Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy review

The first Lego Star Wars was first met with some confusion, but with its simplistic gameplay, wonderful humour and a massive heaping of charm, it won over many gamers. Although it still sits snugly in the office collection to this day, Gamestyle felt it was hampered by lack of longevity, not to mention being based on the more melodramatic movies of the Star Wars saga. Fans cried out for a game based on the adventures of Luke, Han, Leia and Chewbacca, and they have now finally been rewarded. Not only that, but Lego Star Wars II addresses the difficulty and length somewhat, making a longer, slightly more challenging and ultimately more satisfying game.Lego Star Wars II is one of those pieces of software that makes Gamestyle remember why it loves the medium of interactive electronic entertainment so. True, there are games with better graphics, better execution of combat and platforming, and better story-lines, but few games have captured the sheer amount of fun and humour as this. Quite honestly, if you don't find the idea of a tiny Lego version of Chewbacca ripping the arms off Lego Stormtroopers with gay abandon both satisfying and humorous, or the sight of Lego Yoda dropping a boulder on Lego Luke for doubting his mastery of the force funny, you are quite simply dead inside and nobody will ever love you.That's not to say that the game's humour and charm are the only things going for it; they are mere window dressing, built around a decent foundation of platforming and puzzle-solving, similar to the first game that won many gamers over. These core elements have also been built upon to improve the overall structure and balance. In the first game, it was only possible for Jedi or Sith characters to deconstruct the various Lego structures around the levels and reconfigure them into a platform, bridge or other useful items; but this fun ability now extends to those characters without an affinity with the Force. It's also not limited to bridges and platforms, but to fun and easily controllable vehicles. In one of the Episode IV levels, one puzzle involves the construction of one of the smaller Imperial walkers from the series, meaning Gamestyle got to stomp around Mos Eisley blasting and squishing Stormtroopers. Again, if you don't find that funny, dead inside.Also, developer Travellers Tales has seen fit to focus a little more on the ship-based combat from the films. Flying such classic ships as the X-Wing, Snow Speeder, and of course the Millennium Falcon, these games make a fun change from the lightsaber and blaster based combat found in the primary stages. Quite frankly, we've never had so much fun on the infamous Trench Run from episode IV, even in the more serious Rogue Squadron. All types of stage can be seemlessly played with a co-operative chum, the accessable jump-in / jump-out feature making a welcome return from the original.The collectable nature has always played a large part of the Lego ethos, and here it bolsters Lego Star Wars II's seemingly little depth. Like the first game, the main story mode can be completed in a matter of hours, but there are many more hours of replay-ability within. Most levels feature multiple paths and objectives that can only be fully exploited when played through with other characters. For example, earlier levels feature doors that can only be opened by Bounty Hunters, such as Boba Fett or Greedo, characters not accessible unless bought with the game's currency, Lego 'studs'. However, once they have been bought, these characters can be used in the game's Free Play mode, allowing these routes to be used. Behind these doors are kit pieces, power bricks and other collectables; these unlock new characters, ships and cheats.Along with the choice of any existing Lego character, a new feature allows you to construct gestalt entities made of the various parts. Using the body parts of unlocked characters, you can create your own custom designs. Fancy having Darth Vader wielding a purple lightsaber wearing the top part of Lei's slave bikini and C3P0's legs? Well then, you need psychiatric help, but at least you can fulfil this fantasy before your straight jacket fitting.However the game is not without its faults. The camera is just plain awful; it's under no control from the player and often gets into a position in which it is impossible to successfully predict jumps or even see bottomless pits. The lightsaber combat is slow and clumsy in comparison to the powerful and accurate blasters you'll use for at least half the game. Despite this, Lego Star Wars II's simplistic nature hides a game full of hidden depths, comedy, charm, and most importantly, fun. Sure, it's no Halo; it's a simpler game free of such complexities, but it's a reminder of a time when bits of brightly-coloured plastic and an imagination were all you needed to have a good time.