This isn’t the game you’re looking for
Monopoly. Most of you have played it and some of you have lost friends over it. The classic board game that teaches children capitalism (ironically the games original design was to teach the exact opposite – dangers of land monopolies and unearned wealth; look it up) has been merged with tons of franchises over the years. I’m pretty sure my kids had a My Little Pony version and a Sailor Moon version; these were always the standard game rules with just property names being themed after franchise. Star Wars is no exception and has tons of these however in this version known as Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains the rules have changed.
Listen, I’m not going to drag this out for you; this game is pretty freaking boring. With a name like “Star Wars Heroes vs Villains” I was expecting some real combat and stuff; yea it’s not that so just go ahead and temper those expectations. The gameplay does see players face off with one side being the heroes and the others the villains. The setup is the players are playing this game in a cantina where C3PO is the narrator, and believe me it sounds a lot cooler than it actually is. The biggest change though is this game makes Monopoly into a team game, instead of hoarding republic credits players will have to fight for control points to control the galaxy.
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $19.99
There is a decent selection of heroes and villains to choose from but there are some omissions and weird additions from the newer shows and movies. This choice is far more than cosmetic though as each character has an ability that can help in gameplay. Darth Vader for instance can summon a stormtrooper to take a space within 3 of his location. The usual gameplay mechanics are present, rolling dice, taking properties, building houses and hotels. However, if the opposing faction lands on a property they will have to pay the rent as usual but then they can gain control of the space. This then adds to their total galactic control with the overall objective to be the side with the most points at the end of the game.
Game length is largely determined by how many “GO Events” players choose to have. These events take place once someone goes around the board and reaches go. The faction will play a minigame that equates to simply rolling dice and having the greater number. Sadly, that is how the battles also work, which really pisses me off because this game does a phenomenal job of representing Star Wars. Sure, they didn’t pay enough to include actual Star Wars music but the faux John Williams is good enough. But all the menus and color scheme just screams “Galaxy Far, Far away” so I just don’t understand why we couldn’t have a turn-based blaster battle or lightsaber fight.
Not to mention all the flashiness aside the games all come down to a dice roll and I am not usually one of those people who like to scream “this game is cheating” but look… I feel like this game is cheating most of the time. I have only beaten the AI one time out of 30 matches, and sure; maybe I just have really bad luck but come on!! Just some level of a skill based minigame would have been really appreciated especially when they went so far with changing how a well-known game like Monopoly is played.
Monopoly Star Wars: Heroes vs Villains is not the game I thought it was. All of its flashiness hides a lack of replayability. The character skills are a neat addition but the boring dice battles, repetitive voice lines and generic sci-fi will grate on even the biggest Star Wars fans nerves after a time.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
