Star Wars fans have been exercising a whole lot of patience while waiting for the release of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. The game has experienced delay after delay since its announcement two years ago, and fans just recently got some kind of relief in the form of a new trailer at this year's Gamescom. Even with that new trailer, however, came some disappointment, as fans learned that LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga wouldn't be releasing until Spring 2022. For a game that's been talked up so much for so long, this delay certainly wasn't the best news, but there's one big reason why it could be for the best.
The last year of game development has been a struggle across much of the industry. The ongoing pandemic, along with the ballooning size of most AAA games, have combined to create a wash of delays for several studios. One of the most infamous games to be released in the midst of these issues was last year's highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077, which was panned across the board for its technical issues. The game has hardly recovered since it was released, and with this newest delay to LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, developer TT Games should be able to avoid the same fate by using Cyberpunk as a cautionary tale.
The Ambitions Of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Much like Cyberpunk 2077, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is trying to accomplish a lot in one neat package. The game plans to revolutionize the usual LEGO formula with features like enhanced traversal, a more robust combat system, and the ability to play through any Star Wars film in any order. For many LEGO Star Wars fans, this game has become the most promising release out of TT Games since the very first LEGO Star Wars came out over fifteen years ago. There have been some incredibly high expectations set by the developers and fans alike, and that puts a lot of pressure on the final product.
The Issue Of Becoming "The Next Cyberpunk 2077"
When evaluating The Skywalker Saga's delays compared to the issues of Cyberpunk 2077, it's important to realize just how hyped up Cyberpunk was before release. The game had been in development for a significantly long time after it was first revealed, each new trailer building up expectations. When Cyberpunk launched, it was such a technical mess that it greatly damaged the reputation of CD Projekt Red, and has since spent the majority of its first year on the market being patched with fixes. Across the industry, it's since become a warning to developers of what can happen when a game is pushed to release rather than taking the time to deliver a polished product.
What's At Stake With LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
It's not difficult to see how The Skywalker Saga's newest delay could be an effort to avoid making the same mistakes as Cyberpunk. If there's one thing that TT Games is known for, it's consistency in the quality of its games, and that level of consistency has never been more important than with The Skywalker Saga. If the game comes out with even half of the problems that Cyberpunk did, it would greatly damage the reputation of TT Games, and could potentially jeopardize the future of the LEGO franchise moving forward. With all of the work that has already been put into The Skywalker Saga, the last thing fans or developers want is for the game to come out unfinished.
As annoying as it may be when a game is hit with delay after delay, games are received better when they're released in a finished state rather than when they're released with bugs and glitches. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga's delays may be discouraging, but it should prove to be worth it when it delivers the experience that fans have been waiting for. With all of its hype, it would be very easy for The Skywalker Saga to become another Cyberpunk 2077, but TT Games is clearly showing that it would rather be safe than sorry.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is set to release Spring 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.