Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains [REVIEW] – Passing Go in a Galaxy Far, Far Away 

I love a game of Monopoly, but after years and years of playing, it’s always nice to see a refreshing take on it. And believe me, Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains really does spice things up, throwing out half the rulebook and injecting a heavy dose of galactic flavour. It makes for an experience that plays much more like a fast-paced party game than a slow financial simulator, but you know what? It works surprisingly well for the most part, outside of a few disturbances in the Force. 

Check out some screenshots down below: 

Let’s get an important detail out of the way immediately: if you are looking for a standard game of Monopoly, you won’t find it here. In fact, one of the biggest drawbacks is that there is absolutely no option to play with the classic rules – instead, you are forced into team-based matches of either two-versus-two or three-versus-three where you share properties and cash with your allies, making communication key to your success. 

Bankrupting your friends (typically one of my favourite things about the whole experience) is also a thing of the past, with the new aim being to gather ‘Influence’. You get this by claiming locations and winning battles, and yes, you read that right… battles. Traditional houses and hotels are gone, replaced by bases that can actually be attacked and conquered by the opposing team through dice-rolling scraps. These battles aren’t just passive either – defenders roll their dice onto the board first, and attackers roll second, giving them a physical chance to knock and alter the defender’s dice. It’s a fun little mechanic that makes rivalries feel much more personal, bringing a real sense of unpredictability into each turn you take. 

The biggest source of Influence comes from ‘Go Events’. Every time a player passes the starting square, a special event triggers for their team. They’re a cool little addition, though I must admit, it’s a shame that they simply boil down to rolling the dice some more. I know, I know, Monopoly is a board game, so it makes sense, but it really feels like an opportunity missed to gamify the experience to keep players enticed for the long run.  

“Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains is a bold take on the classic board game that’s satisfyingly strategic, looks fantastic, and, most importantly, is a lot of fun to play.” 

In fairness, Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains is pretty quick-paced, with matches automatically ending after a set number of these ‘Go Events’ are triggered. This limits a session’s length quite a bit, which is ideal given that Monopoly can be guilty of having some pacing issues (I’ve played games that last HOURS). However, it does mean that victory can rely massively on the luck of the dice – if one team just happens to pass the starting square more than the other, it can really push things in their favour. 

To give players a bit of agency over the dice, the game features a roster of 28 characters – split evenly between heroes and villains – that each pack unique abilities. Every hero has a villain counterpart with the exact same ability, ensuring the two factions are somewhat mirrored, but believe me, these abilities can make a big difference in how each game plays out. However, while these abilities add a brilliant layer of strategy to the game, they are pretty unbalanced – some characters have highly situational perks that barely trigger, while others feel downright unfair to use… I wouldn’t be surprised to see a patch or two soon after launch, because I’ve already found myself drawn to specific characters because they hold such an advantage over the rest. 

It is worth noting that Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains is strictly a multiplayer affair. While you can fill empty slots with AI bots, playing solo against the computer can feel a little dull and loses some of the magic of what Monopoly is all about. The game is at its absolute best when played with a group of friends, and whilst I’ve only spent time doing that locally so far, I’m genuinely excited to dive into online play.  

Check out some screenshots down below: 

It all comes together to make for a gameplay experience that is genuinely enjoyable, especially when working together to capture famous planets, throwing dice to physically knock your opponents out of their bases, or timing unique character abilities to gain an advantage. There’s a deceptive amount of strategy to be found when playing that really helps make it feel unique, unpredictable, and, most importantly, fun. It just relies a bit too much on pure luck at times, and the balancing of certain characters is DEFINITELY a bit wonky. But hey, with the moment-to-moment action of the game bringing plenty of excitement, it’s a hell of a lot more lively than your standard game of Monopoly, and with unlockables to gather along the way, there’s plenty to keep you coming back for more. 

Visually, the game does a great job of pulling you into the universe. The whole thing takes place on a holographic table inside a lively cantina, and with R2D2 and C3PO serving as your hosts, it’s oozing with that Star Wars personality. And best of all? When you land on a property, the centre of the board morphs into brilliant 3D dioramas of famous Star Wars locales, really adding to the immersion. The characters themselves are wonderfully designed too, wandering around the board and reacting to the chaos with a slick cartoonish presentation that captures their look perfectly. It’s just really, really cool, and long-time fans of Star Wars will appreciate all of the little details that the game manages to perfectly recreate. 

Developer: Behaviour Interactive 
Publisher: Ubisoft 
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC 
Website: https://www.starwars.com/games-apps/monopoly-star-wars-heroes-vs-villains