The keyword “LEGO Star Wars TSS is a bad game” might seem controversial, especially given the excitement that surrounded the game at launch. Fans of the LEGO franchise and Star Wars were eager to explore all nine movies, hoping to relive their favorite moments in typical LEGO fashion—filled with humor, creativity, and fun. However, after playing the game extensively, many players found significant flaws that detracted from the overall experience. In this article, we’ll explore why LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (TSS) has left some fans disappointed, providing a deep analysis of what makes it fall short of its predecessors and why it struggles to meet expectations.
Lack of Engaging Levels
One of the major critiques players have voiced is the disappointing structure of the game levels. Unlike the older LEGO Star Wars games that followed a linear, cohesive narrative with well-designed, engaging levels, TSS has transitioned to a more open-world format, which sacrifices the original charm. The levels in TSS are often short and feel insignificant compared to past LEGO games. They’re mainly composed of boss fights or minigames rather than longer, detailed sequences.
The transition to these fragmented levels makes the game feel disjointed. Unlike The Complete Saga, where players experienced fully immersive levels tied directly to the movies, TSS levels feel like afterthoughts. Players often end up just walking through large, empty areas with limited interaction or combat, which lacks the challenge and depth found in earlier entries. It feels as though the developers designed the levels around boss battles, leaving exploration and combat as mere filler content. This disappointing approach makes many parts of the game feel less compelling, especially for fans who prefer a traditional LEGO experience.
An Overwhelming, Underwhelming Open World
The open-world structure in TSS was meant to be one of its strongest features—giving players the opportunity to freely explore all the planets of the Star Wars galaxy. At first glance, this open-world aspect seems promising, allowing players to go wherever they want, visit iconic locations, and participate in random encounters. However, once players spend time exploring the hub areas, it becomes evident that there’s little substance to the large worlds.
The sheer size of the open world can be overwhelming, especially when there isn’t much to do within these spaces. There are collectibles and side missions, but they become repetitive quickly, lacking creativity and variety. It’s essentially a massive scavenger hunt for Kyber Bricks, Datacards, and characters, which, while fun at first, begins to lose its charm after a few hours. For many players, the gameplay devolves into an endless cycle of roaming empty planets, following NPCs around slowly, and completing mundane fetch quests, without any engaging action to keep them hooked.
Additionally, the menus, which are required for navigation and character progression, become increasingly bloated as the game progresses. With a variety of collectible items and abilities, it becomes difficult to keep track of everything, and the complexity often results in frustration rather than enjoyment. The over-reliance on these collectibles makes players question the necessity of such a massive world, considering how little meaningful content there is.
Simplified Combat and Puzzle Solving
Another major issue that contributes to why “LEGO Star Wars TSS is a bad game” is the simplified combat mechanics and lackluster puzzles. Traditional LEGO games had a good balance of action, humor, and puzzles that required players to think creatively. In TSS, the combat mechanics have been stripped down to a much simpler form—most battles involve a basic combo system, and there is little incentive to strategize or experiment with different characters.
For example, while the game offers over 300 playable characters from across the Star Wars galaxy, many of them have redundant abilities, and the combat often boils down to mashing buttons until the enemies are defeated. The same can be said for the boss fights, which are supposed to be exciting set-pieces, but often lack depth. The result is that battles quickly feel monotonous and repetitive, without any unique challenges to keep players engaged.
Puzzles, another staple of the LEGO franchise, also take a backseat in TSS. The puzzles that do exist are overly simplistic and lack the ingenuity that previous games were known for. The reduced difficulty means that players rarely feel the same sense of satisfaction from solving them. It feels as though the developers have watered down the core elements of the game to appeal to a broader audience, which ultimately detracts from the experience for long-time fans.
Underdeveloped Story Progression
When it comes to storytelling, LEGO Star Wars TSS falls short of expectations in several ways. Unlike earlier games that followed a structured format and allowed players to follow the movies closely, TSS is plagued by underdeveloped story progression. The decision to split each movie into five levels means that many of the films’ key moments are either glossed over or reduced to brief cutscenes.
This leaves players feeling disconnected from the narrative, as many of the major plot points are given little attention. The fragmented approach to storytelling in TSS makes it difficult to feel fully immersed in the Star Wars universe, especially when iconic scenes are skipped or rushed through. Additionally, the humor that has always been a key aspect of LEGO games doesn’t quite land in TSS. Many of the jokes feel forced, and the storytelling lacks the wit and charm that made previous LEGO Star Wars games memorable.
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Technical Issues and Bugs
No modern video game is immune to bugs, and unfortunately, LEGO Star Wars TSS is no exception. Players have reported a variety of technical issues, ranging from minor glitches like visual errors to more significant problems that affect gameplay. For example, characters might get stuck in the environment, cutscenes may fail to load properly, or missions can become impossible to complete due to unexpected glitches.
While some of these issues may be addressed in future patches, they detract from the overall experience, especially when they occur during critical moments of the game. Considering the multiple delays that TSS faced during development, players expected a more polished product, but the game’s numerous bugs and performance issues suggest a lack of refinement.
Excessive Collectibles with Minimal Reward
One of the selling points of TSS is the number of collectibles available, including Kyber Bricks, character unlocks, and vehicles. However, the game takes the concept of collectibles to an excessive level, with over 1,000 Kyber Bricks to be found. While this may sound like an appealing challenge to completionists, the reality is that most players will find it overwhelming and ultimately unrewarding.
The main problem with the collectibles is that they don’t add much value to the game. Collecting Kyber Bricks allows players to unlock upgrades, but the upgrades themselves are often minimal and don’t significantly impact gameplay. Unlike games like Horizon: Forbidden West, where side quests and collectibles contribute to the story and world-building, the collectibles in TSS feel like busy work rather than meaningful additions to the game. This approach leaves players questioning whether the effort of tracking down all the collectibles is worth the minimal reward.
Missed Potential for Co-op Gameplay
Co-op gameplay has always been a highlight of LEGO games, allowing friends or family members to enjoy the adventure together. In TSS, co-op play is still present, but it doesn’t feel as well-integrated as in previous titles. The open-world nature of the game means that players are often separated, exploring different areas of the map, which can lead to confusion and frustration.
Furthermore, the lack of online co-op is a significant missed opportunity. In an era where online multiplayer is a standard feature, especially for games with such a broad appeal, the absence of online co-op feels like a step backward. The local co-op experience is still enjoyable, but the game could have benefited greatly from the addition of online multiplayer, allowing players to team up with friends regardless of location.
Conclusion: Is LEGO Star Wars TSS a Bad Game?
So, is LEGO Star Wars TSS a bad game? While it’s not without its enjoyable moments—and certainly has its fair share of fans—the game ultimately falls short in several key areas. The lack of engaging levels, overwhelming open-world structure, simplified combat, underdeveloped story progression, technical issues, excessive collectibles, and missed co-op potential all contribute to a disappointing experience, especially for those who were expecting a return to the charm and excitement of the earlier LEGO Star Wars games.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga had the potential to be the definitive LEGO Star Wars experience, but in trying to do too much, it ended up spreading itself too thin. The result is a game that lacks the focus and polish that made its predecessors so beloved. For players who value a cohesive narrative, engaging levels, and meaningful collectibles, TSS may not be the right choice. Instead, revisiting “The Complete Saga” or earlier LEGO titles might provide a more satisfying and nostalgic experience.
For those who do decide to take on the challenge of LEGO Star Wars TSS, it’s important to temper expectations and recognize that, while the game offers an expansive world and plenty of content, it doesn’t always deliver on the promise of an immersive and rewarding LEGO Star Wars adventure.
FAQs
Q: How many levels are in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga?
A: The game features 45 levels, with each of the nine films split into five missions.
Q: Why do some players think LEGO Star Wars TSS is a bad game?
A: Players criticize the game for its lack of engaging levels, overwhelming open-world, simplified combat, and excessive collectibles.
Q: Is there online co-op in LEGO Star Wars TSS?
A: No, LEGO Star Wars TSS only offers local co-op. There is no online co-op mode.
Q: How many Kyber Bricks are there to collect in the game?
A: There are over 1,000 Kyber Bricks to collect in LEGO Star Wars TSS.
Q: Are the puzzles in LEGO Star Wars TSS challenging?
A: The puzzles in LEGO Star Wars TSS are generally considered to be quite simplistic compared to previous LEGO games.
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