'LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga' is loaded with goodness: review
With nine films that were made over four decades (yes, it’s been that long), the Star Wars Skywalker saga is as lengthy and expansive as they come. It’s also been a bit uneven: There was the brilliance of the initial films, the underrated solidity of the prequels, and the general unevenness of the most recent trilogy.
Leave it to a LEGO video game to smooth all that out. In "LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga," developer Traveler’s Tales applies its venerable LEGO video game formula to the "Star Wars" franchise once again, with terrific (and humor-loaded) results.
LEGO video games have always delivered smart, self-aware humor, and that holds as true as ever in this game, which can easily take more than 80 hours to complete. That’s what nine films of source material will get you, and in "Skywalker Saga," that manifests in a host of hub worlds and a bevy of missions, many of which deliver the exact fan service you want. There are pod-racing levels and X-wing fights, and iconic lightsaber duels too.
Interspersed between all that is terrific core gameplay. LEGO ditches its signature panned-out third-person viewpoint for an over-the-shoulder mechanic reminiscent of "Gears of War." This gives you greater control over combat, and it also allows for a "Gears of War"-like cover mechanic, too. A distinctly LEGO touch finishes out that mechanic: You (and your opponents) can rebuild the fallen LEGO bricks of destructible cover locations. No, it’s not necessary (the difficulty in this game never ascends to Gears levels, after all), but it completely fits with the LEGO vibe.
Little touches like that abound, as do some of the most precisely detailed LEGO bricks you’ve ever seen. A decade ago, the LEGO rubric wasn’t exactly about stunning visuals. But "Skywalker Saga" changes that, delivering lighting effects and sheen that make this feel like a legitimate collection of LEGO scenes come to big-screen life.
All that sets the stage for the fantastic storytelling, which balances out the inconsistent feel of the franchise. Your new common theme is LEGO’s sense of humor, and by and large, it works. Little touches abound in even the gravest scenes across the first six films, adding a slight air of levity to the proceedings. That touch of humor and sarcasm stretches into the chapters covering the most recent three films, and several of the more maligned scenes from those films instantly become easier to put up with. Smart writing makes even awful scenes more palatable and that’s distinctly true of "LEGO Star Wars."
It all makes this one of the best ways to introduce a newcomer to the "Star Wars" franchise, whether that’s a child or teenager or significant other. This is a strong entry point that covers all the key lore, and does so in a way that’ll repeatedly leave you smiling to yourself. It’s also perfect for young children, thanks to drop-in, drop-out couch cooperative play that functions fluidly and easily, swiftly moving to split-screen format. It’s a minor disappointment that there’s no online coop, but at the same time that’s not a huge absence. This isn’t a massively challenging shoot-em-up after all, and it is best played with a "Star Wars" newbie right alongside you.
It’s the definitive video game path to learning "Star Wars," and a perfect way to introduce the Force to anyone you know.
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'LEGO STAR WARS: THE SKYWALKER SAGA'
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed on Xbox Series X
Available on Xbox platforms, PlayStation platforms, Nintendo Switch, PC
