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Level Analysis of LEGO SWTFA, Chapter 6.

Level Analysis by: Jarod Reizian Frank
Review of Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Chapter 6: The Battle of Takodana
  • What is the Core Mechanic?
    • Destroying LEGO objects, reducing them to piles of LEGO bricks; and subsequently rebuilding them into something else in order to defeat enemies, traverse the landscape, or solve puzzles.
  • How do the gating mechanisms affect the level layout?
    • Most areas are locked off by enemies or objects that require a particular set of virtual skills from the characters or some simple logic or trial and error puzzles to bypass. Character skill restricted obstacles are delineated by their color, to simplify the thought process for the player.
      • For example, if an object or enemy can only be affected by “the dark side of the force,” then the object in question will be shrouded by a red mist of sorts, indicating the need for a sith, (dark jedi… like an evil space wizard). Similarly, if explosives are needed to destroy a barricade, it will be silver or chrome in color, to aid visual association for the player with what ability/character is needed to solve an issue.
  • What kind of positive and negative feedback is given to the player?
    • Whenever a player is stuck on a certain “hard” puzzle for an extent of time, (say about one minute) one or more of the characters will start to point out things the player might had missed. Like how Finn will exclaim that he’s excited about getting to play with the lightsaber, and Han Solo immediately berates him for acting like a child, telling him that the lightsaber can cut through just about anything; all the while a dotted line over some piles of scrap blocking a doorway are glowing. When a player solves a puzzle, not only are they rewarded with level progression, but often with dialogue response from the characters indicating that “they did it, nice work.” Additionally, such progression is usually reinforced further with a little comedic reaction to the player's actions from nearby enemies; such as Stormtroopers getting scared and getting shot in the buttocks by a laser cannon the player constructed.

    • If the player attempts to use the wrong character for a task, such as trying to use C-3PO to destroy some lighting fixtures with the force, (which he does not have, but how cool would that be) the character will face the camera and shrug, usually followed by a portrait showing a character who can access the obstacle. In this case, a portrait of Luke Skywalker appeared above C-3PO’s head after he shrugged to indicate that while C-3PO does not have the force, and therefore cannot solve the puzzle, Luke Skywalker can.
  • How much is left to the player to figure out on his own vs. how much is handed to him?
    • While the game is meant to be enjoyable to all ages, and therefore does quite a bit of hand holding, it does still include a fair share of simple logic puzzles and even some firefight moments that, while are capable of just stumbling through, reward the player with a higher reward in “studs,” (money) if completed speedily. The game introduces a new mechanic called “multibuild,” that allows the player to rebuild LEGO piles into multiple creations, offering multiple portions to puzzles, or sometimes acting as a red heron of sorts, to throw the player off. This introduces some aspects of trial and error, and forces the player to consider when certain creations may be useful at different times; a much welcomed added bit of complexity over previous titles.
  • How is the story integrated (if any)?
    • Starting and ending with cinematic cut scenes along with numerous voice over lines stringed throughout the level, “The Battle of Takodana,” retells a portion of the movie the game is based upon in a child friendly, comedic light. No one dies or is truly hurt, they just get knocked out by random objects falling on them or other slapstick means. While not the most faithful retelling of the story, “The Force Awakens,” the LEGO game is still a fun way to play through familiar areas of the movie as a host of your favorite characters; even able to replay the levels after initial completion with different characters pulled from all areas of the Star Wars universe. I personally found great fun in playing through the level again with both Old Han Solo and Original Trilogy’s young Han Solo, along with facing down Kylo Ren with Darth Vader.
Screenshots
Screen Shot 2017-09-04 at 8.51.39 AM.png
Here is a play through of the story mode variant of the level, played by
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmwanWxl3xs

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