TL; DR Pros: You can assemble a team of Batman’s greatest allies Fully open Batcave to explore and customise The story mashes up an original narrative with plot points from the films Pretty stable experience overall Tone and style are consistent throughout Cons: A couple of minor bugs towards the end The camera can obscure your vision during combat, particularly in corners Final score: 5/7 — The Bat-fan in me was well and truly satisfied Reviewed on PlayStation 5; available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC (Windows) and Nintendo Switch 2 Price: Rs17, 000 (physical copy); $69. 99 (PlayStation Store); $59. 99 (Steam) This is Part Two of a review of Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. Read Part One here. When I started reviewing Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, I was greeted with a game that appeared to have been made by Bat-fans, for Bat-fans. A curated mishmash of what has endeared the Caped Crusader to us all, from Gotham City as a setting, to his growth as a hero, and the appearance of every member of his rogue’s gallery. It’s also a solid game in its own right, being a spiritual successor to the beloved Batman Arkham games, which I’ve since started replaying. It features the same combat system, a fully open world to explore (Batmobile included) and puzzles to access new areas. When I closed off Part One of this review, I wondered whether developers TT Games were going to present an original story or if they were going to continue ripping plot points straight from the films. They’ve managed to do both here. As the title suggests, Lego Batman: Legacy pays homage to the impact of the Caped Crusader, largely respecting the IP and capturing the sense of wonder and charm that comes with it. This is easily a must-play for any Bat-fans out there. Let’s get on with it. — GIF by author My adventures with Batman Like I said in Part One of this review, Lego Batman: Legacy is extremely faithful to its source material throughout its runtime. This is very evident in the use of character designs from across the Caped Crusaders’ adventures on the big screen. Bane’s design is inspired by his appearance in 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises; the Penguin’s from Batman Returns; Poison Ivy and Mr Freeze are based on their designs from Batman and Robin — the only good thing to come out of that film. On top of all this are multiple renditions of the Joker, from Jack Nicholson’s Jack Napier to the absolute masterclass in madness that was Heath Ledger. Mr Freeze is one very cool guy. .. . with a not-so-cool Arnold Schwarzenegger impression. — GIF by author Rather than pick one movie or comic, TT Games has taken stuff from every piece of Batman media, paying homage not only to the canon as a whole, but to specific movies, TV shows and comics within it. Bat-fans will be able to recognise where the designs are from instantly. I speak from personal experience. It also takes plot points and visuals from the movies and TV shows and mixes them into an original story, chronicling Batman’s history from training with the League of Shadows to becoming Gotham’s watchful protector. The intro to one of the game’s chapters is a shot-for-shot recreation of the opening titles from ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ with a 4: 3 aspect ratio, like on an old TV. I was audibly cheering when I saw this. Similarly, a later chapter inspired by Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight sees a recreation of the movie’s tunnel chase sequence, with the Batmobile being destroyed and Joker’s truck being involved in a massive flip. I applauded when I played this. Nolan would be proud. — GIF by author Hopefully Batman’s insured. — GIF by author Lego Batman: Legacy also leans heavily into how silly and campy the character can be, like the 1966 TV show starring Adam West. There are gags about shark-repellent bat spray — a direct reference to that very show (if you know, you know) — as well as puns, characters falling over and being clumsy and a “good cop, bat cop” interrogation scene that had me in stitches. Unlike more recent Batman media, which is a lot more serious and gritty in tone, this game offers something very light-hearted and willing to poke fun at itself, which is a little refreshing. The rogue’s gallery In Part One, I touched on how the game integrated the Freeflow combat system made popular by Arkham and how much I enjoyed the action in this game, even if it was a little bit too easy for my liking. But one thing that stood out as I completed the game was how good the boss fights are. Each of them features a prominent member of Batman’s rogue’s gallery, with the encounters in the later game being the best, in my opinion. I don’t want to spoil anything about the latter sections of Lego Batman: Legacy, but you’ll run into your favourite Batman villains along the way. As for the fights themselves, they feature unique attack patterns, multiple phases and a smattering of thugs to keep combat fresh. Not only are they fun to play, but the spectacle pays off when you complete one of the game’s chapters. They also make use of every character in your party, as their gadgets are required to help bring down the boss. You need to chill out, Freeze. — GIF by author Also, remember when I said I found the game not challenging enough? Well, I got fed my own words during the game’s final boss encounters. Those fights were genuinely tough and I finally got a game over screen. Not only will the game overwhelm you with thugs, but the bosses themselves have high-damage attacks and variation that tripped me up quite a bit. Annoyingly, when fighting enemies in a corner, the camera would also obscure my vision quite often. But the increase in difficulty wasn’t a bad thing; in fact, I welcomed it. It felt like I was being rewarded for learning the game’s mechanics and getting better as a player. It never felt like an unfair spike, but rather an escalation in parallel with my skill level. There was also another sequence where I faced off against some of my favourite Batman villains in a single fight, which also offered a ton of fan service for Bat-fans. Home away from home One of the game’s main selling points is a Batcave that’s fully open to explore and customise with a variety of unlockable props, including furniture, computers, statues and other items. It’s beautifully rendered and ripe for exploration. It’s rare that a proper Batcave appears in these games, much less one you can change the appearance of at will. It’s accessible whenever you please through fast travelling to it. When you get there, you’re greeted with a garage for all of your playable characters, as well as a massive chamber containing the costumes you unlock. There are also workbenches to upgrade your equipment and gadgets. Some of the decorative items are unlockable with Lego studs you pick up while playing — this game’s currency — or by finding hidden items in levels and smashing them, like record players, to unlock specific statues. Some of the ones I have include a Batman-themed model space shuttle, a Batmobile-themed mechanical ride and an electric guitar and amplifier. With the guitar, characters can pick it up and belt out some sick riffs, which as a metalhead I really appreciated. PLAY FREE BIRD! — GIF by author My reaction to the Batcave was similar to my reaction to Q-Lab being in 007: First Light — I can explore these locations that until now I’ve only been able to look at on a screen or a page. Like I said, a welcome addition. An icon honoured, a legend upheld Batman is one of the most iconic and recognisable characters in fiction. Having been a mainstay of popular culture for over 80 years, it’s a truly beloved IP by millions of people, maybe including whoever is reading this. I can say that Lego Batman: Legacy lives up to its title and honours the Dark Knight with a solid video game that’s fun to play, well-crafted and absolutely hilarious. It’s a celebration of what Batman is and will appeal to Bat-fans of all ages. This is an easy recommendation for Batman fans, fans of superheroes in general and those looking for a more casual experience. However, given what’s coming out later this year, I’d wait for a sale. Come to think of it, this year has been a pretty good one for single-player titles, with the likes of Resident Evil: Requiem and 007: First Light and Pragmata, with Marvel’s Wolverine slated for September and Grand Theft Auto VI in November. We single-player fans are eating good this year.
Game Review: Part Two — Lego Batman: Legacy is a must-play for any Bat-fan
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