Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
Posted October 3, 2006
Igniting a firestorm of frenzied Star Wars fanatics, the original Lego Star Wars became a classic almost immediately when released for the Xbox and PS2. Traveler's Tales, the developer, decided to continue their unique take on the Star Wars universe with the remainder of the trilogy, namely episodes IV through VI. The presentation remains true to the movies and uses key, cinematic points within the narrative to drive the tale. I was pleasantly surprised how much story the developer squeezed into the game. It is important to note that seeing the three films is required to understand all the little jokes along the way. At various points within the game, the recreation relies on humor to drive the point home and succeeds admirably. 
Gameplay:
At the outset of the game, all levels are locked until the first level of Episode IV is completed. Upon completion, the first levels of the other two episodes are unlocked. Preferably, it's more enjoyable to play through the trilogy in order, but the option is certainly welcome. Within each episode, the six levels are unlocked in order. All of the best filmic moments are included such as the Vader / Luke reveal at the end of Empire, the Rancor battle in RotJ, and the undeniably perfect Trench run at the finale of New Hope. Character progression is also handled well as Luke's enterance into the world of the Force is a lovely boost for the character.
After a level is completed in the story mode, it can be played via Free Play mode. This style of gameplay allows for switching characters on the fly within each level. Players can switch between droids, stormtroopers, bounty hunters, Sith lords, and even Jedi ghosts. While the game auto-selects most of these characters for you, the player is allowed one choice of their own. Areas that were previously locked during Story mode can easily be unlocked in Free Play with the correct character. Additionally, you can use custom created characters from various Lego parts, but that's more of a novelty than a useful tool.
Within those unlocked sections of the level, you will find a variety of goodies. Lego studs, mini-kit canisters and golden bricks are the main object of your desire. Studs are the currency of the game, which allow for purchase of new characters and vehicles. Collecting all ten canisters in a level will build and unlock a new vehicle for use in the flight missions. Gold bricks are collected for building Lego City, a side mini-game that's separate from the Star Wars universe. The area is mostly destroyable and offers a Stud bonus for future gold bricks upon completion of the level.
Dying within a mission isn't life threatening or level ending. Players basically explode into the studs which have been collected up to that point. Those studs can be recovered at this point, but it's more important to focus on the enemies. Your character only has four hearts of life which makes death occur frequently. Wiping out enemies quickly with sweeping Jedi moves is preferable most of the time, although hit detection really isn't up to snuff. Occasionally, I would sweep my lightsaber through several enemies, only to kill the one I was directly facing.
Stepping it up from the previous title, vehicles are a much larger focus in the second title. Speeders, TIE Fighters, X-Wings, Hovercars, AT-ATs, and especially the Millenium Falcon are a few of the playable vehicles within the game. The Imperial crafts are preferable on many of the later missions due to their superior firepower and speed. The Death Star missions are the most enjoyable, specifically the tense final mission when taking the Falcon into the depths of Death Star: Part Deux.
An absence of online multiplayer is woefully apparent, but the game does provide offline co-op action for those who share a love for the Star Wars universe. Ideally, using this game to introduce your child to Star Wars is a parental dream. A second player can jump into the action at any time, without having to reload the level. Having another player will certainly help you blow through the levels quicker, as the typical AI group counterparts are only potshot targets for the legions of stormtroopers.
Graphics:
Visually, the Xbox version is technically solid, but suffers from a pesky frame rate problem which slightly hampers gameplay. Basically, the overly prevalent particle effects bog down the action and require adjustment to avoid player death. Still, the Lego design is undeniably unique and provides enough flair to overlook minor issues. The facial animations are perhaps the most effective visual tool within the game. Without voices, the Lego characters rely on expressions to convey emotion during the cutscenes. The explosion effects plentiful and litter the screen in a barrage of colors, mostly representing the various Lego studs. Also, the developer added a slight camera trick that applied a Gaussian blur to areas in the distance; very similar to a movie. It's a subtle tool that provides a bit more visual flair for the title.
Audio:
The lack of voice recordings was a bold method of presenting the full trilogy, but it pays off. A series of thoughtful noises will be the only auditory responses emanating from the mouths of the blocky characters. The characters prefer to use facial animations and charades when acting out key points within the movies. The sounds effects are spot on and breathe life into the Star Wars universe. Blaster shots, lightsaber swings, and beeping droids are all faithfully recreated within the game. The musical score is identical to the movies as well. Every John Williams track, from the eerie, melodic tune in Dagobah swamp to the menacing, moaning piece played for the Emperor's entrance, is certainly welcome within the land of Lego.
Conclusion:
Lego Star Wars II is truly a blast to play, regardless of the console you are using. The huge amount of unlockables and the co-op play will keep this game spinning in the disc drive for hours upon hours. It's almost impossible to just play through the entire trilogy just once due to all the secrets and new characters. Truly, the only foreseeable fault that the game suffers from is being far too easy to complete. While the focus to children is understandable, older gamers heavily into the Star Wars universe will find it over far too quickly.
Still, it's absolutely worth running through. For adults without kids, pick this up as a rental. As for the rest of the gaming population, parents looking to introduce their offspring to the trilogy or gamers looking for a completion challenge should pick up Lego Star Wars II at a price point of $30 to $40.
Gameplay:
At the outset of the game, all levels are locked until the first level of Episode IV is completed. Upon completion, the first levels of the other two episodes are unlocked. Preferably, it's more enjoyable to play through the trilogy in order, but the option is certainly welcome. Within each episode, the six levels are unlocked in order. All of the best filmic moments are included such as the Vader / Luke reveal at the end of Empire, the Rancor battle in RotJ, and the undeniably perfect Trench run at the finale of New Hope. Character progression is also handled well as Luke's enterance into the world of the Force is a lovely boost for the character.
After a level is completed in the story mode, it can be played via Free Play mode. This style of gameplay allows for switching characters on the fly within each level. Players can switch between droids, stormtroopers, bounty hunters, Sith lords, and even Jedi ghosts. While the game auto-selects most of these characters for you, the player is allowed one choice of their own. Areas that were previously locked during Story mode can easily be unlocked in Free Play with the correct character. Additionally, you can use custom created characters from various Lego parts, but that's more of a novelty than a useful tool.
Within those unlocked sections of the level, you will find a variety of goodies. Lego studs, mini-kit canisters and golden bricks are the main object of your desire. Studs are the currency of the game, which allow for purchase of new characters and vehicles. Collecting all ten canisters in a level will build and unlock a new vehicle for use in the flight missions. Gold bricks are collected for building Lego City, a side mini-game that's separate from the Star Wars universe. The area is mostly destroyable and offers a Stud bonus for future gold bricks upon completion of the level.
Dying within a mission isn't life threatening or level ending. Players basically explode into the studs which have been collected up to that point. Those studs can be recovered at this point, but it's more important to focus on the enemies. Your character only has four hearts of life which makes death occur frequently. Wiping out enemies quickly with sweeping Jedi moves is preferable most of the time, although hit detection really isn't up to snuff. Occasionally, I would sweep my lightsaber through several enemies, only to kill the one I was directly facing.
Stepping it up from the previous title, vehicles are a much larger focus in the second title. Speeders, TIE Fighters, X-Wings, Hovercars, AT-ATs, and especially the Millenium Falcon are a few of the playable vehicles within the game. The Imperial crafts are preferable on many of the later missions due to their superior firepower and speed. The Death Star missions are the most enjoyable, specifically the tense final mission when taking the Falcon into the depths of Death Star: Part Deux.
An absence of online multiplayer is woefully apparent, but the game does provide offline co-op action for those who share a love for the Star Wars universe. Ideally, using this game to introduce your child to Star Wars is a parental dream. A second player can jump into the action at any time, without having to reload the level. Having another player will certainly help you blow through the levels quicker, as the typical AI group counterparts are only potshot targets for the legions of stormtroopers.
Graphics:
Visually, the Xbox version is technically solid, but suffers from a pesky frame rate problem which slightly hampers gameplay. Basically, the overly prevalent particle effects bog down the action and require adjustment to avoid player death. Still, the Lego design is undeniably unique and provides enough flair to overlook minor issues. The facial animations are perhaps the most effective visual tool within the game. Without voices, the Lego characters rely on expressions to convey emotion during the cutscenes. The explosion effects plentiful and litter the screen in a barrage of colors, mostly representing the various Lego studs. Also, the developer added a slight camera trick that applied a Gaussian blur to areas in the distance; very similar to a movie. It's a subtle tool that provides a bit more visual flair for the title.
Audio:
The lack of voice recordings was a bold method of presenting the full trilogy, but it pays off. A series of thoughtful noises will be the only auditory responses emanating from the mouths of the blocky characters. The characters prefer to use facial animations and charades when acting out key points within the movies. The sounds effects are spot on and breathe life into the Star Wars universe. Blaster shots, lightsaber swings, and beeping droids are all faithfully recreated within the game. The musical score is identical to the movies as well. Every John Williams track, from the eerie, melodic tune in Dagobah swamp to the menacing, moaning piece played for the Emperor's entrance, is certainly welcome within the land of Lego.
Conclusion:
Lego Star Wars II is truly a blast to play, regardless of the console you are using. The huge amount of unlockables and the co-op play will keep this game spinning in the disc drive for hours upon hours. It's almost impossible to just play through the entire trilogy just once due to all the secrets and new characters. Truly, the only foreseeable fault that the game suffers from is being far too easy to complete. While the focus to children is understandable, older gamers heavily into the Star Wars universe will find it over far too quickly.
Still, it's absolutely worth running through. For adults without kids, pick this up as a rental. As for the rest of the gaming population, parents looking to introduce their offspring to the trilogy or gamers looking for a completion challenge should pick up Lego Star Wars II at a price point of $30 to $40.