READ ABOUT OUR FORCE LINK 2.0 EXPERIENCE

4/29/2018 Force Link 2.0 Hasbro

After going through the painful 1+ hour Force Link 2.0 app update and several connection issues between the gauntlet and the app on an iPhone 7 Plus (with a great WiFi connection), we finally got the app to work. We've updated every Star Wars figure in the Solo: A Star Wars Story / Force Link 2.0 toy line with voice samples. Here is what we have learned and experienced: 

• The Force Link 2.0 Wampa, Rathtar, Bala-Tik, BB-8 and BB-9e don't work yet with the app
• Lando Calrissian is a great example of how cool this concept could be if implemented correctly (check out the db entry and listen to the voice samples, they are awesome!)
• K-2SO only features three different lines (typically we can get five or six different lines out of a figure)
• Qui-Gon Jinn's voice is not Liam Neeson (it sounds bad), and just like with K-2SO, we were only able to get three different phrases out of the figure
• For Darth Maul they didn't use his Phantom Menace lines or voice either, it might be from The Clone Wars or Rebels
• Rose (First Order Disguise) is unique, her voice samples are a mix of previous voice samples from other Rose figures
• Luke Skywalker (Hoth Outfit) features only voice samples which are either from Dagobah or Bespin (this makes absolutely no sense)
• Luke Skywalker (Jedi Master) has new voice samples and is unique from the Last Jedi Force Link 1.0 figure
• The Kessel Guard doesn't speak, fighting sounds only
• Characters which we don't know much about yet sound good, Han, Qi'Ra, the Range Trooper, the Stormtrooper (Mimban), Enfys Nest ... all good stuff
• The Force Link 2.0 wrist band works on older The Last Jedi figures, but the old Force Link wrist band which came with Kylo Ren (or the one with the Praetorian Guard/Stormtrooper Executioner - TRU exclusive) doesn't work on the Force Link 2.0 figures
• The app feature to unlock new voice samples by linking new figures through the app doesn't work
• Keeping track of figures through the app by tapping the "star" in the picture doesn't do anything, the figure counter doesn't go up
• We've noticed several issues with other languages, when switching to German for example, the layout breaks on some pages because the headings are too long
• You are supposed to be able to toggle between Force Link 1.0 and 2.0 figures in the app, in the German localization it says toggle between Force Link 2.0 and 2.1

So far we don't see the magic between Force Link 1.0 and 2.0 except that you can update it through Bluetooth. The app is still not ready for prime time yet. When was the last time you've spent $30+ for an item you thought you could use right away, then had to wait about two weeks, then installed the app on your phone (which took one hour) and then still didn't work 100%? The figures still have five or six different lines (in some cases apparently less), so the functionality is the same when compared to Force Link 1.0 and we didn't notice any changes in voice quality or an increase in phrases per figure. Force Link 2.0 has a lot of potential and we love how cool it is when it works well (Lando!), but we have to scratch our head when we have a Luke Skywalker in Hoth Outfit who only speaks lines from different scenes in the movie. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for a quick and frustration free update to the app in the coming days and a more thoughtful approach as to what lines the figures should speak (and having original voices from the movies should really be a given).

 Share your experience below, we'd love to hear about it!