It’s important to manage expectations on Skywalker Saga from the beginning, however. To begin with, it’s not simply an up-rezzed, level-for-level remake of 2007’s LEGO Star Wars The Complete Saga. Obviously, that game only covered six films as opposed to the full complement of nine movies here. And though you’ll spot a little handful of similar gameplay sections and reused cutscene gags, this is extremely much a page one rewrite of the finest Star Wars piss-take this side of Spaceballs.
For seconds, you’re getting full VO this time around (relax, there’s a mumble way of you purists). With some exceptions, the soundalike actors they went with are excellent. They nail the small inflections your mind expects when hearing those classic movie lines for that umpteenth time.
Lastly, whenever we talk of mechanical upgrades, what’s been done isn’t the same C3PO obtaining a red arm after ten years-somebody has taken a serious hydrospanner to the combat and sophistication systems. They’ve even bolted on a universe scale sandbox-24 planets with three or so settlement areas apiece, orbit arenas encircling each world, and an absolute bantha load of collectables.
Honestly, what’s here helps make the 2000s games seem like LEGO DUPLO Star Wars.
If you’ve somehow never played one of TT Games’ titles, you should know that they’re best consumed in 2P split-screen co-op. (Online would have been nice, but it’s somehow gotten the saber chop.) Play this (Han) solo or with “another” as a Force-dyad, and also the experience is going to be relatively exactly the same: slapstick melee/pew-pew combat, mass destruction of property, some class-specific puzzling and simplified jumpy-jump platforming. However, with two people, you could have these emergent, low-stakes frenemy fights on the way.
Understanding that everybody Stans a specific trilogy, TT has wisely opted to help you to kick off in the three generational entry points of Phantom Menace, A New Hope or The Force Awakens. If you stick to the breadcrumbed objectives markers and ignore the many, many opportunities to set off track, you are able to clock a single movie in roughly an hour or so and a bit.
That runtime is roughly in line with the prequel and OG LEGO The exorcist titles which spun their respective trilogies out into four hour campaigns each. Actually, when you consider we got a 6-hour story from one film, LEGO Star Wars The Force Awakens, Skywalker Saga feels like it's paced just like a pod race.
On a far more positive note, you will find the numerous enhancements I alluded to earlier. There’s now a four-button combo system that thwarts button mashers while monetarily rewarding speed, consistency and timely counter presses. Gunplay includes a cover system, body part damage, gun crate “trade-up” weaponry, along with a third-person cam that requires some recoil control. Though it has to be said that the second frequently reduces you to definitely squinting with an X-rayed version of your avatar to get a good shot off.
As you’d expect, your fisticuff capabilities are determined by the initial class-type of the current minifig-Jedi, Hero, Scavenger, Scoundrel, Fugitive hunter, Villain, Negative side, Astromech, Protocol or ‘Extra’. Including DLCs there are 380 characters, each of them offering a means to circumvent specific environmental obstacles, decipher new quests or simply fold inside a cool combat skill. Just to illustrate: using Jedi to fully possess enemies.
Oh, and it’s also worth mentioning that there’s a sprinkle of stealth in here, too. You are able to slowly acquire stormtrooper armour to go incognito or stay out of enemy vision cones in these My First Metal Gear sections. Like most of the game, there’s not a large amount of depth or challenge to any from it, but TT earns solid points for mixing it up.
If your pants piece ever gets tired of legging it everywhere, you could whip out your holoprojector and take to the heavens. Although this game is no danger of being mistaken for Rogue Squadron IV or a mini No Man’s Sky, the dogfighting and degree of freedom impressed me quicker compared to mishap been on the droid assembly line level.
Even though I needed to finish this on a deadline tighter than the usual mynock's embrace, I got led astray by the side-opportunities in Skywalker Saga. Let’s do this through the numbers: if you wish to generate the mysterious 100% completion reward, you have to tick off 225 minikits, 135 level challenges, 140 side missions, 731 puzzles, 38 trials and 10 challenges. One of the latter is my personal favourite, a Wandering Wookie who repeatedly Where’s Wallys his furry butt for this colossal universe.
Double-possibly triple-digit-hours of quality gameplay aside, Skywalker Saga isn’t without some misses. Within the movie retellings, some barely significant parts in the series receive altogether an excessive amount of screen time. Quick example: you need to physically hop within an X-wing after exploding Jabba to fly into orbit, go through an easy speed load, land on Dagobah, and do an uneventful slog through the swamp to Yoda’s place to watch him die. Level complete.
Conversely, some cracking setpiece moments within the films can get lip-service inside a cutscene, even though they’re fertile ground (read: a pleasant flat green piece) for gameplay. Quick example: the TIE escape with Poe and Finn gets a five second nod. That was a 10-minute affair in LEGO The Force Awakens.
It also offers to be asserted the brand new upgrades system is thicker than the usual Hutt but roughly about as useless in places. The 4 odd perks for every class are heavily weighted towards making the incredibly simple combat even easier. I honestly forgot all about it 'till the end credits of Rise of Skywalker. You’ll probably invest in the perks that reward you with extra studs for doing [class-specific menial task here], then disregard the rest.
Oh, and if you're playing co-op, may It is best to quickly secure the significantly higher ground that's the first controller. Often would be the time whenever a climactic 1v1 boss battle reduces player two to that particular of the awkward extra. Typically which will be a droid who's about as useful as a poodoo-flavoured lollipop.
Be that as it may, the positives more than outweigh the negatives with this particular game. Genuinely humorous games are in painfully short supply within our medium, and Skywalker Saga is one of the rare few which will make you chortle like Salacious Crumb on red cordial. With regards to mission titling and Happy easter ! in the sandbox, this game has clearly been made by a couple of super nerds whose meme game is completely on point.
Likewise, the slapstick antics within the mid-mission movies are brilliant. Quick example: Han telling his co-pilot to punch it, whereupon Chewie misinterprets and hauls off into C3PO’s face. We’ve all desired to do it at some point. Let’s be honest.
The happy times elevate much more when you element in the stupid fun of co-op, particularly if you do literally Force raise your friend over a chasm and allow them to drop. Better still, there are a host of ludicrous bonus modes to chase, like “pew pew” sound clips, baguette sabers along with a universe-wide rave dance. Fundamental essentials rewards which make nowhere milk well worth the massive bantha squeeze.
