Sony brought down the house at E3 with a press conference packed to the rafters. Almost every single moment was dedicated to new games and a couple beloved franchises. One such title that partially flew under the radar was Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Sony showed off a brief story trailer from TT Games before revealing that a playable demo was immediately available for download. Being a huge Lego/Star Wars fan, I gave the demo a test run to see if the new game would live up to Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga.
The demo is set during Finn, BB-8, and Rey’s escape from Jakku. Countless Tie Fighters and Stormtroopers are in pursuit, and the trio is seemingly trapped in a courtyard.
This first section seems like a standard Lego arena at first, but it’s actually a subtle introduction to one of the new mechanics. Breaking dozens of bricks reveals a jumping pile of blocks that can be built, just like in other games. However, this pile can actually be built multiple times. The first creation is a turret that destroys a gunship; the second, a rocket that drops coins. Finn and Rey have to build, break down, and rebuild multiple items just to move throughout the level. This is a slick new system for traversing levels, but it could also lead to some frustration if you constantly build items in the wrong order. Experimentation is key during the Jakku level.
Looking for stuff to break and build
The second section of the demo is an extended look at Jakku’s ground combat. Only this time you are hiding in cover like Marcus Fenix or Nathan Drake. It’s a Stormtrooper shooting gallery, complete with popping in and out of cover. This mechanic mixed up the standard brick smashing fairly well, but the combination of buttons feels a little clunky at first. Instead of “left trigger, right trigger”, you have to hold down “x” and mash “square” to shoot the Stormtroopers. There is also a charged attack that requires tapping “o” at the right moment. Where Gears of War’s cover-based shooting feels like a smooth, curving road, The Force Awakens is more like a industrial street after a chip seal. Gravel and bumpiness everywhere.
After destroying the entire refugee camp on Jakku, it’s finally time to test out evolving flying mechanics. The first part of the Millennium Falcon’s escape is more of an on-rails sequence like earlier Lego Star Wars. The Falcon flies down a tunnel, blasting everything in sight, before breaking out into an open combat arena. This section is populated by dozens of Tie Fighters, most of which need to be destroyed before moving on to the next sequence.
The more confined flying section
Flying around in this open area is a stronger part of the level–after you invert the flying controls–and the large scale battle is quite entertaining. The Falcon controls fairly well for a brick vehicle, although the maneuverability could be improved. The on-board weapons work well enough to take out the Tie Fighters and initiate the final sequence, which is another tunnel escape.
Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens seems to be an improvement over the fairly boring Lego Marvel’s Avengers. The new mechanics seem to work well, despite some clunkiness, and they help break up (no pun intended) the standard Lego gameplay. The cover mechanic will definitely take some getting used to. The early characters are all useful, and I know that BB-8 will start arguments in my house because he’s one of the best characters to play with.
Of course, the most important factor is the humor. There were many moments during this demo that made me chuckle, including a Stormtrooper in a Sombrero. I know it’s not highbrow humor like Paul F. Thompkins, but that’s not the point. Lego Star Wars has always been about goofy fun, and The Force Awakens keeps that tradition going.
Stay out of my room!
So far, I adore Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Take that with a grain of salt seeing how my opinion is based on a 45-minute demo. Hopefully, the full game is even better.
We will find out for certain when the game hits shelves and digital retailers on June 28th.
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