You reach that ultimate finale of the prequel era, the lava of Mustafar bubbling as two brothers strike blade against blade. It’s a heartfelt, momentous battle. “I have the high ground… don’t try it!” Only, here we get a little Lego Obi-Wan climbing a step-ladder. Higher ground.
That’s every cutscene to a tee. Whether it’s Palpatine proudly egging on two villainous grandchildren as they fight, Kylo popping off an “I Skywalker Saga takes its time, meaning that not only is this a recreation of the films, but an expansi♍on of them - you can walk down the streets of Coruscant’s und🦂erbelly, stare blissfully out the windows of Cloud City, or get your cape dirty in the sands of Tatooine, Jakku, or Pasaana. Dexter’s Diner even makes a return.
The Lego games were my introduction to Star Wars, even before the films. I was too young to understand what was going on, so I had the mindless fun of platforming and spamming buttons to keep me entertained. But it’s why I love Star Wars so much. Sure, the prequels are bad, but the Lego game g𒉰ave me fond memories of the droid factory and Naboo under siege. Now, kids can build those same new memories with whole worlds. Imagine the magic of growing up having f🐓lown around space, hopping from Mustafar to Geonosis in Anakin’s yellow starfighter.
I’m more excited than ever for this new generation. They finally have a Lego Star Wars and it’s one that knocks the old out of the park. That’s because it’s a game that not only celebrates Lego but the PS2 era as a whole. The small world hubs have that interconnected feel of Jak 2’s Haven City, there’s that collect-a-thon charm ✤of Sly Cooper, and the space hopping wonder of Ratchet & Clank. It takes everything special about the PS2 era of platformers and shoves them into a warm, oddly inviting Lego tauntaun belly.
Rather than the vast open worlds of many modern titles, Lego Star Wars is about digging into every nook and cranny, unearthing secrets. Each level is small and focused, standing against what Lego has become in recent years with its drawn-out open worlds that of🍸ten overstay their welcome. The signature puzzles, platforming, and boss fights are all present, but there are just as many on-rails fights and space battles that let you experience🔯 the action of the films rather than ꦇrelegating it to a cutscene, and TT balances it in a way that means you get a good mix of both through the saga.
The levels aren’t about telling the story anymore. Instead, the levels are about moments. They’re the parts of the films that would be the most fun to play. Rather than taking brief excursions that last a few minutes in the movies and expanding on them to create whole 👍new sequences, TT Games opted to pick the highlights that go against what a Lego level usually is, and⛦ it’s all the better for it. There’s a scene in the sequels that is just the Millennium Falcon flying through tunnels, firing at fighters, and destroying obstacles, raking up the studs. It isn’t as free as the levels usually are, but it’s satisfying in that simplicity.
Everything else is as you’d expect with a little added complexity. Combat is pretty much the same, but instead of mashing square, you’re throwing triangle and circle into the mix for combos. Cover shooting is there, but I never had to use it - you can just stand in the open and it’s very rare that you’ll get caught out. It’s a Lego game - a platformer that a kid can pick up and enjoy without hassle. Death is meaningless, studs are aplenty, and your favourites are there to earn and buy. Lego Jabba? Lego Rancor? Lego charred Anakin Skywalker? If you can think of i🌞t, it’s there. The simplicity that made the other L🌱ego games a household staple isn’t lost.
But it goes a step further. This is a Lego game that bakes accessibilit🐷y into its design - characters have little icons above their heads to point out who’s talking, quest markers show you direct paths to objectives, button prompts and tutorials can be kept permanently, and there are an abundance of options like large subtitles and aim assist. And the best thing it does is havi⛄ng all the episodes and levels in the menu, making it more intuitive than ever to navigate. Not only is it an easy game to get into, but more people than ever will be able to play it.
The Skywalker Saga had a lot of expectations to live up to. It’s the first Lego Star Wars to bundle the films together since the Complete Saga, except now there are nine films. And it's not just three trilogies, either, but all their worlds, cities, and landmarks. Yet it lived up to those expectations. Somehow, Lego Star Wars returned, and it returned with𒁏 style.
Score: 4.5/5. A PlayStation 5 code was provided by the publisher for this review.
