How do you feel when you see a new Lego game announced? Personally, it’s not something that ever really excites me. For a very long time, the games that were coming out with the Lego brand were essentially the same thing over and over again, just with a new franchise attached. That being said, when Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight was recently announced, I genuinely got excited. Of course, some of that has to do with the game just looking like an improvement from a gameplay standpoint, but the more I look at it, the more I realize it is a product of me missing the Arkham games. My disappointment with the Dark Knight’s recent portrayal in games, and the promise of faithful callbacks to Batman’s greatest cinematic moments make this Lego game speak to me in a way the others never did.
Rocksteady’s Missteps Left a Gap for Legacy of the Dark Knight to Fill
If you are a fan of the Batman Arkham games, you are probably well-versed on how disappointing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was. During its long development, there were reportedly a bunch of issues at Rocksteady, including long-time leaders leaving the team and who knows what interference from higher-ups at WB. I found the game to be insulting. The way Batman is unceremoniously killed off as probably the last time we will hear Conroy in a video game was disheartening to say the least. Sure, you can bring up that the game eventually retconned that with a comic-like image showing that all of the Justice League members you fought were actually clones, but it just shows how beleaguered this game was, especially considering that the real Wonder Woman is killed off fighting fake Superman.
Hopefully, Rocksteady still has the opportunity to make a great single player game in the future. As someone who grew up idolizing Batman: The Animated Series, taking control of the Dark Knight throughout Arkham Asylum and Arkham City was a dream come true. You got various DC characters hidden behind any corner, the famous freeflow combat system, all given a sense of authenticity and weight with the great voice of the late Kevin Conroy leading the way against Mark Hamill’s iconic Joker. I know some people find them annoying, but I even enjoy the Riddler trophies. The Arkham games being in limbo for a decade is a crime in my mind. Them being put on the backburner for the Suicide Squad of all things felt like salt in the wound.
While it hasn’t been officially announced, we can all assume that Rocksteady is working on a new Arkham game, but with how long video game development takes these days, we could be approaching the 2030s before that game is in our hands. Until then, Lego Batman looks to be our main Batman game rep over the next few years. No pressure.
Rebuilding the Lego Formula for Batman
For Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight to excite me where previous Lego Batman games fell flat, Traveller’s Tales had to break the mold. The first step in that process was releasing Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. After decades of the same formula with only minor alterations, the structure of these games finally changed. Those older games always came down to mashing an attack button against enemies and breaking environmental pieces to build the thing that would let you go forward. As someone who isn’t much of a Star Wars fan, I played The Skywalker Saga and mostly enjoyed it for what it was. Legacy of the Dark Knight takes the foundation used for Star Wars and is looking to push it further.
While there is still quite a bit we don’t know about the game, one of the most exciting reveals in the initial trailer is the combat changes coming with this Lego game. Batman seems to move very similarly to that of the version seen in the Arkham games. Sure, it likely won’t feel as good as in those games, but I can wholly appreciate the effort to not only be inspired by freeflow combat, but to also try and adapt it for a kids game. Plus, you’ll be able to choose harder difficulties this time which could hopefully make combat in Legacy of the Dark Knight not only better feeling but more engaging.
Legacy of the Dark Knight feels like a love letter to those of us who have loved Batman media for decades. Not only is the current Robert Pattinson iteration being represented, but Christian Bale and Michael Keaton as well. If you would have told me a video game is paying homage to the Tim Burton Batman movies in 2026, I would not have believed you, but I am so happy for it. I only hope that it doesn’t limit itself to just those inspirations. Adam West, the Lego Batman Movie, and the various animated series deserve some love as well, and I would go as far as to include less popular elements as well like George Clooney’s suit and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze. There are so many different versions of Batman, that even a big compilation of the greatest hits feels limiting.
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight looks to be pressing all of the right buttons in the early going. The change in gameplay and paying respect to past Batman media is everything that a long-time fan like me wants to see while we wait for the next Rocksteady adventure. In no timeline did I ever expect to say that a Lego game of all things would be one of my more anticipated video games heading into a new year, but Traveller’s Tales has given me a solid reason to be excited to don the cowl once again, even if it is made of plastic.
