The LEGO Star Wars series has a universal charm that appeals to players from all walks of life, from the young ones to those with a family. Its formula of challenging puzzles, humour, and creative builds has been tried-and-tested, with each entry finding much success and popularity. Four years after its last release, the title is poised to make a massive return to form with LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, by shaking up its well-loved, age-old DNA.
First unveiled at E3 2019, the game is set to be the ultimate love letter to fans of the franchise, as well as the biggest LEGO Star Wars project from developer TT Games. Apart from bringing together all nine films of the cinematic universe, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga will also allow players to start at any point in the timeline – a first for the series.
What’s even more impressive, however, is the character roster. Nearly 500 faces have been included, from favourite hero and villain picks, to background players, and…Yaddle. Of the list, many are playable, with some expected to make a surprise appearance in the game.
Craig Derrick, managing producer at Lucasfilm Games, shared his team’s decision to go big on the official Star Wars blog. “Look, if you had one shot or one opportunity to build a LEGO Star Wars game from the ground up that brings all nine films of the Skywalker saga together for the first time in one moment, would you capture it or just let it slip? We all knew early that to do this right, we had to do it well, and to respect what has come before while bringing new elements to the franchise,” he explained.
“We needed the game to feel epic in scope and scale while bringing the player intimately closer to the action like never before. This required new technology, new game mechanics, and a passionate team of developers to create a cast of hundreds and all the familiar worlds they populate — all with the charm and humor you expect with a LEGO Star Wars game. Quite frankly, this game is massive because it had to be.”
In timely fashion for Star Wars Day in the US, the title’s key art has also been dropped, revealing a vibrant visual that pays tribute to each trilogy. That means The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker will be heading over to the game universe for the first time, with iconic battles being replicated in building brick style, such as the throne room scene with Rey and Kylo Ren fighting the Praetorian Guards, and the dramatic father-nephew showdown between Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren. Beyond The Last Jedi, other noteworthy moments include the Clone Wars in the Battle of Geonosis, and manning an Alliance snowspeeder at the Battle of Hoth to take on the Imperial’s treacherous ground forces.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is slated for launch later this year on the Xbox One family of devices, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC. With how well the legacy of the series has carried over the years, it’s only apt that the upcoming title is going all out with a bang, and bring everything to a memorable close.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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