With separate games already released for the two trilogies making up the Star Wars universe, it may seem like the developers are 'cashing in' by offering a new package with all six episodes crammed onto one disc. With the newly added Live co-op and versus modes, that is not entirely true; although, the buggy play leaves the unfortunate aftertaste of a game undercooked.
A Lego-ized version of Star Wars might seem like a farce of The Force until you sit down and play it. They never make fun of the franchise, at least not any more than the most obsessed fan-boys do; choosing instead to crank up the 'cute' to eleven. They play the story straight, but add little hilarious touches to the scenes to constantly remind you of the comedic charm of the game; and that you are in a Lego-fuelled world, by asking you to build items out of loose blocks and exploding enemies into pieces. From the popping sound of Luke and Leia being born to Leia's baby-bun hairdo to pulling arms off baddies with Chewbacca, the game is funny, adorable, and true to the films at the same time.
The game is your basic platformer, with item collection and all. The well-utilized, compelling source material and pure glee of seeing a stormtrooper literally fall to pieces when you blast them is what makes it work better than most. The game's faithful retelling of the story leads to some exciting battles, with the game's attention to detail regarding character abilities and weapons as the cherry on top. Han Solo will not be wielding a lightsaber, and pre-Yoda-taught Luke will not be shifting items with the force. Rather, the gamers use the characters as they were in the film, and battle the dark side of The Force happily.
Most levels are your standard 'kill the baddies and solve a few basic puzzles'. Items you need to use a Jedi to move actually glow in obvious green or blue, as a 'dummy's guide to The Force'. Perhaps the game is a bit too easy for most gamers, but it is the kind of game you will be able to easily coax your significant other or kids to play along. More impressive is the way the game handles vehicles. As in the films, there are several times where gamers will need to jump in a speeder and do battle. While it is not hard to create a decent platformer based on the kind of action packed in the films, scenes like the Millennium Falcon's race through a meteor shower are another issue. Amazingly, the developers captured the epic feel of such moments, even if the tie-fighter versus the Death Star feels ripped from Zaxxon.
Right from the sudden burst of the classic score that immediately opens the menu, the game thrusts you into the movie universe. The game is absolutely in love with the films, with even the score of each movie making its way into the correct scenes. Transitions from one room to the next receive the patented George Lucas wipe across the screen. Gamers even choose levels by walking around the famous bar, Mos Eisley Cantina, interacting with unlocked characters that inhabit it. The only item the game does not get right is the vocal work, though it never tries to. The playful, childlike mumbling gets the message across just fine; and in a game with Jar Jar Binks as a playable character, no vocal work may be a blessing in disguise.
Gamers begin their quest with the Episode 1, but after completing the first chapter (each episode is comprised of six chapters), the first chapter of each episode is unlocked; freeing you to jump from film to film as you wish. You can ignore the entire second trilogy after the first chapter, although most will want to grab themselves Darth Maul for the game's other modes. After each chapter, the game unlocks a few key characters for you, although they are mostly the franchise's core heroes. Since the game is faithful to even the costume choices of each area, you will unlock the same hero several times over. Those to play as someone more sinister will find all the tedious Lego collecting in levels useful.
