After the return to cinemas marked by the controversial new trilogy and the much appreciated Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the Far Far Away Galaxy has gradually begun to expand its borders. Under the aegis Disney, the Star Wars saga has conquered the Disney + channels with a rich program of dedicated TV series, including the very successful The Mandalorian and the future debut of The Book of Boba Fett and serials dedicated to Asoka Tano and Obi-Wan Kenobi. The expanded universe was also able to count on new animated productions, such as the recent one Star Wars: Visions anime production, as well as the debut in bookstores and comic shops of an entire unpublished narrative cycle, baptized Star Wars: The High Republic.
Now fully multimedia, the universe conceived by George Lucas could not exempt itself from a return with great fanfare even on videogame channels. From the appreciated Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order to Ubisoft’s still mysterious Star Wars open world, passing through free to play Star Wars: Hunters and the highly anticipated remake of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, there are many titles set in the most disparate corners of the Far Far Away Galaxy. To the latter is now also added LEGO Star Wars: Battles, available from today exclusively on Apple Arcade. In view of the release, we had the opportunity to take part in a dedicated presentation organized by Warner Bros. e TT Games Brighton. Led by Jason Avent, (Vice President & Studio Head), Chris Bowles, (Creative Director) and Steve Wilding (Art Director), we took up the lightsaber to find out what to expect from this Tower Defense.
Unity is strength
In development for over two years, LEGO Star Wars: Battles aims to revive the traditional dynamics of Tower Defence mobile, however, declining them in the engaging universe of Star Wars. By adding to this simple formula the irony and lightness typical of LEGO video games, it is possible to get an overall rather focused idea of what can be expected from the TT Games production.
Drawing on all eras of the Star Wars epic, the software house has given life to a goliardic and miniature celebration of the universe of characters, vehicles and creatures that made the fortune of George Lucas’ imaginary. From Luke Skywalker to Darth Vader, from Ewoks to Porgs, passing through Boba Fett, Princess Leia Organa, throngs of Stormtroopers and droids of all kinds, LEGO Star Wars: Battles proposes 1v1 multiplayer battles, in which the light side of the Force is opposed to the imperial ranks. Drawing on his own deck of heroes, ships and towers, the player has the objective of stopping the advance of the opponent, until obtaining the complete destruction of the troops in the field.
Without any kind of canon constraint, the battlefields of the exclusive Apple Arcade can easily host clashes between flocks of Porg and Lord Vader, while the walkers of the Empire can try to take down the young Yoda. The overall effect can be alienating at first glance, but the power of the LEGO license lies in making even the most surreal combinations credible. To give life to each combat unit, TT Games used existing LEGO mini-figures as a model, while the animation system was borrowed from LEGO Movie feature films. For lovers of this type of aesthetics, the resulting combination is certainly pleasant, with a little touch of class that involves the towers present in the game. The latter were in fact created from scratch by the developers, who however made sure to exploit combinations of bricks that are actually reproducible in reality.
Also in terms of settings, LEGO Star Wars: Battles you do not spare, with battle arenas ranging from Jakku to Endor, passing through the snowy expanses of Hoth to the ocean depths of Naboo.
Also present were Takodana, Kashyyk, Kamino and others, for a production that aims to make variety and richness of contents one of its absolute strengths. Not surprisingly, TT Games has already been able to confirm the existence of a large roadmap dedicated to post-launch support for the Apple Arcade title. In the next future, additional characters, vehicles and planets of Star Wars will make their way into LEGO Star Wars: Battles, with the authors who – without going into details – have promised great surprises to come, both in terms of combat units and game modes. A virtuous approach, especially in the light of one complete absence of microtransactions inside the Tower Defense. Every single piece of content can be unlocked via in-game currencies, while any post-launch additions will be absolutely free. In Far Far Away GalaxyIn short, there is no space for Season Pass, Battle Pass or transactions that make use of real currency: a pleasant discovery for those who are about to dabble in LEGO Star Wars: Battles.
A Galaxy of bricks
As already mentioned, in LEGO Star Wars: Battles the 1v1 clashes see the factions of the light side of the Force oppose the forces of the Dark side, inside small arenas inspired by the most iconic places of the saga. The clashes in real time proposed by the Warner Bros. production do not differ in the structure from the typical canons of the genre, with mechanics of cooldown to regulate the entry into the field of new units and the full freedom for the player to decide the positioning of his troops on the battlefield.
By winning fights and unlocking a series of achievements, it’s possible earn crystals and bricks, the currencies behind Tower Defense’s in-game economy.
With the latter, you can unlock all elements of LEGO Star Wars: Battles, for example by making purchases in the in-game store dedicated to cards. But to become true Jedi Masters of the title it is not enough to expand one’s strength, but it is essential increase its power. After having accumulated a certain number of cards – through victories, purchases in the store, unlocking special rewards -, it will be possible to invest some of your bricks to upgrade the combat units. A passage on which TT Games has placed particular emphasis, highlighting how the strengthening of champions, vehicles and towers represents an essential operation to be able to advance in the discovery of all the planets of LEGO Star Wars: Battles.
To ensure clashes as fun and dynamic as possible, the software house has generously drawn from all the eras of Star Wars. In addition to satisfying fans of the saga, this choice is also useful for giving a certain strategic depth to the clashes. However short, the latter can indeed benefit from interesting interactions between the different units. The large arsenal of Jedi Knights, melee fighters, ground vehicles and spacecraft actually generates constant movement in the arena, accompanied by the inevitable original sound effects from the Star Wars films. Real-time lighting and showers of bricks originating from the destroyed units complete the aesthetic impact proposed by Tower Defense.
On the progression front, we would like to point out the seasonal forecast Season Path. The latter basically represent upgrade paths that players can climb through various activities, such as winning victories, using their heroes’ special abilities, building towers and the like. By unlocking the multiple pieces of a Season Path, aspiring Jedi (or Sith) can earn different rewards: new cards, crystals, bricks and more. Completing completely the progression path, you will also be entitled to an exclusive Emote. A system that clearly aims to entice players to experiment and discover as many aspects of LEGO Star Wars: Battles.
Finally, to complete the picture, they could not miss special in-game events, aimed at enriching every season. The latter will have variable duration and will require fighters to meet particular requirements, such as the use of a specific deck in battle or the use of the special abilities of a given hero. To reward the commitment of the community, there will be special rewards, such as medals or emotes related to the theme of the current Season.
