LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy – PS2 – Review

Star Wars
fever may be over now that Episode III has come and gone, but there’s still a
reason to get excited about the galaxy that’s far, far away. Darth Vader and
Luke Skywalker will continue to find their way onto toy store shelves, giving
collector’s something to hunt for. LEGO is also continuing their line of Star
Wars building sets, letting fans piece together everything from a Y-Wing to
the Death Star.

LEGO Star
Wars II: The Original Trilogy is the sequel to the game that merged the worlds
of toys, Star Wars, and action/adventure video games. Returning fans are in
for the same high-quality, unexpected humor. Those who missed the first game
won’t be able to prepare themselves for the number of scene-by-scene parodies
Traveller’s Tales has created. All players, regardless of their familiarity
with the series, will be delighted by the gameplay; hooked by its simplistic
catchiness, and dazzled by its inspired combat.

Anyone who’s
seen Star Wars can understand the general idea: this game will have Lightsaber
battles, hand-to-hand combat, laser-shooting weapons, and some interesting
Force powers.

But you
couldn’t predict that the game is set up like a movie set, where each level is
divided into sections that feel like scenes, not typical stages. Area
transitions are made with the classic Star Wars film wipe, shifting the new
area in from various angles.

The camera
is pretty fixed, with movement being limited to brief tilts that allow you to
see slightly further than your current position.

New to the
game is a creation element that lets you quickly and easily build and ride
classic LEGO vehicles. If blocks are bouncing, that’s your cue to get
building. Run over, hold the circle button, and the character you’re
controlling will go to work. Tossing each piece into the air as if they were
as light as plastic (oh, wait a minute…), the Jedi throw together a new
vehicle.

You’ll also
have to build bridges and control panels to open doors or to keep enemies
locked in. Using the power of the Force (something not every character has),
you might have to lift various clusters of blocks, drop them somewhere, then
build an object that needs to be destroyed in order to build another object.

In short:
you’ll be doing a lot of building, most of which takes less than 10 seconds to
complete.

Fans of
Sonic the Hedgehog know what happens when he falls off a cliff: he loses his
rings. In LEGO Star Wars II, falling will cause you to lose some, but not all,
of the tiny plastic pieces (called LEGO Studs) you’ve collected. Studs act as
the game’s currency. They’re found everywhere – inside block clusters, enemy
ships, and inside pretty much any other object you can find that’s made of
LEGO. Studs are important but only as a secondary, replay value-adding
element. You don’t need them to enjoy the game, but you will need thousands if
you wish to unlock all of the characters.

After being
found and/or rescued, additional characters will follow you to the end of the
level. You’ll notice the differences between them almost instantly. Han, Leia
and Chewbacca – they’re big on gunfire (laser beams) and basic hand-to-hand
combat. Chewie has a great attack move, as well as an oversized head that
prevents him from wearing a disguise (don’t look at the pics on the box – it
spoils the surprise!). Luke is initially slow and cannot lift objects until
Yoda shows him how.

Jump ahead
to Episode VI and his powers will have grown. Though you can choose to play
the story in order, you may also head back to Mos Eisley, the game’s official
level hub, to transport yourself to other scenarios from the trilogy.

As far as
playable characters go, Yoda is one of the fastest and swiftest Jedi in the
galaxy, taking all of his moves from his performances in Episodes II and III.
Technically that’s out of character – we didn’t get to see Yoda wield anything
but a cane in Episode V. But this is a game, and I would rather control a
Lightsaber-wielding Yoda than one who can barely get out of bed.

In addition
to the natural, pre-made Star Wars cast, players can now build and control
their own characters. Mix and match body parts and weapons for a combination
that’s bound to turn heads. A Tusken Raider with a Lightsaber? Yoda with a
gun? A man playing… Princess Leia? It’s all possible and often hilarious.

LEGO Star
Wars II is an excellent game, but before I tell you to run out and buy it,
there are a few flaws I must note. First and foremost, this is not a pure
action game. It’s an action/adventure, and when compared with other top titles
in the genre, this feels like one of the slowest around. Even the free-roaming
vehicular levels, while awesome, exciting, and packed with explosive moments,
they are rather lengthy and do not move very fast. This in no way kills the
game, but it does keep it from achieving "best action game" status.

Also, the
fixed camera can be slightly irritating. You might not be able to see the edge
of a cliff, a cluster of Studs, or an oncoming enemy because of the angle the
camera chose to apply to that scene. The camera moves with your character. You
can avoid missing Studs and avoid enemy surprises by exploring every nook and
cranny. But that means walking off into areas where you are unable to see, and
could end up losing more Studs than you could potentially gain.

So no – the
series is not yet perfect. But it’s still a blast, an improvement over the
original, and it’s the best multi-platform Star Wars game available. As a
diehard fan of both George Lucas’s trilogy and the LEGO Star Wars building
sets, I am happy to say that in spite of its flaws, this is another game you
will want in your collection.

Review Scoring Details for LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy

Gameplay: 8.6
LEGO Star Wars
II’s combat has a solid variety of styles that differ between characters.
Vehicular combat is explored more deeply this time around, with a larger
number of pods, ships, and other surprises for you to jump into.

There are
dozens of characters to control, including Luke, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess
Leia, R2-D2, C-3PO, and one of my personal favorites, Yoda. Many of the
characters are hidden. Some of them must be found or else you won’t be able to
continue. But just because you’ve found them once doesn’t mean they’re yours
forever. During the course of the Original Trilogy, how many times did Luke
and Leia get separated? How many times were R2-D2 and C-3PO in turmoil?

Graphics: 8.6
Nearly everything
you see and interact with in this game is based on a real LEGO creation. The
detail is amazing, and the effects (grand explosions, real-time building,
etc.) are better than most action games. Also notable is the way the
characters move: somewhat clunky like a toy, bringing Pixar’s classic, Toy
Story, to mind.

Sound: 8.5
Classic trilogy
music. The sound effects are basic and suffice, but it’s the music that really
carries this game’s soundtrack (despite coming from a movie that’s nearly 30
years old).

Difficulty: Easy
Though there are
a few puzzles and enemy assaults that could hold you back, LEGO Star Wars II
doesn’t offer much of a challenge. That means it’s friendly to everyone and,
consequently, might be too simplistic for Star Wars’s most hardcore fans.

Concept: 8.5
One of the best,
most entertaining stories of the year – and it comes without any text or
voiced dialogue! Yes, we all know the tale of Star Wars, which is precisely
why this game is so ingenious. It cleverly parodies our favorite scenes,
re-telling the trilogy with LEGO ships, characters, and weapons. The comedy
comes from their actions. We expect each character to act and react in a
certain way. It’s when they act differently that you’ll be laughing.

Multiplayer: 8.0
The
drop-in/drop-out co-op gameplay is just as fun as the first. Similar to arcade
brawlers, the words “Insert Controller” constantly flash on the right side of
the screen. Plug in a second controller and you’ll be able to finish the game
with a friend. If one of the players has to leave, the game lets one exit
while the other continues to progress through the adventure.

Overall: 8.6
Each of the three
Original Trilogy films are retold from start to finish. Every level begins
with the famous three-dimensional scrolling text, followed by a classic scene
that’s been given the comedic LEGO treatment. Gameplay is entertaining and
amusing (Chewie is hilarious), the music comes straight from the movies, and
the visuals deliver the coolest and most unique eye candy seen since the first
LEGO Star Wars game.