‘Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Review: A Goldmine Full of Fun Puzzles & Light Humor

Game: Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Consoles: PS4 (reviewed), PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, 3DS, PS Vita, PC
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Developer: Traveller’s Tales, TT Fusion

One of the most entertaining cinematic experiences from 2015 was the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Previous fans and much younger ones getting a taste of their first trip to that galaxy far, far away adored it. The film featured elements of the original episodes, while also introducing new characters that instantly became lovable. But there were a lot of story threads that were left unexplained. Luckily, the latest Lego action platformer does something that prior Lego Star Wars games didn’t do: offer up meaningful plot explanations that are an official part of the official lore. Not only does Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens provide such an essential element, it also features the best parts of Lego games and brand new mechanics.

Lego video game loyalists will love everything that’s still a part of this newest iteration. The visuals do an incredible job of bringing the Star Wars universe to life in its most blockiest form. Every planet and indoor location that you came to remember from the film is perfectly replicated here. Experiencing the attack on planet Jakku as you play with Poe and BB-8 is super loyal to the events of the movie. The added sense of whimsical Lego games humor takes the more serious moments from the movie (such as this one) and makes them more of a lighthearted affair. Another Lego game staple that’s incorporated here is the massive roster. The most diehard Star Wars fans will lose their minds over the amount of lesser known characters who’re playable. With hundreds of characters at your disposal, you’ll have plenty of options to select as you play alongside a willing co-op partner.

The Lego games franchise has grown quite stale these days. But Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens manages to freshen up the series’ tired formula in several interesting ways. Tackling puzzles aren’t just as simple as building just one tool or platform. The new Multi-Build mechanic allows you to tackle puzzling situations through numerous methods. Now you have the option to construct something that will either lead you to an important collectible or get you to the next portion of the stage. You’ll still run and jump around as you smash and blast all types of foes. The new cover-based shooting segments and flight-based shootouts offer more fun ways to endure various battle. Characters can stick to cover, pick off Stormtroopers, light up explosives and cause some impressive explosions. When it’s time to take flight, you’ll get to enter free-roaming sections and shoot everything in your way.

The best part of this game though is its side content. As you unlock more Gold Bricks, you’ll get the chance to play through character-based side missions. Playing through these quests are not just an optional activity for longtime Star Wars fans. These missions are practically essential. Want to find out how in the world Han Solo and Chewbacca got those scaly beasts onto their cargo ship in the first place? Well, wonder no more. There’s a ton of missions here that give you the lowdown on what happened. A lot of the unanswered questions you still have from The Force Awakens get resolved here with the awesome side missions.

Bottom Line

Just when it seemed like the Lego games were getting a bit tiresome, here comes Star Wars to freshen up the formula. This whimsical take on The Force Awakens features everything that fans of Traveller’s Tales games’ love: great puzzles, hilarious jokes, hundreds of playable characters, plentiful secrets and overall fun gameplay. The additions of cover shooting mechanics, space dogfights and side quests that offer deeper lore into the world of Star Wars are all welcome. For those of you who need a reprieve from the Lego games, this release probably won’t bring you back into the fold. As for everyone else, this action platformer is a must play.

Score: 9/10

Pros:

• The light hearted jokes and fun puzzle solving remains intact
• There’s actually a set of side missions that offer interesting backstories for hardcore Star Wars fans
• The flight battles offer another piece of great action-packed gameplay

Cons:

• If you’re tired of the Lego game formula, then this release probably won’t change your mind