You may assume Lego is running out of runway with licensed-IP games. You’d be wrong. I’ve spent two hours in the new Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, and having played and loved the original Lego Batman trilogy, I’m now doubly excited to play this latest title.
One thing I appreciate about TT Games is its measured approach to changing the formula. A new Lego game will rarely feel like a total reinvention, but there’s almost always something fundamentally different that could make its way into future iterations.
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Some changes might feel like a loss; being limited to seven playable characters, for one, could raise some eyebrows. But more than ever, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight feels like a classic RPG, especially when compared to the older Lego action-adventure platformers of yore, and I think it’ll go down a treat when it releases soon on May 22, 2026.
OK, I’ll watch the Waynes die… again
One thing we’ve known for a while now is that Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight will feature references to a far wider range of Bat-media than previous titles, including the 80s movies, the latest movie starring Robert Pattinson (swoon) and, of course, the comics.
You’ll play through from life as a young Bruce Wayne training with The League of Shadows, later build a family of allies to defeat some of Batman’s most legendary foes. It’s a real love song to one of the most enduring superheroes, and from what TT Games tells me, it’ll see Bruce Wayne’s origins and relationships explored in more depth than ever before… at least, in Lego form.
In my two-hour demo of the upcoming game, I was shown three different points in the game; the first was early-on in a The Batman (2022)-inspired sequence that saw Jim Gordon and the Bat navigate the lower levels of Falcone’s Iceberg Bar — which you learn are actually home to a giant soft-play for his henchmen called Falcone’s House of Fun.
Diving into ball pits and squishy squeeze rollers dressed as Batman wasn’t on my 2026 bingo card, but it was on my bucket list — and it’s the exact kind of creative nonsense I love in Lego games. Add to that the comically thick New York mobster accents, ample smashable and unlockable content, and everything from a chase sequence to platforming puzzles, and you end up with delightfully dynamic level design that’s sure to entertain all ages.
That’s a great segue to one of the exciting additions to Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight — difficulty levels. Now, older players can join in on the fun without feeling the grind thanks to two new increased difficulty levels: Caped Crusader and Dark Knight.
I played mostly in the former, which ups the ante with more enemies and advanced enemy types appearing more often, but with unlimited lives, whereas the latter poses even more challenging combat, more enemies and tougher bosses, plus limits the number of lives.
It was also my first opportunity to try the more complex combat system, which pairs combos with the new counter system. I can’t think of a better IP to introduce more complex combat than Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, and I really enjoyed the increased focus on crowd control and timing as you battle different enemies in everything from from defensive to melee to ranged combat. Granted, it’s still far from challenging (though I didn’t try Dark Knight difficulty…) but it keeps you on your toes more than older Lego games would have.
Plus, the new environmental takedowns are brilliant. Pummeling cronies into hot dog stands, dumpsters and more makes for some satisfying vigilante action.
It’s not a heist!!!
The second save I tried jumped forwards to date night (read: definitely a heist) with Catwoman, featuring a fun little safe-breaking mini-level, and, later on, Dick Grayson’s introduction.
This section also allowed me to explore Gotham City a little, and I’m really excited to spend some more time on this once I play the full game. The overworld is sprawling, offering new heights (literally) of exploration and discovery thanks to its taller buildings and traversal mechanics.
The greater focus on verticality primes Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight to be my favorite playable Lego Gotham City yet, and there’s plenty to see and unlock.
Most of the puzzles I found from villains like The Riddler were pretty easy, and I very much doubt that changes with difficulty levels — par for the course, yes, but I hope there’s more challenge to eke out Batman’s detective roots in the final game.
It’s never been easier to get around in a Lego game now you can aim, grapple and even propel yourself by slinging from one roof to another, though I did encounter a few awkward glitches where I was stuck beneath a platform or on a building’s corner. Thankfully, these were far from game-breaking, and the character usually manages to scoot itself into a better position — plus the software I played on wasn’t final.
I also had the chance to check out the Batcave, and I’m pretty excited to see how this evolves through gameplay. There’s plenty to do here, from upgrading your gear with Wayne Tech chips, admiring your costume and vehicle collection to decorating with unlockable items — including decorations from levels you’ve played in as well as shop-bought items from Bat Mite. Or, you can just hitch a ride on the Sub Wayne to head back out to the city.
The last section of the game I tried showed the boss fight against Poison Ivy, in which the Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder face off against a giant two-headed Snapdragon made entirely of Lego pieces, showcasing all of the game’s various combat features into one super fun package. Again, on Caped Crusader mode it’s far from difficult, but you do need to stay on your toes somewhat against its various area of effect abilities.
I saved the city again. It was off the chain.
There’s hours of fun to be had in Lego Batman: Legend of the Dark Knight, and I’ve barely scratched the surface here despite only spending two hours in the game so far myself.
It marries a lot that I love about Lego games with elements of traditional Bat-media and games like Batman: Arkham Asylum while still keeping things lean and fun. That coming at the expense of playable characters does little to assuage me when there’s so much more to collect and explore, and there’s still plenty in that more limited roster to enjoy when it comes to costumes and vehicles.
Ultimately, its greatest calling card is that this marks the first Lego Batman game I’d recommend as a gameplay experience for adults thanks to the new difficulty modes and combat system, and while it’s far from challenging, you’ll at least face a few close shaves and be pushed to do more than button mash to attack.
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight releases on May 22, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Steam and Epic Games, and Nintendo Switch 2, and all pre-orders of Standard & Deluxe Editions will receive The Dark Knight Returns Batsuit, inspired by the acclaimed comic book series. Plus, Deluxe Edition pre-orders will also receive 72-hour early access to the game beginning on May 19th, prior to the main launch on May 22nd.
If you’re wanting to go all-in on the Lego side of things, there are a number of newly-launched Lego DC Batman sets that include unlockable in-game digital content, which you can shop at the Lego store US and UK.
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josephine.watson@futurenet.com (Josephine Watson)
