LEGO Star Wars: The Game

Oct 27, 2005

It's fairly safe to say that although the quality of Star Wars videogames ranges from great to terrible, the vast majority of them falling into the "merely OK" category. It's even safer to say that the bulk of LEGO videogames fall into the "we're going to be polite and say that they just aren't very good" category. So when it was announced that Eidos would be publishing a game based on the line of LEGO Star Wars, you, like me, probably didn't have the highest of hopes for it. Sure, the toys themselves may rule (and oh, how they do), but the concept of a game smacks of quickie licensed garbage.

Of course, anyone who thinks that about LEGO Star Wars: The Game (to use its Spaceballs-esque full title) obviously hasn't played it. What could have been at best a decent kiddy game and at worst an unplayable mess ended up being one of the most enjoyable Star Wars titles in recent memory.

Leggo My Star Wars

If you're looking for details about the game mechanics, I've already written multiple previews detailing what makes this game unique. To summarize, though, it's a 3D platform game (with the occasional pod race or space battle level) that takes place in LEGO-ized versions of the three prequel films (and no, I shan't be dropping any Episode III spoilers here). By interacting with LEGO elements throughout the stages (usually by using weapons or the Force), you solve puzzles and discover secrets.

So why would you want to spend your time playing through a (let's face it) kid's game? How about that it's a well crafted adventure with excellent control and level design? How about that there's tons of hidden goodies to entice even the most grown-up Star Wars nerd or LEGO maniac? How about that it's got a sense of fun about it that most games could only wish to have?

May the Bricks Be with You

The first thing you'll notice about the game is how freaking cute it is. All the characters are living versions of those little LEGO Minifigs, and it's a hoot seeing normally fearsome characters like Darth Maul rendered as tiny, plastic toys. And who can deny the coolness of a LEGO Christopher Lee? The game is also quite self-aware of its look and it goes with it. Destroyed enemies collapse into a pile of LEGO bricks, and the between level cinemas, although lacking dialogue, are often rather humorous.

A lot of the fun during the game comes from figuring out how you can interact with the environment. Since there are so many LEGO elements scattered about, it's easy to get distracted by using the Force on every item you come across. You'll want to do this anyway -- if you don't solve a puzzle by doing so, you'll find a cache of LEGO studs, small bricks that act as the game's currency). Occasionally, you'll even discover hidden gags (look for the secret disco on Kamino).

Rule the Galaxy Together

I noticed that when I was playing LEGO Star Wars, anyone who happened to walk by was compelled to stop what they were doing and watch me play. The game's originality tends to suck people in. The developers must have planned on this, as the game also sports a well implemented two player mode. When you're playing the game by yourself, there is always at least one AI character following you. Although the extra character doesn't do much on its own (unless you count blocking to defend itself), you can freely switch to them at any time to take full advantage of their unique abilities such as Force powers, blasters, grappling hooks, etc.

At any point, though, a second player can enter the game and instantly take control of the AI character. Thanks to the game's fixed camera, you don't have to worry about the two players getting separated, and it's always nice to have someone else mixing it up in battle with you (as opposed to just defending). If, at any point, the second player wants to leave the game, they can freely drop out, forcing the AI back into control of their character. Surprisingly, this doesn't disrupt the flow of the game one bit, so new players can come and go as they please. Definitely a great way to share the LEGO Star Wars love.

Short but Sweet

Granted, the actual gameplay is pretty simplistic -- this is intended for younger gamers, after all. You could easily get through all three episodes in a day. It also seems a shame that a few key prequel scenes that are ripe for basing levels on were left out. Why isn't there a stage focused on the Gungan/Battle Droid war at the end of Phantom Menace? Or what about Anakin and Obi-Wan's chase with Zam Wessel at the beginning of Attack of the Clones? OK, maybe a stage where you're Anakin rampaging through a LEGO Tuskin Raider camp chopping off heads might be a little too hardcore for the game's audience, but this game isn't always afraid to tackle the darker stuff -- I never thought that Anakin's gruesome transformation into Darth Vader could be both tragic and adorable.

The game's short length doesn't hurt it that much, though. Just because you've cleared the Story mode, that doesn't mean that you're finished with the game. As you finish chapters, you'll be able to purchase new playable characters with the Studs that you've collected. The general rule is that if you encounter a LEGO character in the game, it's unlockable. I'm talking heroes, villains, random droids -- everything. You can then take those characters (there are over 50 total!) into Free Play mode. Since you're now controlling characters not intended for a particular stage, you can discover all sorts of new secrets by taking advantage of their special abilities. There's even an unlockable secret stage. I definitely won't be giving anything away about it, but it's undeniably awesome.

Anyone who's even remotely interested in Star Wars (or LEGO, for the matter) owes it to themselves to give this game a try. It's definitely not a serious look in to the franchise, but this game has been marinating in fun for months, and the goodness has soaked all the way in. If you don't break into a big, dopey grin while running around shattering LEGO Battle Droids into their component parts, then you should just put videogames down for good -- you've outgrown them. Now, let's start hoping that we seen a LEGO game based on the classic Star Wars trilogy in the future. I want to fight a big, blocky Rancor!