Depending on who you ask, the best Batman movie would definitely be Christopher Nolan’s, The Dark Knight. The best Batman game goes to the Arkham series from Rocksteady Games. It has been 10 years since Arkham Knight came out and while there are whispers of a Batman Beyond game in the works, LEGO Batman is here to the rescue, bringing the zany comedy one would expect from a LEGO game and going the extra mile by making it from one of pop culture greatest hits.

What is unexpected is that it brings a very good open world Gotham and some excellent action. Every good Batman story starts off with the origin story and a tutorial of sorts. They begin with Bruce Wayne as a child dressing up as his favourite hero, and then fast forward to the loss of his parents, his journey from being a trainee with the League of Shadows and then, to him donning the mantle of the bat to strike fear in criminals.

There is so much in LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight for anyone who is a fan of not only the character but also the comics, movies and other media. The game weaves the story expertly from Tim Burton’s Batman to capturing the best scenes from Christopher Nolan movies. Literally every LEGO set in the Batman universe comes to life and then some. All of this is a surprisingly funny story, with absolutely delightful animations on the signature LEGO characters. 

For brick people, these characters are surprisingly expressive, especially when it comes to combat. Not just taking a page out of Arkham’s signature rhythm and timing based fighting system, LEGO Batman rips out the whole book and takes some interesting creative liberties. Given how good that fighting system is, there are no complaints here as Batman and the other playable characters jump over enemies, kick and punch them, counter and even deploy a lot of handy gadgets.

Yes, you also read that right — you can not only play as Batman but as other characters too, such as Jim Gordon, Catwoman, Batgirl and more, and while all of them handle pretty much the same, they do have their unique gadgetry to set them apart.

Where LEGO Batman is leagues ahead of, say, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, is the amount of liberty it has taken to dip into the best that the Bat-sphere has to offer. The open world Gotham is dark, futuristic and massive, allowing you to drive your Batmobile anywhere to find hidden mini-games and more in the city.

There are multiple Batmobiles for you to experience, including the Tumbler from Batman Begins. In fact, one of the best moments in the game involves a mashup of the Tumbler rooftop and freeway chase. There are many such moments from so many different places and they have been put together extremely well. 

Now, where LEGO Batman shines is in the collect-em-all aspect which lets you decorate your own Bat-cave, a feature that should appeal to every Bat-fan out there. From showcasing your Bat-vehicles to all your costumes and collectible memorabilia, this works as a living museum for anyone who is a fan of everything Batman.

One only wishes you could freely drive in and out of the Batcave to complete that feeling. Would have loved to drive down that long tunnel and then emerge out of the lake at Wayne Estate!

Legacy of the Dark Knight looks dark and brooding and nowhere close to a LEGO game, and Traveller’s Tales has nailed the look. The atmosphere with the slapstick humour works well together. Sadly, after hearing the signature baritone of Will Arnett as the LEGO Batman, it is a bit of a let down that the voice in the game is someone else’s. While they did do a great job, it is no mean feat filing in the shoes of Heath Ledger’s Joker, even though it is a more tongue-in-cheek take on the movies. It just makes you remember those great performances. 

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is not just here to sell you lots of LEGO kits, which you will probably be quite tempted to buy. It is a competent action game, puzzler, open world driving game and much more, with lots of content to explore, discover and collect, especially for all those Bat-fans out there.