The LEGO series has been an ever-present for a number of years, covering a broad range of franchises. It seems that as long as an IP has scope for action, it can be a LEGO game, though the success rate can vary when TT Games struggles to turn the source material into exciting gameplay. This summer LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens joined the ranks, and it deserves credit for making the most of limited source material while also introducing some fresh ideas.
Though a hugely successful movie, plenty wondered whether its limited number of set pieces and action sequences would be enough for a retail LEGO release. In fairness, this game delivers with some clever workarounds. The core story campaign stretches out to over 10 levels, though a couple are stretching the film thin. In addition, though, there's an introductory stage to please fans of the older movies and a series of extra levels and challenges that can be tackled afterwards. The additional stages will give Star Wars fans some thrills, as they touch upon subplots and clarify some small aspects from the film. Pleasingly, these stages also benefit from following their own scripts, with the extra freedom enabling some interesting level design.
Some of the unlock requirements for extras are steep, it must be said, with plenty of 'Free Play' and repeated plays needed to rack up enough gold bricks to access all levels. Thankfully there are quickfire challenge missions that are also available for accumulating gold bricks, which can be found by running around in open areas based on the core planets and areas. It's well constructed for a typical playthrough - relive the film, and then do a mix of challenges, replay story stages and then new levels in order to build-up the completion percentage.
As for the gameplay, anyone that's played a LEGO game has a good idea of what to expect. Sizeable stages need to be navigated with a mix of jumping, puzzle solving and lots of primitive combat and block smashing. If you see LEGO bricks, you break them, and they're sometimes reconstructed to create new objects. The core controls are simplistic, which makes sense for a franchise aiming for accessibility, and it's a formula that's changed relatively little.
With that said, The Force Awakens does move things forward a little, adding welcome variety throughout a playthrough and broadening the scope for future LEGO games. One key change to puzzles comes from multiple build options with bricks - those that have an orange shine can be used on 2 or 3 different items. This can lead to puzzles where you construct switches or platforms in specific orders to traverse a tricky section, or a chosen build can be the difference between finding a special item or simply moving on to the next section.
There are bigger changes, too. This title makes confident use of cover-based gallery shooting sections, in which you pop out from cover to blast away at Stormtroopers. There are also a decent number of flying missions, in which you swoop around and blast away at Tie Fighters, base weak points or even through exciting chase sequences. Aside from a minor annoyance with the game forgetting our choice of inverted flight controls between play sessions, these made the Star Wars fanboy within this writer extremely happy.
As is typical with LEGO games, this one isn't best-in-class with any of these play styles - 3D action platforming, shooting, flying. Yet it's all competent, accessible and most importantly fun. That's the great gift of the LEGO series as a whole, in that it consistently delivers enjoyable gaming; this entry also adds improved variety and some of the better level design of recent LEGO times. Unlike some titles in the series over the years, The Force Awakens serves up levels with sensible and occasionally clever puzzles, clear and logical paths, and some praise-worthy twists and turns.
The sadness with all of this is that, ultimately, one of the best LEGO games in recent times is let down by technical shortcomings. Some are likely exclusive to Wii U in this current generation of hardware, notably the framerate. For the most part performance in single player is acceptable if not exceptional, and there are occasional scripted moments (when there's less strain on the hardware) where it runs rather well. There are bottlenecks where the game struggles, however, and playing in local co-op drags the framerate down further. If playing on Wii U our recommendation is the same as with other recent LEGO titles on the system - opt for single player.
That's disappointing, and there are some other aspects that lack polish. We encountered a few glitchy moments where characters briefly got stuck, or a peculiar section where the sound became oddly distorted for around 60-90 seconds. Some general sound levels are iffy, too - recorded lines lifted from the film aren't always loud enough, so we recommend turning subtitles on.
Those issues aside, there's still much to like in the presentation. There's the trademark LEGO humour, though it's dialled back a little, and the portrayal of areas from the film is - at times - impressive. The quality of the source material also helps with the soundtrack, with the iconic John Williams score - along with the newer music written for The Force Awakens - driving the action. For fans of the film and the broader Star Wars universe there's a lot to like.
Conclusion
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens is certainly worth strong consideration for Wii U gamers. It's the most fun we've had with a LEGO game in quite some time, as a matter of fact - smart design, some gameplay variety and a surprisingly impressive amount of content all weigh heavily in its favour. It strikes us as a game that had one of the more experienced and imaginative TT Games teams at the helm, and it charmed and entertained us over a number of hours.
Though it's one of the most enjoyable LEGO games we've played recently, it loses a point or two from us simply due to performance issues on Wii U. It struggles to maintain a tolerable framerate in co-op, and even has some tough moments in single player. That's a pity, but we still recommend it overall. This one fails to fully complete its Jedi training on Wii U, ultimately, but it's still strong in the Force.
Comments 50
That took forever...
That's a shame. I was hoping it would be technically sound, but I guess I'll have to stick to playing it on PC. 😔 (And Nintendo still doesn't think that power is important?!)
At this point, why bother reviewing it, the game came out months ago.
....Wondering if I should give the Lego games a go...I mean I did enjoy the movie, so...o.o
Still need to get my hands on Lego City Undercover.
@Joeynator3000 That really depends on your tolerance for incredible dull and repetitive gameplay, as well as your love for the source material.
Also, steer clear if you need any kind of challenge from your games, be it mentally or dexterity wise.
Personally, I would not recommend them to adults, other than to play them together with small kids.
Maybe if you are looking for something to relax and tune out to? But even than, I think better alternatives exist.
Usually "easy" games are difficult when it comes to completing everything, so....
I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened. Ah yes, it was those sithious frame rate issues!
@LegendOfPokemon I doubt its power so much as optimization.
Ah yes, I'll read this review when I've more time. I've heard mixed things about this game. Glitchy is the main thing and that it could have been sorted with more time.
If co op framerate issues are comparable to Jurassic Park and Lego Marvel it will be more than playable for most happy for a quick blast.
I always found coop bareable and the fact that each player has a separate screen a huge bonus.
The Lego series is repetitive and average.
@Captain_Gonru Well it's like that with Good Feel's games (Wooly World, Epic Yarn), they're easy to beat, but the 100% can be a pain sometimes.
No factoring in the lack of DLC in the review?
It certainly makes the WiiU version a no-go for anyone who owns more than one console...
Though I don't plan on playing this myself, it's bound to be more fun than the movie.
@Joeynator3000 I always found the Lego games to be fun. I really liked Marvel Superheroes, Avengers was OK as well. It really on the source material and how much you liked it. The Lego game mechanics are fun though.
I might hold off on this a bit longer until I get my PS4
Well... this is disappointing. Without co-op these games are pretty dull. Though the theming is fun and extensive, the play is middling if not helped out with silly antics with your buddy. (LEGO City Undercover is the only one I've played that rises above this problem.)
@TreesenHauser That's what I was thinking.
@LegendOfPokemon - Plenty of power in the Wii U. It's just a different architecture that is hard to port to, these days. Code isn't optimized for PowerPC. Period.
@Joeynator3000 You might want to give Lego City Undercover a try first, if you're looking for a Lego game to try out first. Excellent, funny, and not as glitchy as some of the Lego games seem to be (that might explain the game's long loading times, though).
Does this one use annoying and out of place audio clips from the film like Jurassic Park did? If it does, I immediately give it a 1/10
Why does NL not answer the obvious question, why didn't this review come out earlier??
Lego City remains the best non first party game on Wii U.
Sadly here, for the reasons mentioned above, you're better off with the PS4 or XBONE version.
@Phin68 Undoubtedly. Lego City Undercover is probably the best Lego game. The lack of multiplayer means the open world is put to some interesting uses and it bothers to at least acknowledge the game pad exists.
As a side the 3DS prequel isn't too shabby either for a handheld open world title.
BAD PORT? PASS------------------------
@LegendOfPokemon Yeah, this has nothing to do with power. Lego games are exactly technical beasts of software engineering. It's just due to lack of optimization and different architecture.
I got sick of these games fast. Basing it on a boring movie probably won't turn that around.
I've got plenty of games too play on the PS4 and Lego Star Wars wouldn't get a chance but the Wii U hasn't gotta lot of games coming out any time soon so I may check this buggy mess out on the Wii U when it becomes cheaper tho.
@Phin68 prepare yourself for long load times, in an otherwise great game!
Strangely, as often as these pop up (even in comparison to Skylanders, CoD, etc), I always get a kick out of LEGO games. There's something about the platforming-puzzle sort of play and use of the license that keeps me entertained.
As a life-long Star Wars fan and a LEGO hobbyist, I was going to get this until I found out the DLC would be skipping Wii U. Deal breaker.
@Joeynator3000
I'll echo everyone else and say play LEGO City Undercover. I believe it to be the best LEGO game out there, although a lot of the others are enjoyable too
Guess I'll look into at some point, not entirely sure when, though...
I've enjoyed it. The space combat levels are very well done (wouldn't be surprised to hear they'd borrowed some mechanics from Battlefront's Fighter Squadron mode, as there's a similar feel to the ship movement) and the new third-person shooter sections are a fun diversion. The last current-gen game I bought on last-gen hardware (in that case, the ps3) was Lego Batman 3, and the framerate did slow a few times in that, even in single-player. Nothing major though. Since the Wii U version is likely to be a port of the 360/ps3 versions, I now get the ps4 versions when I can. Agree with the earlier posts, hopefully this power differential nonsense for third party developers can be avoided with the nx.
@Joeynator3000
Yoshi's Wooly World actually had some moderate challenge to it, hence the "Mellow Mode" for those unskilled enough to make the cut.
I was pleasantly surprised by the moderate difficulty because I was expecting a "Kirby's Epic Yarn" from it. Instead, it's more in line with actual Yoshi's Island game on SNES. Maybe a hair less than a modern Mario game's difficulty,
@JaxonH I dunno, didn't have much trouble with the game aside from the hidden levels. (which was expected anyways, lol)
@Joeynator3000
Well I haven't had too much trouble with it either, but then again I don't have too much trouble with any 2D platformer aside from DKC and Rayman, and even those I've mastered with world class speed runs.
It's not so much it gives you trouble, it's that there's enough challenge to keep you engaged. There were levels where I fell into a pit in the first world (the one with all the moving rotating platforms you had to make solid with yarn). I don't recall that ever happening in Kirby's Epic Yarn.
It's why I got bored with Kirby's Epic Yarn but fell in love with Wooly World. It's not "difficult" but it does has a level of difficulty, enough to at least put you in situations where you can die. I particularly liked the one where platforms and enemy shadows appeared behind the moving curtain, but disappeared in the actual view once the scrolling curtain was gone. Made for some very tricky platforming getting all the hidden coins.
@LegendOfPokemon look at what Nintendo has done with their games. They have mostly solid frame rates. Bayonetta 2. 3rd party with amazing visuals and a solid frame rate. It just takes effort. Something a lot of 3rd parties have not put into Nintendo games in years.
Took you guys long enough.
Anyways, game doesn't look bad, but I'm not really a huge fan of the Lego games. They just feel kinda of the same. I did really like Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga though, so I might get this.
The game us onenif the weaker Lego games but that's mainly because the movie is one of the weakest Star Wars movies, and so much of the dialogue is flat.
@Donutman Those are all Wii U exclusives, though, so they're designed from the ground up for the Wii U architecture. When developers are making multi-platform games, it's very difficult to port them to Wii U even if the graphical power isn't an issue due to its incompatible architecture with the other consoles and many modern engines. Even if the NX has a spectacular launch, it still won't bring back a lot of the third parties unless this issue is fixed.
Read early on that the Wii U version wasn't going to get the DLC and the port wasn't on par with the rest of the versions. Since I've had a busy summer and tired of fighting with my kids for the PS4 or XBONE I got it on the 3DS. It is really a very competent port. I have been having a great time with it. It looks great and they didn't compress the video or audio too much. All of the cut scenes seem to be in it. I would have loved to see a review of the 3DS version early on, but I decided to take a go at it and have been fairly happy.
I enjoyed it a lot, but did have a few instances where it completely froze up, forcing me to restart the console... fortunately the checkpoint system had saved most of my progress, but it was still annoying.
But I've basically come to expect this from multi-platform games on the Nintendo systems... it's basically a port, so will suffer from that, and dividing their bug-testing between multiple systems will inevitably lead to bugs being missed... I'm actually relieved it came out as well as it did considering.
@Captain_Gonru Are we talking chair glue/ patience or "challenge"? Just because something takes alot of time and effort (to get to 100%), it is not necessarily challenging ... just time consuming. That a very important distinction to make.
@LegendOfPokemon its not important
@BulbasaurusRex screw third party I buy Nintendo for Nintendo games.i got playstation for the rest
@CosmoXY lol ok lol
I have played most Lego games. And most of what I've played has been co-op. I can coincidentally say this is one of the better ones (top five, probably). What I really notice about this one (Force Awakens) is the co-op puzzles are back in force. You are constantly switching between two or three key characters, which is great for co-op. The frame rate is not noticeable to the average gamer that doesn't have a ps4 next to him/her to directly compare it to. The game does have HUGE patch and has crashed once in 6 hours-- you decide if that's a lot or not. The flying and shooting cover sections aren't as good as I hoped they would be from the previous, but the cutscenes are outstanding! The lighting and music are GREAT. The audio clips are a bit of a mish mash, but better than Lego Avengers or Lego Jurassic park, and some like Han Solo are really good. They could have used a little more difficultly but the game is full of great animations and a variety of scenery that create an overall very good experience. It also teases you with the typical "come back later" collectibles in the form of Vadar / Skywalker only puzzles throughout every level.
@Joeynator3000 If you want the best Lego game, go for Undercover. Batman 2, Star Wars III, and this would be next in that order.
This is the first decent Lego game since Undercover in my opinion.
Lego games might as well have died after LCU. None of the ones after have come close. Not even Adam West could save them.
I know I’m a few years late but does anyone know if multiplayer on this is like it is on Jurassic Park where tablet and tv can have their own screens? I played that with my daughter and it worked wicked rad- i just startedbplaying lego movie and it doesn’t have that feature and i can’t stand the split screen. The WiiU being able to do the two screens for multiplayer is such an awesome edgebover the competition and i miss it on the switch
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