|
 |
|
| | Title:
LEGO Star Wars
..............................................
System:
Playstation 2
..............................................
Genre:
Action
..............................................
Publisher:
LucasArts Entertainment Company
..............................................
Developer:
Travellers Tales
..............................................
Release:
4/5/2005
..............................................
Online:
No
..............................................
ESRB:
Everyone (E)
..............................................
 |
One of the most memorable moments from any Star Wars movie would definitely have to be the two-on-one battle between Qui-gon, Obi-wan and Darth Maul. This battle has been recreated in an assortment of video games, but none quite so blocky. Literally. Your favorite Star Wars characters come to life in a cartoon-like and goofy re-creation of the first (or last) three episodes of Star Wars, starting with the Phantom Menace and ending with Revenge of the Sith. Which (and this should come as no big surprise given the title of the game) is entirely done through the presentation of Lego blocks.
Gameplay
With over 30 playable characters and special abilities ranging from (slightly) technical uses of the light-saber, force powers such as force jump or force push, playable robots and some well-done mini-games, this title offers-up some amazing specs for an excellent game. It is a Lego equivalent in gameplay to that of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. However though, this game was made to be played based on the way it looks: for kids. This is not a bad thing, but it just so happens that anyone over the age of six will probably get tired of the extremely easy gameplay. For instance, if you manage to run out of lives, you fall to pieces, and a few seconds later you come back with full life. The only time this happens is if a bad guy takes a while to kill (or deconstruct) or there are five or six of enemies surrouding you. But, there is no reason to worry (ever) about losing, because you cannot lose unless you quit.
There are puzzles and tricks that sometimes require a bit of stop-and-think moments, but give or take a couple of minutes and just about anyone can figure out what to do. The only thing that might prevent some younger gamers from playing through fluently would be the controls. There were times when even I had to look down to make sure I was pressing the right button. It's not that the controls are complicated or confusing, it's simply that at times it seems as if quick finger-work is required and the button you need to press is a bit out of the way.
This would not have been an issue if perhaps you could pause the game and rearrange certain buttons for a preferred control configuration. But instead, there is just a menu for letting you exit, turn on or off the sound and turn off the controller vibration function. But it's a minor thing that isn't too much of a bother once you get into the game. And with the option to play the game with so many different characters (some have to be accessed throughout the game) it offers up a variety of individual gameplay. From young Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader, there is a character in there for everyone. But don't expect too much from the villains in this game as you won't see any mature emotions being flayed across the screen as a character loses a Lego body part. Since it was made for a younger audience, all of the violence is displayed via simple Lego-deconstruction. Doors or stationary objects, when hit with laser fire or light-sabers, will simply fall into dozens (or hundreds) of pieces. Sometimes they can even be rearranged using the force; albeit this is a preset feature in which the item will glow if it is accessible for a Lego make-over and can be very useful for reaching or unlocking hidden areas with certain stages.
Graphics
From Juengo Fett to a bearded Obi-Wan, there is enough semblance, in a very strange way, to what they are supposed to look like. There are no polygon splits or break-aways, clipping issues, or pop-ups. So in that way the game is graphically sound. But, this game is only going to be eye-candy (maybe) for the unsuspecting, younger gamer. Its cartoon-like look and smirk inducing cinematic sequences can definitely make up for what would probably be considered as a meager graphical presentation. But this game obviously wasn't made simply for looks, per se, but more-so for effect.
Audio
No one loves bad sound effects when they are expecting something half-way decent. And for the most part, the sound in this game is half-way decent. When the lasers fire they sound like lasers, and when the Lego bricks fall to pieces, they sound like Lego bricks falling to pieces. Nothing special but nothing dynamic, but then again I doubt a four-year old will stop and critique the audio of a light-saber in comparison to that of the sound it made in the movies. And for what music that does play, it replicates (in a campy kind of way) the original music from the Star Wars movies, which, at times, can be entertaining while hacking and slashing your way through the bad guys.
Overall
This game actually offers more than what I expected and is better polished than some of the other bigger titles out there. For what it's worth, this game would be a good buy for anyone with young kids who love video games. Or unless you are a Star Wars fan who simply must own every Star Wars game that comes out. For the rest of those out there looking for anything more from an action/adventure title, you might want to look in the grown-up section.
| The Core Score |
Overall
7.5 |
| Fun |
|
7 |
| Gameplay |
|
8 |
| Graphics |
|
8 |
| Audio |
|
7 |
| Replay |
|
7.5 |
|
| | | |
