Recently I had the opportunity to join in on a video presentation and a hands-on experience of the upcoming LEGO game set in the Star Wars franchise. As a big fan of the LEGO games, I was thrilled to see a new entry in the lineup. I was in love with the Dimensions games and well, Star Wars is a great franchise to dive back into the LEGO universe. Though there are no physical toys to go with this game, the amount of content in The Skywalker Saga certainly makes up for that since there’s a lot to discover in this one.
When I say the game has a lot of content to offer, I’m not even joking. Including over three hundred characters, all nine movie entries, hundreds of vehicles, … What more do I need to say to get you hyped about the game? Well, I should mention one more thing, it brings us the troopers in a hot tub, no just kidding, though they are in there. The game also brings us that typical LEGO game feeling, although I do feel this is less like a Ninjago game and more like it is oriented at both fanboys and a more mature audience, really finding that balance. Needless to say, I had a blast with it!
During my hands-on experience, I was able to play parts of the original first movie, worth mentioning is the fact that you’re not forced to start there as you can select different starting points for your adventure, the first movie doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll have to start there. Whether you want to follow the original timeline or go through them chronologically, it is all possible thanks to the unique level selector in the main menus. I really loved the attention to detail since all major levels are literally created with LEGO blocks and pieces, so you really go bricks deep into the lore not only of Star Wars but also of LEGO. The menu alone showcases the perfect marriage of both iconic franchises and sets the tone for the fun times ahead.
Most LEGO games are known for their huge cast of playable characters but the Star Wars cast certainly is unprecedented, offering a mind-blowing amount of playable characters. Thought this got you excited? Wait until you discover the rather deep RPG-based skill tree, which is massive for each class. From Jedi to Droid to even random classes you would not expect, they all have a deep skill tree and the more you play, the better these classes become. Still not convinced? With the addition of free-roaming, tons of bricks to collect, exploration, talking to characters all around the place, this game seemingly has it all and even manages to stay true to the source material, of course, in a typical LEGO kind of way.
Despite just playing for an hour and watching a lengthy introduction, I can see why this game is a must-buy but also why it kept getting delayed. The parts that I played really did show how polished and well-made the game is and why it took so long to get ready, not forgetting several unfortunate delays. In the end, after all those years in development, it just works and feels like a dream come true for both LEGO and Star Wars fans. You get that amazing LEGO atmosphere that you’ll recognize in the typical environmental puzzles and thrilling combat. What I liked most in this game is the fact that each and every character has their own way of handling combat; ranging from a blaster in your hand to a lightsaber in the hands of your ally or enemy.
The attention to detail in combat was also very impressive as a well-timed shot can make you shoot the helmet of a Trooper and thus expose their head, which makes it a lot easier to inflict damage. So the option of going for a well-timed shot or choosing for an all-out melee attack on your enemies, the choice is all yours. That is exactly what this game is all about, leaving the choices in your hands and as it stands, this might be my new favorite game when it drops! If it’s not on your list already, be sure to add it as fast as possible, this won’t disappoint at all!
