Batman is one of the greatest characters in the world of superheroes and one of DC Comics’ most iconic figures. His presence beyond the pages of the comics is extensive, spanning TV series, films and, of course, video games. In addition to the impressive Arkham series, the Caped Crusader has featured in numerous console titles. However, in recent years there has been a prolonged hiatus, leaving fans eager to discover new adventures for Bruce Wayne.

While there are no official details yet of a major video game blockbuster starring Batman, Warner Bros. has made sure that fans of the Gotham hero’s adventures aren’t left without a new instalment, albeit one that is more light-hearted than usual. That’s because the LEGO format is also a very common offering in the interactive entertainment sector, and many franchises have adapted to this style to offer something completely different from their usual output.

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is one of the standout video games of May, not only because of what it means to bring together two such prestigious brands as Batman and LEGO, but also because of the effort TT Games has put in to capture the defining features of the Arkham series in its gameplay, making it one of the most ambitious projects in the studio's history.

Batman in LEGO format, with the action you’d expect

One of the hallmarks of every LEGO game is the ability to approach any franchise with plenty of humour, regardless of the story being told. This approach is ever-present, ensuring the games are suitable for all audiences and are considered family-friendly titles. In fact, practically all of them offer the option to play in co-op mode, so they are designed to be enjoyed with others.

This is also the case in LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, where Batman can team up with other characters such as Jim Gordon during the adventure. In this respect, each character has their own unique abilities that intertwine throughout the adventure to create puzzles that allow you to progress through the missions, with both characters often required to activate mechanisms or build key gadgets along the way. Although the game ticks all of these boxes, the adventure starring Bruce Wayne is as close as possible to how his story has unfolded in video games over the last few years.

Thus, the combat system is identical to that seen in the Arkham series, with waves of enemies attacking Batman and his companions, creating a brutal combo system that results in some truly exciting action sequences in LEGO format. This makes for a highly entertaining sense of dynamism, with environmental destruction using the famous bricks and a physics system that is every bit as good as that of other major productions.

An open-world adventure with great ambition

Although LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight shares many of the key features of any LEGO title developed by TT Games, the truth is that its overall design feels more in keeping with the big-budget productions we’ve come to expect from the superhero genre. While other games of this style are divided into main missions that follow one after another, this time everything unfolds across an open-world Gotham City where you can engage in a variety of activities.

This dynamic makes for a game with great freedom, one that requires the Batmobile to explore the different areas of the city where the main and side missions take place. It also allows for great verticality in the level design, using Batman’s grappling hook to reach building ledges and glide over them with his cape, offering a compelling strategic option to take enemies by surprise and tackle the various challenges scattered across the map, through a fantastic adventure that grows as the hours pass, unlocking new options to expand its universe.

All of this allows for a much more ambitious story and an extensive narrative that revisits all the events of the great Batman sagas, from his beginnings to some of the most memorable moments in the history of the DC Comics character. With all this, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight has established itself as one of the video games that could set a benchmark for TT Games’ upcoming projects, a studio that has already worked with other franchises such as Harry Potter and Star Wars to continue bringing the excitement of major productions to life through the world’s most famous building blocks.