When considering the gaming landscape as a whole, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga may not have been groundbreaking, but within the realm of traditional LEGO video games, it marked a significant shift. Boasting a more expansive and impressive design than any previous LEGO game, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga brought an array of new features to the familiar LEGO game framework, providing a much-needed modernized overhaul. This included a greater emphasis on open-world gameplay, captivating side content, and the largest roster of playable characters ever seen in a LEGO game.
However, amidst the wealth of new content, it was the game's quality-of-life enhancements and mechanical refinements that truly stood out as its most valuable additions. A prime example of this is the refined third-person shooting mechanics in LEGO Star Wars, enabling seamless shifts in and out of cover and delivering an experience akin to that of a contemporary action game. In perfecting these mechanics, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga may have set the stage for a future lineup of LEGO games with a strong third-person focus.
The Impact of LEGO Star Wars's Shooting Mechanics on Future Games
Expanding Action-Oriented Licenses in LEGO Games
The polished third-person shooting mechanics of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga have laid the groundwork for the adaptation of more action-oriented franchises into the LEGO gaming universe. While franchises such as Marvel, DC, and Lord of the Rings have seamlessly integrated with the original LEGO formula, their diverse combat styles aligned well with LEGO's general combat system. However, for action franchises primarily centered on shootouts and firearms, the original LEGO combat formula would have been less satisfying.
A multitude of iconic movie franchises are now ripe for the LEGO game treatment, with the James Bond series likely being at the forefront. Despite not entirely aligning with a family-friendly theme, the James Bond series could translate remarkably well into a LEGO video game, particularly leveraging Skywalker Saga's more intricate third-person shooting mechanics. Another potential candidate is The Matrix, which could thrive in a LEGO video game format, especially if it were to refine LEGO's melee combat mechanics.
Potential Crossovers Between LEGO Games and Third-Person Shooters
Over the past two decades, LEGO has ventured into collaborations with numerous popular franchises, both in the realm of video games and through real-world LEGO sets. While LEGO video games have primarily revolved around popular movie franchises, the real-world LEGO sets have fearlessly crossed paths with a variety of video games, spanning from Star Wars: The Old Republic to Overwatch to Minecraft. With LEGO's recent collaboration with Fortnite, a new era for LEGO video games may have just commenced.
It would be intriguing to witness LEGO's potential crossovers with other video game properties in the near future, and the third-person shooting mechanics of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga have already paved the way for several prospective crossover franchises. In terms of family-friendly third-person shooters that LEGO could potentially collaborate with, prime contenders include Ratchet and Clank and Splatoon. However, if LEGO were willing to infuse a family-friendly twist into a more mature IP, the realm of potential collaborations expands to encompass numerous third-person shooter franchises, ranging from Uncharted to Gears of War and even Resident Evil.