It was just over a month ago that we first got word that the next film to get a LEGO makeover, courtesy of Cheshire based studio LEGO studio Traveller's Tales, would be Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Based on the recent film of the same name, what was even more surprising was quite how quickly the team would be getting the brick-tacular co-op adventure out the door, with the game being slated for a June release, roughly six months after the release of their previous game, LEGO Marvel's Avengers. We don't know about you, but we're quite happy with bi-annual Lego games - and it looks like LEGO Star Wars is bringing with it a few new features too, as revealed in the first gameplay trailer released today.
The new gang.
Boasting "epic dogfights across the galaxy", Lego Star Wars 'new' flying sections will see you evading tie fighters through Jakku's derelict wasteland, dogfighting with Kylo Ren's army on Takodana and battling with huge Star Destroyers, as well as giving you the chance to pilot iconic Star Wars vehicles such as the Millennium Falcon. We say 'new', because similar flying sections have cropped up in past LEGO games too, so we're not really sure what's meant to be different for the latest LEGO Star Wars game, save a few locations, vehicles and scenarios…
Blaster Battles however are definitely new, and add a new layer of strategy to combat - or so we say, as if our 'hammer the attack button until everything dies' technique counts as any sort of strategy. Essentially letting you take cover behind objects, popping out to shoot at bad guys between enemy gunfire, it offers a new way to fight, breaking up the sometimes repetitive combat. Whether it'll be done through set pieces, or you can slip in and out of cover at any time remains to be seen though.
But perhaps the most intriguing of the new additions are the multi-builds, which look set to take the traditional smash-stuff-up-and-rebuild-it-into-something-useful LEGO formula to the next level. Whereas previous games have basically seen you rebuilding the smashed up LEGO bits into a set thing, whether it be a giant ice cream, a huge hammer, or a ride-on lawnmower, it seems LEGO Star Wars will give you a choice of several different builds instead, letting you approach each puzzle in a slightly different way. From the looks of it, these multi-builds will effectively offer a branching path through the level, or perhaps even the story, with each different possible build opening up a different section of the level.
Multi-Builds give you a choice of what to make from your pieces.
Depending on which option you choose, the multi-builds will let you choose how you approach various sections of the game. For example, the trailer shows that building a subterranean spider droid will let you tunnel under the enemies' shield and take them out from within - while opting for a "strategy of a different flavour" sees you luring them out with what appears to be a giant box of pop corn. Because everyone knows stormtroopers can't get enough of that buttery cinema staple.
On top of the levels themed around the iconic and memorable moments from The Force Awakens, there'll also be extras that expand on the Star Wars story, filling in the gaps leading up to the events of film. These will include discovering how Han and Chewie captured their dangerous Rathtar cargo, alongside a more in-depth look at Poe Dameron's adventures and a look at the backstory of Lor San Tekka, the guy who gave Poe the map fragment during the early part of the film - all told in the adorably slapstick style we've come to know and love from the LEGO series.
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be soaring onto every major console (Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Wii U, PC, 3DS and PS Vita) in just a few months time, on the 28th June. Why not check out the new trailer for yourself below:
