All nine films. One new game. Yes, you read that right. Recently announced at the E3 video game convention, a brand-new addition to the “Lego Star Wars” video game franchise is set to come out next year.
The new game, titled “Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga,” will allow players to play through all nine movies, from “Episode I The Phantom Menace” to the yet-to-be-released “Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker,” all in Lego form, of course.
This isn’t your typical remake though. The creators aren’t simply giving the old “Lego Star Wars” games new graphics (which wouldn’t be a terrible idea, those games are nearly perfect) but are completely changing “Lego Star Wars” and how it will be played, giving it the potential to capture the attention of fans of all ages.
“Lego Star Wars” was first created in 2005, where it allowed players to go on missions throughout the storylines of various “Star Wars” movies with complex, levels and fun, engaging cut scenes. There was truly nothing greater than seeing some of the most iconic scenes in “Star Wars” history being played out in a world made of Lego bricks.
The objective of the game is to fight, build and solve your way through each level, while playing as different Lego versions of your favorite “Star Wars” characters. Along the way, players try to collect as many studs — a form of currency in the game — as possible to earn True Jedi status, as well as Mini Kits, which are used to build different things, such as vehicles and starfighters.
Since the release of “Lego Star Wars 1”, which incorporates the Star Wars prequel trilogy, there have been four other “Lego Star Wars” games based on different movies and tv shows in the franchise.
While each new game has had some differences, from adding build-your-own characters to the addition of voice acting to replace the grunts that the characters used to communicate in earlier titles, for the most part, the games have largely been the same in terms of style of play.
“Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga,” however, promises to bring changes that have the potential to create a new, more immersive experience that can captivate a new generation of “Star Wars” fans. And if the new game incorporates what made the original “Lego Star Wars” games so unique, it will keep those who grew up with the old “Lego Star Wars” games playing.
Details on the upcoming game are still pretty limited, and the only footage released to the public is in the trailer. A few major changes have been revealed, however, to those in attendance at E3, one being the new open-world concept.
In prior games, players were limited to structured levels and storylines. There was a hub where players could walk around freely and make discoveries, but it was pretty small. Players in the new game though, are free to explore the “Star Wars” galaxy. They can fly to any of the 20 planets in the game, have random encounters and battles and discover side quests, in addition to the more structured story mode levels as seen in previous games.
The new game also switched from a fixed, third-person camera angle to a first person, over-the shoulder-perspective, creating a more three-dimensional view. Players will have more control and freedom to walk around the maps and discover what they have to offer. This new view also comes with free aiming when shooting enemies, as opposed to the automatic target lock-on that is in the older games.
It will be interesting to see how this new camera angle affects two player mode. Previous installments allowed for both players to share a single screen, but this stylistic change mihgt limit the game’s multiplayer mode to the classic split-screen.
While the game promises to bring something completely new to the “Lego Star Wars” franchise, I hope they will continue to incorporate what made them so unique and enjoyable, which will not only keep veteran players interested, but also continue to set them apart from other video games.
One of these qualities is the ever-present humor of the series, telling the “Star Wars” story with over-the-top jokes, not only through levels and objectives but also through cut scenes. These cut scenes were often a hilarious interpretation of events from the movies to set up or bridge the gap between levels. If you have never played the games, it is beyond worth it to see Lego Obi-Wan look like a complete idiot.
After watching the trailer, it looks like the game has done a pretty good job of this. Not sure about you, but I know I cracked up watching Kylo Ren giggle like a high schooler talking about their prom date, while he built a Darth Vader snowman. It sounds like there will be a major difference between the cut scenes in “Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” and the original ones.
What made these cut scenes in the first few “Lego Star Wars” games so unique was the fact that the characters didn’t talk; they, instead, made small, grunt-like noises. This forced the makers to use creative and more interesting ways to tell the story than simply through dialogue.
In 2012 however, The Lego games started using voice acting for their cut scenes, the first one being “Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes.” Since then, all the Lego games have used dialogue, including “Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2016.
According to IGN, it seems as though this trend will be continued with “Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” once again using voice acting. IGN also said that the makers are considering giving players the option of switching to grunting instead of dialogue, which would be a fantastic addition. It’s what fans want, after all.
Going back to grunting also creates an original way to tell the “Star Wars” story. If players wanted to hear dialogue from the movies, they could … well, just watch the movies. Besides, seeing Darth Vader try to explain to Luke he is his father by showing Luke a picture of Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala is way funnier than hearing “I am your Father” for the millionth time. Plus, you won’t have to hear Jar Jar Binks open his dumb mouth.
Overall, these changes can bring a breath of fresh air to the franchise, and combining them with the elements that made the older games so special can create an engaging experience never before seen in the “Lego Star Wars” universe, one that will hopefully bring in a young generation of “Star Wars” fans, and keep the older ones coming back for more.
