The LEGO franchise has been a hallmark of the video game industry for over fifteen years, and it's due in no small part to the massive success of the LEGO Star Wars series. Ever since 2005, these games have taken the galaxy far, far away and adapted it into puzzle-based games with the added charm of LEGO bricks. The next installment in the series, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, serves as the culmination of every LEGO Star Wars game, and to say that a lot of fans are excited would be an understatement. Even with its delays, the game is proving to be one of the most highly anticipated Star Wars games in awhile.
Considering how this will be the sixth LEGO game to tackle the Star Wars franchise, one lingering question among a portion of the LEGO Star Wars community has been how LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga will approach the films that have already been adapted in previous games. Getting a LEGO game that encompasses every single mainline Star Wars film sounds exciting on the surface, but when seven out of the nine films in the titular Skywalker Saga have been covered, it opens up the possibility for treading old ground. Luckily for fans, there are a few key ways that developer Traveller's Tales has ensured that longtime fans get a whole new experience.
LEGO Star Wars: A Padawan No More
One of the biggest advantages that LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has over previous LEGO Star Wars games is the experience of over fifteen years of LEGO game development from Traveller's Tales. All of that time has allowed the developer to hone its craft and figure out what it wants the LEGO games to look like, and the idea of what a LEGO game should be has changed drastically since the first LEGO Star Wars. The LEGO formula isn't the same as it once was, and that will play heavily into making The Skywalker Saga unique from every other game.
Perhaps the most crucial aspect of The Skywalker Saga that will help it differ from other LEGO Star Wars games is the fact that the films can be played in absolutely any order. This is a massive departure from the linear structure that essentially every LEGO game has followed through the years, and it gives longtime players and newcomers a chance to approach the game however they like. This is an unprecedented amount of freedom for a LEGO game, and it's rather fitting with how many Star Wars fans have different interpretations of what order the films should be watched in.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga will also be presented in a much different way compared to most other LEGO Star Wars games. Up until LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, the LEGO games were known for purely visual comedy that contained no dialogue. LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens was the first LEGO Star Wars game to contain voice acting, but The Skywalker Saga will be the first to give the prequel and original trilogies full voice acting. This is bound to result in cutscenes that are wholly unique from the first LEGO Star Wars games, giving Traveller's Tales a chance to flex its comedic muscles in the process.
Modernizing Older Star Wars Games
The LEGO franchise has been around for a long time, and during that time it's been able to grow and evolve with the rest of the video game industry. As console gaming has gotten more and more sophisticated, so too have the LEGO games, all while maintaining a level of accessibility that's perfect for all ages. While Traveller's Tales has found a good rhythm with the series, it looks to be using The Skywalker Saga as a chance to really spread its wings and try new things that take advantage of the technology of current consoles.
Recent LEGO games have allowed Traveller's Tales to experiment with expanding what a LEGO game is by incorporating hub worlds for players to explore. The Skywalker Saga looks to be doubling down on these hub worlds in a way that has never been seen before in a LEGO Star Wars game. Players will be able to roam around over a dozen different locations, and each of them will have their own dynamic events outside of the story missions. Thanks to advancements in technology and game development capabilities, the sheer scale of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga will be like no other LEGO Star Wars game.
Just when it seems like Traveller's Tales might already have a truly original LEGO Star Wars game on its hands with everything that's already been mentioned, there's still one other thing about The Skywalker Saga that will help it stand out from the rest. The combat system in most LEGO games has been simple to say the least, broken down to button mashing and occasional character coordination for some puzzles. The Skywalker Saga will be overhauling the franchise's combat system to give players a truly unique experience. Trailers for the game have shown that lightsaber battles will come down to well-timed parries and strikes, and blaster fights will actually include an element of accuracy from the player.
The buzz emanating from the LEGO Star Wars fanbase is almost palpable, which makes the disappointment that the game is stuck in development limbo understandable. Traveller's Tales has promised a lot for The Skywalker Saga, and the game will likely mark a new era for the LEGO franchise that sees more expansive projects come from the developer. When it comes down to it, getting a finished game is often better than getting a broken mess filled with bugs and technical issues, so the delays will likely be worth it. Fans will just have to trust in the force until more news on LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga comes out.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.