August 25th 2025.
The highly anticipated Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is causing quite a stir among fans and gamers alike. GameCentral recently had the opportunity to get hands-on with the game and speak with the developers at Traveller's Tales about their unexpected take on the beloved superhero.
It's been over ten years since the release of Batman: Arkham Knight, the last major single-player console game featuring the Dark Knight. This has left many fans disappointed, especially considering the success of the Arkham series. In the time since, we've seen the rise and fall of the DCEU and the emergence of the new DCU under James Gunn's direction, yet no game has come close to the caliber of Arkham Knight or even its VR spin-off, Arkham Shadow.
Surprisingly, the last Lego Batman game was released 11 years ago, despite the popularity of the character and the recent release of a Lego Batman movie in 2017. This peculiar situation reflects the turmoil within Warner Bros. and their gaming division. While there are rumors of a new Batman game in the works from Arkham developer Rocksteady, it will likely take several years to complete. However, Legacy of the Dark Knight may just fill that void in the meantime.
At first, it was assumed that the game would follow the same format as Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, with open-world planets and individual storylines for each of the nine mainline films. However, it turns out that Legacy of the Dark Knight has a much more intriguing approach. While there are nods to all the live-action Batman films, the game features an original story that draws inspiration from various comics and other media. During our hands-on experience, we encountered Red Hood, a character from the comics who has yet to make an appearance in a live-action film. As we battled through Ace Chemicals, it became clear that the game was not only referencing Tim Burton's 1989 Batman movie but also the iconic comic book, The Killing Joke.
It's not a direct adaptation of any particular source material, but rather a unique blend of different elements, with references layered on top of each other. We had the opportunity to speak with the developers at Traveller's Tales after our hands-on experience, and they mentioned that Year One and The Dark Knight Returns would also play a role in the game's story.
"We've taken iconic moments and deep lore from films, television, comics, and even games to create our own unique telling of the Batman legend," explained the developers. "It's a mix of everything, coming together to form a cohesive story. Instead of just playing through a specific movie, we've crafted a brand new narrative."
It's clear that the game is heavily influenced by the Arkham titles, with gameplay that is just a few steps down in terms of variety and complexity. This may not be immediately apparent when playing on the lowest difficulty level, which is similar to previous Lego games. However, with three difficulty settings, the highest level provides a decent challenge.
On the Dark Knight difficulty, combat involves mashing the punch button, but you must also pay attention to on-screen warnings and dodge or counter incoming attacks. This aspect is reminiscent of the Arkham games, even if the mechanics are not identical. Batman can also use his batarangs and grapnel gun, while Commissioner Gordon has a foam gun used for puzzles and immobilizing enemies temporarily.
During our hands-on experience, Gordon was the only other playable character, but the full game will feature Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, Catwoman, and Talia al Ghul as well. However, unlike previous Lego games, there won't be a plethora of other characters to play as. And despite the presence of a wide range of Batman's iconic villains, it seems players won't have the chance to play as them either.
The game boasts over 100 different costumes, but considering Batman's extensive wardrobe, it's possible that half of those are just for him. Nevertheless, it's likely that there will be multiple versions of many characters, even if the voice-acting is tied to specific incarnations, with impressions of actors such as Jack Nicholson and Michael Caine, as well as Matt Berry as Bane.
"We have references to the characters themselves, as well as animations and films, so some characters may exhibit personality traits from different media," said the developers. "We also have some deeper references, like the appearance of Condiment King in the story."
Fans of Batman: The Animated Series will be delighted to know that Traveller's Tales has included references to the beloved show, as they have done in previous Lego Batman games. The mention of the award-winning series brings a smile to everyone's face, and it's clear that the developers have immense respect for it, reassuring us that the game is in capable hands.
The anticipation for the new Lego Batman game, Legacy Of The Dark Knight, is reaching a fever pitch. GameCentral had the opportunity to get a hands-on experience with the game and even spoke with the developer, Traveller's Tales, to get the inside scoop on what to expect. It's been over ten years since the release of Batman: Arkham Knight, the last major solo console game featuring the Caped Crusader. This is quite a disappointment for fans, especially considering the success of the Arkham series. In the time since then, we've seen the rise and fall of the DCEU and the emergence of James Gunn's DCU, but no game has come close to the scale of the Arkham titles, except for the VR game Arkham Shadow and the fighting game Injustice 2.
It's hard to believe that the last dedicated Lego Batman game was released 11 years ago, despite the fact that a Lego Batman movie came out in 2017. This begs the question, what's been going on with Warner Bros. and their games division? There have been rumors of another Batman game in the works by the developers of the Arkham series, Rocksteady, but even if that's true, it will still be a few years before it's released. However, Legacy Of The Dark Knight might just be the perfect game to fill the void. Not only is it a Batman game made by people who clearly love the character, but it also plays very similarly to the beloved Arkham titles.
Initially, many people assumed that Legacy Of The Dark Knight would follow the same format as Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, with open-world planets and separate storylines for each of the nine mainline films. However, the game is actually even more intriguing than that. While it does reference all the live-action Batman films, from the classic 1966 Batmobile to Jeffrey Wright's portrayal of Commissioner Gordon, the game also has an original story that draws inspiration from various comics and media. During the hands-on experience, GameCentral played through a level featuring Red Hood, a character that has never been seen in a live-action film but is well-known to comic book fans. As they fought through hordes of bad guys at Ace Chemicals, it became clear that the game was not only referencing Tim Burton's 1989 Batman film, but also the iconic comic book, The Killing Joke.
However, Legacy Of The Dark Knight is not a direct adaptation of any specific story. Instead, it weaves together different elements from various sources to create a unique and cohesive narrative. Traveller's Tales also mentioned that the game will incorporate other comic book stories such as Year One and The Dark Knight Returns in some way. It's clear that the developers have a deep understanding and appreciation for the Batman universe.
One of the most exciting aspects of Legacy Of The Dark Knight is its gameplay, which is heavily influenced by the Arkham titles. While the combat may seem simple at first glance, there are three difficulty settings, with the highest one offering a challenge that is not too far off from the complexity of the Arkham games. Playing on the highest difficulty, GameCentral had to constantly dodge and counter incoming attacks, which felt reminiscent of the rhythm of combat in the Arkham series. Batman also has a variety of gadgets at his disposal, such as batarangs and his grapnel gun, while Commissioner Gordon uses a foam gun for puzzles and to temporarily immobilize enemies.
While the level that GameCentral played only featured Gordon as a playable character, the full game will include other fan favorites such as Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, Catwoman, and Talia al Ghul. However, unlike previous Lego games, there won't be a vast number of other characters to play as. The villain roster is also extensive, but unfortunately, players won't be able to take control of any of them. Nevertheless, the game will feature over 100 different costumes, including multiple versions of Batman himself. The voice acting will also be tied to specific incarnations, with impressions of iconic actors such as Jack Nicholson and Michael Caine, as well as Matt Berry as Bane.
Traveller's Tales also mentioned that they have included references to various animated series and films throughout the game, with some characters taking on traits from different media. They even teased the appearance of Condiment King, a fan-favorite character from Batman: The Animated Series. It's clear that the developers are huge fans of the animated series, and this alone should reassure fans that the game is in good hands.
In conclusion, Legacy Of The Dark Knight is shaping up to be an exciting and unique addition to the Batman game universe. With its original story and gameplay heavily influenced by the beloved Arkham titles, it's sure to be a hit with fans. GameCentral can't wait to see what else this game has in store for players.
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