Straight from the Bargain Bin at the local game shop to your console's eager disc tray comes Hektic's Bargain Bin Review. This time around I've been spinning Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. Garnering the title "Platinum Hit", Lego Star Wars II can be picked up brand new for $20; that is ten dollars less than the normal Platinum hit price! Getting it for Christmas, I played this game exclusively for weeks.
For those of you unaware, the first Lego Star Wars game was released around the time Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and took you through the first three films (the prequels) in the saga. The game, not released for next-gen consoles, was surprisingly enjoyable and took you through the exploits of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Your normal star wars game with a twist: Everything was rendered entirely out of Lego building blocks. A completely different combination, but it worked surprsingly well. The combination was potent; Star Wars nostalgia coupled with humorous, lighthearted flair of Legos worked very well. Fast forward and here we are at Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. Everybody remembers it, everybody loves it! Can it be done with Legos once again?
You start the game in Mos Eisley Cantina, which serves as your hub. From there you can enter any of the three episodes (A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi), though only A New Hope is available initially. You can also go to the counter, where you are able to purchase cheats, extras, additional playable characters, etc. There is also a character creation area where you can combine different body combinations of different characters to create your own. The game hits nearly all of the most memorable sequences from all three films, and it does it all with a goofy sense of humor that is a lot of fun.
You will progress through each episode, which is separated into six different levels. Once you complete the level in "Story Mode" you can go back to it in "Free Mode" and play as whichever characters you have unlocked. This is a necessity if you plan to obtain everything, as certain areas can only be reached by certain characters. Once you are finished with that, you can go back through all six levels in "Super Story Mode", which is a sort of time trial mode. As you go through levels, you will also gain Lego bits, which is the currency of the game and can be used to purchase all of the extra content at the counter in Mos Eisly.
The gameplay is fun; it is easy to pick up and play. You control one character at a time, but can easily switch characters on the fly as needed. Your party will grow to as large as 7 characters, and contract to as little as 2 as needed. It offers a great Co-Op mode that lets you play with another player locally, which is a nice break from the semi-useless AI. If you are facing the general direction of your aggresors, the blaster shots have a knack for hitting their mark. There is also an under-advertised Class system for the characters in the game: Jedi characters sport lightsabers, can perform double-jumps, and can use their Force powers to manipulate certain objects in the environment. Regular hero characters like Princess Leia and Han Solo pack blasters and can use special grappling hook points to reach areas other characters cannot. C3PO and R2D2 can open special doors and activate certain equipment, and R2 has the added bonus of being able to hover short distances. Short characters like Jawas and Ewoks can access special ducts that lead to otherwise inaccessible areas.
Depending on what characters you are using, you will hack or blast your way through enemies, do some light puzzle-solving, and even the occasional platform jumping. The gameplay is simple enough for a novice to pick up and play, but intriguing enough to keep even veteran players interested and paying attention. Death is penalized by a meaningless loss of a little money, so the game itself is not overly difficult. It is also worth noting that Lego Star Wars II puts a greater emphasis on vehicles than the original. You will come upon small carts, landspeeders, and AT-STs that you can pilot in the action adventure chapters, though there are also chapters dedicated to memorable sequences like destroying both of the Death Stars, fighting off imperial forces in your snowspeeder on Hoth, and racing speeder bikes through the forests of Endor. These dedicated vehicle chapters make the game feel more epic and break up the action nicely, though are sometimes needlessly difficult due largely to a stiff camera, something that occasionally hampers the action adventure levels as well. The camera usually stays in a fixed position, and though you're allowed a little wiggle room, there are a few specific points where it's easy to get stuck because the path is obscured.
Graphics-wise, this game stands out slightly above its other reiterations. Released on several consoles (PS2, GameCube, Xbox, Xbox 360, PC and PSP), the Xbox 360 version has the most graphical flair, with better reflections, better explosions, and lens-focus effects that makes objects too close to or too far from the camera appear slightly blurry. Out of all it is definitley the best looking version of the game.
Sound is supberb: A vast library of recognizable sound effects and the necessary John Williams score make the experience feel that much more authentic, and even though there's no real voice acting in the game, some miming and appropriate-sounding mumbles make it apparent what's going on. Blaster shots, Light Saber slashes, and all the other sound effects you know and love are right on.
Achievements in this game are not too difficult for the most part, but are quite time consuming and involve playing through all levels multiple times. You will achieve around 200 points for playing through the game once, though the bulk of the achievements involve playing through the level without being defeated, which is no small feat in some cases. This doesn't involve just steering clear of being killed by enemies, but also of precarious ledges, which can sometimes be quite easy to fall off. The levels that will have you pulling your hair out for the undefeated achievements are the straight vehicle levels where it is damn-near impossible. The achievements are not so much skill-based as it is luck-based. Again, they are not overly difficult to reach, but quite time consuming.
There are also five achievements for varying degrees of completion of the game: 20% 40% 60% 80% and 100%. To receive the 100% achievement, you must
-Complete all missions
-Complete all super missions
-Complete all bounty hunter missions (obtained after beating the game and purchasing bounty hunter characters)
-Complete Lego City (Unlocked after obtaing a certain number of power bricks)
-Collect all power bricks (Obtained after collecting mini-kits and doing various other things throughout the missions)
-Collect everything from the store
-Collect all mini kits (6 in each level, hidden throughout)
-Collect all gold bricks
-Create the spigot (Obtained after completing certain level requirements)
As you can see, this is no small task, and I've yet to finish it. Normally, I am not one to replay through games I've already beaten, but the replay value of Lego Star Wars II is tremendous; with all of the items to find, secrets to uncover, and areas to explore you will find yourself going through the same levels again and again.
Unfortuneatley, Lego Star Wars II lacks Co-Op Play through Xbox Live, which would have been an awesome and much-desired feature. The camera is also static, and while there is play to a degree, it is easy for the action to be blocked from view by a precarious rock or landscape. The 360 version also suffers from slight frame rate issues when there is too many particle effects happening on screen; not a huge issue, but worth noting. After everything is said and done, I give Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy an 8.5 out of 10. It is an awesome game with tons of replay value. While it is fun to play alongside a buddy, Live Co-Op would have made it amazing, and a dynamic camera would have eliminated many annoyances. For only $20, it is a definite pick me up. Relive your youth with all of those memorable Star Wars characters and locales, with a great Lego twist!
For those of you unaware, the first Lego Star Wars game was released around the time Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and took you through the first three films (the prequels) in the saga. The game, not released for next-gen consoles, was surprisingly enjoyable and took you through the exploits of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Your normal star wars game with a twist: Everything was rendered entirely out of Lego building blocks. A completely different combination, but it worked surprsingly well. The combination was potent; Star Wars nostalgia coupled with humorous, lighthearted flair of Legos worked very well. Fast forward and here we are at Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. Everybody remembers it, everybody loves it! Can it be done with Legos once again?
You start the game in Mos Eisley Cantina, which serves as your hub. From there you can enter any of the three episodes (A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi), though only A New Hope is available initially. You can also go to the counter, where you are able to purchase cheats, extras, additional playable characters, etc. There is also a character creation area where you can combine different body combinations of different characters to create your own. The game hits nearly all of the most memorable sequences from all three films, and it does it all with a goofy sense of humor that is a lot of fun.
You will progress through each episode, which is separated into six different levels. Once you complete the level in "Story Mode" you can go back to it in "Free Mode" and play as whichever characters you have unlocked. This is a necessity if you plan to obtain everything, as certain areas can only be reached by certain characters. Once you are finished with that, you can go back through all six levels in "Super Story Mode", which is a sort of time trial mode. As you go through levels, you will also gain Lego bits, which is the currency of the game and can be used to purchase all of the extra content at the counter in Mos Eisly.
The gameplay is fun; it is easy to pick up and play. You control one character at a time, but can easily switch characters on the fly as needed. Your party will grow to as large as 7 characters, and contract to as little as 2 as needed. It offers a great Co-Op mode that lets you play with another player locally, which is a nice break from the semi-useless AI. If you are facing the general direction of your aggresors, the blaster shots have a knack for hitting their mark. There is also an under-advertised Class system for the characters in the game: Jedi characters sport lightsabers, can perform double-jumps, and can use their Force powers to manipulate certain objects in the environment. Regular hero characters like Princess Leia and Han Solo pack blasters and can use special grappling hook points to reach areas other characters cannot. C3PO and R2D2 can open special doors and activate certain equipment, and R2 has the added bonus of being able to hover short distances. Short characters like Jawas and Ewoks can access special ducts that lead to otherwise inaccessible areas.
Depending on what characters you are using, you will hack or blast your way through enemies, do some light puzzle-solving, and even the occasional platform jumping. The gameplay is simple enough for a novice to pick up and play, but intriguing enough to keep even veteran players interested and paying attention. Death is penalized by a meaningless loss of a little money, so the game itself is not overly difficult. It is also worth noting that Lego Star Wars II puts a greater emphasis on vehicles than the original. You will come upon small carts, landspeeders, and AT-STs that you can pilot in the action adventure chapters, though there are also chapters dedicated to memorable sequences like destroying both of the Death Stars, fighting off imperial forces in your snowspeeder on Hoth, and racing speeder bikes through the forests of Endor. These dedicated vehicle chapters make the game feel more epic and break up the action nicely, though are sometimes needlessly difficult due largely to a stiff camera, something that occasionally hampers the action adventure levels as well. The camera usually stays in a fixed position, and though you're allowed a little wiggle room, there are a few specific points where it's easy to get stuck because the path is obscured.
Graphics-wise, this game stands out slightly above its other reiterations. Released on several consoles (PS2, GameCube, Xbox, Xbox 360, PC and PSP), the Xbox 360 version has the most graphical flair, with better reflections, better explosions, and lens-focus effects that makes objects too close to or too far from the camera appear slightly blurry. Out of all it is definitley the best looking version of the game.
Sound is supberb: A vast library of recognizable sound effects and the necessary John Williams score make the experience feel that much more authentic, and even though there's no real voice acting in the game, some miming and appropriate-sounding mumbles make it apparent what's going on. Blaster shots, Light Saber slashes, and all the other sound effects you know and love are right on.
Achievements in this game are not too difficult for the most part, but are quite time consuming and involve playing through all levels multiple times. You will achieve around 200 points for playing through the game once, though the bulk of the achievements involve playing through the level without being defeated, which is no small feat in some cases. This doesn't involve just steering clear of being killed by enemies, but also of precarious ledges, which can sometimes be quite easy to fall off. The levels that will have you pulling your hair out for the undefeated achievements are the straight vehicle levels where it is damn-near impossible. The achievements are not so much skill-based as it is luck-based. Again, they are not overly difficult to reach, but quite time consuming.
There are also five achievements for varying degrees of completion of the game: 20% 40% 60% 80% and 100%. To receive the 100% achievement, you must
-Complete all missions
-Complete all super missions
-Complete all bounty hunter missions (obtained after beating the game and purchasing bounty hunter characters)
-Complete Lego City (Unlocked after obtaing a certain number of power bricks)
-Collect all power bricks (Obtained after collecting mini-kits and doing various other things throughout the missions)
-Collect everything from the store
-Collect all mini kits (6 in each level, hidden throughout)
-Collect all gold bricks
-Create the spigot (Obtained after completing certain level requirements)
As you can see, this is no small task, and I've yet to finish it. Normally, I am not one to replay through games I've already beaten, but the replay value of Lego Star Wars II is tremendous; with all of the items to find, secrets to uncover, and areas to explore you will find yourself going through the same levels again and again.
Unfortuneatley, Lego Star Wars II lacks Co-Op Play through Xbox Live, which would have been an awesome and much-desired feature. The camera is also static, and while there is play to a degree, it is easy for the action to be blocked from view by a precarious rock or landscape. The 360 version also suffers from slight frame rate issues when there is too many particle effects happening on screen; not a huge issue, but worth noting. After everything is said and done, I give Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy an 8.5 out of 10. It is an awesome game with tons of replay value. While it is fun to play alongside a buddy, Live Co-Op would have made it amazing, and a dynamic camera would have eliminated many annoyances. For only $20, it is a definite pick me up. Relive your youth with all of those memorable Star Wars characters and locales, with a great Lego twist!
