Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Watch debut gameplay trailer with space battles

The first official gameplay trailer for Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens showcases several major changes to the patented Lego video game formula, with third-person cover-based 'Blaster Battles' and spaceship dogfights headlining the brick-based tie-in for the box office hit film.

Set for release on a staggering total of eight consoles, the latest effort from long-time Lego game UK developer Traveller's Tales Games is looking to add to the tried and tested puzzle and combat-lite gameplay to bring the rebooted world of Star Wars back to life in the form of tiny interactive mini-figures.

Judging by the footage (trailer below), the so called Blaster Battles promises Gears of War-like interludes as you take control of an under-fire blocky facsimile of cocky pilot Poe Dameron, while the flight gameplay in deep space and pre-set arenas may help fans with a dogfight-itch that Star Wars: Battlefront failed to scratch.

Also new to the popular franchise that has previously seen Indiana Jones, Batman and The Avengers receive the Lego treatment, is Multi-Builds, which publisher Warner Bros claims will take the player on an epic adventure as the "same pile of Lego bricks can be used in multiple ways, with the player building and re-building different objects for different purposes."

While mainly designed for a younger demographic, the Lego video games also appeal to the big kid in all of us, offering a wry, comedic take on some of the most cherished and largest IPs from the world of entertainment media.

Fans of The Force Awakens might also be interested by the game's "additional insight about the new movie and its characters" as it covers events set prior to the JJ Abrams film released in December 2015 to critical and commercial success. The trailer features dialogue lifted directly from the film itself, with Daisy Ridley also recording new lines exclusively for the game according to a Verge interview.

Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens has a release date set for 28 June 2016 and will take players to a galaxy far, far away on (deep breath) PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, PC (Steam), PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS and PS Vita.

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