May the Brick Be With You- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Review

“May the Brick be with you!”

Today I’m reviewing the Nintendo Switch version of the biggest baddest (and I mean that in a good way) Star Wars game of the eon, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Note: for this review, I played the Deluxe version of the game which contains many additional characters. I’ll let you know if the Deluxe version is worth it down below.

When I tell you how excited I was for this game, believe me when I say EXCITED. Not only am I a massive Star Wars fan, but the original two Lego Star Wars games (and later the repackaged Complete Saga) dominated my childhood. I spent countless hours traversing the Legofied Star Wars galaxy, unlocking characters, discovering hidden secrets, and collecting studs (no, not that kind of stud—but yes please). No matter how many hours I sunk into the Lego Star Wars games, I felt like I was always finding new things that I missed the first time I played.

And that’s the beauty of the Lego Star Wars games—their replayability. There’s so much to do and unlock that it can feel overwhelming at times. I tend to gravitate to those bigger games because I like spending time exploring, collecting resources, doing sidequests, and pushing off the main story so I can be immersed in the game’s world just a little longer. 

I’m happy to say Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga meets all my expectations and then some. It’s a big game with LOTS to do. Nine films worth of content is a tall order for any game, but developers Traveler’s Tales presents a near-flawless recreation of a Star Wars galaxy far, far away. Since the game’s April 5th release date, I’ve played over 50 hours, and I see many more on the horizon. 

Gameplay

Like the Lego Star Wars games of our childhoods, this latest entry in the series is light-hearted and gentle, a wholesome romp with familiar characters and breathtaking environments carefully recreated in Lego. This doesn’t mean the occasional challenge doesn’t present itself or the game isn’t engaging or exciting—it’s quite the opposite. The puzzles and minigames are more detailed and complex than the puzzles of the original games, with beautifully crafted levels stuffed full of easter eggs.

Two decades between the Complete Saga and the Skywalker Saga gave Traveler’s Tales plenty of time to significantly overhaul some of the core gameplay Lego fans experienced in previous titles. The game’s combat system is smoother than ever and emphasizes combos, which are fun to experiment with as you progress through the game. The locked overhead camera is gone, replaced by a third-person over-the-shoulder view allowing players greater freedom of movement. This comes in handy when players must duck behind covers to avoid blaster bolts or engage in lightsaber duels with some of the most iconic heroes and villains of the Star Wars franchise. 

RELATED: Why Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2005) Is A Timeless Classic

Unlike the previous entries in the series, the massive character roster is divided into a class system. Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Aayla Secura, Yoda, Mace Windu, (even Yaddle. YADDLE!) and other Jedi fall under the Jedi class, while the Hero class features characters like Padmé Amidala, Nien Nunb, Mon Mothma, and yes…even the wise and respected Jar Jar Binks. Other classes include the Bounty Hunter class (my personal favorite) Villains, Dark Side, Extra, Protocol Droids, Scavengers, and Scoundrels. Many of these characters overlap and utilize similar functions, but the wide range of playable characters available makes up for this. There’s no greater joy than mixing and matching characters from different eras as you assemble your dream team of Lego Star Wars villains and heroes to take on the galaxy. 

Each class comes with its unique abilities and skillsets, which players can upgrade using studs (the in-game currency) and Kyber Bricks, artifacts hidden all over the galaxy both in free play and story modes. Kyber Bricks and studs are some of the collectibles featured in the game. Players also hunt for data cards to unlock extra features and mini kits to build and unlock ships like the Millennium Falcon, Darth Maul’s The Scimitar, Queen Amidala’s Royal Naboo Cruiser, and even the Death Star, which players can purchase as their capital ship.

Space travel and combat are new additions to the Skywalker Saga. Players can visit iconic planets like Coruscant, Naboo, Yavin 4, and Hoth, which look nearly exactly how the planets looked in the films. Be aware though—traveling in space comes with its own set of challenges as players can find themselves in the middle of a dogfight with enemy vessels while traveling from planet to planet to complete an objective.

How Does Lego Star Wars: the Skywalker Saga play on Nintendo Switch

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a gorgeous game with breathtaking visuals and attention to detail that will delight any Star Wars fan. For the most part, it plays near-seamlessly on the Switch, barring a few frame rate drops here and there. I encountered some crashes to the main screen when I started playing the game; luckily these are mostly absent now thanks to a few updates. The game sometimes lags when I’m in the middle of space combat, but it doesn’t happen often. 

Is the Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Deluxe worth it?

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga offered two versions of the game at launch. The base game comes with 380 characters and ships. The Deluxe Edition brings the roster to over 400 characters, including the figures from Rogue One, Solo, the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, and a few specialty characters like the classic version of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Deluxe Edition is nice if you want to collect all the characters, but if you don’t want or have $70 to shell out for the Deluxe Edition, I suggest getting the base game and any other additional packs you want. You won’t be playing as ALL the characters because there are simply too many of them, so picking and choosing what packs you want (if any at all) is up to you.

The Deluxe Edition doesn’t come with any additional levels or puzzles. The extra content is entirely in the additional characters, so unless you want to collect every character, you really aren’t missing much if you buy just the base game.

Final Verdict

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is an absolute joy to the play, with beautifully crafted environments, charming characters, thrilling combat and gameplay, and secrets that will keep you busy for hundreds of hours. I stand by my decision to call this one of the greatest Star Wars games ever made, which is a lot coming from me because of my love of the 2005 Star Wars: Battlefront 2—which I think the newest title in the Lego series just manages to top. 

I do feel it is within my duties as a reviewer to touch on some of the controversy surrounding the developers of the game, Traveler’s Tales. In January of 2022, just a few months before the game launched, several employees reported on the toxic culture of the studio and the staggering amount of overtime thrust upon them to launch the game’s new engine. Here’s a link to an article about the story so you can be informed.

With that said, I highly recommend this game to any Star Wars fan. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga isn’t a simple remaster of the previous titles in the series. This is a brand new spanking game and a heartfelt love letter to all things Star Wars. I’m both excited and sad to finish the game because I love it so much, and I know it’s a title I’ll revisit time and again.

Have you played Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga? Let me know in the comments and make sure to check out my website for all things pop culture. Stay nerdy!