By Ozzie Mejia

Copyright shacknews

One of the biggest surprises to come out of this year’s Gamescom was a new LEGO Batman game. It’s one that isn’t tied to the original trilogy, but rather one that acts a celebration of the character. It’s a story that explores the Caped Crusader’s fabled history, pays homage to one of his greatest chapters in gaming, and also doesn’t forget it’s a LEGO title. While I wasn’t able to make the trip to Gamescom to try out LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, WB Games invited me out to Warner Bros. Studios to try it out as part of this year’s Batman Day festivities.

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight tells the story of the hero’s earliest days. Players will witness Bruce Wayne’s time-tested traumatic origins, his training under the League of Shadows, and his first years under the cowl as Gotham City’s protector. For this preview, I was taken through the Ace Chemicals plant, one of Batman’s earliest missions that ends with the rise of one of his greatest enemies.

The first thing to note is that this specific chapter is structured as a linear stage. Batman and Officer Jim Gordon stake out the docks outside of the chemical plant together, having heard a tip about some killer teddy bears. Batman must find the locations of the teddy bear stashes and analyze the chemicals they contain before chasing after the leader of the Red Hood gang.

While this has many elements of a classic LEGO adventure game, Legacy of the Dark Knight feels almost primarily like Rocksteady’s classic Arkham series. Moving in the shadows is a major priority and feels largely like the Arkham games, even if a stealth takedown is covered with LEGO slapstick. Hanging from perches to ambush enemies is a big part of patrolling an area, though he doesn’t use his grappling gun to leave foes hanging upside-down, at least not in this demo. When battling against numerous foes, Arkham-style combat takes over with button prompts giving players a window to dodge without breaking their combo. There are even Arkham-style brute fights where Batman must dodge to avoid their rhino-like charges.

One thing that helps this particular chapter of the game stand out from the Arkham series is the previously noted addition of Jim Gordon. While Batman plays the story mostly straight, outside of some fist-bumps and some exaggerated gestures, Jim Gordon is there as comic relief. That’s made clear the moment that he accidentally activates the glider on his back and nearly sends himself off into the sky. However, Gordon also adds some gameplay contributions with solo players able to switch back-and-forth between the costumed crime-fighter and the grizzled cop.

As one might expect of Batman, he has some gadgets on hand. There’s the typical Batarang, but he also has his grappling hook to help pull switches, open doors, or generally clear a path. Gordon has his own gadgets, mainly a foam gun. Gordon’s foam gun can be used to plug hazardous leaks and put out fires, clearing a path for Batman to keep pursuing Red Hood One. Even while fighting as Batman, I noticed that a CPU-controlled Gordon held his own in a fight and sometimes even helped in a brute fight by blinding the behemoth with a foam gun blast to the head. Of course, those who want Gordon to have a more human direction can have a second player jump in for co-op play.

Of course, at the end of the day, this is still a LEGO game. LEGO bricks are seen all over the place and LEGO physics run wild, right down to defeated enemies breaking down into scattered pieces. There are also sections where Batman and Gordon will need to find pieces to build structures to help them access new areas.

The Ace Chemicals plant stage was a straight nostalgia shot, right down to the conclusion that old-school fans of the 1989 Batman movie may recognize. However, that’s not all to this game, as there’s a full-blown open world available between missions. This also feels like a throwback to the old Arkham City/Arkham Knight days with random crimes breaking out every few minutes, prompting players to glide across the skies to help those in need. There’s also an option to summon the Batmobile for those who want to explore Gotham a little bit faster. And there is a lot to explore across Gotham, right down to some random Riddler shenanigans.

This is only a small taste of what WB Games and TT Games have lined up for LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. Other eras of the character’s history await, as do other supporting (and playable) characters from the Bat’s past and present. Look for LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight to come to PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026.

This preview is based on an early demo played on-site at the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, CA. The final product is subject to change.