The last big Lego-related release from TT Games was Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, launched a whopping four years ago. For the longest time, a Lego game by the studio was basically a yearly released, always following the same formula: a hub world, fun linear levels to complete, funny dialogue, and a demented amount of collectibles, usually in the shape of additional characters to unlock. Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is a totally different entry, and a brand new take on TT Games’ proven formula. Instead of quantity, they wanted to focus on quality. A game very different from previous Lego games, yet still very familiar, and oh so fun.

It’s a predictable cliché for a comedic Batman game, but it wouldn’t have been the same without them.

It’s a really impressive feat from TT Games, and an interesting step forward for the Lego franchise. Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is the epitome of “quality over quantity”. Instead of maniacal amounts of collectibles and different characters to play as, you are basically given a game that focuses more on exploration, improved gameplay, and the finer details. It’s hilarious, well-put, somewhat good looking, and still chock-full of content; it’s just focused on other elements this time around, and it works.

I have previously called this game the “closest brand new iteration of an Arkham game we’ll get nowadays”. I stand by it. For as much as I actually enjoyed Gotham Knights (it certainly wasn’t anywhere near as bad as people made it look like), its open world felt emptier compared to Arkham City or Knight. Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is, undoubtedly, heavily inspired by these games. Between the sheer amount of collectibles, small puzzles, and Riddler Trophies you have to unlock, there is an astonishing amount of stuff to do outside main missions. Though I have to clarify that a lot of the collectibles are only accessible much later in the game, due to specific ability requirements: it is best to leave open world exploration to the post-game.

Hey… why do those floats have fingers… in a Lego world?

Abilities are specific to unlockable playable characters, and this is one of Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight‘s main differences when compared to previous Lego games. You can only play as seven different characters, instead of the usual hundreds. Instead of quantity, TT Games focused on quality. Each character is vastly different from one another, with completely different movesets, attack patterns, secondary weapons, and unlockable outfits. Even if my obsessive compulsion towards collecting things might feel a bit disappointed that I can’t collect, like, 300 different Batman heroes and villains to play as, this resulted in much better gameplay, and a tighter focus in its story. And oh boy, this part is great.

Explore Gotham, be it with your Arkham-esque grappling hook, or with a plethora of unlockable Batmobiles.

In essence, this is a love letter to all Batman movies AND the 1990s animated series. It is a wacky recreation of the plots from those movies, but all tied up in one, continuous, and intentionally messy universe/plot. Things start off with Bruce Wayne training under Ras Al Ghul in the Tibetan Mountains, just like the Batman Begins intro. The plot then moves towards 1989’s Batman, then Batman Returns, Batman & Robin, and so on… but with brand new character interactions, inserts of some silly villains in new sideplots, and a lot more comedy. Dear goodness, this might be a barrage of jokes in which not all of them stick, but this writing is joyful, and the voice acting is sublime. Matty Berry voices Bane, for crying out loud. If that isn’t the pinnacle of perfection, then what is?

Looks like Danny DeVito, speaks like Collin Farrell. This game knows how to blend in different generations and inspirations.

I’d say the pacing is also quite decent, for the most part. There is always something new to unlock, a new story-focused level featuring a new gimmick or fun puzzle, a new car to acquire, or enough money amassed to expand your Batcave with new sections and unlockables. As previously mentioned, I did feel like exploring Gotham itself felt like something best left for after the main story was completed, but that didn’t feel like a major issue, to be fair. If anything, it made the main plot a bit more focused. I could still unlock a thing or two every now and then, but I was more determined to just waltz towards the next story chapter. That’s also due to the previously mentioned strong writing.

I cannot think of main issues with the game as a whole. Even if the visuals aren’t groundbreaking, it still looks good for Lego standards. The contrast between the serious tone of the environment and the silly character animations is just delightful. The controls were decent, with the combat being a direct copy of the much-lauded Arkham combat system. Even if it isn’t original at all, it works quite well. I’d say there are one or two instances of the camera work being a bit annoying, but that’s basically it. Nothing egregious. It’s incredibly well-polished.

You will smile while playing this game. It’s a lot of fun, above all else.

Who could have thought that, after the surefire disaster that was the Suicide Squad game, the salvation to the cherished Batman Arkham gameplay loop would arrive in the form of a Lego game? Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight isn’t just “a good Lego game”, or “a fun diversion if you like Batman”. It’s an impressive new direction for the TT Games Lego formula, focusing on quality over quantity, deeper gameplay over mindless collectability, and an even deeper level of polish and writing. Even if it’s a kid-friendly version of Arkham City, there was a lot of thought and love put into it. It’s a game you will smile while playing. It’s impossible not to.

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is available now on PS5, Xbox Series S/X and PC.

Reviewed on PS5.