Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga review – a feast of fan nostalgia

PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch; Warner Bros
Journey through all nine movies in this gag-filled crowd-pleaser that even makes The Phantom Menace bearable

If you brought up children in the 2010s, the Lego video games were probably as big a part of your family downtime as Pixar and Peppa Pig. From the original Lego Star Wars in 2005 to the wonderful Lego Marvel Super Heroes, the series has expertly followed the trends of blockbuster franchised entertainment, converting even the darkest moments of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter into slapstick interactive diversions, as entertaining to parents as they were to children. What really marked the titles out, though, was their multiplayer, which provided a safe space for children to learn the fundaments of the action adventure genre in the company of their parents and siblings - from accurate jumping to puzzle solving to melee combat.

Now a whole new generation will have that pleasure. Taking players on a mammoth journey through all nine of the movies, The Skywalker Saga treats each episode as a mini-adventure that closely follows the narrative of the film, adding extra sequences to enhance the playability and puzzle-solving fun. You can take on the trilogies in any order, though you always have to start with the opening chapter, so you can't just skip to The Empire Strikes Back without completing A New Hope.