Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight makes Gotham as fun to explore as Spider-Man games – Gamescom preview
I got to play Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight at Gamescom 2025 and had a blast. Gotham is bigger than ever (although my free roam was limited to a small island for the demo), and gliding around it is fluid and addictive. Beneath the silly jokes is Lego’s most ambitious take on the Dark Knight so far.
Exploring Gotham in Lego Batman felt instantly addictive. Movement around the city has the same fluidity that made the Spider-Man games so fun.
The gliding, grappling, and rooftop traversal made me want to ignore the story entirely and just free roam. Collectibles are scattered everywhere and random crime events give you reasons to keep moving, so Gotham should never feel empty.
The dark night
The entire game will be set at night, which, of course, makes sense from a lore perspective, but I do worry could become visually fatiguing during longer sessions. Still, the atmosphere is strong, with a neon-lit Gotham that is fun to explore.
There’s also a choice of Batmobiles to drive, which can be summoned instantly – I am a particular fan of the faithful recreation of the ‘Tumbler’ from the Nolan trilogy.
The humor landed well too, with plenty of tongue-in-cheek jokes throughout.
The mission I played was tightly designed and suggests the main story will deliver plenty of big set pieces. We were joined by Jim Gordon, who you can instantly switch to – and must do so, in order to complete some of the puzzles and progress through the level.
Related
Lego Batman will feature seven playable characters in the main story including Batman, Batgirl, Catwoman, Nightwing, Robin, Jim Gordon, and Talia al Ghul. Each has their own gadgets and skills, making them feel more distinct than the larger casts in past Lego titles. And we can expect to see a full spectrum of villains, including the Joker and Bane.
The world itself spans multiple districts of Gotham, bigger and more detailed than any previous Lego Batman game. With local co-op supported and a cast of voice actors bringing the world to life, this feels like a confident return for the series that blends humor with a true Gotham playground.