LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – First Impressions

With Lego Star Wars The Skywalker Saga now released, two of our writers have teamed up to give their initial thoughts on the latest Lego Star Wars adventure. Read below to see our early impressions of this new brick building blockbuster.

Lucy’s Impressions

Having had many fond memories of the original Lego Star Wars game on the PlayStation 2, I was overly excited to get my hands on the Skywalker Saga. After it was delayed multiple times, I began to expect the worst for this game as it was clear that the developers needed longer to work on it. But, it was safe to say that the extra time was warranted as this game is nothing short of a masterpiece.

Story

It might be a little obvious but this game adapts the entirety of the Skywalker Saga, all the way from Episode 1 up to Episode 9! As always, Lego has pulled off a charming story that is entertaining with humour for all ages. From Jawas on vacation and taking photos outside of Jabba’s Palace to Rahtars bench pressing in their cells, there is a lot of charm and fun to be had here. Some may even go over some of the younger players’ heads, like Luke Skywalker’s alarmed and pretty disgusted face when he’s told by Yoda that Leia is indeed his sister. This is made even more humorous when R2-D2 turns himself into an alarm.

It’s worth noting that the developers took a different approach to this game. The usual formula would see 6-10 levels in each movie but that is halved to just five ‘levels’ per ‘episode’. The levels are the perfect length too, not too long but also not too short. Just when you start to get bored of one setting, the game seemingly uses the force to read your mind and change the entire scene; whisking you off to another planet to have fun somewhere else. It’s no secret that the dev team wanted the emphasis to be on open-world exploration, hence the many planets you can visit, all with unique scenes and settings. With this in mind, I made it my priority to rush through all the episodes as fast as I possibly could so I could unlock all the planets and characters from the movies and then go and explore the galaxy! I’m partially looking forward to taking my beloved Rey Skywalker on a tour through the universe and showing her just how beautiful it is compared to the dusky sands of Jakku. Despite playing the game since launch, I’m still only on episode 8, so there’s still a whole ninth of the game yet to explore!

Characters And Ships

For those who either brought the season pass or the deluxe edition, the current DLC packs which are available are: The Mandalorian Season One, Solo A Star Wars Story, and the extra Troopers pack which contains characters like the Deathtrooper and Shoretrooper from Rogue One! Players can look forward to more DLC in the future but these will mostly be more characters instead of extra levels. So far we know that we can expect a DLC pack from The Mandalorian seasons 2 and 3 as well as Rogue One (which I’m personally excited for) and the ‘Classic Characters Pack’ which is just the usual characters but with their old yellow faces!

However, even without DLC, the base game does still include a few easter eggs that harken to the expanded star wars universe. For instance, there’s a few mentions of characters like Aurra Sing, who predominantly appeared in the animated Star Wars The Clone Wars series. We also have ‘The Ghost’ from Star Wars Rebels in the ship selection screen which some fans will absolutely love!

All 320+ characters are placed into groups that correlate with their abilities. These ‘Classes’ are; Jedi (Obi-Wan, Luke, Anakin, Yoda), Hero (Finn, Poe, Leia, Padme), Scavenger (Rey, Jawa, Wickett, Tusken Raider), Scoundrel (Han, Lando, Chewie), Bounty Hunter (Boba & Jango Fett, IG-88, Bossk), Villain (Stormtroopers, Battledroids, Grievous), Darkside (Count Dooku, Darth Maul, Dark Vader), Astromech Droids (BB-8, R2D2), and lastly Protocol Droids (C-3PO is the only main character here).

Each class has its own unique thing to offer too, whether it be Jedi using the Force, Bounty Hunters destroying gold objects, or Droids using specific terminals. Some classes can even intertwine, such as Darth Vader being able to use both the Force as well as Villain terminals.

Kyber Bricks and studs can also be used to give each class upgrades, such as ‘Force Flinger’ an upgrade for the Jedi class which increases the attack damage of objects thrown with the force. 

The character selection screen is also a treat, with every single character having a short ‘info’ text underneath, no matter how popular or obscure! When viewing a character you don’t have, you can even purchase a ‘rumour’ about them which gives you a clue on how to unlock them, which honestly isn’t as helpful as you might think. For example; I wanted to know how to unlock ‘Sith Rey’ and purchased the rumour only for the game to tell me I need to play Episode 9 to get her. Safe to say, you’re better off saving your studs until you’ve completed all of the story missions first.

Ships also come in different classes!! Starships (The Falcon, X-Wing, Y-Wing), Capital Ships (Death Star, Executor, Steadfast), and Microships which are unlocked only by collecting all 5 Minikits throughout all the story levels, a familiar task to long time Lego Star Wars fans.

Like characters, ships also have the purchasable ‘Rumour’ and also ‘Info’ on each ship. The majority of your time will be spent in your ‘Starship’ which is how you travel to and from each planet. Rest assured that if you get bored of the current Starship you can change it at one of the terminals which are always found conveniently beside wherever your Starship lands.

Overall

Overall, I must say this is certainly the game we all hoped it would be! With the usual Lego game charm and the addictive core gameplay, I cannot wait to explore the vast Star Wars galaxy and uncover all the secrets that the game has to offer. Although it would be too much to ask to see the likes of Revan, Bastila Shan and Carth Onasi from Knights of the Old Republic make an appearance, this game still packs an overwhelming amount of content that is definitely worth the price of purchase. The Skywalker Saga may very well be the most perfect Star Wars game yet and is something I’d recommend to anybody! Fans of Star Wars or not, this game has something for everyone!

Tom’s Thoughts

As someone who hasn’t owned a LEGO game since LEGO Batman 2 all the way back in 2012, I must say that LEGO Star Wars:The Skywalker Trilogy wasn’t exactly on my radar. Sure, I have fond nostalgia for the originals, but most recent releases passed me by.

This was until I saw some gameplay.

Immediately the combo-based combat system intrigued me. As a massive character-action game fan, any system that features stringing together attacks is instantly a way to my heart, but everything else was appealing too. The decision to change from the drawn-out camera that had been a staple for years to a closer third-person view. The promise of open areas and free travel between them. The game looked totally different from all the other LEGO games I let pass by.

So, how does it actually stack up?

Brickonetta

Given it was what caught my attention, I should start by talking about the combat system. Yes, just as it looked, the game has you stringing attacks to dispatch enemies with fluid combos. 

My biggest gripe usually with these types of systems is when they feel ineffective or weak. Anything from a lack of enemy stagger to foes with disproportionately large health bars can easily ruin it. Fortunately, The Skywalker Saga’s melee combat feels great, with enemies you can easily knockabout as you combo them into next week.

Lightsaber users get different combo options, like swinging the lightsaber, a launch attack, or using the force. These are then strung together in different ways to dispatch foes. One of my current favourite moves is to launch an enemy and then force-slam them into the dirt. 

You also get the option to counter certain moves which can open up an enemy to more attacks. Sometimes, however, you get unique animations. One sees Chewie ripping a Stormtrooper’s arms off much like in the classic LEGO Star Wars games.

Bosses benefit further from the enhanced combat system as they become tense duels with you dodging, blocking, and striking when you can. They will block you if you spam a singular attack, so you’ll need to stay mobile and vary your attacks in order to win.

This isn’t even mentioning the ability to throw your lightsaber as well as grabbing and force-throwing objects. The Skywalker Saga’s melee combat is dynamic, impactful, and tons of fun.

Max Padme-yne

The shooting mechanics are also worthy of note, with those who aren’t talented in the force using blasters instead. These characters can still fight using melee mechanics, however, they also get unique sets of actions with their guns.

As opposed to previous games that couldn’t allow for precise aiming, the new third-person camera opens up the door to traditional over-the-shoulder shooting. While aiming, the player can dodge in any direction to keep themselves safe.

Both shooting and dodging feel responsive and fast, making for a satisfying long-range combat system. Personally, I do prefer melee combat, but it is good that both systems are fleshed out to give players a good choice either way.

LEGO Star Wars’ open world, or how I spent an hour straight doing the puzzles

The Skywalker Saga’s open-world takes the form of multiple open areas based on planets from the franchise for you to travel between. Using spaceships and FTL travel, you can visit planets like Naboo, Tatooine, Coruscant, and many, many more.

These areas come with extra content, like side missions that can see you searching for a specific NPC within the area or breaking and building things in true LEGO fashion.

However, the truly interesting part of the open world is the puzzles. These mini-challenges litter the open world and range from platforming challenges to chin-scratchers that require you to observe your surroundings. In the first open area of Episode 1, the Gungan’s underwater city, I spent roughly an hour doing these puzzles.

Much like Super Mario Odyssey’s moons, completing these challenges grants “kyber bricks”. The challenges are addictive, as I found when I meticulously explored Lake Paonga trying to find as many as possible.

My one gripe with the open world is the consistency. Lake Paonga and Tatooine are both chock full of secrets. Alternatively, Naboo’s main city area, Theed, is mostly set-dressing. This is also true with the story, which spends only a few minutes in the town before rushing you off-planet.

Thank God they made podracing easier

Vehicle-based missions break up the regular levels and so far, I’ve come across a couple. One is the underwater journey between the Gungan city and Theed, and the other an obligatory podracing level. 

Fortunately for us, this time round Traveller’s Tales decided to make podracing relatively easy, unlike the original LEGO Star Wars. Sometimes a little too easy though; you’ll be shunted back on course if you get too close to the walls.

Initial Impressions

At the time of writing, I haven’t actually gotten past the first episode. This is less a testament to its length and more a testament to my knack for farting around areas for far too long.

Still, I am having an incredible time with the game so far. Despite some minor flaws, exploring the open world is satisfying and, at times, addictive. Hell, the combat alone is enough for me to recommend this game, with a surprisingly deep combo system and punchy feedback from attacks. LEGO Devil May Cry when, Traveller’s Tales?

If you’re a fan of the classic LEGO Star Wars games, a fan of LEGO games in general, or just like character-action games, I’d thoroughly recommend The Skywalker Saga, and I can’t wait to play through the rest of it.

To Sum Up

There you have it! Both Tom and Lucy’s initial thoughts on LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Will you be picking the game up? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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