The Observer, October 13, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 7
Using the Force a snap in Lego Star Wars II
Star Wars games have had a spotty history. For every Rogue Squadron, there's a Shadows of the Empire. For every Knights of the Old Republic, there's a Star Wars Galaxies. Given the license's record, I imagine that anticipation for an interactive recreation of George Lucas' space opera made entirely of Lego blocks is pretty low. However, don't dismiss the game just yet. While the lightsaber dueling and gunplay are merely average, developer Traveller's Tales has lovingly crafted a wonderful parody of the trilogy that allows the game to stand out.
Though the core gameplay is entertaining, we've seen everything here countless times. As Luke Skywalker, Admiral Ackbar, or dozens of other characters, you'll patrol hallways shooting or slicing anything that moves. There are some occasional puzzles to solve, but most involve pulling switches or pushing blocks. Some creativity went into development; Jedi characters can use the force to construct staircases, bridges, and even vehicles out of piles of blocks hidden in each level. However, even these sequences can be a chore to do because of awkward camera angles.
The ground-based battles may have problems, but none of these minor issues ruin the fun. Blasting away stormtroopers is a mindless, straightforward good time. The same cannot be said for the "space" dogfights. Variety is nice, but it is hard to get excited about blowing up the Death Star when the Millennium Falcon is so unwieldy. In an effort to simplify controls, the developers put all of the action on a single plane. Unfortunately, with lasers and torpedoes being fired both in the background and foreground, the resulting chaos is disorienting.
Lego Star Wars II is definitely rough around the edges, but even when I was repeatedly flying my snowspeeder into a wall or falling down a hidden chasm, I continued to enjoy myself. The Star Wars license is the reason to play. If you're not a fan, I suggest that you stop reading now and ignore my leniency.
All of the cutscenes are comedic gold. Because each character is a Lego, they can only communicate through grunts and other noises. For instance, when Darth Vader informs Luke that he is Luke's father, he does so by using hand gestures and a Polaroid photo of the Skywalker family. Watching a very blocky Leia (in her infamous gold bikini) choke Jabba is equally amusing. The humor is present in the actual game as well. Chewbacca can rip the arms off of imperial goons during fights and Ben Kenobi can use the force to turn their heads backwards. The lighthearted approach to the source material, usually closely guarded by geeks, is refreshing.
Everything looks and sounds like it should. It's hard to create detailed environments out of Lego pieces, but the game still looks very stylized. The music here is everything you'd expect from the John William's movie score, along with the plentiful lightsaber humming and droid beeping to round out the audio.
Should you buy this game? That depends almost entirely on how fond you are of the license. If you like Darth Vader and company, I'd say that Lego Star Wars II is worth at least a rental. It does nothing new, but it still manages to be engaging. Another concern may be its brevity. The game can be conquered in less than six hours, but rest assured, many secrets take much longer to unlock. Extra characters, time attack modes, and those inexplicably addictive Achievements (if you're a 360 owner) will all keep you playing this game for a long time.
