Like many kids who grew up in the 2000's, Lego games formed a pretty significant part of my hours spent annoying my parents screaming at the TV in my unbroken voice, especially when I wasn't annoying them by leaving my real life Lego all over the floor for them to agonizingly step on. I experienced many franchises I enjoyed in the form of choking hazards, like Batman, Indiana Jones, and Harry Potter.
But the last one I bought was the first Lego Marvel game, although I do recall playing the one based on The Force Awakens because my little brother bought that one, and when he was done with it I figured I might as well give it a try. I don't remember a damn thing about it, but i played that Lego Marvel game for hours on end when I was 12, and then stopped bothering with new Lego games when they came out.
But of all the franchises I experienced through a plastic filter, Star Wars had to be the one I played the most. That could have something to do with the fact that there was three of them, but nevertheless, I put sooooo many hours into all three of them that they're all likely still etched into my mind all these years later.
So hearing about this game, even though I hadn't bought a Lego game since I was 12, nearly 10 years ago, the prospect of having an updated version of those games I loved so much as a child, plus the new trilogy put into Lego form alongside the first six films, was quite alluring.
Unfortunately, it's taught me a pretty sharp lesson in why nostalgia is a hell of a drug. Because, yes, I enjoyed my time playing this game for the most part, but certainly not as much as any of the others, and certainly not enough to play any more than the 45 main levels. But let me raise you a question about Lego games: why do people enjoy them?
I would say one of two reasons: either they're a fan of whatever franchise the game is based on, or because historically, they've always been so irresistibly charming and funny. Even if you don't agree with these reasons, I think one reason we can all agree on as not being a factor in why people (or adults, at least) enjoy these games is the gameplay. The combat has always been mash a button to hit/blast things until they fall apart, platforming has always been incredibly simple and easy, and even if you do die, the only punishment is you lose some currency you picked up. Even then, you respawn fast enough that you can easily get it all back again.
And some of that is different in this game, but we'll get to that soon enough. Applying the two reasons people like these games to me, I do like Star Wars (for the most part, I certainly don't like the first two films of the prequel trilogy, or the last two of the sequel trilogy, but I like the universe, and I'm not going to judge this game on the sometimes awful material it adapts because that just wouldn't be fair.)
So then the other reason...their charm. Well, as much as I hate to say it, I think that these games being fully voice acted for over 10 years now has significantly stripped back that charm. I think their sense of humour was much more unique when there was no dialogue, it's more fitting when you consider that pieces of plastic can't talk, and as an incentive to the developers, I'm sure it was much cheaper too.
This game still has its funny moments, but I really don't think it can compare to the originals. It's like what they did with Tom and Jerry in that awful animated film from the 90's, where they decided to make them talk and sing, and with one fell stroke, completely ruined the comedic purpose of the characters.
And there's never anything particularly funny in the level design either. Remember how there were a bunch of stormtroopers in a hot tub in a random room of the second game? Or how you could make a load of Kaminoans dance by activating a disco ball in the first? You won't get anything like that here, from what I saw anyway.
And the gameplay is both as simple and straightforward as the Lego games of old, yet also reeks of homogeneity. It feels like it's desperately trying to fit into the big boys' club with its cover system, shooting with the triggers (and the aim reticle is atrocious, by the way), free roaming around the galaxy with waaaay too many side missions and collectibles, upgrade system (yes, seriously, this Lego game where you will die and always spawn back exactly where you were has an upgrade system, that I of course never touched), and how it's suddenly got that thing modern games have where it automatically makes your character jump to platforms just by pressing a button, making it even more easy...I really feel like I have to question what the point of these games still being made is.
If it doesn't have as much of the charm, and the way its decided to evolve its gameplay is to make it more like everything else, then what really is the point? I can't even say it has fun bosses or something, because nearly every boss has the exact same moveset, which is just so lazy.
The best thing I can say about it is that it certainly looks and sounds like The Skywalker Saga made with Lego. Barring Yoda looking like absolute crap for whatever reason, and a few of the voice actors being terrible imitators of the characters (seriously, who is the lucky contestant off of r/niceguys that they got to voice Kylo), the graphics and sound design perfectly recreate the Star Wars universe.
Unfortunately, this game I bought to relive some childhood nostalgia only ended up being a rude awakening to how I assume Lego games must have been made since I stopped playing them, and how they've presumably just been trying to make them more like everything else for the last decade or so. And of course, since I'm old now, how much better things were in my day.
Damn it, when did I become my dad...
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