Your child or your inner child will probably enjoy this game...while it lasts...
User Rating: 7.5 | LEGO Star Wars PS2
I mainly bought this game for the younger members of my household, but I have to admit…I played it for a while. I watched the original movie back in 1977 in the theater nearly twenty times and though I’m not a Star Wars geek by any stretch of the imagination (I don’t camp out for tickets or dress up like Darth Vader), there will always be a soft spot in my heart for this series. Unfortunately, this game isn’t based on the original three movies, but rather the more recent films. Talk about reliving my youth!! Imagine if I could have commandeered the Millennium Falcon as Han, or zipped past jawas in a land speeder as Luke!! And as Legos to boot!! Ah, just salivating at the thought. But I couldn’t, and it’s okay. This is the least of this game’s weaknesses. But first, the strengths… Pros – First and foremost, the best technical aspect of this game is its sound. In fact, if you were to close your eyes, you wouldn’t be able to tell you were listening to a Lego videogame at all. The sound effects are perfectly recreated – from the swoosh of a light saber to the roar of the pod races and especially R2D2’s screech when he’s in distress – it’s all top notch. And John William’s dramatic soundtrack booms throughout each stage. All in all the sound is very well done. The gameplay, though simplistic, is fun at first and there were a few little touches that made me laugh out loud – after completing a puzzle in one area I was treated to robots dancing on a floor of flashing lights along with music very reminiscent of the “Star Wars Disco” theme that came out in the late seventies. It was laugh out loud funny. The graphics are good. The character animation is nicely done, the Jedis' attack in a flowing movement much like they do in the movies. And watching everything made out of Legos and smash into little Lego pieces when whacked with a light saber was sheer joy – for a little while… Cons – There’s no way to candy coat it. This is really a game for younger kids. Not so much because of the concept, but because of its simplicity. It’s far too undemanding a game to keep anyone with finer tastes engaged. Also, the controls can be sluggish. You’ll perform the requisite button mashing, but somehow your little Jedi just won’t attack with the zeal and punctuality you'll want him to. The puzzles are far too easy and using “the force” is really nothing more than a cosmetic feature. Push a button and the game does everything for you. Also, this game is incredibly short. I played around with it in one day and got to the end of the second movie. Honestly, I’m not going to play it into the third movie because I’ve heard there are spoilers. In the end, this game is great for younger kids and has some (although not very lasting) charm for older kids as well. However, if you’re a parent who’s looking for a game to play along with your kids, you should definitely consider it. There’s a cooperative feature that allows you to jump in and out anytime you like. On the other hand, if you’re older and have more refined tastes and are thinking about getting it just for yourself, you might find you’d be better off picking it up as a rental. 
