Lego Star Wars II
Publisher: Activision
Platform: PS2, XBox, PC
Age: 3 and above
Not technically a film, this video game makes it into the page purely for it’s original and hilarious treatment of the world’s most famous trilogy. Whether you are a Star Wars fan or nostalgic for those days making castles out of bricks, Lego Star Wars II provides an entertaining experience for gamers of any age.
Everything you would expect from your standard Star Wars game is here: lightsabers, Storm Troopers and (thankfully due to the sequel addressing the first trilogy) no Jar Jar Binks. The game is set across the first three films, with the player able to take control of pretty much every character in the set, over 50 in total. Different characters have different powers: jedi knights have lightsabers and the force, whilst Chewbacca has his bow and arrow.
However the not so obvious twist is that everything is made out of lego: oh yes, I’ve got your attention now haven’t I! First of all this looks great visually, when characters die they explode in a mess of blocks and Jedi characters can summon the force to build space ships and other helpful objects much in the same way you used to construct houses when you were a child and a fan of the multi-coloured bricks.
Secondly, the whole concept of the Star Wars universe being made out of lego brings a much need humorous side to the often po-faced films. Examples include discovering Storm Troopers bathing together and Chewbacca generally being the butt of all the jokes, but almost every level and cut scene promises some new visual gag. Admittedly they are often childish, but this doesn’t stop them from being laugh out loud funny.
The multiplayer function is also great, with a chance to do the missions in a cooperative style as well as a free play. This is perhaps the best aspect, with the story gaining even more depth and with access to areas which are only available with two players.
The negatives are the same as the first: it is far too easy (especially as you can die as many times as you want), it’s too short and it has a camera angle that occasionally gets in your way. But, it is a kids’ game. All too often that means that developers can get away with substandard, but brightly coloured games; happily this is not the case for Lego Star Wars II. However, rest assured that this game is a real pleasure to play, and arguably the finest Star Wars game to exist- and there have been a fair few. You may not spend hours playing it, but those hours you do will be fun filled.
Reviewed by
James Gerlis
