Weekly Review: Lego Star Wars

First of all, it must be known, I love Star Wars. Second of all, it must be known that before I loved Star Wars, I loved Legos. When these two loves of mine were first combined, I snatched up as many Star Wars Lego sets as I could, and loved them like my own children (or, more appropriately, like my children will one day be lucky enough to be loved like).

Mixing this already stellar combination with yet another one of my cruel mistresses, the Xbox, is like offerin' cake to a fat kid.

Now, a point of clarification: Lego Star Wars is not a game destined to go down in the annals of gaming history. It is not for the hardcore gamer. However, if you are a devoted fanboy of Star Wars, or Legos or Star Wars AND Legos, then this game will not disappoint.

First I shall talk about the many ways this game is a fanboy's delight. There is something very odd, yet astoundingly cool about seeing the Star Wars universe transformed into Legos. Every aspect of the game is tied to the bricks. When enemies (and your character) die, they shatter into lego pieces. Jedi have to use the force to build and break pieces. Every ship, building and character is built from bricks. It all works flawlessly and, thanks to good graphics, looks good too. Also, transforming the Star Wars movie into Legos adds a quirky sense of humor to the (in some people's opinions) sometimes lacking movies. Familiar scenes are fun to see skewed as Lego reimaginations. There is no dialogue, so all the little Lego guys communicate through facial expression and sound effects, and it works surprisingly well.

For the Star Wars fanboy, you are set, if anything by the sheer number of playable characters. You can unlock almost any Jedi that has been in the prequel, and tons of other characters that all look great and sometimes hilarious as Legos. I'm pretty sure this is the only Star Wars game that you can play as Darth Maul, Darth Vader and The Emperor, not to mention a Gronk Driod, three versions of Obi-Wan, Yoda and of course, R2-D2.

Gameplay wise, Lego Star Wars is a bit more complex than its look would mandate. Combat is simple, but effective. The game also has a very simple RPG feel, as you have a party of different characters that you must switch to at different times to perform different tasks. This is no Final Fantasy or KOTOR by any stretch of the imagination, but you do need to be mindful of having the right characters with you at the right times. It adds something to a game that could be seen as too juvenile.

That brings up a good point. Lego Star Wars is marketed as a kids game. This will scare away the hardcore gamers, which is probably a good idea and just what the makers wanted. Hard core gamers who are not Star Wars fans probably should keep looking for a deeper, more challenging game. I am not a kid (per se) but I was still able to find a lot of enjoyment in this game. The most "kid-like" quality is that it is short. In a rental period, you could unlock pretty much anything worth unlocking.

The saving replay factor is that every single level has the chance for cooperative multiplayer, so its a great game to have on your shelf when friends come over. Because its controls are simple and the story is familiar to almost everyone, its a great game for people that don't usually play video games.

All in all Lego Star Wars is a fun great game. Though its not for everyone, its for anyone that likes Star Wars, Legos and accessible gaming.