Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy – Review

When footage from the initial prequel-based LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game hit the Internet a couple of years ago, gamers were understandably excited. Finally a developer was arching out of the clogged first-person shooter genre in an attempt to bring gamers something different, something colorful, something fun, and something that anyone between the ages of 4 and 94 could cope with playing. When the game was finally released it was the target of many extremely positive reviews (see ours HERE) and was probably the biggest surprise in gaming for quite some time. Now, enter LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. Whereas the first game opted to jump on the Star Wars Episodes I, II, and III bandwagon, Traveller’s Tales’ sequel revisits Episodes IV, V, and VI, which are, let’s face it, the better trio of the Star Wars series, but does the videogame version reflect this?

Mos Eisley, wretched hive of scum and villainy, is where you start your adventure. As with the previous LEGO Star Wars game, this acts as a sort of playable menu section that you can wander around, buy extras, and, in this outing, customize your own character using more heads and bodies than you can poke a lightsaber at. Once ready to go, you then head into Episode IV: A New Hope and into the first of six chapters (six per Episode).

Once in the game proper, it’s easy to see that not much has changed playability wise. If you liked the simplistic gameplay style of the previous LEGO Star Wars title, then you’ll absolutely love The Original Trilogy. It’s still a hefty mix of fighting, platform jumping, and simple puzzle solving, all of which follows the general narrative line of the Star Wars films, though there is more deviation in this title across some sections. It has to be said, however, that certain gameplay aspects feel a little substandard, such as the lightsaber emerging as quite possibly the most useless weapon in the game as you swing wildly at foes and inflict little or no damage. It seems Han Solo was right when he said that hokey religions and ancient weapons really are no match for a good blaster at your side.

Another clunky aspect is also the newly implemented ‘bitch-slapping’ element. If the character you’re using is standing too close to a friend, he/she will slap them senseless, which, though funny at first, swiftly becomes somewhat annoying when trying to get something else done. Puzzle solving is once more a joy, though there’s nothing that’s likely to strain your brain too much. However, the complexities do grow slightly as the game moves along, and a few more testing puzzles will arrive by the time you reach Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. The Original Trilogy also still features the incredibly clever ‘Drop In/Out’ co-operative mode, which means a friend can simply press ‘Start’ to join you in some co-op action, or press it again to leave. You also have the ability to walk close to another character and hit the ‘Y’ button to take control of them, which is useful for puzzle solving as different characters offer up different skills. The only real missed opportunity in The Original Trilogy is the lack of any kind of online multiplayer component—which really is an absolute travesty. LEGO Star Wars: The Original Trilogy is, at its core, just a simple, fun game, and that’s most definitely reflected in this kind of gameplay; though, imagine the fun we could have had running about with friends on Xbox Live, or even playing against them. Why Traveller’s Tales didn’t add an online option is beyond comprehension, especially when the game doesn’t appear to be making the most of the Xbox 360’s next-generation capabilities.

There are a few vehicular levels in the game and their addition proves to be a double-edged sword. The best vehicle level by far is the wonderful re-creation of the Endor speeder bike sequence from Return of the Jedi, but all other vehicle levels seem somehow stunted by a wonky control mechanism—though that may well be a personal thing. That said, the fun gauge is still full enough to finish the vehicular levels, and it is undoubtedly cool to pilot LEGO Star Wars vehicles. As well as this, there’s also the option of riding certain creatures, which doesn’t seem to serve much purpose other than executing a few high jumps along with the joy of knowing you’re riding a bantha, or a dewback. More than anything else, though, you simply can’t beat the feeling of leaping into an AT-ST and stomping around squashing people. It’s simple, undiluted fun and, if you’re feeling particularly frivolous, it can also be amusing for chasing around the other players.

The levels in LEGO Star Wars II are chock full of rewards, including the elusive mini-kit pieces that contribute to the construction of various Star Wars vehicles and spaceships outside the Mos Eisley cantina. And, this time around, they also open up additional vehicle levels, thus extending the game’s replay value and longevity. Speaking of which, you’ll likely finish Episodes IV, V, and VI in a matter of hours (probably somewhere around 8-10), but the game is by no means over at this point, as you’ll have to return to the completed levels using different characters to truly ‘complete’ everything. The relatively brevity of LEGO Star Wars II (and its predecessor) will probably be a bone of contention with many gamers, but when you realize you can finish the game and only have it 50% complete, you do start to appreciate that there’s so much more to do. So, why not try collecting every single coin, every mini-kit piece, every gold brick, and every playable character. Then, before you know it, you’ll be heading up towards 20 hours of fun-filled gameplay, and this proves to be the real beauty of the game. Trust us when we tell you that the invaluable and inexhaustible fun factor will make you want to go back and finish collecting every single available piece if possible.

Graphically, LEGO Star Wars II is as charming as the previous outing, with the Star Wars universe lovingly re-created in LEGO form. The sheer attention to detail is wonderful, and all your favorite Star Wars characters are replicated from the original films, all in gloriously cute LEGO. The developers are not without a good sense of humor either, as many scenes will have you smiling from ear to ear—but we’ll not mention specifics here, you’ll know them when you see them. As already mentioned, this isn’t a game that’s going to push the Xbox 360’s considerable capabilities, but it is still gorgeous regardless of that fact. Yes, the camera still has its problems, but this isn’t a flaw that will ruin the game overall. What may, however, is the appearance of a few nasty bugs. On three separate occasions during the play time for this review, the game suffered from slipping into an area that saw the character fixed and unable to move, or a vital piece of scenery that needed moving in order to finish a puzzle would not budge—which meant a level restart. Needless to say, this was extremely irritating to say the least, but, again, in the grand scheme of things, not so huge compared to the game’s many plus points. Along with graphics, the sound in LEGO Star Wars II is wonderfully integrated, despite the lack of actual character dialogue. The grunts and facial expressions of the LEGO characters are delightfully done and easily lend themselves to every scene’s emotional content by ably replacing any (un)necessary character dialogue. Of course, the Ewoks, who largely speak gibberish anyway, sound absolutely fantastic and are still just as shamelessly cute as they were on celluloid.

For the female gamers out there, LEGO Star Wars II will appeal to you as much as it does to the male gamer. Yes, you really only have the option of playing as Princess Leia throughout the game, and that’s a pity, but she does kick some serious ass and you can play her in different forms too. As is in keeping with the original films, the Princess needs to be saved, etc, and is in the minority by comparison to the available male characters, but that’s not a big deal here. You can also mix and match body shapes and heads so there’s the possibility of putting the female head onto a male body—which some might see as being fun.

Overall, LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy is a thoroughly entertaining and humor-filled videogame romp through the first three (chronologically released) Star Wars movies, but it’s not without its flaws. Unlike the previous LEGO Star Wars game, this outing somehow falls foul of a few nasty bugs that may well slide a dark Sith-like cloud over proceedings for those unlucky enough to suffer through them. That said, the resulting minor irritations shouldn’t really be enough to prevent you purchasing this title, which is full of charm and will provide you with many hours of fun. The stories follow the initial Star Wars films well, despite a fair bit of deviation throughout, and everything is well crafted, and, unlike many videogames released these days, the whole galactic adventure is accessible to the youngest or the oldest of active gamers—all of whom will go away satisfied. LEGO Star Wars: The Original Trilogy is definitely a game for playing through with others, and working cooperatively to get through the levels will make things a little easier and a little more fun. Using The Force is always going to be cool and the game offers up plenty of chances to utilize its obvious advantages. If you’re looking for an immersion-friendly and fun-filled title on the Xbox 360 that won’t stress you out too much or be overly taxing on your gameplay skills, then LEGO Star Wars: The Original Trilogy should be at the top of your list.

Review by Angela

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