LEGO STAR WARS: THE SKYWALKER SAGA
May the toys be with you
RELEASED OUT NOW! Reviewed on Playstation 5
Also on Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Publisher Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment
Nine movies, one game, all wrapped up in wholesome Lego goodness. Pick your starting point – you can begin with the first entry in any of the three trilogies – and it’s time to Ewok and roll. You might be surprised at how good a Star Wars experience has been built here.
Although the huge cast of characters and wide array of vehicles (all eventually unlockable and playable) are present in toy form, don’t be fooled into thinking that the Star Wars atmosphere suffers. Not only are the stirring soundtracks and iconic special effects present and correct, but environments have been recreated with an impressive level of accuracy and attention to detail.
If you’ve played a Lego game before, to a large extent you’ll know what to expect. Infinite lives, pleasingly daft humour, destroying everything in your path in order to hoover up studs (the currency used to purchase new characters), and so on. Multiplayer is still present, too. It only supports two players, and sadly there’s no online option, but it’s a great experience to share with a younger gamer (or indeed older).
Each movie is represented by five levels, making for a story experience of decent length. Outside of this there’s Galaxy Mode, an open-world experience where you’re free to jump between Tatooine, Naboo, Dagobah and more in search of secrets and side missions. Here (and in replayed story levels), you can use absolutely any characters that you’ve unlocked. Kylo Ren working alongside Yaddle? Princess Leia and Jabba the Hutt putting aside their differences to stomp Stormtroopers together? Sure, why not.
Part of the appeal of the Lego games is their simplicity, so it’s disappointing to see The Skywalker Saga introduce multiple skill trees. They don’t detract from the experience too much, although it’s slightly annoying that decent damage and movement speed are unlocks rather than defaults. Of more concern are the small but noticeable number of bugs present when exploring in Galaxy Mode, although these have a chance of being fixed with future updates. They’re certainly not enough to ruin one of the best Star Wars games of recent years. The game features the final acting credit of Tom Kane (Admiral Ackbar), following his retirement after a stroke.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that the Star Wars atmosphere suffers