LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga marks a new chapter in the beloved building toy-based adaptation series. Since its first installment in 2005, the LEGO Star Wars series has had five entries— some hits, and some misses.
Their platforming, combat, and puzzle-based gameplay appeals to a wide audience age range, and they boast a quirky sense of humor that isn't afraid to poke fun at some of Star Wars' sillier elements. The Skywalker Saga sets itself up as a sort of capstone on the entire series, promising to revisit all nine main Star Wars films with new levels, revamped gameplay, and next-gen visuals. So what exactly can players expect?
10 Full Voice Acting Makes A Return
The first installments in the LEGO Star Wars series lacked full voice acting, relying instead on visual gags, nonverbal vocalizations, and sound effects to carry the story and jokes. But starting in 2012, LEGO began using voice talent in its adaptations series.
2016's LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens was the first LEGO Star Wars game to do so, and it appears The Skywalker Saga will do the same. This choice is a divisive one among fans, with some appreciating the more in-depth storytelling opportunities it offers, and others missing the old style.
9 A More Dynamic & Cinematic Camera System
The trailers feature a number of Star Wars' most exciting fight scenes, all rendered in beautiful bricks and studs. Old favorites from the previous games will be making a comeback, including the arena on Geonosis, the battle with the Rancor, and Anakin and Obi-Wan's duel on Mustafar.
However, these old classics have a much more dynamic and cinematic look than their predecessors, suggesting a total revamp in how the game approaches action sequences. Most appear to have a moving camera rather than the mostly static birds-eye view from the previous games.
8 The Series' Trademark Humor Is Alive & Well
The LEGO games are well known for their sense of humor, and The Skywalker Saga seems to be continuing this tradition. The trailers are full of Star Wars inside jokes, including Luke chugging a carton of blue milk, Han and Greedo having a prolonged and ineffective shootout, and Obi-Wan choosing to tactfully misinform Luke about his father's fate.
In addition, the trailers feature a slew of jokes true to the goofy, lighthearted style of previous games, promising that this installment will be just as fun a romp as the past five.
7 Galaxy Map And/Or Open World Instead Of A Traditional Hub World
Previous LEGO Star Wars games made use of a hub world, often an eating establishment of some kind, to traverse the different levels. The Skywalker Saga appears to offer a more open approach, as the trailer shows Luke using a galactic map to navigate between planets.
Exactly how this translates to playing between different films and levels remains to be seen, but it does seem to be a marked departure from the previous entries.
6 It Will Be The Best-Looking LEGO Game Yet
LEGO games haven't always been known for their stunning visuals, but The Skywalker Saga does not disappoint. Between exciting camera work, intricately detailed backgrounds, and an overall cinematic look, the new game is not pulling any stops when it comes to the look and feel of Star Wars.
Players are sure to feel their LEGO dreams coming to life in this vibrant and exciting world. LEGO's updated models and more detailed sculpts also help contribute to the overall feeling of quality.
5 First-Person Segments
The trailer depicts a number of sections, most notably the podrace in The Phantom Menace, where the game switches to a first-person view. This is a departure from previous games which all stuck to a third-person perspective.
This could be an attempt to ease the difficulty of the notorious vehicle segments, the bane of children everywhere. Or perhaps it is simply to offer a more immersive environment. Either way, this change brings fresh life to the series and seems to be used sparingly.
4 A Planned Spring 2022 Release Date
Nothing more concrete has been announced, leaving gamers wondering about a specific release date. The last few years have seen a litany of delays, both due to labor interruptions and materials shortages.
Whether this game has been affected by this slowdown, or will be affected before its release, remains to be seen. Star Wars fans can hope to see the game by early next year, but there's no telling what unforeseen circumstances may interrupt that. Disney leaving the date ambiguous for now is a surefire way to avoid any disappointments.
3 All-New Levels With No Reused Areas From Previous Games
The LEGO Star Wars series is no stranger to retreading ground, with LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga being a combination of the first two games. But it appears that The Skywalker Saga is not such a combination, but instead a new game from the ground up.
Not only does it feature two films, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, not yet adapted to a LEGO game, but the levels we see from previous games appear fully changed and redesigned.
2 Yaddle Is Playable
For a brief moment in the trailer, Jedi Master Yaddle is seen wielding a green lightsaber. A minor character featured in The Phantom Menace, Yaddle is on the Jedi Council and a member of the same species as Yoda and Grogu.
Her appearance in this game marks the first time she has appeared in LEGO form, suggesting this game could feature a number of characters never-before-seen in the series. The LEGO games are known for their expansive character rosters, and The Skywalker Saga promises to be no different.
1 There's A Lot We Still Don't Know, Though...
While the gameplay trailers are exciting and chock full of info, they leave audiences wondering just as much. How will the galaxy hub world work? What levels from older games will return, and what will be added? Just how many characters will there be? The trailer showed no sign of minikits, a stable collectible in the series.
Many of these questions will likely be answered before the game releases next spring, but just as many will need to be discovered by players. With nine films to draw from, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is sure to be a titanic game with lots to uncover as players explore the galaxy far, far away.