2000s kids will create new memories in the latest installment of the Lego Star Wars saga PHOTO CREDIT: steampowered.com
Kids who were around in the mid-2000s know the wonder and excitement of exploring a galaxy far far away in LEGO form.
Now, that excitement has returned. For Star Wars fans like myself, the announcement of the long-awaited final installment of the LEGO Star Wars franchise, “LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga,” has made me the most excited about Star Wars in years. Along with the recent projects on Disney+ such as “The Mandalorian,” the seventh season of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars: Visions,” the franchise has created the most hype I’ve felt in years for the franchise.
LEGO has long been associated with George Lucas’s space fantasy creation, with Star Wars being the first licensed partnership with LEGO. Since its inception in 1999, Star Wars has been one of the most popular themes within the LEGO brand.
In my youth, I collected as many LEGO Star Wars sets as I could find, constructing my own battles and heroic journeys in my living room. I remember the day I brought home “LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga” from my local GameStop and I played the first level with my sister from “LEGO Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.” That hour spent playing was the first of many put into the video game.
“LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga” changed and amplified my experience with the series. Seeing my favorite characters take on adventures in LEGO form made me a fan for life. It may not seem like a big deal, but playing through levels, collecting studs and building solutions to silly puzzles helped cement Star Wars as my favorite franchise of all time.
Nearly a decade later, I still think about the time spent playing in my living room.
“LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” isn’t just a simple remaster, it is a completely new game. It promises new game mechanics and over 300 playable characters from all nine movies in the Star Wars Saga. Finally, for the first time since “LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” fans have a new full-length game to experience.
One of the things that made the older LEGO games so special was the lack of dialogue. Characters would mumble and pull out silly props to tell the story. “LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” is offering an option to either play the game with the voice-acted dialogue or to turn on “mumble mode” to experience the game just like old times.
Based on initial trailers of the game, it looks simply stunning. The developers captured the feel of each movie in LEGO form in a perfect way. Like many fans, I am incredibly excited to dive into the game. The visuals look clean and bright, pulling the player into the world. I have always been appreciative of how LEGO games don’t take themselves too seriously, granted the target audience is children. This will hopefully continue with “LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.” Regardless of target demographics, I’m really looking forward to playing my way through the levels from each movie.
I think this will be the next addition to my love for the Star Wars saga and a game that I will appreciate for a long time. “LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” releases on April 5, and I will certainly be playing as early as I can.