upgrade LEGO Skywalker Saga's classes with new abilities. Some of these puzzles require clever use of the AI companions, but this mechanic falls apart when co-op partners try to split up.
LEGO Skywalker Saga includes local co-op throughout the entire experience, a staple of the series but unlike some past LEGO games, split-screen is mandatory as a result of some gameplay improvements. Melee combat has been fleshed out and shooting a blaster or using other ranged weapons adopt the mechanics typical of a third-person shooter. This also means players are able to wander away from each other while exploring one of the hub worlds. This is typically a welcome feature since players aren't tied to one another and can independently find Kyber Bricks, but unsatisfactory implementation of the AI companions can lead to frustrations.
Alongside a complete lack of online co-op and LEGO Skywalker Saga's co-op making boss fights worse, quick-swapping to AI companions during multiplayer feels like an oversight in the game's functionality. There are puzzles, for instance, that require the player to position minifigure characters on multiple buttons simultaneously, but if the AI is currently following the other split-screen , swapping to one will transport the player to their location and away from the Kyber Brick they were trying to retrieve. The companions seem to follow only one player at a time, so if players are splitting the exploration duties, this issue can crop up frequently when certain characters are needed.
LEGO Skywalker Saga's AI Companions Discourage Player Freedom
In the grand scheme of an otherwise enjoyable game, this is a fairly minor critique, but the issue with AI companions wouldn't occur if players still shared one screen like in previous LEGO Star Wars games. There's an argument to be made that LEGO video games are better without split-screen, and it would certainly clear up this particular issue with Skywalker Saga, but would also come at the expense of the gameplay improvements the separate screens have allowed for. LEGO Skywalker Saga has a particular emphasis on its explorable hub worlds, turning a majority of the game essentially into the Free Roam game mode, but discourages players from wandering independently by limiting how useful the AI followers are.
It's understandable that both players wouldn't have enough followers near the beginning of the game, when very few characters have been unlocked, but players are already able to create their own quick swap roster from the huge list of playable Star Wars characters in LEGO Skywalker Saga. Darth Maul never wanders around Jakku in The Force Awakens, but letting him be set as a dedicated follower for the second player in split-screen would be a huge quality of life improvement, that way he can be a quick swap option while BB-8 and Finn are following Rey on the other side of the map. Faraway characters could also just respawn off screen when they're swapped to instead of repositioning the player. In a way it almost promotes cooperation between the two players, but for those who like to be able to do their own thing while free roaming together, the AI companions in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga can be a nuisance.
