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LEGO Star Wars II Review
Written by Robert Falcon on Sunday, September 10, 2006
Fun gameplay; great presentation; wi-fi for two players; secrets aplenty.
No online play; load times can be a bit strenuous.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there was a better Star Wars trilogy. You know, the old-school series that has since been followed up by a "technically advanced" prequel trilogy that didn't really do that much for me. However, it did open the door for one of the best Star Wars-licensed games in existence, Lego Star Wars. This is a platforming game that uses the basic power of Lego design and mixes it with platforming action to create an enjoyable experience for all ages. However, the game wasn't given a chance on the PSP, leaving gamers to turn to Battlefront II for their Jedi-battling.
But those times have ended with the arrival of Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, and the wait for the sequel has been most certainly worth it. In the game, you follow in the footsteps of some heroes from the original trilogy, including Jedi-to-be Luke Skywalker, freelance gunner Han Solo, the beautiful Princess Leia, and a few others. During your journey, you'll run afoul of a series of problems, ranging from fleets of Stormtroopers to bothersome Sand People to the dark Sith himself, Darth Vader. Each of the characters in the game bring some great talents to the table, like Chewbacca's ability to rip Lego arms off and Obi-Wan Kenobi's knack with a lightsaber.
The fun is what this game's all about, though, and it brings it in droves. Through a combination of skillful platforming segments and fun flying sequences, it really doesn't slow down in terms of fun. Some of the boss challenges take a little getting used to (like the Rancor from Return of the Jedi), but part that, the game's a blast to play. The gameplay is relatively easy, as you attack either with a lightsaber or a blaster as you destroy foes and collect hearts (for power-ups) and studs. These studs come in gold and silver, and as you collect them, you can spend them in a mini store in the Cantina, buying new characters, parts, hints, and other goodies. You'll also build a few things from leftover piles of Legos on the floor. But of course- you can't imagine the whole thing being put together for you, can you?
Along with platforming action, you'll find that the gameplay's been expanded by vehicle use. And I'm not just talking about during the outer space battles, but on planets as well. From riding slow but sturdy Banthas to cruising around in the Landspeeder, you'll find these transports actually have some good use to them. You can also switch off between different characters at any time, and you'll need to in order to gain access to new doors and secrets. If you don't feel like going it alone, you can log on via AdHoc and join up with a friend who has a copy of the game. This leads to some impressive co-op action. Sadly, however, an Infrastructure mode is not provided, meaning you can't take the game online. Sigh.
The graphics in Lego Star Wars II aren't complicated, but they do give a genuine appearance that's truthful to the film content. The characters themselves animate nicely, and even have little characteristics that help define them better than others. For instance, Chewbacca eschews more personality than a Rebel gunner with no name. There's also a great sense of humor with some of the visuals, like C-3PO hobbling around while he's damaged or opening a door to find Stormtroopers in a hot tub, complete with helmets. Hilarious. The levels look great, and there's lots of secret items and icons to seek out. The only snag I could see is the game loads constantly, and you'll see scenes interrupted for a few seconds while it does this.
Audio-wise, the game scores with a terrific soundtrack straight from the movies, authentic sound effects (you gotta love the hum of your lightsaber), and some little verbal warblings by the characters. You won't hear any actual film dialogue here, but rather little cues that give them the impression of speaking. Dialogue would've probably brought the game away from its comic tone anyway.
Along with unlocking new bonus items and discovering secrets, the game also gives you the ability to build your own characters with available parts. If you've ever wanted to give your character C-3PO's head, Darth Vader's legs, and Slave Princess Leia's bikini-clad torso, well, now you can. You can get quite a few different combinations out of this, and it's fun for a few laughs, but doesn't really add anything to the gameplay. Fortunately, the general quest does take quite a few hours to complete, and is worth revisiting just in case you don't find everything.
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy is a fantastic sequel. If it had online play and cleared up its long loading issues, it'd be a sure-fire five-star winner. As is, though, it'll have to do just being a great sequel and fun for all ages. I suppose that's good enough for most of you. The Force is strong with this game. (Oh, come on, you knew I was going to say it.)
