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LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga review | Xbox Series X|S

12/4/2022

 
The Millenium Falcon in Cloud City

Many of us, especially around here, have had a fairly long history with LEGO games, and an even longer history with Star Wars, so you could say expectations were high for LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.

James Michael Parry
by James Michael Parry

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​@james_parry

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Developer: TT Games
Publisher: WB Games
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC
Players: 1-2


Back in 2016, I talked about needing a break from LEGO games, since I’d dipped into most games by then, and then I proceeded to review at least half a dozen more over the next few years that followed, including LEGO The Force Awakens, which was all the way back in 2017.

Coming back to the LEGO Star Wars franchise after all this time feels strangely refreshing, and although many of these stories and moments have been touched on in previous games going as far back as 2005, the series' trademark physical humour and beautiful presentation is back and better than ever.

Visually, the amount of lighting effects and reflections here really lifts the action on-screen, while the character models have a lot more texture and surface imperfections which really give you the sense this is actual LEGO.

Attention to detail in that area is a delight, since you can't beat the excitement of seeing a physical set you own perfectly recreated in the game, as happened on numerous occasions, particularly with the various spaceships, which, along with the characters themselves, are numerous.

The format of this game is as straightforward as you'd expect, with each of the nine episodes bringing its own characters and locations, but the galaxy is connected by a map which lets you zip between any planet you've been to in any film. So, if you want to, you can bumble about Naboo with Rey and Finn to find some Kyber Bricks (the main brick to collect this time), which might be tucked away behind an environmental puzzle or challenge.​
Obi-Wan and Darth Maul with lightsabers
Characters each have different abilities, depending on their type, and the variety brings in the sort of range of gameplay we've seen across countless LEGO games all in one.

It can prove frustrating at times to keep straight exactly what tool is needed to deal with each different coloured glow, but once you've got the hang of it (or refreshed your memory), you settle into the experience quite easily.

The puzzles themselves aren't massively challenging, though you aren't always given a huge amount of direction, a lot of the challenge is piecing visual cues together to work out the way to go.
Rey dodges a TIE fighter
Combat isn't too tough either, especially if you've got one of the many lightsaber-weilding characters along for the ride, as between the sabers themselves and force powers, your characters will make quick work of most enemies.

If you do find you need a bit of extra oomph though, there is a rudimentary upgrade system, which lets you level up running speed or build time for LEGO, though most won't be necessary unless you're gunning for 100% completion.
there's always something new to discover whenever you are wandering around hub worlds, inevitably smashing everything in sight...
Speaking of, there is an awful lot of "stuff" in this game. Collectables are nothing new of course, but here the total number of Kyber Bricks alone numbers at over 1,000, on top of multiple part minikits per level, hidden costumes, characters and ships as well as cheat codes to unlock huge stud multipliers.

It's dizzying at times, though it means there's always something new to discover whenever you are wandering around hub worlds, inevitably smashing everything in sight.
Leia takes down some Stormtroopers
The experience is always endearing and wholesome, with even the darker moments of the story poked fun at or even played for laughs.

Between gameplay sections you'll see cutscenes – so far, so normal. However with so much story to get through, these sequences can feel very rushed, with entire plot points or conversations truncating minutes into mere seconds. If this is your first introduction to the story then you'd more than likely struggle, which might be the case for some younger fans.

For most though, it's a well-known story, meaning it doesn't pose too much of a narrative stumbling block, it just means at times you can feel a bit of cutscene whiplash.
A Bongo in Theed, Naboo
The voice acting is, for the most part, on point. Qui-Gon Jin has a bit of a Sean Connery twang, but some of the actors doing impressions of the original performers do a great job – particularly Rey. Others go in a different direction, which also works, as we've seen in the Holiday Christmas Special, from which many of the performers reprise these roles. Finally you have Anthony Daniels and a handful of other originals, so in all it feels like a really mixed bag.

John William's iconic score is included in its full majesty, and the sound design is, as usual, pulled straight out of the film universe, as are all of the location and character designs – many of which boast an impressive amount of scale, which is especially apparent when you're just bumbling about, exploring.

Space is less of a compelling setting, with many space sections already well-trodden more effectively in everything from the recent Squadrons all the way back to the original Rogue Squadron series. It all has the feeling of filler rather than having a real significant point to it.​
A Speeder fights an AT-AT on Hoth
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga feels very comprehensive, and with it being the team's umpteenth trip to a galaxy far, far away – though the first in a few years – you'd certainly hope so, but perhaps this should be the swansong for the entire franchise in a way. (Besides further Mandalorian expansions anyway.)

The experience is fun and quite therapeutic, with tons of options of things to do and explore. What's more, the game offers a rare opportunity at some very engaging and varied splitscreen play, which is a huge thumbs up.

For those already itching to jump back into the LEGO Star Wars world, this is a no-brainer, but equally, despite its drawbacks, it's a great introduction into the genre and the galaxy overall.

Pros
  • Nostalgia-fuelled locations, ships and characters abound
  • Using different characters does change the game and adds replayability
  • Everything you could want from a Star Wars LEGO experience…

Cons
  • …though possibly a little too much clutter for some
  • Not a huge number of new ideas
  • Visual updates are noticeable, but not game-changers

9/10​
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