The Best Way to Play Lego Star Wars Is the ‘Machete Order’

As a Star Wars fan, starting Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga looks like an enormous accountability. You’re about to play via all 9 movies in the Skywalker Saga in a single sport for the primary time—and proper off the bat, you’re compelled to make the choice of all choices: which film do you begin with?

The selections are The Phantom Menace, A New Hope, or The Force Awakens, that means a participant can start the sport at the beginning of any of the three Star Wars trilogies. And whereas I noticed some buddies beginning in chronological order, with The Phantom Menace, and others going via launch order, with A New Hope, I made a decision on one other path: the trail of Machete.

Out now for many gaming techniques, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a fun, family-friendly action game the place gamers take management of Lego mini-figures of well-known Star Wars characters and combat their approach via the tales of the movies. Along the way in which, there are a number of aspect missions and Easter eggs to maintain the tales you understand so nicely recent and it’s only a freaking delight.

But after I assume “delight” I don’t take into consideration The Phantom Menace. I merely didn’t need to begin my Lego Star Wars expertise with that. And so I used my years on the web to recommend a brand new path. Back in 2011, a author named Rod Hilton created a Star Wars viewing order he referred to as “The Machete Order” which has since grow to be rather famous and popular. The thought got here from the very annoying truth that after the prequels had been launched, should you sat an individual down to look at the Star Wars films in film order, the prequels spoil one of many best reveals in cinema historical past, that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s father. And so Hilton recommended followers begin with the primary movie launched, 1977’s A New Hope, adopted by 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back. Then, after getting that historic reveal, they need to return and watch 2002’s Attack of the Clones and 2005’s Revenge of the Sith. That approach, these movies act as a large, elaborate flashback explaining how and why Luke’s father, Anakin, grew to become the evil, infamous Darth Vader, whereas additionally conserving the concentrate on Luke.

The Machete Order additionally solved my dilemma with Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Now I might begin with the acquainted, excellent entry level of A New Hope. I might fiddle as Luke, Leia, and Han, and I might fly X-Wings and the Millennium Falcon, all as a strategy to get enthusiastic about enjoying this sport. That sounded a lot, a lot better than beginning with Trade Federations, destroyer droids and Gungans.

And so I performed via A New Hope, I performed via The Empire Strikes Back, after which I prevented the temptation to maneuver onto my private favourite of the saga, Return of the Jedi, in favor of the prequels. Here, although, is the place the Lego Machete order differs from the unique. Hilton’s order fully eliminates The Phantom Menace. Poof. Gone. Sure, you miss some very cool iconography that approach, however by way of Anakin’s journey to changing into Darth Vader, it’s largely inconsequential. (You can read the original post for a deeper breakdown).

In Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga although, that’s not an choice. You must play via The Phantom Menace with a purpose to unlock Attack of the Clones (simply as it’s a must to play via the primary movies in every trilogy to unlock the second, and the second to unlock the third). But after enjoying via the amazingness of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, I used to be wonderful going again in time for some podracing and Gungan warcraft.

After a number of days, I completed the prequel trilogy (which is far more pleasing to play via as a Lego character than watch as a human) after which jumped into Return of the Jedi, which is when one thing miraculous occurred. Return of the Jedi, each the film and the sport, start with the Emperor exhibiting up on the second Death Star and speaking with Darth Vader. It’s the primary time, within the authentic trilogy, that you simply see the Emperor within the flesh and enjoying Lego Star Wars with the Machete order, this introduction comes instantly after three video games the place he’s the principle villain. The throughline is flawless. In truth, it match so nicely that I actually paused the sport to marvel at it. Jumping from the top of Revenge of the Sith the place the Emperor fights Yoda and Darth Vader will get his armor, to the start of Return of the Jedi, with the 2 of them ruling the galaxy as Sith Master and Apprentice, my Machete Order choice was wholly justified. The flashback crammed in the entire questions a viewer might need after The Empire Strikes Back and now I used to be prepared to move to Jabba the Hutt’s palace to avoid wasting my buddy Han, frozen in Carbonite.

As of publication, I’m nonetheless in the course of Return of the Jedi and am wanting ahead to leaping forward to fulfill Rey, Finn, Poe, and the remainder quickly. But I can say and not using a shadow of a doubt that should you plan on enjoying Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, then IV, V, I, II, III, VI, VII, VIII, IX is the way in which to go.

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