Legacy of Dark Knight Honors 1989 Batman, Arkham Asylum

“Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight” pays homage to nearly every incarnation of the Caped Crusader, and a new hands-on demo reveals inspiration pulled from Jack Nicholson’s Joker in the 1989 “Batman” movie and combat from Rocksteady’s popular “Arkham” video games.

Warner Bros. Games unveiled an hour-long demo of the game at New York Comic Con, where the open-world Gotham City and an early level set at Ace Chemicals, better known as the birthplace of the Joker, was shown off. The influence of the “Arkham” games was heavy, from the fluid combat of “Batman: Arkham Asylum,” to the open world of “Arkham City” and reckless Batmobile driving of “Arkham Knight.”

The open world portion of the demo lasted 15 minutes, where you could play as Batman or Commissioner Gordon (modeled after Jeffrey Wright in “The Batman”). Just like in “Arkham Knight,” Batman can launch to the sky with his grappling hook and soar for long distances with his cape. Once you get a hang of the controls, you can easily glide between rooftops and swoop down on Lego thugs committing crimes on the streets. On the ground, you can summon a Batmobile to zoom around the streets and harmlessly crash into Lego fire hydrants, street signs and citizens who will hilariously jump out of the way.

The world and combat feels very similar to “Arkham Knight,” one of the most popular Batman video games of all time that dropped the Caped Crusader into an open-world Gotham to fight many of his iconic foes. Lego Batman can effortlessly glide from foe to foe, linking punches and kicks from one bad guy to the next. Unlike the “Arkham” Batman, who breaks bones and leaves villains mangled, his Lego counterpart uses funny wrestling moves and gadgets to explode enemies in a flurry of bricks.

During the demo, Batman used his trusty batarangs and the bat-claw to dispatch bad guys and solve puzzles. The batarangs could hit long-range targets, while the bat-claw brought far-away enemies to Batman and could yank obstacles off walls. The tools could also be used in Riddler puzzles, another takeaway from the “Arkham” games. The one puzzle I encountered involved flipping a switch and hitting bullseyes on targets within a minute, hardly a challenge for gamers who struggled through the “Arkham” challenges. Commissioner Gordon, who could be controlled by a second player, had a foam pistol and goo gun that could clog up pipes.

Batman and Gordon teamed up to investigate the Red Hood and his gang, who’ve taken over Ace Chemicals during the 45-minute main mission. The duo must sneak around the industrial plant and analyze three packages full of teddy bears filled with a suspicious substance. Just like the “Arkham” games but much more forgiving, Batman can sneak around the area and eliminate crooks stealthily — but there’s not much penalty for getting caught. There’s also a short, simple minigame where you must identify and match chemicals in the teddy bears, similar to the detective mode sections in the “Arkham” games.

After that, the main part of the mission kicks in. Batman and Gordon sneak into Ace Chemicals and face off against Red Hood and his cronies. That includes a super-sized, hulking minifigure that serves as a more powerful enemy type, but if you dodge and time your attacks just right then you shouldn’t have a problem. If you’ve played a “Lego” game before (or any of the “Arkham” series), you’ll breeze through the rest of the level. Beat up bad guys, switch between characters to solve puzzles and smash and build Lego objects to get through the mission. If Batman or Gordon dies, they’ll get reassembled instantly, and soon enough you’ll fight Red Hood.

Batman fans should know how this face-off goes. After they fight above a vat of chemicals, Red Hood finds himself laughing hysterically and dangling for his life while clinging to Batman. The villain quotes Nicholson’s Joker from the 1989 “Batman” movie and asks, “Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?” Instead of pulling himself up, Red Hood shocks the hero with a hand buzzer and falls into the chemicals. As police swarm the plant, Batman disappears in a puff of smoke. However, there’s a teaser that shows Red Hood’s bleached white hand rising above the pool of acidic goo, ready to wreak his revenge on Batman.

After the level, I unlocked a Golden Age costume for Batman and a cowboy-themed look for Gordon. Like previous “Lego” games, “Legacy of the Dark Knight” boasts hundreds of alternate costumes and DC characters to unlock. It’s been more than 10 years since Batman starred in his own “Lego” title, and TT Games and Warner Bros. Games have combined the best elements of past Caped Crusader incarnations into one nostalgia-packed adventure. Fans of all ages will find something to love in “Legacy of the Dark Knight,” releasing next year.