Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is being hailed as the best Lego video game yet: a new peak for a strategic move into digital media that's kept the toy brick company relevant for new generations. Developed on Unreal Engine 5 by Traveller's Tales, it's the fourth installment in the Lego Batman video game series. And although it has an original story, there are plenty of parts of the game that feel very familiar.

It draws heavily on Batman comics, movies and games of the past. That’s led fans to compare scenes from the game side by side against their inspirations. For instance, a Joker hospital scene in Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is almost frame-by-frame a tribute to Heath Ledger's iconic performance as Joker in 2008's The Dark Knight, with Lego’s signature playful touch.

The game also recreates scenes from other movies featuring the caped crusader, such as the Penguin car chase scene from 2022's The Batman. Some segments draw heavily on the Batman: Arkham series of video games. The post above compares a segment of the new Lego video game against the memorable hospital scene from 2008’s The Dark Knight.

Elsewhere in the game, there are Easter eggs referencing everything from Michelle Pfeiffer's whip-cracking Catwoman in Batman Returns to the Shark Repellent Batspray from the 1966 movie. These nods to the cape crusader’s various incarnations make Traveller's Tales Lego games so much fun, rewarding close exploration and celebrating the franchises they adapt with a heavy dose of humour.

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is out now for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X/S. A Nintendo Switch version is expected later in the year.