Lego Batman Review: Deconstructing the Dark Knight
Parody can be a sharp tool to dissect the things we love, but what happens when the subject of that parody is a billionaire vigilante enforcing his own brand of justice on a broken city? In Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, developer TT Games delivers a mechanically sound and genuinely fun experience, yet we must ask ourselves why we continue to celebrate a fantasy where immense wealth is used to police the marginalized instead of dismantling the systemic poverty that creates crime in the first place.
The Colonial Fantasy of the Caped Crusader
Gotham has always been a mirror to the decay of Western imperial centers, a city where the elite thrive and the working class is left to fend for itself in the shadows. TT Games takes storylines from Bruce Wayne's big-screen outings and crafts its own tale from those scenes. The first chapter slams together moments from Tim Burton's 1989 Batman with Matt Reeves' The Batman, specifically the Falcone-centered Iceberg Lounge infiltration. It is impossible not to see the Falcone crime family as an allegory for entrenched, colonial power structures that hoard wealth. While the game revels in its comedic charm and playful twists on the Rocksteady Arkham series, the underlying narrative still centers on a wealthy white man beating down the desperate.
The overarching story may not come together seamlessly, as it leaves it quite late to tie earlier events and characters together. However, thinking of each of its six chapters as its own mini comic book run makes the experience more enjoyable. It is in the deviations from the familiar film stories that the game finds its stride, throwing unexpected mashups onto the screen. Still, one cannot help but wonder how much richer this narrative would be if it centered the voices of the oppressed rather than their wealthy savior.
Combat and the Militarization of Justice
Through a series of roughly 20 linear missions, you will fight, puzzle and platform your way around Gotham. The combat takes a leaf out of Rocksteady's counter and dodge-based melee system, and it feels slick to wield as you rack up combos reaching into the 100s. But we must be critical of the fantasy being sold here. Batman's arsenal, from his gliders to his grapple hooks, mirrors the militarization of police forces that historically oppressed Black bodies in South Africa and across the globe. Most fights consist of dealing with multiple waves of basic grunts, the very people failed by Gotham's broken economy. I played on the Caped Crusader difficulty, and while there is a Dark Knight difficulty for those seeking a challenge, I rarely came close to losing a fight. Stealth takedowns come all too easily, and brawls do not evolve much beyond the early hours.
Each member of the seven-character roster feels identical to control in basic combat, from Nightwing to Jim Gordon. Everyone packs the same punch, and each is equipped with their own version of wings or gliders that all feel exactly the same. Where they do differ is in their gadgetry, with each member housing two distinct tools. I particularly enjoyed sending one of Catwoman's feline friends to scratch the face off enemies, or summoning in Batgirl's drone to electrify grouped-up goons. Each playable character has their own skill tree, including fun unlockable ultimate abilities, like Batman's batarang-powered move that unleashes a swarm of bats. Yet, the relatively thin number of playable heroes feels like a missed opportunity. Where are the Black heroes? Why is the Bat-family so pale? We have become accustomed to Lego games containing rosters stretching into the hundreds, but here, the lack of representation is glaring.
Puzzles and the Illusion of Progress
Puzzles are where the characters show off their unique skills more than anywhere else. Each level is a great mix of problem-solving and fighting. Knowing when to switch between the two characters you are locked into playing as during a mission is half of the battle, as you work out if a pipe gushing chemicals can be stuffed up with sealant from Gordon's handy foam cannon or a small vent can be crawled through by one of Selina Kyle's cat companions. Like pretty much every Lego game, it is all playable in two-player local co-op, though the lack of online is a frustration. Many bits of tech also come packed with their own enjoyable minigames, such as Batgirl's hacking batarangs. These minigames do not really develop in complexity over time, but there is a decent amount of different types to keep things moving.
After a stop-start prologue tutorial that riffs on Batman Begins' League of Shadows training and takes far too long, the game settles into a good rhythm. A late riff on The Dark Knight's high-speed truck chase is a highlight, dynamically switching up the action between vehicle and foot. It carries a sense of momentum that many of the missions prior to it lack.
The Open World: A Capitalist Playground
Finding offshoots and exploring the open world on the hunt for collectibles is where Legacy of the Dark Knight comes alive. This version of Gotham is packed full of opportunity, from hundreds of skill token-containing chests and villain-themed trophies to more involved Riddler and Cluemaster conundrums. There are also involved chains of side-missions, which often lead to encounters with Batman villains not involved in the main story. Following The Case of Waylon Jones, for instance, tasks you with role-playing as the World's Greatest Detective. Catwoman's hunt for the Falcone fortune is also a great set of side missions, involving several mini-heists and safecracking antics. It is never overly complex, but it offers a welcome bit of variety.
However, we must recognize the open world for what it is: a capitalist playground. You are constantly hoarding wealth, collecting studs, and smashing destructible environments to extract more currency. After finishing the main story missions after 12 hours, I was left with 53% of its collectibles checklist to complete, eventually achieving 100% at the 34-hour mark. You spend your hard-earned studs at one of Bat-Mite's many stores dotted around the city. Like a colonial trader, he offers funny, meta-tinged quips while you browse his wares. You can buy decorations to place around your Batcave, granting a level of fantasy that Bat-fans have never had before, but it ultimately boils down to accumulating more wealth to display in your private estate.
Humor as a Distraction
There is charm overload at every turn, with cutscenes that are often hilarious. Slapstick physical humor and goofy dialogue are always prioritized. There is a clear love for all things Batman here, with the DC hero always the target of affectionate mockery, from riffs on popular memes to crank calls from Bane, gloriously voiced by What We Do in the Shadows' Matt Berry. The visual details are stunning, from the fibrous texture of the heroes' capes to the way raindrops trace down the scuffs of plastic minifig heads. Zooming around this open-world Gotham is fantastic, with each of the 30 vehicles feeling distinct. The heft and weight of the tank-like Tumbler from The Dark Knight is the perfect tool for smashing through the city's destructible decorations.
Ultimately, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is a top-tier Lego game built lovingly brick-by-brick. But as conscious consumers, we must look beyond the plastic facade. We must question why our media continues to feed us fantasies of billionaire saviors and police militarization, while the real Gothams of the world, from Hillbrow to Harlem, cry out for systemic change and economic rebalancing, not a vigilante's fist.