Warner Bros Interactive has officially announced the release date for the Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens game, along with a debut trailer. So what can fans expect?
After a leak revealing the existence of the game on Amazon Italy earlier in the week, Warner Bros sent a note to outlets promising to announce something involving "two of the world's most popular entertainment brands", reports IGN. And indeed, an official announcement followed.
Lego's "blocky, adorable adaptation", due out this summer, will be available on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo 3DS, PC and PS Vita, says IGN. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 deluxe editions will contain an exclusive Finn mini-figure, as well as a droid character pack and Phantom Limb Level bonus for the PS4 version.
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Owners of PlayStations 3 and 4 will also have access to exclusive downloadable content, reports Polygon, adding that the Lego adaptation will not only cover the 2015 The Force Awakens film, but will also introduce new content filling in the gap between it and The Return of the Jedi.
The trailer, which can be seen on YouTube, is an affectionate parody of the film that starts in a sandy landscape with a solemn voiceover intoning: "There has been an awakening. Have you felt it?" A sweating Lego version of Finn then pops up holding an alarm clock.
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Robot BB-8 also makes an appearance, rolling along what seems to be the deserts of planet Jakku before crashing into a beach scene with a sandcastle and lounge chair.
Whether or not you're a gamer, the "sweet" and "surreal" teaser has plenty to keep Star Wars fans amused, says Amanda Kooser on CNET. It is a "nearly shot-for-shot parody that shows the off-kilter humour found in the Lego games franchise".
Rey's Landspeeder features a "BB on board" bumper sticker, notes Kooser, while the X-wing fighter pilot has a problem with his radio, windshield wipers and a rogue toaster. There's even a shout-out to the franchise's old-school aliens, the Ithorians, with their "long hammerhead-style noggins".
The last game in the series was Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, which launched back in 2011, "so fans of both Star Wars and the Lego game series will no doubt be delighted with its long-overdue return," says Brett Phipps at The Independent.
The official launch date is 28 June and this being a Tuesday, notes Phipps, "we can expect a UK release date of around 1 July".
