Dark Knight, the World’s Greatest Detective, the Defender of Gotham, and in perhaps the simplest of terms, The Bat. Few video games in history have ever accurately captured the hero’s essence – Rocksteady’s Arkham series comes to mind, even as that took inspiration from A Serious House on a Serious Earth. But few properties have ever attempted to distil everything about Batman into a single video game. It’s the beating heart of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, TT Games’ latest and perhaps largest entry in the series, and one that aims to go beyond the typical LEGO veneer to deliver a fitting tribute to good ol’ Bats.
With its release on May 22nd for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC (“TBA” for the Switch 2 version), let’s dive into 15 more things that you need to know about the Batman, starting with…
Detective Mode
For all his combat prowess, relentless drive, sterling preparation and brooding attitude, it’s easy to forget that Batman is also a detective. In Legacy of the Dark Knight, you’ll bring those skills to bear, investigating clues and solving puzzles in the environment while analyzing crimes, as noted by PlayStation.com. Whether it will go as in-depth as the Arkham series remains to be seen, but it’s nice that TT Games hasn’t ignored that core aspect of the Bat’s skillset.
LEGO Building and Character Assistance in Puzzles
“It’s not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you,” quote Nolan-verse Batman, nevermore. And it rings especially true here because everything circles back to LEGO, from the make-up of environments to the characters’ appearances. Previous LEGO titles creatively leveraged this, as you often need to break objects and reconstitute them into devices to progress. Per various previews, Batman will be doing plenty of the same in Legacy of the Dark Knight. It’s also worth noting that characters will assist him in solving puzzles. For example, Game Informer noted a mission where Commissioner Gordon used a glue gun to stabilize some poles, helping Batman progress.
Iconic Locations
You already know you’ll be exploring Gotham City and some bits of Arkham Asylum. However, aside from ACE Chemicals, which plays a pivotal role in the story, there are plenty of other iconic locations. These include Wayne Tower, the Botanical Gardens (where Ivy likely appears), Gotham Museum (where an iconic scene potentially awaits), Haly’s Circus, and the Iceberg Lounge (where Batman and Gordon bust out some sick dance moves to blend in). Also, keep in mind that there are four islands to explore, and each is absolutely massive compared to where LEGO Batman begins.
Riddler Trophies and Cluemaster Puzzles
Of course, size matters little when there isn’t any meaningful content, and in that sense, Legacy of the Dark Knight has you covered on almost every front. Case in point, Riddler Trophies, where you solve different tasks to obtain the shiny. There’s even a new variant called Cluemaster Puzzles, one involving finding items based on clues provided in images, per IGN. Considering how much time it could take to solve all the Riddler’s challenges in the Arkham series, it could prove an extensive time sink here as well.
Missing Zoo Animals, SubWayne Restoration, and More
Of course, besides previously mentioned secrets, side stories (including extensive mission chains with Catwoman and other allies) and stopping random crimes, you can engage in other activities, some bordering on the bizarre. Who else would you call to recover animals that have escaped from the zoo? Probably Superman, but Batman will do, regardless. You’ll also fix the SubWayne System, which is the source of new fast-travel points and totally not a vain reference to a certain billionaire.
Catch the Train
Another note on the train system – it’s actually running through Gotham City as you play, according to the PlayStation Blog. You can hitch a ride on top and use it as transport if you’re too lazy to summon the Batmobile (or just want a break from gliding around and stalking the rooftops). Otherwise, sit back and take in the sights and sounds of the city before answering the next call for help.
Rise of the Villains
We’ve seen the likes of the Joker and Harley Quinn – with their dedicated story mission and Mayhem Mode slated for release in September – but there are plenty of other villains to account for. Besides Bane, who appears to be in full Dark Knight Rises mode, there’s Poison Ivy, who has a giant two-headed plant dragon to battle with. Meanwhile, Mr Freeze has a giant mech to fight in because, of course, he does. Even Two-Face appears, though how his encounter pans out remains to be seen. This likely only scratches the surface of the total number of boss fights in the game, and we can’t wait to see who else appears.
Henchmen Types
What would the villains be without their henchmen? Similar to the Arkham games, there are different types, from the standard fodder to weapon-fielding foes and shield-bearers. Even the Brutes come out to play, slamming the ground with area-of-effect attacks. It all feeds into the Arkham-lite combat and selection gadgets, and helps ensure plenty of variety while pummeling bad guys to the ground.
Time Trial Races
What would an open-world Batman game be without some racing, especially with so many different Batmobiles? Following its initial reveal, hands-on pre-alpha gameplay emerged, showcasing Time Trials. Simply hit the gates and depending on your final time, you can receive different rewards, like 5,000 Studs at Gold, 3,000 Studs at Silver and 1,000 Studs at Bronze.
Three Difficulty Options
Previously, we mentioned a higher difficulty, Dark Knight, which increased the number of enemies, toughened up bosses, and even limited the number of lives. But if that sounds too demanding, then rest assured – recent previews have confirmed two other difficulty settings. One option will likely be Story difficulty, while the other will be Normal for those who want the right amount of challenge.
PC Requirements
When first revealed, aside from the 32 GB recommended RAM, Legacy of the Dark Knight’s system requirements seemed fairly reasonable. TT Games has since provided the final requirements, including their quality presets, resolutions and frame rates. For instance, at Low settings, a Core i5-10600K or Ryzen 5 1600, 16 GB of RAM and a GTX 960 (4 GB), an RX 6400 (4 GB) or an Arc A580 (8 GB) are required for 1080p/30 FPS. To play at Medium settings and 1440p/60 FPS, a Core i7-12700 or Ryzen 7 5800X and an RTX 2070 SUPER (8 GB), an RX 6650 XT (8 GB) or an Arc B580 (12 GB) are required with the same RAM.
It’s the 4K requirements that are a little dicey. If you want to play at 2160p and 60 FPS with presumably the highest preset, you’ll need a Core i7-14700K or Ryzen 7 9700X, 24 GB RAM and an RTX 4070 (12 GB) or Radeon RX 9070 XT (16 GB). Yes, 24 GB of RAM, but hey, at least it isn’t 32. Regardless of your configuration, though, a solid-state drive with 50 GB of installation space is mandatory.
Upscalers and Frame Gen
It’s also interesting to note that Nvidia DLSS, AMD FSR and Intel XeSS are supported at launch alongside Frame Generation. However, the bad news is that all the previously mentioned requirements and frame rates are with upscalers and Frame Gen enabled. How will it perform without them? Probably best not to think about it, which brings us to…
Denuvo DRM
Should you be surprised at this point, especially if it’s a WB Games title? Probably not, but Denuvo is included with the PC version, and there are already concerns that performance could be further impacted. Benefit of the doubt and whatnot, but at this point, maybe wait and see how PC performance pans out before taking the plunge.
No Online Co-op
While couch co-op is available and welcome as always, especially given how much more developed the cast is compared to the average LEGO game, there is a caveat – no online multiplayer. It’s a shame, but if you’ve followed TT Games’ work on the LEGO franchise, this isn’t anything new.
Deluxe Edition Content
Mayhem Mode is a ways off, but there’s plenty of content available at launch for Deluxe Edition owners, starting with three days of early access. You also unlock immediate access to 28 outfits, ranging from Arkham Trilogy and Batman Beyond homages to some more party-focused attire, for the entire cast. There are also 20 items to decorate the Batcave with, including the beloved Bat Armor from Beyond. Four different Batmobiles also await, including a Bat Monster Truck. If that wasn’t enough, the Sinister Pack launches alongside Mayhem Mode and includes seven more outfits, another Batmobile, and five additional Batcave decorations.
