LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight review – An absolute must-play for Batman fans

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A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Ever since the first LEGO Star Wars video game came out in 2005, it’s been clear to many of us that LEGO games are surprisingly fantastic.

For twenty years, Traveller’s Tales has made games in a similar style, but they’ve really outdone themselves this time. Their latest game is a huge, open-world adventure, and it’s arguably their best work yet.

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight retells classic Batman stories with the fun and humor that LEGO games are known for.

Shai Matheson shines as Bats, delivering a fantastic performance and working brilliantly with a strong supporting cast who all convincingly portray beloved characters from the original series.

The film begins with Bruce Wayne receiving training from Ra’s al Ghul, similar to what’s seen in the movie Batman Begins. We then see him battling Danny DeVito as the Penguin and eventually crossing paths with Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman.

The game features popular versions of each character, combined in a way that might not have fit a more realistic Batman game. However, the lighthearted, LEGO style makes this combination work really well.

The story plays out through linear levels that will be familiar to fans of previous LEGO titles.

As you progress through each level, you’ll fight enemies and switch between playing as Batman and other characters like Gordon, Robin, or Catwoman. You’ll use their unique abilities to solve basic puzzles and find hidden items.

This game is full of the signature, playful humor that players expect, and while it’s silly, it remains consistently funny. The writers clearly understand how to deliver both clever dialogue and slapstick comedy effectively.

I found it hilarious trying to portray Catwoman as seductive when she’s a LEGO minifigure, and I equally enjoyed the running gag about everything being built from bricks.

I enjoy Batman stories, but I’m not a dedicated fan. I’ve never actually read the comics, but I always found it interesting to see how different adaptations interpreted the original material.

The most successful parodies are created by people who genuinely appreciate the source material, and that’s clearly the case with LEGO Batman. The game is filled with affection for the Batman story and character.

If you’re a real Batman fan, you absolutely have to play this game – it’s full of personality and really enjoyable.

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Now, onto the gameplay.

Everyone’s said it before, but it’s worth repeating: LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight feels very much like a follow-up to the Batman: Arkham games in spirit.

It wasn’t surprising to see Rocksteady listed as co-developers; the game clearly shows their style and expertise.

The fighting feels similar to the combat in the Arkham games, but streamlined. It gains back some complexity through the use of tools like Batarangs and a grappling hook.

At first, it’s really enjoyable to quickly defeat a bunch of enemies. And once you get used to a character’s abilities and how they fight, everything starts to feel smooth and natural.

Towards the end of the game, things unfortunately get repetitive. Instead of introducing more challenging enemy types or tactics, the game mainly increases difficulty by simply throwing more enemies at you.

I increased the game’s difficulty hoping for a better challenge, but it ended up making enemies too tough and hard to defeat. So, I lowered the difficulty to progress more quickly, and when possible, I avoided fighting altogether by using stealth.

I really enjoyed the boss battles – they were all incredibly well-designed and made great use of everything the game had to offer.

These encounters aren’t very challenging – you mostly just need to avoid a few attacks and then deal a lot of damage. But the game’s playful LEGO style makes each fight enjoyable.

Outside of the story levels, LEGO Batman drops you into an enormous open world Gotham.

Similar to the Arkham games, Gotham offers a wide variety of things to do, including fighting, navigating the city, completing races, and solving puzzles from the Riddler and Cluemaster.

Similar to the Arkham series, some might say there’s an overabundance of these collectibles, but it only becomes a problem if you’re trying to find absolutely everything in the game.

Honestly, what I loved most about this game was being able to just stumble upon a Riddler puzzle and solve it whenever the mood struck – yeah, I’m a sucker for puzzles! I think it’s a game you really enjoy when you don’t feel pressured to find everything. Just experiencing what comes naturally is the best way to play, in my opinion.

A lot of players are getting tired of open-world games, and I think a big reason is simply getting around in them. In games like Crimson Desert, while the world itself is massive, actually traveling through it can feel repetitive and boring.

One of the most important things in open world games is making it enjoyable to explore, and LEGO Batman does this really well. It’s much more fun to glide around on rooftops or drive the Batmobile than simply fast traveling!

I believe the game could have benefited from focusing on fewer activities and developing those in more detail.

It was really annoying discovering that key areas like puzzles, subway stations, and other locations were blocked off until you’d played for about 7 or 8 hours and met a specific character.

It’s possible I’m only focusing on the frustrating parts, but at the time, it felt like everything I wanted to do was blocked or difficult to access.

I eventually stopped exploring and just rushed through the story. By the time I finally unlocked the character, the list of things I still needed to do felt overwhelming, and I didn’t bother going back to complete them.

Even though I have some issues with the fighting and how the game world is structured, they’re pretty small compared to how good the game is overall.

After spending almost 15 hours exploring everything Gotham has to offer, I’m convinced this is a fantastic LEGO game, and an equally great Batman game.

LEGO enthusiasts will definitely enjoy this game, and they absolutely should! It’s a shame any Batman fans might miss out just because they think it’s meant for kids.

Even though Traveller’s Tales consistently makes great games that people buy, they don’t get nearly enough credit for their quality.

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight represents the peak of twenty years of excellent work from a truly exceptional, yet often overlooked, game development team.

This is a genuinely enjoyable experience – funny, clever, and packed with everything a Batman fan could want. Ultimately, isn’t having fun the most important thing?

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight releases on 22 May 2026 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

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Authors

Alex RaisbeckGaming writer

Alex Raisbeck writes about video games for TopMob, covering both major releases and smaller independent titles. He’s also contributed to well-known gaming publications like VideoGamer, GamesRadar+, PC Gamer, and PCGamesN.

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2026-05-18 15:36