As the Star Wars franchise enters its 35^th year it is fitting that Traveller’s Tales have launched LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga on all platforms. All nine entries of the Skywalker Saga of films have been adapted, rebuilt from the ground up to stand apart from the multiple LEGO Star Wars titles that have been released since 2005.

Following suit with the addition of voiceovers in more recent LEGO titles developed by Traveller’s Tales, The Skywalker Saga features voice acting for all characters, some of which are reprising the roles from the films, variety of television series or previous entries in the game series.

Featuring an assortment of key set pieces and essential story beats, a score and sound design faithful to the Star Wars universe, there has never been a more definitive, authentic and legitimate LEGO Star Wars title than The Skywalker Saga.

In an exciting move, the story can be played out by starting at any one of the three trilogies. For those who may not be as familiar with Star Wars, the original trilogy of films consisted of Episodes IV – VI, this was followed by the prequel trilogy that was comprised of Episodes I – III and finally the sequel trilogy of Episodes VII – IX. With Episodes I, IV and VII available immediately, the subsequent Episodes of each trilogy are unlocked by completing them in order. For example, completing Episode I will unlock Episode II, finishing Episode IV will unlock episode V.

For players who grew up seeing the original trilogy first it is nice to be able to start there while newer and younger players may choose to start with the sequel trilogy. This freedom of where to start this galactic adventure is great, especially for fans of the films who understand the story and much like the films, don’t need to go through them in order. Players that may not have seen Star Wars or just aren’t as familiar as the die-hard community it has developed over 30+ years can just as easily follow the game through in chronological order and absorb the extensive narrative in a more coherent format.

Traveller’s Tales have done an excellent job in rebuilding the gameplay in a new game engine, delivering action packed gameplay that remains simplistic in its approach and accessible for younger audiences. The ability to throw a lightsaber, deflect blaster bolts and manipulate surrounding objects with the force has never felt more satisfying or accessible. Cover based shooting mechanics and the variety of melee combos keep each of the 300+ playable characters feeling exciting. Coupled with simple puzzles to solve and objectives to complete, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has enough depth to satisfy older players while not alienating the younger player base.

A closer, more focused camera perspective breathes new life into the over-the-shoulder third-person gameplay. The level of detail in each character is so realistically created that each piece of the LEGO builds showcases the shiny gleams of armours and hair pieces for instant while also showing the worn out and weathered clothing of some of the more rugged characters. The level of detail is staggering and manages to establish a LEGO title that is looking far more polished and full of minute details than it has any right to be. As characters, and especially vehicles are destroyed, the satisfying explosion of LEGO pieces is a joy to observe.

Level design is flawless and encompasses a wide range of objectives, set pieces and legendary moments from the films. Anakin Skywalker’s epic podrace is meticulously realised and the battle of Yavin and Hoth are so faithfully recreated that each of the five levels that comprise each Episode feel like a brief overview of the entire movie, leaving out any unnecessary sequences and ensuring that critical story beats are not only included but explored and presented in a manner that on Traveller’s Tales could deliver. The variety of locations and worlds are stunningly presented, resulting in a Star Wars experience that can’t be faulted in its overall presentation.

In between story missions, players typically have the freedom to explore surprisingly large hub areas across a number of planets. These areas are teeming with optional side missions, collectibles to find and secrets to uncover. To further expand the scope of these areas, and the missions themselves, some areas are only accessible with certain characters or with specific skills, some of which won’t be possible until later when new characters have been unlocked either automatically or by purchasing with Studs, the in-game currency that rains down from ever defeated foe or object destroyed in the environment.

This not only adds to the immense replayability of The Skywalker Saga, either alone or co-operatively with another player in local split-screen but it encourages players to explore thoroughly along their adventure and to invest in the right characters for the job. Simply breezing the story of all nine episodes, consisting of 45 missions overall, will take as little as ten hours but to actually explore everything will take dozens more. This caters to those players who only want to play through the story to do so without being forced into exploration while also serving those looking to find everything that The Skywalker Saga has to offer. When considering the incredible amount of characters to unlock and collectibles to find, players can be kept busy for a very long time.

An upgrade system is well implemented that allows for players to spend collected Kyber bricks on perks that are shared by all characters or specific class-based perks for the characters that comprise those. None of these are detrimental to the core gameplay experience and they aren’t required for story progression. Given the already low difficulty level of the game, these advantages are driven by fun than more-so than necessity.

Outside of the 45 main story missions are countless optional side-missions to tackle that can be accessed from the many overworlds. Every previously visited planet can be fast travelled to at any point, making it simple to explore every corner of the playable galaxy. As well as the typical action and platforming the player can just as easily settle into the cockpit and take the fight to the stars in a range of aerial missions to mix things up. There really is no shortage of activities to keep players engaged outside of the story and Traveller’s Tales have done an excellent job at ensuring these are fun, diverse and replayable, both alone or co-operatively.

A staple of the LEGO titles has been its comedy and The Skywalker Saga is no exception. Comedic elements are woven into every aspect of the story from cutscenes to dialogue and they excel in keeping the whole experience light, enjoyable and engaging for players of all ages. It’s very rare for a title to throw so much humour at the player without tripping over itself or outstaying its welcome but The Skywalker Saga has a far greater grasp of its comedic tone than it has any right to, constantly surprising me, as a 31 year old and lifelong fan of Star Wars, without coming across as cringey or redundant.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a passionate love letter to not only Star Wars, but to the LEGO series of titles within that uber popular universe that Traveller’s Tales have so wonderfully mastered. Enjoyable gameplay, mission variety, replayability and humour are just a few notable elements that they have consistently nailed throughout their seventeen years of developing these titles. Whether this is the first LEGO Star Wars experience for new players or the latest for returning fans, there is no denying that LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the definitive version of the franchise and holds itself high as one of the very best Star Wars titles ever to grace the video game medium.

+ Simple, enjoyable gameplay

+ Extensive replayability

+ Mission variety

+ Excellent humour

+ Local co-op support

+ Genuine, authentic Star Wars sound design and presentation

– Lack of difficulty options, too easy for older players

– No online co-op functionality

Developed by: Traveller’s Tales

Published by: Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment

Release Date: April 5 2022

Platforms: Xbox One/Series X|S, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch and PC

* A digital code was kindly provided to Games of DAYNE by Warner Bros for the purpose of this review *

– Additional Links –

For more of my reviews, click HERE.

To see this review and other multi-platform content from my associates at BG4G, click HERE.

To see all the latest news and reviews from the team at Game News Aus, including this review, click HERE.

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All digital imagery was captured by Games of DAYNE in-game on Xbox Series X

The post LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

Taking to the skies as a fighter pilot in the arcade biplane shooter, Red Wings: American Aces, is a satisfyingly simple and enjoyable affair that integrates objective based missions, engaging aerial dogfights and a 30+ mission campaign. A striking comic-book inspired art design and an upbeat, funky and energetic score keeps the fast-paced action light.

The campaign can be enjoyed solo or co-operatively with a second local player and a trio of battle modes are available for two players to compete against each other while online functionality brings the action to players in up to 10 player battles in three solo and three team-based game modes.

With a fun skill tree to experiment with, new planes to unlock and an assortment of skins for them locked behind challenges, Red Wings: American Aces is a playful aerial shooter that keeps things, simple, accessible and enjoyable.

Red Wings: American Aces is a spin-off of 2020’s Red Wings: Aces of the Sky, with both games sharing a near identical visual presentation and gameplay mechanics. American Aces feels right at home on the Nintendo Switch with its simplistic controls, cartoonish, comic presentation and short missions that accommodate even the briefest of gameplay sessions. A well executed tutorial explains all of the gameplay mechanics with simple, easy to understand instructions and exercises.

The gameplay relies primarily on taking down enemy fighters by shooting them down, with or without zooming in or locking on to targets. Four special commands are available that each require varying lengths of cooldowns before they can be reused.

• Barrel Roll – an evasive manoeuvre that can be executed to avoid the enemies line of fire, as well as being an offensive tool that can eliminate an enemy target with contact
• Quick Comeback – a u-turn manoeuvre that lets the player turn instantly with an overhead or downward action that can put you hot on the heels of the plane that just zoomed past
• Squadron – an enemy can be locked on to and a powerful ally is spawned in to engage the target
• Fatal Takedown – when an enemy is injured, by lowering their health bar to a specific level, an execution can be performed that sees the player pull off a cinematic pistol kill at an impressive distance

Each of these four skills can be upgraded to reduce their cooldowns, enhance their effectiveness or provide other perks such as increasing the number of planes summoned with the Squadron command from one to five for example. Alongside these twelve upgrades are eighteen more than provide passive perks to weapon overheat reduction, critical hit chance and damage increases for instance. These skills are all upgraded by spending gold stars which are awarded during missions, with up to three gold stars awarded for meeting completion time or score requirements.

Mission variety is just broad enough to keep things fresh with objectives ranging from simply eliminating X amount of enemies, defending or destroying observation balloons or flying through fuel supply rings in non-combat scenarios to name a few. With each mission taking mere minutes to complete this variety is welcome and helps ensure that even a short play session is comprised of an assortment of objectives throughout the campaign.

Environmental elements such as electrical storms, sandstorms and clouds can impair the player’s view, reduce their skill charges and inflict damage, adding exciting elements of drama to the missions.

Charming cartoonish visuals and the energetic soundtrack that keeps the action upbeat at all times are both well implemented. By avoiding a more typical 3D or photorealistic approach American Aces feels lighter in tone and that compliments the gameplay wonderfully. The sound design is sharp and consistent with the chaos that ensues these dogfights and lends to an overall essentially flawless audio-visual presentation.

Red Wings: American Aces is a brief but accessible aerial shooter that is enjoyable in its simplicity and offers enough mission variety, co-operative, competitive and solo game modes to satisfy the casual gamers. Players looking for a bit more depth or replayability will come away wanting but the fast paced gameplay itself can’t be ignored, resulting in a fun shooter that keeps things simple in every aspect.

+ Charming visuals

+ Enjoyable, simplistic gameplay

+ Mission variety and assortment of game modes

– Lacks replayability for players expecting depth

– Brief campaign

Developed & Published by: All In! Games

Release Date: March 31 2022

Platforms: Nintendo Switch and PC

* A digital code was kindly provided to Games of DAYNE for the purpose of this review *

– Additional Links –

For more of my reviews, click HERE.

To see this review and other multi-platform content from my associates at BG4G, click HERE.

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The post Red Wings: American Aces Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

The premise of Sockventure is all too relatable for younger players. Being told to pick up after ourselves before we can play some more video games feels like a prison sentence when we’re young but becomes a normal part of growing up, and before we know it, we’re telling our kids to do the same. Taking control of a young boy to pick up his socks and run them through the washing machine, the mother says to use imagination while we wait for the washing to finish. Almost instantly, the wild imagination of the boy comes to life and the washing machine becomes a cursed and dangerous platforming playground for Supersock, a hero tasked with navigating the deadly and ever-changing interior of the washing machine to find the boy’s favourite socks.

Packed with over 200 levels spread across seven chapters, and three bonus chapters, Sockventure requires players to master the precision-based gameplay to navigate and survive the wild world within the washing machine that the boy has developed. Sockhero learns new abilities throughout, is confronted by new challenges and obstacles with refreshing regularity and ultimately finds himself starring in a genuinely enjoyable and authentically challenging platformer developed by Nighthouse Games.

With the simple and comical premise established, Sockventure wastes little time in acquainting players with Sockhero and the ever-changing landscape within the cursed washing machine. Each of the seven chapters is comprised of multiple levels, transforming the inside of the washing machine into different states of deadly obstacle courses. A myriad of environmental obstacles and hazards such as spikes, saw blades, degrading platforms, flames and lasers to name just a few.

Initially limited to simply running and jumping, Sockhero’s repertoire expands regularly with new abilities that include double-jump, wall climbing, dash and more. The frequency of new introductions to gameplay mechanics keeps things fresh, exciting and make runs a little easier, despite the proportionate increase in difficulty and obstacles to overcome.

Littered throughout each level are coins to be collected. Most are on the natural path but others are often placed in a position just dangerous enough to challenge the player with the internal struggle of “is it worth it?” At the end of each chapter, the player is awarded up to three gold stars. One for completing the chapter within a specific timeframe, another for collecting all of the coins and finally for completing the chapter without dying.

Failure isn’t harsh, with the player simply being returned to the beginning of the level or to the nearest checkpoint that has been reached. Additionally, there is an option in the settings to increase the respawn points that. Help dramatically when some levels seem a little overwhelming. These additional points typically return the player to the nearest platform they were able to stand on instead. This accessibility goes a long way in allowing more casual platformer players to be able to push through instead of quitting in frustration. I am not ashamed to say I had to turn this function on around chapter four as the challenge had ramped up significantly by that point in Sockventure.

As the mission of Sockhero is to retrieve the missing socks after the cursed washing mission ate them in the beginning, once they are found they act as skins that the player can switch between at any time to provide a new look for Sockhero. My personal favourite is found early on, planting a banana on Sockhero’s head. This is a simple yet nice touch to award the player with something other than the satisfaction of overcoming the heavy trial-and-error based nature of the gameplay.

The controls are great and very responsive, considering the precision required to navigate the levels this is excellent news when compared to the plethora of other indie titles that struggle to nail the responsiveness of the controls which leads to frustrating failure. The trial-and-error style of the gameplay is much more tolerable as a result, and the solution is typically evident, it’s the execution of the player’s timing that will determine success.

Given the generous amount of abilities and mechanics that are drip fed into Sockventure throughout the experience, the game never feels stale and after a few deaths the way forward becomes even clearer and more achievable. The colourful environments and flashy animations keep the action vibrant, entertaining and cartoonish to the point that its charm is able to motivate the player to push through, succeed and see what’s next.

While the difficulty is generally manageable with a few attempts and a more cautious approach to the calculation and precision required to navigate the death traps, Sockventure does feel like its greatest difficulty spike happens a little too early, around chapter three. When new abilities come soon after things do get easier but pushing the difficulty back a chapter or two until these abilities are acquired may have made the experience one that feels more gradual.

Sockventure is fun, challenging and wonderfully designed, offering a staggering amount of levels rife with enjoyable obstacles, cool costumes to unlock for Sockhero and satisfaction of overcoming what may seem at times as impossible. Joyful visuals, fun stat tracking such as deaths and times, as well as a personal speedrun leaderboard, Sockventure is highly replayable for those players that enjoy seeing how fast they can complete runs with minimal or no deaths.

+ Fun level designs

+ Enjoyable environmental hazards and obstacles

+ Gradual introduction of new abilities

+ Cartoonish art design

+ Replayability

– Difficulty spike feels a little early

Developed by: Nighthouse Games

Published by: Versus Evil

Release Date: April 14 2022

Platforms: Nintendo Switch and PC

* A digital code was kindly provided to Games of DAYNE for the purpose of this review *

– Additional Links –

For more of my reviews, click HERE.

To see this review and other multi-platform content from my associates at BG4G, click HERE.

To see all the latest news and reviews from the team at Game News Aus, including this review, click HERE.

Don’t forget to also follow Games of DAYNE on: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube!

The post Sockventure Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.