My passion for Lego titles was rekindled with the upcoming release of Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. As a fan of the original Lego Star Wars, Batman, and Indiana Jones series, I had drifted away from TT Games and WB Games’ offerings due to repetitive gameplay and lack of innovation.
The Skywalker Saga promises to breathe new life into the series with its bold new direction, offering more expansive hub worlds, mission variety, and deeper gameplay mechanics. Despite initial concerns over delays and development issues, my hands-on experience with an early build of the game left me thoroughly impressed, reminiscent of the joy I felt playing the original Lego Star Wars game 17 years ago.
The game starts with a retelling of A New Hope, one of the nine Star Wars films featured in The Skywalker Saga. The segment follows the events of the movie with full voice acting and a nostalgic “mumble mode” option. The game introduces new gameplay elements such as cover-based combat, melee combos, character classes, and abilities, enhancing the overall experience and making battles more engaging.
The missions offer multiple ways to complete objectives, rewarding players for creativity and strategic thinking. The revamped approach to storytelling, level design, and gameplay design sets The Skywalker Saga apart from its predecessors, offering a fresh take on familiar material.
The game boasts a wealth of content, encompassing all nine mainline Star Wars films with linear levels and expansive hubs for exploration. Players can complete side missions, unlock characters, ships, and planets, and progress through a skill tree system by collecting Kyber Bricks. The inclusion of skill trees and character classes like Jedi, Smugglers, and Protocol Droids elevates the game to appeal to a wider audience and brings it in line with modern action games.
Despite its mature gameplay mechanics, The Skywalker Saga remains accessible to younger audiences with its humor, visuals, and engaging gameplay. The game strikes a balance between catering to nostalgia and evolving to meet the expectations of older players, proving that Lego games can still captivate a diverse audience.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is set to release on April 5, 2022, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch.
