“LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” was originally announced in 2019 for a 2020 release but came out three years later on April 5, 2022.The game arrived for all current gaming consoles, including the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
When I first booted up the game, I was filled with nostalgia and hope that the three-year delay would be worth it.
I grew up playing LEGO Star Wars with neighbors who are practically family now. We spent our days giggling at the LEGO characters doing silly bits in the game that didn’t happen in the movies.
The intro clip invoked the aesthetic of Star Wars in sick LEGO animation. There was a liveliness to each character as they lined up to pose and although the starting title was goofy, I loved it.
I started with episode one instead of four and immediately noticed that something was seriously off about this game. I felt like I hadn't done anything to get to the next stage and that was because I hadn't.
But the game redeemed itself with the introduction of new abilities including the lightsaber combos, upgrades for weapons, and my favorite: the lightsaber throw.
I was playing with a PS5 controller and the controls came back to me like it was 2007 and I played with my neighbors.
Playing as jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn, I grinned ear-to-ear as I made him throw his little lightsaber across the plane.
Another new element I enjoyed was the actual target when shooting a blaster. In the old games, a player would shoot and it would go wherever aimlessly.
This time I was Princess Leia, whose weapon is the blaster, and when the target came up, I was so excited that I could aim the weapon.
It was so amusing to see the little LEGO characters destroy everything in sight. But as the nostalgia wore off and I got more into playing the game as an adult, I felt like they added so many unnecessary elements that took away from what made the original games great.
The story missions were incredibly short, as were the gags. The older Star Wars LEGO games were much better at silly humor.
This game just prompts you to go from point A to point B with nothing to do but smash everything to get coins along the way.
The game’s an open world with all the levels being flat planes that any player could just blast through.
There was so much to look at that the gameplay got overwhelming. I like to complete games in total with all side stories completed but with this game, I’d have to play over and over again to feel accomplished.
The LEGO Games are usually fun and goofy. If anyone rates this lower than a four out of five stars, who hurt you? Don’t take everything so seriously, stop hating on people having fun with a LEGO game.
If you want accuracy, watch the movies. If you want a huge, challenging game, go play FromSoftware Inc.’s Feb. 25 release “Elden Ring.”
Not every game has to be the hardest thing in the world with huge accomplishments. Any gamer can get into this game because it’s delightfully amusing.
I’d rate it four and a half stars because the game was witty, entertaining and reminded me of fond memories.
“LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” did exactly what I wanted it to do. It brought nostalgia, it created LEGO versions of characters from the new movies and I was able to explore the Star Wars LEGO universe again.
