Home > Reviews > PS2 > #893

Screenshots (6) | Reviews Archive

LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy Review - PS2

Introduction

Based on the original three movies - you know, the ones we actually like - Lego Star Wars 2 will be familiar to just about everyone. It is made for the fans. If you're not a fan, you're missing out on the point of the game, which is fan service.

There's plenty of story in Star Wars, but Lego Star Wars 2 assumes familiarity with the source material. You don't see the story as much as you see humorous interpretations of key scenes from the movies. If you don't know the scenes referred to, you're probably not in on the myriad jokes being thrown about.

I hate to give it away, but Lego Star Wars is just that. It's Star Wars, made of Lego. It's not just aesthetics either, the Lego theme is put to good use in game. From destroying set pieces, rendering them into spare parts that are used to build, say, a bridge or a switch and even an AT-ST.

The controls are simple enough and intuitively laid out. Shooting and jumping are done with a button press. Swapping characters and taking control of vehicles with another and building and using special abilities on yet another. That's it. Simple? Yes. Fun? Definitely.

There are two types of gameplay within LSW2: on foot and vehicular. On foot levels have you traipsing through scenery, blasting stuff, exploding, solving puzzles, cutting things down with lightsabers. You have to constantly swap through the available characters to progress, which is intuitive. Each character has their own little idiosyncrasies, in keeping with their movie counterparts. Vehicle levels are all about action, recreating the major battles from the movies: both Death Star runs, the Battle of Hoth, the flight through the asteroid belt.

It's the little things that turn LSW2 from a simple title to a charmer. The animation is a delight, with Han's brawling melee animations, Chewie's arm ripping shenanigans, even Leia's contemptuous slap to her foes. Even the scene cutaways are traditional Star Wars screen wipes. There are plenty of little secrets in there as well, including an Indiana Jones style hat that Han can don if you find the switch in the streets of Mos Eisly.

Lego Star Wars 2 is not without its fair share of issues. However, provided you have, shall we say, an appreciation for the source material, these issues can be overlooked easily.

Why?

Because it's fun.

LSW2 was designed as a co-op game. You can play it through by yourself, but there are a bevy of scenarios where you must rely on the AI to do the part of your companion. As for the AI, well, as always, it's hit and miss. Sometimes your companions will stay out of the way, but quite often they will get between you and your target, either forcing you to work around them or take control of the obstacle and physically remove them.

The enemy AI is pretty simple, as far as point and shoot goes. Enemies follow set patterns, when not blindly chasing you with an axe or blaster, ... (continued next page)