LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight: New Questions Answered

0:00 When Ben Cork met Jonathan Smith from TT Games

0:02 at Gamescom last year to talk all things LEGO Batman:

0:05 Legacy of the Dark Knight, we were very excited.

0:08 And yet, it still left us with more questions

0:11 than the Cape Crusader on a Riddler trophy hunt.

0:13 More on that in a sec.

0:14 So, you know, grab your utility belt and buckle

0:16 up cuz we're about to answer your biggest questions,

0:18 and there's a lot to get through.

0:20 Just how big is Gotham City?

0:22 Well, if you're going to be defending a whole city,

0:24 you'll probably want to know how big is it.

0:26 Well, this version of Gotham is made up of a few islands with South

0:30 and Central having different districts to explore

0:33 like the Cauldron or the East End.

0:35 And these locations are packed to the gills with stuff to do,

0:38 but I'll get to that in just a sec.

0:40 As you might expect with a sprawling metropolis like Gotham,

0:42 there is lots of verticality to what you can explore and where you can go.

0:47 With plenty of street-level action that you

0:49 can crash through with your Batmobile as well.

0:51 Again, more on that shortly.

0:53 Look to the skyline, however,

0:54 and you're going to find all sorts of weird [music]

0:56 and wonderful goings-on atop skyscrapers and balconies to keep you occupied.

1:01 Thanks to the grapple and the launch system,

1:03 you can get around really [music] easily,

1:05 too, which makes scaling those high-rises in no time a doddle.

1:09 And while gliding and Batmobiling are, of course,

1:12 the most fun ways to get around,

1:14 you can also unlock fast travel points in the form of Sub-Wayne stations.

1:20 Yeah, see what they did there?

1:21 Yes, the pun game is strong here.

1:23 And my personal favorite being a club called Anyway,

1:28 to unlock Sub-Wayne stations, you're going to have to do a smart puzzle.

1:32 And those aren't the only ones you'll be solving.

1:34 What is there to actually do in Gotham's open world?

1:38 Well, at the risk of sounding like a tourist board here,

1:41 there's loads to do in Gotham.

1:43 After all, what use is a big map if it's empty?

1:46 I mean, just look at the map legend here.

1:48 Riddler puzzles are back, yes,

1:50 but there are also Cluemaster puzzle boxes for you

1:53 to unlock and contend with, as well as WayneTech caches.

1:57 There are side cases like the case of Waylon Jones and the Falcone fortunes

2:01 to solve and even escaped zoo animals

2:04 to wrangle if that's more your [music] style.

2:06 For the challenging client,

2:07 you'll find plenty in the way of combat, traversal, and driving trials.

2:12 You can test your brawling skills against waves of thugs,

2:15 take on parkour challenges that make the most of new movement mechanics,

2:19 and put your pedal to the metal

2:21 in high-speed races through Gotham's neon-soaked streets.

2:25 Completing these trials nets you studs and in this game,

2:27 as with all LEGO games, studs mean prizes.

2:31 Use them to unlock suits and even expansions for your home base.

2:34 And pro tip, we noticed that collecting studs consecutively builds a multiplier

2:39 and the faster and more efficiently you hoard that plastic currency,

2:42 the richer you'll be.

2:44 And that's not counting the massive story missions you'll be playing,

2:47 nor the random crimes that will crop up

2:48 while you're traversing Gotham by road or air.

2:51 What is the story?

2:53 Well, with a tale that tracks Bruce Wayne's journey from childhood

2:55 to becoming the crime-fighting badass we all know and love,

3:00 missions are drawing inspiration from across the Dark Knight multiverse,

3:03 spanning the movies, the comics, the animated series, and even classic games.

3:08 It's basically every single Batman story all at once.

3:12 What characters can you play as?

3:14 Besides Master Wayne himself, TT Games have kind of tightened the focus

3:17 this time around to include just seven playable characters.

3:21 Each of whom possess their own unique skills, gadgets, and abilities.

3:24 Jim Gordon, Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, Catwoman,

3:28 and Talia al Ghul will all be joining the Caped Crusader

3:31 with each character's play style feeling fundamentally different from the other.

3:36 And because each hero has their own distinct personalities and skill sets,

3:39 the open world is peppered with case files

3:42 that are tailored specifically for each of them,

3:44 giving the supporting cast a real chance to shine outside of Batman's shadow.

3:49 What's the combat like?

3:50 Well, if you played the Arkham games and you

3:52 were hoping for a slice more whimsy and silliness, then you're in luck.

3:57 And [music] yet, there is a surprising amount of depth to be

3:59 found in combat here with a combat system that feels punchy,

4:02 rhythmic, [music] and surprisingly tactical, as well.

4:10 Beat up the bad guys with X, counter with Y,

4:12 and get that all-important focus meter full enough.

4:15 Do so, and you'll be able to quickly find

4:17 yourself able to deliver a one-hit KO with right bumper.

4:21 I mean, the only thing that could make

4:22 it more satisfying is an Adam West-style kapow.

4:25 You'll also need to find workarounds for different enemy types.

4:28 For example, when facing off against goons armed with shields,

4:31 you can just use B to roll over.

4:32 I mean, it's surprising just how much Batman

4:34 can get away with by simply rolling around.

4:37 The animations that appear when brawling are amazing, too.

4:40 And these include some gloriously silly finishers involving random objects.

4:45 This one being a particular favorite.

4:48 Can you use anti-shark spray?

4:50 Well, we didn't find that, but you can, of course,

4:52 use your handy batarangs in all sorts of situations,

4:56 from destroying security cameras to chucking them with right trigger in combat.

4:59 But, they're also pretty versatile.

5:01 They can create shock mines, fake alarms,

5:03 and even summon a swarm of bats to your aid.

5:07 Beyond that, Batman also has his good old-fashioned grappling hook.

5:10 Well, other heroes bring their own abilities to the fray.

5:13 Robin has a launcher that can connect folks together.

5:17 Catwoman has her whip and can summon cats, as you would expect.

5:20 Jim Gordon, meanwhile, has a foam sprayer that can jam up enemy

5:24 weapons and a gun that can rebound between multiple enemies.

5:28 You can, of course, upgrade all

5:30 of these in the Batcave to unlock their various capabilities,

5:33 and that is just one of the many, many things you'll be doing there.

5:38 So, what is in the Batcave?

5:40 What isn't in the Batcave is probably a better question to ask,

5:43 because this thing is vast.

5:47 Starting out as little more than Alfred's old storage unit,

5:50 the space can be expanded to build out new areas,

5:53 and you can use your hard-earned studs to furnish the place

5:55 with everything from high-tech terminals to Bat-Mite's own pop-up shop.

6:00 Virtually everything is customizable, too.

6:02 Fancy changing the giant Batman logo on the wall?

6:05 Well, you can.

6:06 Want to display trophies that you've earned from missions?

6:09 Sure, why not?

6:10 But my personal highlight has to be the Bat-Phone,

6:12 cuz in my playthrough it was just basically used by Bane to abuse me.

6:15 Your requiem is coming.

6:18 But who knows who else can ring us throughout the game?

6:20 He really is the most devious wrongdoer in Gotham City.

6:25 Can you use the Batmobile?

6:27 Well, it wouldn't be a Batman game without it, would it?

6:30 Not only that, but you'll also have

6:32 access to the Batcycle and [music] the Batwing.

6:35 In fact, every playable character has a signature

6:37 vehicle that they're able to summon when driving,

6:40 and although I didn't get to see all of them,

6:42 there were some cars and motorbikes for Gordon and Robin, as well.

6:46 I'm also pleased to say that there were plenty

6:48 of spaces in the garage to collect more iconic rides,

6:51 which can, of course, in true LEGO fashion, be customized.

6:56 What costumes were there?

6:57 Well, given that this is intended to be

6:58 a real love letter to 80 years of Batman,

7:02 each playable character has loads of costumes available to choose from.

7:06 By my count, Batman had about 30 outfits to choose from alone,

7:10 including one inspired by his very first video

7:13 game outing all the way back in 1986,

7:17 and then all the way through to Robert Pattinson's emo Batman in 2022.

7:21 There's even a rainbow Batman outfit for when you

7:23 need to fight crime with a spectrum of justice.

7:26 We also spotted an absolute Catwoman outfit in the shop,

7:29 as well, which was locked for now.

7:32 Most of these are just fun nods to comics,

7:34 games, movies, or TV shows from the past eight decades,

7:38 and it promises a really fun trip down memory lane for fans.

7:41 It is worth saying that these can be unlocked

7:44 through purchases at Bat-Mite's store back of the Batcave,

7:47 progressing the story, or by completing certain challenges.

7:50 Which villains are in it?

7:52 Well, the rogues gallery is out in full force for this one,

7:55 uh meaning that you'll be hunting down everyone

7:58 from the well-known heavy hitters to some real deep cuts.

8:01 Confirmed villains so far include the Penguin, Two-Face, Mr.

8:05 Freeze, Ra's al Ghul, Poison Ivy, the Riddler, and of course, the Joker.

8:09 Where would the Batman be without him?

8:11 You can expect plenty more to crop up on your adventures,

8:14 and the legacy aspect means that we are going

8:16 to see versions of these characters that pull from the movies,

8:19 the original 1966 show, and the comics all at once.

8:25 Are there boss battles?

8:27 Oh, yeah.

8:27 With a roster of villains from every corner of Batman's storied history,

8:31 it would be a shame not to pit them against him in a proper test of wits.

8:35 By the looks of things, these are not simple boss battles, either.

8:38 During our time with the game,

8:40 we were able to take on Poison Ivy in a battle that saw

8:42 us doing everything from dodging flying

8:45 plant-based bombs to jumping over earth tremors,

8:48 and even bouncing between giant leaves to avoid a poison-spewing

8:52 dragon that coated the ground [music] in bubbling venom.

8:56 What collectibles are there?

8:57 It really wouldn't be a LEGO game without a pile

9:00 of plastic to collect in different shapes and sizes,

9:03 and LEGO The Dark Knight has plenty for you to spend

9:06 hours searching for, and countless goodies to reward you for your time.

9:10 As with previous adventures, you'll be wanting to keep an eye out for mini kits,

9:13 as finding them unlocks a stack of studs and various other rewards, too.

9:18 There's also plenty of Wayne Tech to be found,

9:20 which lets you upgrade abilities for each character.

9:23 Red bricks make a return from previous entries, as well,

9:27 and we found one of these when we were exploring Falcone's club,

9:29 and if they're anything like their previous counterparts,

9:32 they could be used to unlock additional game options in exchange for studs.

9:36 Each mission also has its own set of five specific smashable objectives

9:41 including disco balls in the iceberg lounge and mutated plants in Ivy's lair.

9:46 Is there a photo mode?

9:48 There is indeed.

9:51 Not much else to say about that really.

9:53 Is there any dancing in it?

9:54 Yeah, I mean look at us go.

9:56 Well, it would be doing Adam West's Batman

9:58 a great disservice if it didn't after all.

10:01 What's Batman without a little boogie?

10:03 But before we go, which of these 30 suits

10:05 are you going to be looking to rock first?

10:07 And stay tuned to hear more about LEGO Batman:

10:09 Legacy of the Dark Knight and all the other great things happening on Xbox.

10:12 In the meantime, we'll see you on the streets of Gotham real soon.

10:16 Bye.