LEGO STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
TT’s latest brick builder is a little Rey of sci-fi sunshine
Picture the cutest kitten you’ve ever seen on the internet. Now imagine kitty riding a pug in a magical wonderland populated by frolicking micro pigs. Yeah, that’s still not as cute as Lego BB-8. Like the dinky droid star, TT Games’ take on The Force Awakens is both adorable and a surprisingly clever cookie – so full of smarts and new ideas that it’s the freshest Lego title in ages.
The British studio treats JJ Abrams’ sci-fi smash with so much affection, it’s hard to stop yourself grinning like Jabba at an intergalactic pizza party as you play through every major scene from Episode VII. The gags tickle like never before, the brick building still charms, and going for those True Jedi ratings is as addictive as ever.
BLOCK IT OFF
Those warmly familiar beats are joined by a number of fresh tweaks, with TT crafting its playsets in a way that mixes up the action. The biggest disturbance in the Force comes with Multi-Build mechanics, a new take on puzzles that challenges you with constructing (then deconstructing) contraptions from a single pile of blocks. Rather than give Jedi everywhere a killer Midi-chlorian migraine, this shakeup breathes renewed energy into Lego’s established formula.
Each gentle conundrum asks you to put together multiple doohickeys in a specific order, be it a handle for a lift or a pulley for a crane. The twist comes with the finite bricks – you’re building from a single pile, so must tear down each gadget before crafting the next. One second you make a switch for a terminal, the next you destroy it, then rebuild into a flamethrower to light the candles on a Stormtrooper birthday cake – hooray for Lego logic! Multi-Builds are hardly taxing, but adding complexity to the block-fiddling of old is welcome.
That’s not the only ace TFA is holding up its Jedi robes. Blaster Battles offer another sizeable departure, as Han, Finn and the rest take part in over-the-shoulder shootouts that have more in common with Max Payne than Mon Mothma. Almost every chapter contains these little firefights, and while the simplistic cover system and generous lock-on won’t have Nathan Drake browning his chinos any time soon, they at least provide the chance to view those adorably shiny character models in extra intimate fashion.
THE BLAST OF US
While the shooty bits serve up some cute departures from the block smashing, they can’t compare to the campaign’s utterly storming aerial battles. By Poe’s alluring space stubble are they a fleshed-out treat. Unlike some of the more linear chase sequences, these glorious slices of hot and heavy X-wing action take place in open areas, providing 360 degrees of dogfighting fun.
Skim the waters surrounding Maz Kanata’s castle, downing TIE fighters galore. Barrel roll around the criss-crossing gunfire of a Star Destroyer’s cannons. Pretend you’re a young Mark Hamill as you embark upon a thrilling trench run on the frantic surface of Starkiller Base. TT expertly judges these encounters, cannily spacing them out to ensure they always feel like big events. As palate cleansers go, TFA’s dogfights are delicious.
When all these new features combine, it results in some of the most delightful action TT has produced in years. Certain sections are brilliantly varied, like an early chapter on Jakku that sees you crushing barriers with a brick-based beast of burden, sliding down sand dunes with Rey, then outmanoeuvring First Order ships in the Millennium Falcon, all in ten minutes. It’s an eclectic, silly and imaginative take on the source material.
Sadly, a Jar Jar-shaped blip pops up to slightly spoil this otherwise rollicking campaign.
There’s simply not enough content in the film to support 11 chapters. To pilfer a quote from another iconic saga, the campaign feels like “butter spread over too much bread” – cheers, Mr Baggins. Certain events that race by in the movie plod along here at a sedated snail’s pace.
Remember Poe and Finn’s Star Destroyer escape? On the big screen it’s a swift, exhilarating chase sequence. Here, it’s an exercise in shameless padding, with blaster battles more drawn out than a sarlacc’s digestive system. Just escape on the bloody TIE fighter already!
The padding reaches a snooze-worthy zenith in chapter seven, when you’re asked to potter around the Resistance’s base on D’Qar, fiddling with borked switches and broken lifts as Leia, Finn and C-3PO search for fuel and wookiee cookies to feed Chewie. Yes, WOOKIEE
“AS PALATE CLEANSERS GO, THE GAME’S DOGFIGHTS ARE DOWNRIGHT DELICIOUS.”
COOKIES. It’s one of the most teeth-gnashingly dull levels TT has ever made.
BOWLED OVER
That The Force Awakens does its darndest to stretch proceedings out is understandable – TT only has a single celluloid effort to work with, not the trilogies of older titles. This desire to squeeze every pip into one great big Star Wars smoothie actually benefits the package at points, as a hearty array of side-missions await. Whether it’s bounty hunter targets to track, checkpoint races in the Falcon or a mischievous take on ten-pin bowling that sees you toppling skittles with BB-8, there’s plenty to occupy Padawans young and old.
TT even throws in extra missions based on the extended universe that plug some of the holes in the timeline between Return Of The Jedi and Rey and Finn’s exploits. Ever had fishy fantasies about Poe saving Admiral Ackbar from Imperial Forces, or wondered how Lor San Tekka got his hands on the map to Luke’s hideaway? Wonder no more. They may play out like glorified pieces of fan fiction, but these bonus chapters are still fun additions.
Despite painful pacing, Lego’s latest trip to cinema’s most iconic galaxy is an enchanting package. It’s both a fitting tribute to one of last year’s best blockbusters and a real labour of love, with almost every major actor having recorded tons of new dialogue, including an on song Harrison Ford. Smart, welcoming and oh-so-cuddly, BB-8’s block party is not to be missed.
VERDICT
A super likeable (if padded) take on Episode VII, Lego’s The Force Awakens mixes belly laughs, block-smashing silliness and ace aerial combat. Force fun beckons. Dave Meikleham