Why so grim? Here, the Lego versions of Obi Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul are fighting each other. Photo: The LEGO Group/STAR WARS & Lucasfilm Ltd. & Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc/dpa-tmn
A rare bright spot: The Traveller’s Tales development studio. For more than 15 years, it has been regularly providing humorous replenishment with its Lego games in the Star Wars universe.
Instead of war pathos and melodramatic family squabbling, Luke Skywalker and his friends are in the “Lego Star Wars – The Skywalker Saga” with a lot of self-irony at the collar. The mix of combat, skill tests and collecting games can count on an audience of millions of different age groups. “The Skywalker saga” offers more action compared to its predecessors without renouncing the well-known game joke of the series.
Once upon a time in a distant future
“The Skywalker Saga” tells in a shortened form the complete story of the blockbuster epic. In the nine episodes of the film saga, Luke, Yoda and Rey chase through space, fight against evil stormtroopers, get to know the power of the Jedi and destroy one or the other death star.
Almost every character and every spaceship of the Star Wars universe appears and provides nostalgic moments of well-being for fans big and small. If you want, you can also go out as a couple and experience the adventure on a split screen from the couch.
Playfully, it is a typical action adventure from the shoulder perspective. The fans walk around as one of the well-known Star Wars characters and engage in exciting battles with the Empire. They use blasters or lightsabers, jump over their opponents and use their power abilities to swirl the enemies around.
Numerous vehicles such as floor gliders or the huge combat machines called AT-AT roll under the control of the players flattening everything that comes in their way.
The missions themselves are simple summaries of the iconic moments of the film saga. Usually it is about successfully advancing to the end of the section. The highlight is the boss fight against Darth Vader or other well-known villains of the series.
Funny action spectacle with a lot of winks
But as martial as that may sound – like its predecessors, the game is not a brutal action ball, but a cuddly adventure in the Lego look. Where pathos and drama dominate in the originals, Traveller’s Tales breaks every melancholy moment with irony.
The stormtroopers fall over like dominoes at the parade, Darth Vader treats himself to a hot coffee before the first mission and during the space battle the enemy spaceships push themselves out of the way in slapstick style.
Lego would not be Lego if players were not allowed to decompose a large part of the environment into small Lego bricks with relish. They not only bring in a lot of coal to unlock new figures, but also form the basis for the construction of new equipment. Often a terminal is missing to unlock the way or a cannon to take out a particularly stubborn opponent such as the legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett.
Players do not have to show special skill in construction – everything happens at the push of a button. Too bad, a little more of the typical Lego crafting fun would have brought the game some more pluses.
Important: teamwork and special skills
In many moments, the special abilities of the characters count. A Han Solo is a master marksman who takes aim at targets in slow motion. Jedi student Rey uses her power abilities to build small towers to reach higher areas. Stormtroopers throw grenades and robots like R2-D2 open new paths with a small switch puzzle at terminals.
This offers many playful possibilities. Some of these skills can be improved with the collected Lego bricks. But: Dozens of hours pass before players have unlocked all the characters and abilities. Some areas can only be visited with the right hero, who unlocks new areas with his abilities. That’s why the game is far from over after the triumph over the evil empire.
The “Free Game” allows you to explore and experiment with the hero skills without time pressure. What aspiring Jedi knights should not expect: a great playful challenge. No one can die here and the battles are easy to master even for inexperienced players.
