A new behind-the-scenes video for the upcoming LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga shows off some of the game’s robust and modern shooting mechanics, demonstrating how combat has improved. The changes and upgrades being made to the game’s third-person-shooter aspects appear to be part of a larger effort to tighten up combat in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.
LEGO’s presence in video games has been strong for a long time. The building block brand has taken on immensely popular IPs such as The Avengers, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. Some of the most iconic games to come from the LEGO name, however, are the LEGO Star Wars releases. In these games, players can fill the shoes of a number of different Star Wars characters, including Yoda, Luke Skywalker, and Darth Vader. Each of these characters comes with unique combat abilities, powers, and sometimes even movement mechanics. Because these games offer up dozens of playable characters, gameplay and combat systems as a whole have had to remain mostly rudimentary and surface-level in favor of giving the player a more varied experience. This multi-faceted, diverse approach to game design is something that has been exhibited in trailers for LEGO Star Wars: Skywalker Saga, so it looks like developer TT Games is intending to keep variety at the forefront with this upcoming release.
Satisfying combat mechanics might not be getting sacrificed at the altar of unique gameplay opportunities for LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, however. In a behind-the-scenes video shared on YouTube by Warner Bros. Games, the developers give a bit of insight into their aims with this game’s blaster combat. They explain that Skywalker Saga will feature a dynamic perspective that gets tighter whenever characters like Han Solo make use of their firearms. The footage that accompanies these statements shows that this is indeed the case, as seen in the video below.
These modernized shooting mechanics, if executed well, will certainly make for a better, deeper combat experience when the game releases. Unfortunately, there have been reports of crunch during LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga‘s development, which might dampen some of the excitement gamers have for new features like these contemporary combat mechanics. Aside from hinting at the possibility of a rushed development process, crunch can often result in a general lack of passion and creativity in games.
Only time will tell exactly how crunch has affected the developers of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and whether features like improved shooting mechanics can win fans over. Until players get their hands on the title, it will be difficult to know if alleged poor working conditions had any material detriment on the final product. Still, allegations of corporate exploitation can be enough to make many consumers unenthusiastic about a new game, no matter how good the shooting mechanics are.
LEGO Star Wars: Skywalker Saga will be coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC on April 5, 2022.
