Not many at-home experiences can fill the void of a Disneyland theme park. Better yet, there weren’t any until Star Wars: Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge came along in 2020. The VR game captured the spirit of new Star Wars lore, as a first-person shooter with confident direction. This gave ILMxLAB an opportunity to show players there was more in Star Wars besides the lightsabers. Unlike the interactive VR series Vader Immortal, this sequel feels like ILMxLAB’s first real video game.
Last Call—the latest DLC—brings the Galaxy’s Edge VR game full circle. It does so with content that actually outweighs the base game. ILMxLAB includes a heavy second half which pulls players deeper into Disneyland’s world. Last Call also manages to cleverly incorporate quality of life changes which gives the base game much better for first timers, along with brand-new tales which are tied to the bigger Star Wars mythology in somewhat nifty ways. Surprisingly, the amount of content and variety as a DLC even outweighs the base game. I was blown back by Galaxy’s Edge doubling in length after Last Call. Players are now on this ride for five to six hours, counting all side quests and tales.
As per my review of the base game, Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge is a shooter and adventure at its heart. The Last Call expansion doubles down on its off-world adventure on Battuu. ILMxLAB plays strongly on open world tropes to craft a real game. Combined with some precise VR gun play and turning players into a walking space Rambo. This is complete with levels shown through Batuu’s wild lands—just on the outskirts of Disneyland Black Spire Outpost.
Last Call effectively gives players more of what they loved in untold and fascinating regions. Seezelslak, the owner of Batuu’s hub cantina, returns. He tells the game’s titular tales which serve as special levels. These new servings of content focus deeper on exploration, with non-stop action inspired by the real Disneyland rides at Galaxy’s Edge. It’s a second half which moves faster, but cohesively with character development and higher stakes.
At the game’s core, players are still engaged in somewhat challenging gunfights around Batuu. But things quickly go stale once the game ends, with fewer enemies scattered around the post-game world. ILMxLAB misses out on replay value in the present day. Instead, Last Call reserves most of its action for Seezelslak’s replayable tales.
Speaking of action, Last Call makes blasting Guavian Death Gangsters, Stormtroopers and hostile wildlife more fun. ILMxLAB has turned its quality-of-life changes into purchasable upgrades from Mubo’s Workshop. The location suddenly has a new purpose for trading scrap and spending credits. Last Call gives players a new jetpack which can glide and dash. The cosmetic gloves are still there, with the addition of new ones that offer perks. Here, players can buy improvements.
“Last Call effectively gives players more of what they loved in untold and fascinating regions.”
From self-healing to better accuracy and extra ammo, Last Call includes what should have been there from the start. Equipping these vastly changed gunfights, letting me mow down goons with fewer hiccups. My favourite new gear includes recharging holsters. These much-needed additions let players store their favourite weapons (empty or not) and reuse them. Such quality-of-life changes add a fun layer to Galaxy’s Edge progression – in ways that gamify the theme park experience even more.
Sadly, long dormant VR players who uninstalled the game are in for a long ride. Galaxy’s Edge doesn’t have a cloud save, forcing me to play through the whole journey again. But this surprisingly opened my eyes to how Last Call changes the entire game. The DLC does serve as Part 2, but ILMxLAB smartly includes new content from the get-go. It didn’t take me long to access Batuu’s new quests, regions and tales. This doesn’t let the studio off the hook for leaving out cloud saves, when other leading AAA titles in Quest 2’s library included them.
Last Call starts with Dok Ondar, a purveyor of Star Wars artifacts and familiar face for Disneyland guests. He’s not exactly his rubber, animatronic self as ILMxLAB brought him to life in VR. Players get a brand-new storyline from Dok Ondar, which neatly blends Uncharted with Star Wars. It’s a wonderful story arc which dives deep into Batuu’s Jedi ruins. Sprinkled with fighting the galaxy’s scoundrels to secure a relic. ILMxLAB plays into their strengths from Vader Immortal, which lets players learn about the origins of all things Force.
VR players are a step ahead of Disneyland guests by meeting Galaxy Edge’s characters face-to-face. The base game suffered from having a handful of characters to interact with. This was reflected in a dense, but thin plot which needed more world building. Luckily, Last Call does just that with Dok Ondar. He gives an imposing, but focused presence for players trekking through an ancient moon cave and Jedi temple.
Last Call adds this deeper world building shown through Dok’s memories and regrets. Then adds in skilled relic hunter Lens Kamo, who slowly regains her trust in Batuu’s scoundrels (you included). There’s strong cohesion in these story-based quests, which introduce even more characters with a purpose. Dok Ondar’s story is complicated with Baron Attsmun, an extra from The Last Jedi, taking on a villain’s role. His band of tomb raiding droids are a refreshing enemy found in the Jedi temples, also in search of the relic. Here, Last Call evenly balances out temple exploration with action for a highly replayable location.
Where Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge lacked flavour, its Last Call DLC seasons through special levels. The overall game lives up to its name with some engrossing stories scattered across Star Wars history. Seezelslak, the jolly bartender voiced by SNL’s Bobby Monighan, returns with a committed energy. He continues lifting up the campy vibes Star Wars is known for with a few quips of his own. His new stories are also cleverly triggered by interacting with some new artifacts in the cantina.
“Players get a brand-new storyline from Dok Ondar, which neatly blends Uncharted with Star Wars.”
Scanning the well-hidden IG-88 head starts Last Call’s newer story. Players actually become the infamous assassin droid from The Mandalorian and other Star Wars media. The result is a fun rail shooting experience which doesn’t overstay its welcome. It’s also a replayable romp which pays tribute to Time Crisis and older Star Wars arcade shooters. Players might find the story’s ending worth their time. ILMxLAB goes an extra step by changing the way players watch one small scene in The Empire Strikes Back.
ILMxLAB made it clear their sequel wouldn’t feel like Vader Immortal. But players still get to wield a lightsaber and use Force powers throughout Galaxy’s Edge’s story. Interestingly, this is the earliest project for a video game set in the High Republic era. This new media franchise is set way before the Star Wars timeline. It’s an absolute thrill to see some of this visualized for the first time. Going beyond the novels which introduce this side of the universe. VR players are closer than anyone else to seeing the High Republic era come to life.
Last Call’s second major story continues the base game’s Jedi tale. This is arguably the strongest part of Galaxy’s Edge, which gives players a taste of what’s to (hopefully) come. Jedi Ady Sun’Zee jumps forward in time, training a young Padawan. But the level cleverly turns this lesson into a fun set of activities. Slicing up droids and playing Force-stacking are some of the level’s mini-games which can be replayed.
I can’t help but miss the Lightsaber Dojo from ILMxLAB’s Vader Immortal, which let me train as a Jedi against waves of droids. But Galaxy’s Edge moves on in favour of a lore-heavy story dump. It was still fascinating to catch up with Ady Sun’Zee as she touches on themes of trauma and loss. In a Jedi way, the level leaves an endearing message for players to make its tale memorable. This is ILMxLAB at their best in creating an interactive storytelling experience—something I hope to see more of in future VR projects.
The last tale, Fury of the First Order, somehow outshines the others. Players can only access this one after beating the game. But its payoff comes in infiltrating a First Order base and blasting all the Stormtroopers to your heart’s content. The level radically changes Galaxy’s Edge with a new tale players create. Specifically, Fury of the First Order does feel like a game adaptation of Disneyland’s own ride. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is a real ride at the Galaxy’s Edge theme park.
“This is ILMxLAB at their best in creating an interactive storytelling experience – something I hope to see more of in future VR projects.”
ILMxLAB manages to give VR players at home some of this magic. While blurring the lines between that novel attraction and video game. Here, players get to don a Stormtrooper helmet and try out some of their best weapons. As a bonus, players can even keep the blasters once they exit the story. Last Call neatly uses this bombastic tale to celebrate the theme park without being there.
Star Wars: Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge – Last Call is a rare DLC which is bigger than the original game. It greatly improves on the overall experience with some clever quality of life upgrades. Players might find a more complete experience by starting over if they haven’t done so. It feels like ILMxLAB should have included every piece of content at the release But Last Call is that overdue piece of the puzzle which brings that Galaxy’s Edge vision to life. Batuu’s Jedi locations and new regions are fascinating places to see beyond that Disneyland park. It’s only a shame that it took a year and DLC to turn Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge into a full package.
My biggest surprise about Last Call isn’t how it outshines the base game in almost every way. It’s the thoughtful additions ILMxLAB has made to expand the Galaxy’s Edge story beyond the Disney Park. The DLC pulls players deeper into a world most fans dreamed of exploring in person. Then, adding a new layer of interactivity through core action-adventure gameplay and progression.
Last Call greatly benefits the bigger universe with its tales, pushing Star Wars into new levels of fun that can only happen in Virtual Reality. It’s not an exaggeration to state that ILMxLAB has marked another technical achievement in bringing unforgettable theme park experiences for people at home.
Star Wars: Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge and its Last Call DLC can be bought together or separately on the Oculus Quest store. VR players can also dive into Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series for required playing. Because Lightsabers.
