Lego Star Wars – Archived review

I know this one would probably be considered simple to the more dedicated console gamers. For me, it just about fits my abilities as a gamer: The puzzles are not too tough, the combat is usually forgiving, and most of the platforming is not more than I can handle. The game actually gets easier as you go along, since you begin to build up a pool of optional “extra” powers while the difficulty of the different levels stays more-or-less constant.

Everyone knows the story, and everyone knows what Legos are, so the game doesn’t waste much time filling in the background. You go through a moderate approximation of the story of the six films, in order; each film is divided into six parts for the game. Once you’ve completed a part with the “story” characters, you can replay the level using any character you’ve played, defeated, or purchased (with Lego studs) so far.

The foreground characters and objects are made of Legos, as one would expect. The background and general environment is well-rendered, the equal or superior to other game environments I’ve seen, including WoW. The cutscenes often move the story with humor and a wry wink to the realities of the game. The Lego characters only articulate with wordless grunts or exclamations; I laughed out loud when I saw how they handled the “I am your father” moment.

If you’ve got kids who know Star Wars, this is a great two-player console game; you’ll have fun playing with them. If you’re just looking for some mindless and not-overly-challenging fun, you’ll enjoy yourself. If you’re looking to throw the controller against the wall in frustration because you can’t make that platform jump, consider Assassin’s Creed instead.

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