I've played the new LEGO Batman - one key influence makes it utterly brilliant

It's not every day you get to step into a Batcave - but the one created for the preview event of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight was nothing short of jaw-dropping.

A life-sized Batmobile? Check. A six-foot Batman made entirely out of LEGO? Check. Costumes and props used in Batman movies, such as Heath Ledger's Joker costume and mask from The Dark Knight (arguably the best superhero movie of all time) and Tom Hardy's Bane mask from The Dark Knight Rises? Also check.

Such a spectacular setting deserves a game that matches that level of awesomeness.

And having been hands-on with a near final build of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight for around three hours, this game looks as though it will live up to that - primarily because of one key influence.

Combat in LEGO: Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is very reminiscent of Arkham games / TT Games, Warner Bros Games

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight celebrates all things Batman and draws on inspiration from the superhero through movies, TV, comics and games.

But the one thing that stands out with LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight almost immediately is its Arkham-inspired gameplay. As some of the Arkham titles are among my favourite games of all time, this had me hooked from the off.

With it being a LEGO game, that gameplay is much more simplified and streamlined to anything you'd find in the Arkham series but it's still incredibly fun and accessible.

Combat has you bouncing from one enemy to the other as you take them out with melee combat and different gadgets. There are different playable characters to unlock as you progress and these characters have unique gadgets to take down enemies too, making each one feel unique and as though they bring something different to gameplay.

With the last non-VR Arkham game releasing in 2015, I had almost forgotten just how much I love playing as Batman in this way. It's so fun pulling off combos while dodging incoming attacks, pulling off finishers and planning which enemies to attack in a certain order.

And it's not just combat that takes inspiration from Arkham but traversal too.

Batman is not the only character you'll play as in LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight / TT Games, Warner Bros Games

Even if you're not playing as Batman and are playing as one of the other characters, you can still grapple, glide and drive around a brilliantly realised Gotham City effortlessly.

It's so fun getting from point A to point B with crimes and collectibles revealing themselves to you along the way, helping to make Gotham feel truly alive.

With there being so many collectibles and things to do, like solving Riddler puzzles, stopping crime, piecing together wanted posters, finding a variety of collectibles dotted around and more, you're almost certain to go off the beaten path when you're able to free roam.

And importantly, you'll actively want to do this. The distractions are not unwelcome in the slightest and even in this preview, they had me spending ages just being immersed and enjoying this version of Gotham that was presented to me.

There are loads of things to find in Gotham City / TT Games, Warner Bros Games

During the preview, I got to play six different sections which varied in length and had me playing as different characters. The first took me to the Iceberg Lounge along with Commissioner Gordon, also a playable character, early in the game.

Infiltrating the Lounge and battling through waves of enemies was incredibly fun and that enjoyment never wavered. In each level, there are also collectibles to be on the lookout for.

The second had me playing as Catwoman, pulling off a heist. This turned out to be one of the collectibles to be on the lookout for in the open world as you solve a puzzle to open up a room's secrets and find its hidden treasure.

Then a run of consecutive missions started with Hayley's Circus. It introduces Dick Grayson, who becomes Robin, and gets you to grips with his gameplay attributes before Two-Face crashes the party and forces you to overcome a series of obstacles and enemies.

This one stretch of gameplay did feel a little repetitive as the game asked me to basically do the same thing twice - just it was a bit more complex the second time / TT Games, Warner Bros Games

Partway through this, you're pretty much sent back to where you started with the same challenges presented to you with a slightly higher difficulty. This was the only point during the preview where I felt as though there was repetition and it kind of had me going through the motions just to get to the next section.

The next part took me to the Batcave which acts as the game's main hub area but is pretty much a level in itself.

Here, you can see all of Batman's historic suits, personalise certain spaces with decorations that can be bought or found to give the Batcave the exact feeling you want and also explore for further rewards. It's fun making this space feel like your own home, as it's Batman's home after all, and unlocking more rooms which unravel more secrets.

I then played a boss fight against Poison Ivy. This wasn't too challenging and had me needing to use a certain character's strengths to defeat her but was still fun and interesting to figure out.

Then I free-roamed Gotham City for the rest of the preview and it was insanely fun exploring every little nook and cranny I could to find new and interesting things as mentioned previously.

I didn't get the chance to check this out during this preview but with it being a LEGO game, couch co-op is seamless and a second player can drop in as Batman or another unlocked playable character at any time.

There are many iconic bosses to fight in LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, including Poison Ivy / TT Games, Warner Bros Games

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is shaping up to be an incredibly fun and accessible way of playing as one of the best superheroes of all time.

Certain sections of this preview had me laughing out loud because of just how silly, comical and slapstick some of the humour is. The LEGO game DNA is in full swing and it's so much fun without ever feeling cringey.

Every character feels distinct and as though they bring something different to gameplay, whether that's Commissioner Gordon stopping leaks, Catwoman breaking into apartments using her claws or Robin using a hilarious gadget that yanks enemies into each other.

Some textures close-up could be sharper and that one section during a level I played which had me going through the motions felt like I was just repeating what was asked of me previously.

But so far, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight seems to be on course to deliver an awesome and quirky experience that stands up to what it feels like to enter a Batcave.

Elsewhere from Indy100:

• LEGO Batman actor reveals what you should expect in Legacy of the Dark Knight
• People behave better in public when Batman is around, new study finds

How to join the Indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the Indy100 rankings.