The Arkham Sequel You Wanted Is a LEGO Game

Rocksteady's name hasn't been attached to anything worth celebrating since Batman: Arkham Knight in 2015. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was a live-service misfire that effectively killed the studio's reputation. So it's surprising that the closest thing to a proper Arkham successor just launched, and it's built out of plastic bricks.

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with a Switch 2 version coming later this year. Rocksteady is listed as a co-developer, and it shows. According to GameSpot's review coverage, the game's timing-based combat is described as "Arkham Lite," with the same rhythmic flow that made those games click, just at a slightly slower default pace. Higher difficulty settings tighten things up for players who want more of that classic Arkham intensity. The game also pulls plot points and direct references from Rocksteady's trilogy, framing itself as a "greatest hits" tour of Batman's career across films and games.

I wasn't expecting this to be the game that scratches the Arkham itch, but here we are. Gotham Knights tried to fill that gap in 2022 and whiffed badly. Meanwhile, a LEGO game quietly brought back the studio that built the template in the first place. It's got 22 main missions, an open-world Gotham packed with collectibles, 101 Batman costumes, and enough Easter eggs to keep comic fans busy for weeks. One boss fight has the Penguin quoting It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, a gag that works on multiple levels since this version of the character is modelled after Danny DeVito's Batman Returns portrayal.

There's also a physical LEGO set tie-in that unlocks in-game vehicles, including Batmobiles from the Affleck, Pattinson, and Clooney eras. The standard versions of those cars can be earned with in-game currency; only the gold variants are locked behind buying the real sets. As cross-promotion goes, that's about as fair as it gets. The base game is priced at $69.99.