Gotham’s bleak streets get quirky when they’re made out of LEGO bricks. From a traumatized child to the bump in the night every villain fears don the cowl and become the bat. Follow the story of the Dark Knight’s rise, but this time leave the brooding behind. Batman brings his sense of humor to this take on his story. I am thrilled that they’re letting the Dark Knight be funny again. I played Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight with my boyfriend, and I recommend finding a sidekick for this game.
Start from the beginning of it all and play as young Bruce Wayne before tragedy befalls him. Take a stroll through the garden before falling into an old well and developing a healthy fear of bats. If you’re playing with a sidekick, they’ll get to play through this part as Thomas Wayne, Bruce’s dad. I tried to stall, thinking we’d miss the movie and avoid a tragedy, but it’s impossible to unwrite fate. Bruce’s classic tale continues as he grows up to have a strong sense of justice. One back alley scuffle later, where the sidekick player gets to be Jim Gordon, and the player is off to the real tutorial. It feels almost backwards that the game provides a tutorial after the first fight has already happened. I did feel stronger after the tutorial, though. I think it shows how much Bruce grows after his League of Shadows training.
I enjoyed that the tutorial level was part of the story. It wasn’t just buttons on the screen, but challenges meant to build on one another slowly with each new skill. The game’s personality started to shine during this training arc. Lego games are notoriously silly, and I think Batman is a stronger character when he has a quirky side. He doesn’t always have to be doom and gloom. I thought Bruce was a bit oblivious in this depiction for laughs. He believed a goat was going to pick a flower for him instead of eating it, which the goat does. He also mentions wanting to be a symbol for Gotham, and he misses all of the bat symbolism around him. Still, I think the Bruce Wayne charm is still there, maybe even more so. Lego makes him silly, but it doesn’t diminish Bruce’s character. He can be clueless and funny and still be smart with the drive of a hero. His introductory spiel is all about him wanting to help Gotham, even with no backup. No matter how broken the city may seem to Bruce, it’s worth saving. I think Lego perfectly maintained the spirit of Batman.
It feels like TT Games, the developers of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, appreciated how beloved Batman is as a whole. The game blends aspects from different adaptations seamlessly together to create the LEGO Gotham that players get to experience. At the start of the game, the movie that the Waynes go to see is the Gray Ghost film. I remember his cameo in Batman: The Animated Series. Some of the Penguins’ henchmen include the twins, who became popular in The Batman. It is not a LEGO version of The Batman Penguin, though. I would have liked to see that. There are outfits inspired by the animated series, my favorite version of Batman, Batman Beyond, and more. It’s exciting to notice Easter eggs from other Batman eras.
All together, this game feels like a love letter to the silly side of Batman that I’ve missed tremendously. If you’re a Batman fan, I think this game is a must-own. There is so much to explore in the open world map. I don’t think Batman has had the opportunity to be silly in a while; most of the newer films and spin-offs have been gritty tales. It feels like some of the spark has been brought back to Gotham with LEGO on the scene. This game is especially fun in co-op, so grab your sidekick!
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