Early reviews of Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens are out, and all agree that the game makes for the same pleasant distraction as its Lego antecedents without innovating in either gameplay or story.
“It's gameplay, puzzles, and basic structure are all well worn, and even some of that trademark goofy Lego humor is starting to feel a little predictable. No surprises doesn't necessarily mean no fun, however. This game isn't a mold-breaker in the same way the superior Lego Dimensions was, but it delivers on its core promise of being an engaging, fun, and charming title that's imminently suitable for families,” says Gamespot’s review.
Gamespot praises the title for the co-op enjoyment Lego games are known for, along with the charming, goofy air characteristic of Lego titles. The non-film levels in Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which add new canon using the actual cast of The Force Awakens to create new voice-overs, are locked away until you obtain a large required amount of gold bricks, which will take a big time investment to gather if you’re a completionist.
The Kotaku review is less positive: “Beneath hot and cold running filler lies a bed of basic, family-friendly fighting and puzzle-solving gameplay,” says the review. Positive points include mechanics new to the Lego series, like Blaster Battles and space combat, while negative points include an excessive amount of filler that is either hit or miss.
The Videogamer review is tepidly positive. “It'll all feel very familiar if you've played a Lego game recently, and although there are some new additions to spice it up, they don't always work. There are boss fights to round off some areas, but half of them boil down to quicktime events with non-specific triggers and are as tedious as watching the Star Wars prequels,” it says. While the game is polished, pretty and well-designed, the review takes issue with Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ formulaic nature compared to its many Lego predecessors.
GameInformer’s review seems completely charmed by the new canon elements. “The content in this game is better than any deleted scene on the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Blu-ray, and is almost encyclopedic in how much of the film is explored. On top of the new story material, the game introduces a wealth of interesting characters and planets, and allows players to thoroughly explore locations that were only briefly shown in the movie,” the review says. The only serious frustrations according to the reviewer were a few game-breaking bugs, like an infinite death loop or cutscenes not triggering.
Do these reviews help give you an idea of whether or not to add Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens to your game library? Do you plan to purchase it to experience the new canonical add-ons voiced by the actual cast of the movie, or are you more interested in purchasing the game for a younger family member? Let us know in the comments section below.
