It’s weird. Honestly, if you grew up playing the original 2005 Lego Star Wars on a PS2 or a GameCube, Lego Star Wars The Skywalker Saga feels like a fever dream. It’s not just a remaster. It’s not even a remake. It is this massive, sprawling, slightly chaotic celebration of everything Lucasfilm that somehow managed to cram nine movies into one engine without exploding.
You’ve probably seen the trailers. You’ve seen the shiny graphics. But what most people don’t really talk about is how much this game changed the "Lego formula" that Traveller’s Tales spent two decades perfecting. They basically threw the old blueprint in the trash and started over.
The Combat is Surprisingly... Good?
In the old games, you just mashed one button. You hit a Stormtrooper, they fell apart, you moved on. Simple. In Lego Star Wars The Skywalker Saga, they added a combo system. I’m serious. You can actually do air juggles now. If you’re playing as a Jedi, you aren't just swinging a glowing stick; you’re using Force lifts to throw crates while simultaneously performing light and heavy attack strings.
It feels a bit like "Baby’s First Devil May Cry," and I mean that as a compliment.
There is a cover system now too. Why? Because the third-person shooting mechanics actually require you to aim. If you’re playing as Han Solo or Leia, the camera drops down over the shoulder, similar to Gears of War or Resident Evil 4. It makes the blasters feel like actual weapons instead of just "range buttons." It’s a huge shift from the fixed-camera perspective we used to have.
Does the humor still land?
Lego games live or die by their jokes. Since this game covers the Prequels, the Original Trilogy, and the Sequels, there is a lot of ground to cover. Some of it is classic slapstick—like a Stormtrooper in a hot tub—but a lot of it is meta-commentary on the movies themselves.
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They poke fun at the "High Ground," the weird logic of the Sequel trilogy, and even the "Maclunkey" Han Solo edits. It feels like it was written by people who spend too much time on Star Wars subreddits. That’s a good thing. It makes the game feel self-aware.
Exploring the Galaxy Without a Map
The biggest shock is the scale. We’re talking about 24 different planets. You aren't just playing through levels; you’re landing your ship in a "Hub World" like Coruscant or Tatooine and just... walking around.
You can hop in a TIE Fighter, fly from the surface of a planet into space, engage in a dogfight, and then board a Capital Ship. It’s seamless. Well, almost seamless. The loading screens are fast on modern hardware like the PS5 or Series X, but the sheer ambition of the open world is what sets Lego Star Wars The Skywalker Saga apart from its predecessors.
- You start at the Federal District on Coruscant.
- You pick up a side quest from a random protocol droid.
- Suddenly, you're traveling to Geonosis to find a specific part.
- You get distracted by a Kyber Brick puzzle hidden behind a waterfall.
That’s the loop. It’s addictive. It’s also overwhelming if you’re a completionist. There are 1,166 Kyber Bricks in this game. To put that in perspective, most Lego games have maybe 200-250 Gold Bricks. This is a massive time sink.
Class Systems and the Upgrade Tree
For the first time, characters are actually categorized into classes. You have Jedi, Hero, Scavenger, Scoundrel, Bounty Hunter, Villain, Dark Side, Astromech Droid, and Protocol Droid.
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Each class has its own skill tree.
Wait. A skill tree in a Lego game?
Yeah. You spend those Kyber Bricks to upgrade things like sprint speed, combat damage, or specific class abilities. For example, Bounty Hunters can gain the ability to fire "scatter shots" that hit multiple enemies. It adds a layer of RPG-lite mechanics that makes the game feel more modern, though some purists might find it a bit unnecessary for a game intended for kids.
The Voice Acting vs. Mumble Mode
This was a big debate when the game launched. Modern Lego games use full voice acting, often using lines pulled directly from the movie audio or hiring sound-alikes. However, the original charm of the series came from the "mumbling."
The developers included a "Mumble Mode" as an unlockable extra. It’s a nice nod to the past, but honestly, the voice acting here is top-notch. Hearing a sound-alike for Obi-Wan Kenobi deliver a dry one-liner just works better for the cinematic feel they were going for.
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Why the Development was a Nightmare
It’s worth noting that this game was delayed multiple times. Reports from Polygon and other outlets detailed a "crunch" culture at Traveller’s Tales during production. They were building a brand-new engine (NTT) instead of using the industry-standard Unreal Engine or their old tech.
That’s why the game looks so incredible. The plastic on the Lego bricks actually has scratches and fingerprints on it. If you walk through the sand on Tatooine, it sticks to the characters’ legs. If you’re on Hoth, snow builds up in the crevices of the Lego pieces. The technical detail is staggering, but it clearly came at a high cost for the developers.
What You Should Do Before Jumping In
If you’re planning to pick up Lego Star Wars The Skywalker Saga today, don't just rush through the story missions. The story levels are actually surprisingly short—some can be finished in ten minutes. The real "game" is in the open-world exploration between missions.
- Focus on the "Attract Studs" upgrade first. It’s a lifesaver. It sucks up coins from a distance so you don't have to chase every single one.
- Don't ignore the side quests. Some of the best character unlocks (like Mama the Hutt) are hidden behind weird, multi-planet questlines.
- Play the movies in order. Or don't. The game lets you start at Episode I, IV, or VII. But let's be real—starting with A New Hope just feels right.
The game isn't perfect. The space combat can feel a little floaty, and sometimes the puzzles are a bit repetitive. But as a love letter to a franchise that has defined pop culture for nearly 50 years, it’s hard to find anything else that captures the "fun" of Star Wars quite like this.
Go into the "Extras" menu as soon as you get your first Datacard. Unlock the "Stud Multipliers." Once you hit x10 or x100, the game turns into a chaotic explosion of silver and gold coins, and that is exactly what a Lego game should be.
Stop worrying about the "right" way to play. Just pick a character you love—whether it's Gonk Droid or Darth Vader—and start breaking things. The bricks will always be there to put back together.