PIECES DE RESISTANCE
The Force Awakens gets the Lego treatment – and some new backstory
There’s an extra reason for fans of a certain galaxy far, far away to be excited about the upcoming Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens game. As well as the humour and brickified versions of key movie moments that have become a hallmark of the 11- year- old videogame series, there’ll also be Lucasfilm- approved plot additions that’ll help explain Episode VII backstories.
“We’ve got the opportunity to play through stories that you may not be familiar with,” associate producer Tim Wileman tells Red Alert. “There’s Han and Chewie with the Rathtars and how they captured those, and you’ll be able to discover how Lor San Tekka [ the old man who gave Poe Dameron the intel about Luke’s whereabouts] got to Jakku, and the events leading up to that. This new content that we’re creating will be used as a point of reference [ for Star Wars canon] moving forward, so it’s fantastically exciting.”
The game features 18 levels and over 200 customisable characters. Wileman also says that “all of the major talent have come back into the studio for us to record new lines and dialogue, and that gave us a fantastic opportunity to embellish some of the scenes from the film.”
In terms of gameplay, the developers at franchise stalwarts TT Games say they’re not just resting on their laurels with same- old, same- old. New functions include “Blaster Battles” ( which allow you to take cover from laser fire behind convenient objects), “Multi- Builds” ( you’ll now have a choice of ways to use a pile of Lego bricks to construct to solve a puzzle), and the one that’s got us most excited – the chance to fly the Millennium Falcon.
“It wouldn’t be an authentic Force Awakens experience without the Falcon,” says Wileman. “But there are other areas in the game as well, like Maz Kanata’s castle on Takodana, where you’ll get the opportunity to play as Poe Dameron in his X- wing and dogfight with TIE fighters.
“The team are massive Star Wars geeks,” he continues, “they’re obsessed, so the game is cram- packed full with little Star Wars references. But it’s going to be a joy to play through for any Star Wars or Lego game fan.”