Image credit: Warner Bros. Games
The new LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight trailer has many fans of the classic LEGO games, whom I count myself among, very interested. While it initially seemed this game would be the most subversive of the series, being the first to focus on a small roster, what we have seen has well and truly squashed any previous reservations.
It’s clear that the Arkham franchise was a large inspiration for many of the mechanics. This is how Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight can benefit from what came before.
Combat
While we don’t see any blue indicators above enemies’ heads in any of the Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight trailers, the combat from the Arkham games is clearly present here. Batman is seen moving quickly between enemies, using a variety of moves and takedowns to make short work of Gotham’s thugs. The combat that famously “really makes you feel like Batman” is very much present.
Fans of the Arkham series will recognise all of them, as they have previously been mechanics in those games. From shields to electric batons, Arkham “old-heads” will likely find the combat very familiar.
Gadgets
We don’t see many gadgets used in the trailers; however, the explosive gel from every Arkham game makes an appearance, even being bat-shaped, as in all of the games. Batarangs are also seen used; however, that was a given. While I’m positive more gadgets will be included in the game, they may be limited by the next similarity.
Playable characters
A staple of every Arkham game after Asylum (unless you count playing as the Joker if you had that DLC) is a large number of Batman’s side-characters being playable. While in the Arkham games, they were mostly limited to small sections in certain missions or the challenge modes, in Legacy of the Dark Knight, a second character appears to accompany you in most missions.
While this may be simply to align with the usual LEGO game formula of allowing local co-op, each character will likely play slightly differently. In the Arkham games, they had different combos and gadgets, and it’s not hard to imagine that they get utilized here. Mixing characters with certain traits into puzzle-solving is a LEGO game staple, so mixing that with the Arkham series’ individually unique rosters seems like a recipe for success.
Free Roaming
The large-scale city of Gotham appears to be translated incredibly well into this LEGO world, and to help with that, a litany of traversal options appears available. The standard Arkham “grapple and glide” is very much here, with Batman even appearing to boost off of buildings into a glide similar to every Arkham game after City.
However, like Arkham Knight, you are shown summoning vehicles to your location whenever you wish. While it is unclear if each character will get their own vehicle, they probably will, maybe even several.
Stealth
The predator sections in the Arkham games took up a significant amount of the run-time, and they were executed very well. Some mechanics, such as an enemy’s heart rate, still hold up today as very unique. Detective Vision was a major reason those sections were fun.
While a version of Detective Vision may be used in the game for crime-solving sections similar to the Arkham games, it appears that stealth is actually more similar to the new Spider-Man game’s stealth formula. From what we see, pulses can be sent out to detect enemies rather than maintaining constant vision.
While this may be disappointing to fans of the predator sections, I think this will make stealth in Legacy of the Dark Knight more interesting, as being able to constantly see where all the enemies are makes a lot of those sections fairly easy.
Overall, I’m a big fan of the original Arkham series, and while there are some clear differences, Legacy of the Dark Knight builds on what made those games work. Hopefully, with more details about the game revealed, we will see more of this inspiration come through.
FAQs
While there is clear inspiration from the Arkham games in Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, it is not an official Arkham game. We could, however, see some Arkham content included, as in the trailer, we see Batman bring the Joker to Arkham Asylum, mirroring the starting sequence of the first Arkham game.
There are currently seven playable characters: Batman, Robin, Commissioner Gordon, Batgirl, Nightwing, Talia al Ghul, and Catwoman. Fans of the Lego games’ usual huge rosters may be disappointed by this; however, hopefully, greater care has been taken to make each character feel distinct.
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight’s release date is May 29, 2026.
While no confirmation of the next Arkham game has been given yet, there is hope. Reportedly, Waner Bros Games is promising the return of its biggest franchises, having many fans hopeful that a new Arkham game is in the works.
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