Star Wars: Tales from Galaxy's Edge Gameplay Review
As of today, we now have several Star Wars titles that allow us to take part in that galaxy so far, far away. Vader Immortal is the more straightforward adventure title, putting you into the shoes of a character and experiencing more of an interactive movie experience. Star Wars Squadrons puts you in the cockpit of your favorite New Republic or Imperial ships to live out your dreams of dodging laser blasts and taking down Star Destroyers. And now in the latest title, Star Wars Tales From Galaxy's Edge, we're given a more open experience to explore. Not quite the open world I was expecting but more freedom than the aforementioned Vader Immortal.
Like Vader Immortal, this title is being released in multiple parts. However, while each episode of Vader clocked in at around 30-40 minutes, Tales from Galaxy’s Edge provides somewhere between 4-6 depending on if you decide to stick to the story or also complete the side objectives.
You play the role of a droid repair technician whose ship is floating just above the planet of Batuu. Here you will learn the basics of the controls and solve simple puzzles with the use of your handy multi tool. The tool has three different functions which you need to switch between to help unlock chests or repair broken control panels. You're also given a jetpack to help reach higher platforms and out of reach items. It was here I started to notice the limitations of the game. The production value is fantastic and looks like something that could be played on the PC. As someone who mainly uses a Valve Index and recently finished Half Life Alyx, it was hard to get used to the limitations of the Oculus Quest 2 and it's features and graphics.
As of now there is no smooth turning which I hope will be updated in the future. Incremental turning is great for those getting used to VR, however most games give you the option to switch to smooth turning which feels much more immersive. "Snap turn" as it's also called, can sometimes make combat difficult and hard to see certain enemies but it was nothing that took me out of the game. The jetpack felt like a strange addition. There's no sense of weight or immersion that comes with it and the sound effects are too quiet. It feels like an upwards teleport where you suddenly blink and you're several feet above the ground and locked in place. There’s no moving in any other direction while you're hovering. There's no jumping either and instead you're only allowed to "teleport" to certain location above or below you which is common in certain games.
As you progress you are able to pick up items around the world like scrap, credits, blasters, and remote droids. You can clip guns and your multi tool to your belt and your pouch is resting on your chest. Simply grab it off your chest to open it and search for the items you need but most of the stuff you'll use more frequently can be easily accessed from your belt. As I later found remote droids can clip to the belt and when you throw them up into the air, they follow you around as a defense droid that shoots incoming enemies for you. Fun! Different remote droids will also show up later that will be used in different ways.
As for blasters, Tales from Galaxy’s Edge took a cue from Breath of the Wild and has weapons break over time so you're constantly tossing blasters aside and picking up new ones from defeated enemies. I can see what they were going for with this, but it did become a hassle at points and even left me without a blaster during a few battles. Luckily, if you sneak around you can pop enemies with your fists until they go down.
I've not been able to visit the actual Galaxy's Edge in Disneyland or Disney World so I was excited to see how it was created in virtual reality. It will be cool to see how it compares once I finally get out there but in game the locations are limited, at least for now.
When you land on Batuu you're introduced to a bartender by the name of Seezelslak, whose bar will act as a central hub. Seezelslak will tell you stories, some of which you will get to actually experience for yourself as you get transported into the story itself and play it out in certain character's shoes. No spoilers here but I thought this was an interesting addition and helped switch up the gameplay and gets me excited for what we'll see in the next installments.
Over time I felt that the multi tool puzzles had worn out their welcome, but they are mainly for opening crates to find more loot and weapons, so they aren't always necessary. Combat was still fun throughout the entire gameplay and like Squadrons allowing us to fly out favorite starfighters, Tales from Galaxy’s Edge lets us explore the seedy underbelly of smugglers and pirates.
No lightsabers or force utilization here, just a trusty blaster (or two) by your side which is very refreshing for a Star Wars game! I found myself enjoying heading back to the bar to see Seezelslak behind the counter and even helped pick up some dirty dishes around the bar to help him. There are little side quests like these that aren't telegraphed very well until you open up your menu screen and while minimal were still cute and added just a little more to the game play. Besides, Seezelslak is such a jolly fellow. How could I not help!
Overall, I enjoyed my experience in Batuu. It's not as immersive as most titles but I loved the flexibility that Oculus 2 provides thanks to its being wireless. I'm used to being linked by wires so to freely roam around my living room helped immerse me more. The voice acting is stellar, and I hope it's used more in the next part. A few minor gripes that will maybe get patched in the future, but this is a Star Wars tale worth visiting for people of all ages. Kids will have a BLAST with this one and if you're new to VR I'm positive you'll have a great time.