LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga unsurprisingly makes small changes to individual scenes, but one of Star Wars' most iconic scenes ends up far weaker as a result. Adaptations of any media fundamentally alter their source material, and the comedic tone of LEGO games makes this even more noticeable. The vast majority of The Skywalker Saga's changes work in the game's favor, but an essential scene in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back struggles under the game's format.
A massively ambitious release, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga brings all three Star Wars trilogies under one banner, allowing players to experience the full breadth of the main Star Wars stories in whatever LEGO order they choose. LEGO games lean heavily on their franchises, looking to adapt iconic stories and characters to a playful and humorous tone, while also presenting dynamic and engaging gameplay. The result is an experience suitable for all ages, from longtime Star Wars fans to young children more recently exposed to the franchise. LEGO Star Wars games have found repeated success with this model, and as the Star Wars universe grows and game hardware improves, each release has been more impressive than the last. If The Skywalker Saga's launch numbers are any indication, this entry only continues this trend.
While LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga already feels like a LEGO Star Wars movie, the game does an incredible job of sticking true to the heart of Star Wars in the context of a family video game. Developer TT Games' typical brand of LEGO slapstick humor is found in spades, and while the pacing of the narrative is often adjusted to better suit the interactive medium, the stories are undoubtedly recognizable despite playing tension for laughs. However, this unfortunately does not work across the board; Luke's confrontation with Darth Vader - and the revelation that he's Luke's father - loses most of its impact as a result.
LEGO Star Wars - Darth Vader & Luke's Duel In Empire Is Weakened
In the final minutes of The Empire Strikes Back, Luke nearly wordlessly squares off in a lightsaber duel against a monologuing Darth Vader. Vader ultimately bests him - and delivers the iconic "I am your father" line. Both in Empire and in more traditional Star Wars games, Luke Skywalker's response is one of anguished denial, a boy realizing the ugly truth of a foe far more complex than he had thought. This scene hits particularly hard because Luke is otherwise alone - where before he's always had someone alongside him - be it Obi-Wan, R2-D2, or Han - he must face Vader one-on-one in his personal darkest hour.
This isn't the case in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Darth Vader's revelation is punctuated by a squealing R2-D2 popping into frame to interrupt before getting kicked off the catwalk. Luke follows suit, willingly dropping into the abyss below to escape before both are picked up by the Millennium Falcon. Unfortunately, R2 needs to be present in at least some fashion - TT's LEGO games have to leave space for a second player, even if the Skywalker Saga's boss fights are worse with co-op. While in the film, R2-D2 is cut off from Luke before his fight with Vader, The Skywalker Saga's story mode writes him back into the narrative, where he can be played for laughs like usual.
While R2 undercuts the emotional weight of The Empire Strikes Back's climax, the game is hardly ruined by this change. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga leans into humor over drama, so while this iconic scene may not match the original tone of the film, it certainly fits with the rest of the experience. This twist is over 40 years old, and this isn't even the first time it's appeared in LEGO form. Deciding it should be funnier certainly won't hurt anybody.