The LEGO empire strikes back

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens introduces some brand new concepts to the series, some better than others. It mainly tells the story of The Force Awakens, and also comes with new adventure levels that bridge the gap between episodes VI and VII.

The biggest new feature in this game is the ability to utilise the same parts to make different objects. Called multi-build, it adds a new strategic element to every mission. Different builds are often required to access hidden areas of the level for collectables such as Red Bricks. Otherwise, you will be required to keep building, utilising, breaking and then rebuilding different objects in order to progress.

It’s a great way to prevent levels from feeling monotonous and with some refinement, could be the first definitive change in the series in a long time.

The other big new addition does not fare so well. Almost every mission has a cover shooting sequence that feels completely unnecessary from a gameplay perspective. The player controlled character hides behind cover and can use L2 and R2 to aim and fire.

Moving the reticle is very finicky and it being controlled by the left stick feels unnatural. You will be mostly tasked with taking out a set number of enemies while occasionally fighting a bullet spongy mini- boss. Some of these sequences can last a long time which disturbs the pacing of these missions. The real highlights of the game are the new Star Wars adventure levels that fill the gap between episodes VI and VII. You can unlock them by collecting gold bricks and each one is centred on a new or familiar character from the universe. Players will find themselves saving Admiral Ackbar from the First Order, hunting Rathtars with Han Solo, invading a resistance ship as Captain Phasma in addition to some other stories the game tries to tell. It feels like a genuine extension of the film, which itself heavily relies on nostalgia.

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens joins LEGO Marvel Super Heroes as the best game in the series on current generation consoles. The missions are better designed and multi-build is used in clever ways throughout the game. Though I hope future games do not incorporate the awful cover shooting sections that are present in almost every level.