One of the smartest moves Sony made when making their new PSVR 2 was to reach out to developers of established VR titles already on the market to gauge their interest in porting certain games over to the new system. One such developer and game was Lucasfilm and their hit game Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge Enhanced Edition, which is a compilation of stories and tales from around the Star Wars universe set in virtual reality. Everything you could ever want from a Star Wars game can be found in this package and if you’re buying games for the system at launch, you’ll probably want to add this one to your list and I’m here to tell you why.
Included with the game is the Last Call DLC which raises the total story playing time from 3 hours to 10 hours. If we’re being honest, it’s the DLC and the enhancements that make this game the critical component to any VR collection that it ended up becoming. The original story is pretty bland and simple. You’re aboard a cargo ship that ships sketchy items to even more sketchy people when one of those sketchy people attempts to rob the ship and you crash land on Batuu. From here you engage in a variety of different errands and missions that have you doing everything from large scale shootouts to using the force.
The game is packed with collectibles and actually encourages a ton of exploring. You can find everything from parts to weapons to collectibles just exploring your environment and some of these will lead to new opportunities and rewards. The game does a great job of giving fans a variety of different weapons they can use and play with, even things as clumsy as a blaster. If I have one complaint about the game, it’s that blaster fights can be a bit difficult until you figure out the very precise aiming technique you have to use to hit some enemies. The game could benefit from a bit more tweaking for those using aim down sights.
But beyond the brief instances where things are wonky or weird, I mostly found myself having a free-flowing and great time playing this title. The puzzles aren’t exactly difficult and most are simple enough that your young child could solve them, but that’s not the point of this game. The point of this game is to give people a totally immersive experience that allows them to believe they’re in the Star Wars universe and they absolutely succeed on that front. Hell, the very beginning of the game feels like a much more intimate and interactive Star Tours ride at Disneyland, for those who have been.
The enhanced visuals and upgrades made for this version will leave you breathless. The start-up screen itself is stunningly gorgeous and sets the tone for the variety of environments and visuals you’ll see throughout the game. It’s fun to just load yourself up with weapons and walk around like a Storm Commando or member of Inferno Squad. The weapons come complete with reload, degassing, and venting procedures. The multitool features three different tools that you’ll use throughout and it opens up storage caches littered with usable support droids similar to the ones that Luke was using to train “feeling the force” aboard the Falcon after they left Mos Eisley. They provide support fire, defense, and can even be used as a one-time bomb.
If you pick up the PSVR 2, you should seriously make this game one of your first purchases. If there were a top three of release titles it would be Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge, Horizon Call of the Mountain, and Drum Rock. Buy those three games and you’ll have an extensive variety of well done, truly addicting and wonderfully gorgeous games for your new PlayStation VR2. To quote Sir Charles Barkley from the old Right Guard commercials, “anything less would be uncivilized”
BSO Rating: 9/10
YouTube footage of me playing:
Kane Webb is an entertainment journalist for @BSO and @TheMarvelReport. He also writes about the USC Trojans for @AthlonSports and has been featured on @FanSided, @Scout, @Rivals, the Bakersfield Californian, Wisconsin State Journal, and much more. You can follow him on Twitter: @FightOnTwist