While the LEGO games have defined many a gamers’ childhoods, their repetitive gameplay and linear structure mean they’ve lost their appeal in recent years. The pandemic has hardly helped Traveller’s Tales, seeing the delay of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga’s launch multiple times. However, an April 5th release date was finally confirmed, alongside a gameplay overview trailer, offering fans new hope for the long-awaited game. The trailer showcased some exciting new features, such as engaging combat mechanics and rich open worlds, suggesting that the upcoming game will revitalise the series, and stop it from becoming stale. What’s more, The Skywalker Saga will retain the side-splitting humour which only LEGO games can offer. Wittily retelling all nine mainline films and boasting over 300 playable characters, there’s every chance it won’t just be the LEGO Star Wars series’ biggest game – but its best.
The Force Is Reawakened
LEGO Star Wars games (or LEGO games generally) are not known for their intricate controls. Combat mechanics largely haven’t evolved since the series launched on the PlayStation 2, with them still mostly centred around pressing a single button. However, Traveller’s Tales have revealed they will be updating the combat system in The Skywalker Saga. New lightsaber combo chain attacks will make Jedi and Sith combat more stimulating. Also debuting are unique counter manoeuvres that will allow players to destroy enemies in true LEGO fashion. Ranged characters usually get the short end of the stick when it comes to combat mechanics, with most only possessing a single inaccurate option. Traveller’s Tales is putting an end to this, as revamped blaster controls will let players shoot with free-aim or a target marker. Given these changes, fights are going to be more engaging than they ever have been.
The environment of fights and the behaviour of enemies will be more advanced in The Skywalker Saga. Unlike before, the force will be usable in free-aim. Harnessing this ability, to launch rocks or mystify foes with Jedi mind tricks, will reward players for engaging with the environment. Players will also be able to take cover behind walls, developing on a concept present in LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ blaster battles. While the series is known for its array of adversaries, most of these are punching bags, with Droidekas and bosses being the only noteworthy exceptions. However, this is being changed in The Skywalker Saga, as foes of all kinds will behave uniquely and will even try to rush players. Making combat more tactical, it will be interesting to see how these changes affect boss fights.
A Bold Move
Without exception, LEGO Star Wars games have a somewhat linear structure that hasn’t been changed in almost two decades. Abundant with repetitive building and platforming tasks, gameplay revolves solely around completing levels which retell the film series. As such, the adventure ends once the final credits roll, unless you’re a completionist. While the argument could be made for not fixing what isn’t broken, sometimes, a change of pace is needed. Thankfully, Traveller’s Tales will be shaking this up in The Skywalker Saga by implementing different routes into levels that favour either a bold or stealthy approach. These will tailor gameplay to players’ preferences and make exploring levels in free-play more entertaining.
Encouraging exploration, the new Galaxy Map will allow players to journey to various planets in the Star Wars universe. During space travel in the series’ most iconic vehicles, it will be possible to engage in dogfights and side missions. This expands on The Force Awakens’ flight sections, which were some of its most innovative and explorative parts. Moreover, it will prevent monotony by providing players with something to do between levels. Once players land on a planet, they’ll be able to traverse it freely, and this will be the first time that open worlds have appeared in the LEGO Star Wars series. Although The Force Awakens had hub worlds, these lacked depth and were disjointed from the main story. However, if the gameplay trailer is anything to go by, The Skywalker Saga’s planets will be expansive open worlds that can be enjoyed in between levels. At long last, we’ll be given content outside of the chaptered levels.
Classy Changes
The new character class system is also a promising new feature. Ranging from Jedi to Bounty Hunter, each of the nine character types will possess unique abilities that can be used in combat or to solve puzzles. Whereas switching to a protocol droid to open a door was a chore in the earlier games, this revamped system will give class-specific skills a newfound relevance. As such, players will have an incentive to use underappreciated characters and may need to use a combination of skills to solve tasks. If this rings true, it would address the series’ long standing problem of puzzles being unstimulating. Additionally, each class’ skills will be upgradable through investing Kyber Bricks into them. As Kyber Bricks will be scattered throughout the game’s open worlds, players will have an objective when free roaming. This should connect the open world to the main story, an approach which proved effective in LEGO City Undercover.
A LEGO Game Not So Far, Far Away
LEGO games, especially those set in a galaxy far, far away, have been long overdue a change-up, and it seems like that’s what we’re going to get with The Skywalker Saga. While new combat mechanics and rich open worlds are going to redress some of the series’ biggest problems, the game will also hit players with a massive wave of nostalgia by carrying the same comical charm synonymous with all LEGO games. Hilarious cutscenes and slapstick comedy aren’t going anywhere and older players will be happy to hear of a mumble extra that will be able to replace dialogue with mumbling, a throwback to earlier titles in the series. Additionally, fans will be able to start their adventure from the beginning of any of The Skywalker Saga’s three trilogies, allowing them to relive their favourite moments in any order. If Traveller’s Tales manage to strike a balance between making improvements and sticking with tradition, The Skywalker Saga will be a brilliant game, and, potentially, the best the LEGO Star Wars series has ever had.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is set to release April 5, 2022
Words by Julius Lawless-Master