In my eyes, Lego games are like comfort food. Had a long day? Pop in one of those bad boys (that are normally a very reasonable price), and fly around doing simple puzzles and battles as your favorite Marvel, DC, or Star Wars character. It’s a nice way to relax, partially because you always know what you’re getting from a Lego game. That said, I think most can agree that a bit of variety would be nice going forward. Travelers Tales seems to know this, as Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is shockingly different from any other Lego game. It maintains the fundamental aspects of a Lego game, but from a new perspective, with overhauls and new features all over the place.
TT Games confirmed that every level of every film has been entirely reimagined and remade from the ground up, meaning this is not a port of earlier Lego Star Wars games. It’s nine movies worth of brand new Lego content, which shows impressive resolve. I know some people online were concerned that this would be an updated port, but thankfully, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
“It’s impressive to see just how much has been changed in The Skywalker Saga, all without losing that Lego feeling.“
In The Skywalker Saga’s theater presentation, we were shown just how huge the game is. You can start with any of the nine core Star Wars films, depending on your tastes. You can explore space in your favorite ship, travelling to a number of different planets that serve as hubs, each filled with side-missions, easter eggs, and collectibles. Luke’s house on Tatooine, for example, has various droid pieces and his T-16 Skyhopper, which is briefly mentioned in A New Hope when Luke has to explain his experience as a pilot. Seemingly random events occur in the background, like a group of Tusken Raiders chasing a Bantha, only to be chased by that same Bantha five minutes later in the demo. Hubs no longer feel like neat boxes with set missions and objectives, rather, they feel like living Lego worlds.
Combat has been completely overhauled, as characters have more than one attack now. Enemies have health bars, shooting can be done from a third-person perspective, and moving objects with the Force is now a more free physics-based ability, like in The Force Unleashed. Using the Force, you can throw objects at enemies, spin objects around, or just wag them around. Plenty of characters have all new abilities as well, as we were shown that C-3PO can now separate himself into pieces to solve puzzles as just his legs or torso. It’s impressive to see just how much has been changed in The Skywalker Saga, all without losing that Lego feeling.
“While nothing could be confirmed, I was told that the team has heard the demand for the classic Lego mumbling, which I’d consider to be a good sign for those looking for a more classic Skywalker Saga experience in the future.“
The amount of visual detail is staggering as well. When walking on Tatooine, each character would slowly build up sand and dirt on their legs, with light weathering effects all around. We were shown an Imperial Star Destroyer that was entirely built (digitally) from Lego, which would be over 100 feet long if it was built in real life. It seems TT Games spared no expense with The Skywalker Saga’s presentation, as it looks like you’re playing with real Lego bricks and minifigs.
I had the chance to briefly ask about whether the game would be fully-voiced, or silent/pantomimed like older Lego titles. While nothing could be confirmed, I was told that the team has heard the demand for the classic Lego mumbling, which I’d consider to be a good sign for those looking for a more classic Skywalker Saga experience in the future.
If you feel burnt-out from Lego games, I’d recommend taking a look at Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. It looks like it’ll be a major departure from previous Lego games, but familiar enough to keep current Lego fans happy. I’m genuinely looking forward to The Skywalker Saga’s release next year, especially because I’ll finally be able to pit Kylo Ren against Jar-Jar Binks in the ultimate duel of fates.
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