Lego Star Wars

"A game that is much better to play than watching the new trilogy on DVD"

I didn't like the new trilogy that much, in fact I only really liked one of the three movies, that being Revenge of the Sith. The first movie was very boring except for any Jedi/Sith scenes. The second movie wasn't that bad, but it was still worse than any film from the original trilogy. Even though the movies weren't my cup of tea, this video game was very fun to play. I enjoyed this game much more than watching the new trilogy.

Presentation-

The attention to detail is very evident in the game. The story plays out just like you were watching the movies, but with legos instead. The programmers behind the game did something that I wasn't expecting…they made the game more interesting than the new trilogy was in movie form. 8/10

Graphics-

I was amazed at how clean this game looked on the PS2. You don't have an adjustable camera, which can be annoying at times, but if you move around enough the camera will adjust on its own. I never experienced any slowdown or glitches in the game, which is always nice. Nothing really to complain about here. 8/10

Sound-

If you are a fan of the soundtracks used for the new trilogy, then you will really like playing this game while listening to the music. One good thing about the new trilogy is that the soundtracks still have that great style of music that the original trilogy had. Too bad the music from Episode III wasn't in the game though. No voices are heard during the game, but having mute characters isn't that bad since the story tells itself perfectly without any words being spoken. Sound effects are just like they were in the films. 8/10

Gameplay-

This game isn't that hard to play through, unless you are trying to get Jedi for each level, then a few levels can be hard. Since you can't really die (you lose studs when you do die, but you come right back), each level can be completed no matter what. It might take you a while if you are an inexperienced gamer, but even a child could complete the story levels in the game.

The podrace was a bit annoying, but once you had the pattern down it was easy. Getting the amount of studs needed for Jedi is very hard to do, unless you had the Invincibility cheat purchased. This way you wouldn't lose any studs if your pod vehicle was destroyed during the race.

Another hard level to reach Jedi status on was with Yoda in Episode III. I forget which one it was, but you basically need to play through the level and never get hit once to have enough studs at the end for your Jedi rank. Once again, the Invincibility cheat works wonders for this.

Bosses in the game are not that difficult except for one fight, which happens to be the final boss battle. Anakin vs. Obi Wan. The computer really cheats hardcore with Anakin, and most gamers will have to take advantage of a flaw in the level just to pass it. The trick consists of using the second controller and acting like another player is using Anakin. With the computer no longer using Anakin, you can take him down with no problems.

Searching for the mini-kits on free play mode was fun. Most of the kits were easily found since you had enough characters to choose from to reach where they were hidden. This is a neat way to replay through a level that you had just completed, but now you can get objects that were unattainable before. Plus you get more studs for playing the level again, and if you find all ten mini-kits for your vehicle you'll get a stud bonus.

Using a Jedi character is the best way to play through the levels, at least it was for me. The Jedi in the game are more powerful and can defend themselves against blaster attack. Plus it is just fun to use the Force against your enemies. 8/10

Lasting Appeal-

Whether you are playing for 100%, or just like playing through your favorite movie levels, this game will keep you busy for quite a while. In order to unlock everything in the game, you will need a lot of studs (money used in the game). Plus if you want a vehicle in the parking lot for your collection, you will have to find ten mini-kits on each level (most found on free play).

It took me several days of playing before I had everything unlocked, and the best part is it didn't feel like work. The levels are not that long, except for the ones with Yoda since he moves so slowly. Once you have everything unlocked, the game can feel a bit boring…but just give yourself a few weeks off from the game and it will be fun again. 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/26/07