Lego Star Wars Review

Reviewed by: Akuaho

Star Wars and Lego -- Together At Last

Lego Star Wars is a quirky and worthwhile addition to the vast legions of Star Wars video games. Developer Traveller's Tales has combined the visionary creations of George Lucas and Ole Kirk Christiansen (the Danish inventor of Legos, ja?) to deliver a delightful vision of what adventures might take place long, long ago in a galaxy, of Legos, far, far away. The action spans Episodes I-III as you guide your bricked-out hero through some of the movies’ most memorable action scenes, leaving a wake of scattered Lego bricks as a testament to your Jedi powers. Fans of the two major franchises involved and hardcore gamers alike will appreciate this surprisingly good game for its solid gameplay and unique vision of the Star Wars universe.

Core Gameplay

Lego Star Wars consists of 17 levels spread out over the three Episodes that you play through sequentially in Story Mode. Most feature a team of two characters traversing various terrains, slicing or shooting up baddies and collecting Lego-type goodies as they follow the main plot arcs of the movies. You can journey alone with a computer-controlled buddy, or you can team up with a friend in the fun co-op mode. The standard hack ‘n’ slash mechanic works well and the Lego carnage is quite well done. It is actually really satisfying to reduce your opponent to Lego rubble with a light saber to the face, or to use the force to splash them against a wall. The game sometimes succumbs to monotony, the bane of all hack ‘n’ slashers, but there are a few judiciously placed levels that deliver a refreshing change of pace, notably the pod race from Episode I and the starship-dodging space flight from the beginning of Episode III.

The controls of Lego Star Wars are simple as most of the action consists of running, jumping, attacking, and using your character’s special power. We can’t all be Force-wielding Jedis, so the game divides characters into a few different classes, each with a corresponding power that you’ll need to use in certain situations. The primary goal on each level is to carve your way to the end, eliminating foes until you face off with some of the most notorious Dark Jedi in the Legoverse. Despite the fact that Darth Maul has never looked so adorable, the bosses are definitely a challenge compared to the fairly easy levels. The challenge is relative, however, as the only penalty for death is the loss of some of the aforementioned Lego goodies and you can continue as much as you like.

Levels are bookended by short expository cut scenes in which our mostly silent heroes use Lego body language and facial expressions to keep us up on the action. These scenes are short and sweet and feature the game’s funniest and goriest scenes. The sight of pregnant Lego Padme is bizarre and hilarious, and the few beheadings and torso-severings will either have you chuckling with glee or pondering if Lego-on-Lego violence can indeed be disturbing (the answer is no). At the end of Story Mode you’ll have enjoyed the core of what the game has to offer: fun levels chock full o’ Lego carnage punctuated by tricky bosses and enjoyable cut scenes.

Is that it?

If you haven’t gotten enough Lego Lucas by now, fear not! Lego Star Wars has ample unlockables that will keep you interested for a while yet. Each level has 10 Mini Kit pieces and a pantload of Studs to collect. Collecting the Mini Kit pieces will earn you Lego replicas notable Star Wars vehicles, which are then displayed in the parking lot of the game’s home base, Dexter’s Diner. From here you can access any level you’ve completed and play through in Free Mode. In this mode you can select your core characters, and once in the level you can rotate between characters of each class. Only by utilizing all the available character classes will you be able to collect all the goodies on each level, and this works well as an enticement to gamers eager to get more gameplay out of this title.

In addition to Mini Kit pieces, you must collect Studs if you hope to assemble the Super Kit. Studs are the coins of Legoland, and you will find them popping out all over the place when you attack or use force powers on the reasonably interactive environments. Gamers will find the Super Kit worth assembling, because it will unlock a bonus level in addition to just filling up your parking lot with another Lego-ified spaceship. Studs can also be used to purchase fun extras, like moustaches and invincibility, and playable characters: a grand total of 56 characters spanning all three episodes are available, including myriad droids, clones galore, and that wacky gang of jokesters, the Jedi Council.

The Rundown

This is a fun game with simple gameplay and a surprising amount of depth. The target audience of Star Wars fans and Lego aficionados will especially enjoy it, and it is a stellar family title. Looking for a way to game with your kids or younger siblings, but don’t want to expose them to a title featuring realistic guns and slaughter? Lego Star Wars is perfect. Less family-oriented gamers shouldn’t shy away, though; this game has enough quality content to make it a great rental.