Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga review: "An absolutely perfect mix that can be enjoyed by casual fans and diehards alike"
By Courtney Brown // 大象传媒 The Social contributor // 5 April 2022
Star Wars and Lego – it’s a combination we’ve enjoyed a few times in our lifetime in game form. The latest instalment, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, aims to be the biggest release in the series' history and it had us wondering quite frankly - would that even be possible with what seems like a remaster of previous Lego Star Wars titles?
The simple answer? Yes.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Review
Courtney Brown dives in to see if this long-awaited game stands up the hype.
All encompassed within a massive open world-style galaxy (it’s not an entirely open world in the sense of you travelling from galaxy to galaxy without loading screens, but it’s pretty close!), The Skywalker Saga boasts hours of content from the nine main films in the Stars Wars saga. Throw in side missions, mini-games and secrets and this is a game that'll keep you busy well after you've finished the main storylines. Environments feel grand and vast and whilst main storyline levels are on the shorter side, you are never once left feeling strapped for something to do.
It’s clear from the get-go that TT Games have completely overhauled the entire previous series, and a lot of love has gone into the game which is easy to see from the brilliant storytelling throughout. The classic, standard Lego game format of just “punch things” has been tweaked and a combo meter introduced for that up close and personal combat.
Unlike previous Lego titles, if you keep mashing the same button during combat, the game is going to give enemies opportunities to block – so be sure to mix up the button combos! Melee combat was a bit clunky at times but it's a gentle reminder that this is a game targeted towards gamers of all ages. Weapon combat is simple yet exciting and non-repetitive - the third-person shooting works great and lightsaber combat is incredibly fluid and enjoyable.
Over 300 playable characters make themselves known throughout your progression of the game, all of whom are assigned a class, and who you can almost always play at any time.
This feature is particularly helpful for using character classes and skills to their advantage. Need a Stormtrooper to hack into a security system? Bring one in! How about someone to translate droid beeps? Bring in the BB! Another new addition to the series comes in the shape of Kyber bricks, which are used regularly for updating character skills. You can collect these by completing certain side missions, or by blowing up Kyber comets in space – however you decide to collect them, you’ll be sure to want to grab these during your travels, which you will easily spend hours doing.
You won’t just spend time exploring dry land however, now you can hop into a spaceship of your choice and discover the secrets the galaxy above has to offer. Engage in enemy battles, racing and a wide range of side missions. There’s a real sense of freedom and creativity for the player to make their own choices. You can go off and do your own thing during the main story missions, or you can jump into Galaxy Free Play mode and play without any level mission goals tying you down.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is absolutely jam-packed with the classic Lego game humour we all know and love. TT Games have successfully kept the game kid-friendly whilst adding in a sprinkling of wit and humour that will be sure to make adults laugh out loud too - I know I did, and on more occasions than I would proudly admit to.
The stunning environments within the game honestly had me stopping and simply just admiring the world at times. Graphics and level design has stepped up massively, and whilst a lot of it is still made of Lego bricks, you’ll find textures and visuals so realistic they look like they could have been stripped straight from the likes of Horizon: Zero Dawn.
From sand appearing on the characters' feet to frost forming on the back of a droid, characters react to the environments they are in, and it’s pretty neat to see.
For a Lego game, the visuals are breathtaking – the white, clinical interior of The Tantive is somehow made bright and colourful, whilst the waves on the rocky island of Ahch-To are mesmerising to watch...I also screamed when I saw the Porgs, but I digress.
Overall, this is an absolutely perfect mix of Lego and Star Wars games that can be enjoyed by casual fans and diehards alike.
TT Games have remained wonderfully accurate to the Star Wars universe, with the ability to retell major plot points through comedic gags that will be appreciated by all ages. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a beautiful addition to the Star Wars universe of games. You will find yourself occupied and engaged with this game for months to come due the to sheer size and magnitude of things to see and do around the galaxy.
The game features a rich cast of characters, engaging storytelling and environments that will have you stopping in awe. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the product of a developer who knows their source material and who very obviously loves Star Wars. It’s a beautiful celebration of all things Star Wars and has once again proved that whilst the idea might not be entirely new – if executed well, it can proceed to be one of, if not the most enjoyable Lego video game to date.
I’m going to be awww’ing over Lego BB-8 for a couple of more months at least.