Monopoly has never struggled to create memorable game nights, although not always for the right reasons. Long matches, inevitable arguments, and drawn-out endings have become just as much a part of its identity as buying properties and collecting rent. Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains takes that familiar foundation and reshapes it into something designed specifically for videogames, replacing the traditional race toward bankruptcy with a faster, team-oriented battle for Influence Points. Developed by Behaviour Interactive and published by Ubisoft, this PlayStation 5 adaptation doesn’t abandon the spirit of Monopoly, but it does make a genuine effort to modernize the formula through Star Wars-themed abilities, objective-based gameplay, and cooperative strategy.
The biggest change comes from the way victory is determined. Rather than simply accumulating wealth until everyone else is eliminated, teams compete to earn Influence Points through property ownership, successful battles, and Star Wars-inspired GO Events. These objectives keep momentum flowing far better than traditional Monopoly, reducing the likelihood of players spending an hour waiting for an inevitable defeat. Team play in 2v2 and 3v3 matches also changes decision-making considerably, encouraging players to coordinate their movement, combine character abilities, and decide together which locations deserve the most attention. It creates a more active and engaging rhythm without completely abandoning the recognizable mechanics that have made Monopoly so enduring.
Character selection proves to be more than simple fan service. With heroes and villains each bringing unique active and passive abilities, team composition genuinely influences how matches unfold. Some powers make it easier to capture properties, others improve combat or movement around the board, while certain combinations complement each other surprisingly well. Battles over contested locations further distinguish this version from classic Monopoly, introducing dice-based confrontations that can dramatically swing control of the board. The added layer of strategy gives players meaningful opportunities to recover from losing positions, although the abilities themselves stop short of transforming every match into something radically different. Likewise, GO Events inject welcome variety with cooperative mini-games inspired by iconic moments from across the Star Wars saga, but they occasionally feel a little too influential, allowing fortunate dice rolls to outweigh careful long-term planning.
The controls deserve credit for keeping everything approachable despite the additional mechanics. Navigating menus, activating abilities, and managing turns all feels intuitive on PlayStation 5, making it easy for newcomers and younger players to jump in without needing lengthy explanations. Matches also benefit from flexible rulesets that allow players to shorten sessions or customize certain mechanics to better suit different groups. That said, pacing remains dependent on the people sitting around the virtual table. Longer multiplayer sessions can still drag when participants deliberate over every decision or when animations repeatedly interrupt the flow, meaning some of Monopoly’s familiar frustrations inevitably survive the transition to videogame form.
Presentation is where the Star Wars license shines brightest. Rather than simply decorating a traditional Monopoly board with familiar logos, Behaviour Interactive has rebuilt the experience around recognizable planets, factions, characters, and cinematic moments spanning multiple eras of the franchise. Attractive board designs, lively 3D dioramas, stylish menus, and numerous visual references help the game feel like a genuine celebration of Star Wars rather than a superficial crossover. The accompanying soundtrack and sound effects successfully evoke the films, while the character animations and voice work contribute further personality, even if a handful of performances feel less convincing than others. Some of the cinematic recreations are also a little brief and straightforward, missing opportunities to inject additional humor or creativity into scenes many players already know by heart.
Technically, the PlayStation 5 version performs reliably. Loading times remain short, frame rates stay stable, and the overall experience feels polished throughout extended play sessions. At the same time, the visuals don’t fully capitalize on the hardware’s capabilities. While everything is colorful and well presented, environmental detail and graphical fidelity remain relatively modest, leaving the impression that the presentation could have been pushed considerably further. It’s an attractive game, but rarely one that feels particularly cutting-edge from a technical standpoint.
Replay value depends largely on whether Monopoly already has a regular place in your household. Fans of the board game will appreciate the streamlined objective structure, the variety offered by twenty-eight playable characters, and the combination of local, online, AI, and cross-platform multiplayer options. Unlockable cosmetics and customizable rules also encourage experimentation across multiple sessions. Even so, some of the novelty inevitably fades after repeated matches, especially once players become familiar with the available abilities and event rotations. The underlying formula remains recognizably Monopoly, with all the strengths and occasional repetition that implies.
Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains succeeds because it understands that simply reskinning a classic board game would never have been enough. By introducing cooperative play, objective-based scoring, contested properties, and character abilities, Behaviour Interactive has delivered a version that feels faster, more interactive, and considerably better suited to videogames while remaining accessible to families and longtime Monopoly fans alike. Some balancing issues, lengthy matches, and underutilized presentation ideas prevent it from becoming the definitive digital Monopoly, but for Star Wars enthusiasts looking for a fresh way to settle old rivalries, this is an entertaining adaptation that captures the spirit of both franchises remarkably well.
Score: 7.8/10