@DarthHistory
LEGO STAR WARS: THE SKYWALKER SAGA (Traveller’s Tales Games/Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment – PS4/X1/Switch – 2020) – The last two Star Wars movies soured a lot of people on the franchise, and has led to a lot of heated debates. One entry into the universe that should get everyone back on the same “Star Wars is awesome” page is the upcoming Skywalker Saga game…
Even if you, like a certain GHG staffer (OK, so it’s Moody, who is completely eating his own $*** right now), aren’t big on LEGO games, this one will have you questioning your own doubts. The Skywalker Saga covers not three, not six, but all nine movies — including the one we have yet to see. As a result, the images and our ability to play the game is limited at this point, since it (hopefully) contains major spoilers for The Rise of the Skywalker.
Utilizing new technology, it is both familiar to those who have played other LEGO games and a whole new experience. The backgrounds and worlds look amazing (and very non-LEGO at times), but then you also get a fully LEGO Sarlaac pit. All ships were actually constructed out of millions of tiny LEGO bricks, inside and out, and the result is worth the months of time each build took. On desert planets like Tatooine, the bricks are dusty and weathered, like you would expect LEGO’s left in the sand to be.
Because the game covers the entirety of the Star Wars story and is open world, once you’ve got a ship you can fly to any planet in the universe — provided you’ve unlocked it, of course. The attention to detail is awesome; although I will be disappointed if there aren’t tiny burnt skeletons of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru when you play Episode 4. You can play the episodes in any order which means that if you want to pretend that Phantom Menace never happened, your wish can be granted.
Gameplay perspective has moved, another departure from the last generation of LEGO games, and the fighting and abilities have been beefed up. You can now melee attack, use the force more effectively in combat, and target enemies with ranged attacks. There are also plenty of side quests, like the one given by gonk droid Gonko in the demo we saw. Overall, The Skywalker Saga looks to be the beginning of the next stage of LEGO games and a surprisingly excellent addition to the Star Wars universe. 4.5/5 LEGOS.
-Sarah Obloy