A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, TT Games pumped out endless Lego titles. Each one came with small improvements over the last, but the core remained the same. Somehow, TT Games has returned, and like Darth Vader, it’s here to remind you that it’s the daddy.
It has been 45 years since Star Wars first force-pushed itself into our collective consciousness. Some of the people reading this likely weren’t even born. Still, everyone knows what Darth Vader, Yoda, and R2-D2 look like. Everyone knows what a lightsaber is.
It’s a cultural behemoth. Whether you’re in your 40s and were raised on A New Hope and the rest of the original trilogy, or you’re a child who grew up with the most recent movies, Star Wars probably means something to you. And that something is different for each and every one of us. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga aims to bring us all together by covering all nine movies and featuring hundreds of characters, from the most iconic right on through to Mama the Hutt.
It’s a game that knows its audience. However your Star Wars journey began, that’s where you can jump in. You’re not forced to start at the beginning, thanks to the option to play the three trilogies in whatever order you wish. I kicked off with The Force Awakens to see how the subsequent movies, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker – movies that have never had the Lego treatment before – stack up.
Do not worry about which episode you start with too much, though. You can easily go back and forth between different levels once completed. You see, completing each level unlocks Free Play, allowing you to revisit locations with any character you’ve unlocked along the way – all your favorites are here: Obi-Wan (young and old), Jar Jar Binks, C-3P0 or C-3P0 with Red Arm. The game boasts more than 350 playable characters from all over the franchise (even with more recent additions such as from The Mandalorian as long as you have the DLC).
Characters are split into around 10 different roles: Scavengers like Rey, able to build equipment like a glider to glide across high areas or participate in flight challenges to earn rewards; Jedi like Obi-Wan, able to use force powers to lift specific objects or push enemies away with ease; Bounty Hunters like the Mandalorian, able to rapidly fire with their blasters to destroy gold hardened objects for special rewards; Astromech Droids like BB-8, able to hack into security systems, solve onscreen puzzles, and slip under low areas; Or, Protocol Droids like C-3P0, that can translate languages other characters are unable to.
Completing each level in story mode is just a part of your adventure. Throwing off the shackles of the prescribed characters and revisiting every nook and cranny with different abilities really shows the depth of the level design. There’s so much here, from hidden Kyber Bricks (which you can use to unlock gameplay benefits such as faster running) to hidden easter eggs.
It’s also much more freeform in how you solve many of its puzzles. Where previous games in the series would almost always be a case of smashing everything up and building some contraption from the rubble, here you can almost cheese some of the puzzles – perhaps using force powers to stack up objects to reach a high place, or by force-lifting a droid onto a seemingly unreachable ledge. You have much more control here than ever before.
There are a variety of ways to complete levels, too. In one mission I decided to sneak away with Poe and Finn to use a secret ladder to avoid enemies, my journey backed by casual banter on the lack of enemies they have to fight. I could have instead decided to blast my way through with the updated controls (this entry plays more akin to a traditional third-person shooter, allowing you to target specific body parts and take cover behind walls).
Though the options are not always there, I very much enjoy the chance to play my way, be it building an automatic turret to shoot enemies or choosing to create an electric trap to zap enemies.
As Leia, I chose to build a water cannon to extinguish some flames rather than build a laser turret to destroy a weakened wall. It is a small choice, but it immediately plants the seed – you need to replay this level and see what you missed.
Being able to pilot hundreds of different prolific starships in between levels provides a good break from blasting or slashing Stormtroopers or Tusken Raiders. These moments aren’t just limited to set-pieces either – you’re free to explore local space, mine asteroids, and take out enemies, and you can jump in a starship and head into the cosmos at almost any time.
Other than the standalone The Force Awakens Lego game, the previous Lego Star Wars titles didn’t feature voice acting, instead telling their stories through slapstick comedy – like the moment of genius in Lego Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back where Darth Vader pulls out a picture of him next to Padme to tell Luke who his father is.
The Skywalker Saga does have voice acting, but it manages to find a perfect balance, combining those slapstick moments with iconic movie lines. Hearing Yoda talk about there are always two Sith together, and then watching Jar Jar Binks roll by on an orb right after the line delivery really exemplified the awareness the developers have of Star Wars. It made me chuckle because I very much am all in for Dark Jar Jar theory. It’s a scene for a tiny group of fans, but it highlights how well the developer knows its audience.
Unfortunately, these moments are sometimes slightly undermined by performance issues – cutscenes often lag and skip (on Nintendo Switch, at least), and it’s enough to take you out of the scene. It also takes far too much time to swap characters. It may be a few seconds, but when you need to constantly switch through to clear different objectives only certain groups of characters can, it does add up. If you’re going to get this game, I suggest you get the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S version.
Despite the technical issues on Nintendo Switch, this is a great, lighthearted action platformer that’s fun for all ages, and is easily the best Lego game so far. It’s deeper, richer, and bigger. It’s smarter, funnier, and prettier. It’s more than just another remix, and you can tell it was made with admiration for the subject matter. There is so much to uncover that fans will be more than delighted to find in each level, and accessible options such as regenerative health allow more folks not as savvy to enjoy the experience with others in couch co-op.
Written by Veerender Jubbal on behalf of GLHF.
