Lego your anger: it's way better than the last movie!
Spoilers are included in this review
Much like its real-world inspiration, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga is all about two things - building and collecting. If you are unfamiliar with both Lego and Star Wars then, as well as being from another dimension, the bad news is that this game is probably not for you.
The idea of the game is to loosely follow the structure of the six movies (in any order you want, so you can even stay chronological and start with IV if you like), mostly with a variable two-Lego-person team, with the occasional vertical-scrolling shooter level thrown in for good measure. You can expect some pretty standard fare as far as action/platform games go. The appearance of the game is suitably improved from the previous generation titles and a simple control system allows you the standard jump/attack buttons as well as a context-based action button that varies depending on the character. A Jedi, for example, can manipulate certain objects by using the Force, while a bounty hunter can deploy thermal detonators to remove an otherwise indestructible obstacle.
With adult-rated games popping up these days, the title’s gentler content might make you assume that the game is aimed at children. However, while you do not need to be a droid that speaks Bacchi to complete the game, there are some fiendish little puzzles that could drive you to the Dark Side. Rather than immediately dismissing this as a title for kids, it is simply a game where the usual penalties of dying or levelling up do not exist, making it easier for casual or younger gamers to progress.
The completion of the story itself would deliver an enjoyable eight hours playing time, however, the strength of the game truly lies in the near-unlimited replay value on offer. Just playing through the basic story only amounts to 50% of what is available in the game, while much more is accessible through side-quests. All in all, there are over 100 playable characters in the game – even the unmemorable ones from the films are here. You will have to take your time to find them though – there is a ridiculous amount of unlockable content, including new abilities, vehicles, cut-scene animations, cheats and more.
After any of the story mode chapters are complete, you have the option to replay it using a team of characters from all six movies. In this way, you have the opportunity to take advantage of the various skills and abilities now at your disposal to collect absolutely everything there is to find in each level. There are also some testing time trials where you must find and collect a set number of items within a ten-minute time limit.
While the game will become repetitive for a serious gamer, it remains a simple pleasure readily accessible by anyone. What’s more, it is guaranteed to raise at least a snigger from its audience. Lego Star Wars is one of the few titles to succeed as a movie tie-in, despite its slight deviation from being a faithful recreation of the original story. The success of giving the material the ‘Lego-makeover’ is clear when you consider that the Indiana Jones and Batman versions are due for release later in 2008.
A more mature, nostalgic view of the saga suggests that developers Traveller’s Tales are aiming higher than simply recreating the movies. This is more than a friendly re-enactment with a plastic hairpiece stuck on top. The developers have carefully considered the potential size of their audience, young and old, and have made a game that fits snugly into that special place reserved for memories of when Star Wars films were good.
