So another Lego game based on a blockbuster film has hit store shelves. Surprise, surprise. By now, it has become an unspoken promise that if there is a movie event hitting theaters, there will also be a Lego version of it right around the corner. The thing about these Lego games, though, is that they are addictively charming and have become a welcome addition to the experience that is engulfing yourself in anything and everything related to the source material. In this instance, it is Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In an effort to spice up the proceedings this time around, there are some new features added to the gameplay.

Lego: Star Wars The Force Awakens delivers what any Lego gamer will already expect: a funny retelling of the movie with its own unique Lego quirks and jokes. You basically play through The Force Awakens, getting the opportunity to play as your favorite characters, both old and new, like Han Solo, Chewbacca, Rey and Finn. But this installment in the Lego Star Wars franchise makes a clear push to add some extra oomph to the proceedings right off the bat. Instead of starting off on Jakku like the film does, the game takes a left turn and jumps back in time to the Battle of Endor and the second Death Star from Star Wars Episode VI: Return of The Jedi in an attempt to bridge the two films. It’s an unexpected twist that may throw some people off. Of course, the narrative quickly redirects to the game’s title after that, but it sets the tone for the rest of the game, letting the constant gamer know that this isn’t a cut-and-paste copy of previous Star Wars Lego games.

The new gameplay concepts introduced in Lego: Star Wars The Force Awakens are not huge, but they add new angles. The most fun is the Blaster Battles function where, like other shooter games, you are able to take your cute little Lego self behind cover as you aim and shoot at your enemies from an over-the-shoulder view. It’s a more real and in-your-face fighting style. There is also the Multi-Builds system, in which you have the ability to choose more than one way to build certain Lego pieces for puzzle solving, the backbone of any Lego game. This is great because it gives options when it comes to brick-building, as opposed to the mundane task of just throwing them together.

If you like Star Wars and Lego, then you’ll love Lego: Star Wars The Force Awakens. It embodies what everybody has come to enjoy about both, while at the same time trying to mix it up and offer a fresh take with new details. It’s not a complete overhaul of the Lego game formula, but there are enough additions to make it feel a little different.

For more information, visit lego.com/en-us/starwars/games/videogame.

By Jason Savio