Kind of makes you wonder how many Legos it took to build the Lego Death Star...
This means that instead of controlling the likes of the slapstick caricature Jar Jar Binks or the annoyingly young Anakin Skywalker, gamers will be able to play with characters such as Luke Sykwalker, Han Solo, or even the notorious Boba Fett. Not only are characters available to play with on ground based levels, but spaceships like the Millennium Falcon and Tie fighters are also available to fly with in numerous aerial and space combat levels.
Depending on the age of the gamer, these old trilogy characters and ships will most likely leave a warm nostalgic feeling rather than the nauseating feeling that the new trilogy characters and ships tend to inflict.
All three movies are broken up into six different levels that highlight the major plot points of each film, such as escaping from the Death Star in Episode IV, flying in the snowy battle of Hoth in Episode V, or finally confronting Darth Vader and the Emperor at the end of Episode VI. The levels are then linked together with humorous beginning and ending cutscenes that not only helps the story flow, but also keeps the game in a lighthearted perspective.
As gamers run through and complete levels, there are many things to collect and places to explore. Lego studs and Minikit pieces are placed throughout levels, and when collected can later be used as a currency and exchanged for numerous other bonus characters or extras. By using these bonus characters with their distinct size or power characteristics, players can access new areas in levels that were previously unavailable in order to collect even more secret stuff.
While the original “Lego Star Wars” was certainly packed with extras and secrets, this new game offers quite a few more additions to the mix. A neat create-a-character mode has been added for anyone who has ever wanted to see what Darth Vader would look like with C-3PO’s head or Chewbacca with the arms of Princess Leia. It is a fun little gimmick, but the other aspects like two player co-op and extra bounty hunter missions keep the game playable.
“Lego Stars Wars II” is unquestionably a good game, but it is not without its drawbacks. The biggest one is the stubborn camera that tends to frustrate rather than help, especially in two player mode. Another drawback is the massive length of most levels. It might have been less exhausting if the game had smaller, but additional, levels instead of six 15-20 minute levels in each chapter.
With these few flaws overlooked, “Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy” is a great sequel to the original game. It is packed with originality and entertainment that may appear geared toward younger fans, but is smart and challenging enough to be enjoyed by any aged gamers.