether you're playing alone or in local co-op, every team member is a blast, and swapping between them all depending on when you need a certain character to solve a certain puzzle is rewarding, interesting, and entertaining throughout.

Stop burglars, end car chases, solve (well-designed) Riddler puzzles, complete vehicle/combat/traversal time trials, find hundreds of collectibles, or just glide and grapple around Gotham. There is a simply staggering amount of content here. None of it is truly groundbreaking stuff, but it's all very fun, and you can keep yourself occupied with it for a long, long time if you want to invest more in the world.

In fact, after I rolled credits after 11 hours, my full game completion when factoring in all this additional content was only a paltry 43.53%. Personally, I'm stoked that I still have so much to do, and I fully plan on spending many a play-session in the future loading up the game, hopping in the Tumbler from Nolan's The Dark Knight, and seeing what kind of trouble I can put an end to around Gotham.

The game also features three distinct difficulty settings, so you can make things as easy or challenging as you prefer, with the standard/easiest setting obviously being the most approachable for any kiddos that will surely want to get in on the action too. For a game like this, I found this standard setting more than enjoyable, giving me the power fantasy of being Batman and stopping any and every gang of hardened criminals in their tracks.

A portion of your full-game completion time will also be spent in Bat-Mite's shops, both scattered around Gotham and in the Batcave as well. The Batcave (which we haven't even spoken about yet) is ridiculously cool, customizable with items and props you'll unlock during the game, and expandable with studs, the game's currency, which you'll collect throughout the game, exponentially so if you're taking advantage of LEGO's classic stud modifier system as well.

Oh, there are also specific gameplay challenges to complete, with the reward of more studs to spend, ways to unlock more suits and content by linking your Twitch and HBO accounts, and truly so much more, all packed within a LEGO Batman experience that's simply fun and amazing to play the whole way through. I really could continue to go on about everything that's on offer here, but the streets of Gotham are calling me back. Get my (The Animated Series) suit ready, Alfred.

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is extremely ambitious in scope compared to previous LEGO/mega-IP combos, and it succeeds tremendously in nearly everything it has set out to accomplish. The result is a version of Gotham that is a blast to explore, and is also stuffed to the brim with fun activities to complete long after the credits roll on the main story. The narrative plays it a little safe, but also functions as a Greatest Hits compilation of some of the Caped Crusader's best adventures spun out and connected together in highly enjoyable ways. If you love LEGO, Batman, or simply having a good time with a video game, this is a very strong and easy recommendation.

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Released May 22, 2026

Developer(s) TT Games

PC Release Date May 22, 2026

Pros & Cons

A ridiculous amount of content in a very fun to explore version of Gotham
Made with so much obvious charm and love for the IP
Gameplay and combat that always feels fun, and gets wonderfully creative at times
One of the coolest looking LEGO or Batman games ever, that also shines in Photo Mode
Feels like the greatest hits of Batman's entire existence from comics to TV and movies