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Retrospective Return - Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Written by Simon Bonds

Thursday, 10 January 2008

Retrospective Return is a look at older games to see whether they’re worth a revisit. Ranging from unknown gems to bargain bin failures, we’ll revisit any games that we think deserve it.

There are few things that still get’s my inner child excited. When the rarity does occur, it’s usually because I’m either watching Star Wars or secretly basking in the greatness that is Lego. Therefore it’s probably not difficult to guess my reaction (back in 2005) when the first Lego Star Wars was released. A combination of my favourite ‘franchises,’ in a video game form is a design choice made in heaven. It combined family-friendly humour with easy to pickup fun gameplay, which meant that it could appeal to all ages and genres. The game proved so popular that it spawned a sequel (based on Episodes IV, V and VI) and finally a compilation edition, combining the two into one fantastic package; also known as Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga. While it boasts updated graphics (for the original Lego Star Wars) as well as new unlockable characters / vehicles, does it manage to overthrow the empire or fall to the dark side of bargain bins?

First off, while this may be ideally a child’s game, its black humour firmly places it within all age groups. On the surface the game has the comical, slapstick approach, with characters exploding into bricks and studs (in game currency) while deep down it parodies the moments from the films in excruciatingly hilarious detail. The cut scenes are taken directly from the movies and all your favourite moments are there, but in cutesy Lego form. The game promotes pure fun; from crushing destructible environments, building items or simple, yet fulfilling platforming.

Secondly is the ease in which the game plays. Nearly anyone with basic hand-eye coordination can play this title. The learning curve is basically non existence. It’s not so easy that it is boring (for the average gamer) but it has that appeal for those that little a gentle experience. There are no lives, and therefore no ‘Game Over’s’ but a system that adjusts to the skill your showing. It’ll increase the difficulty if you’re breezing through it or vice-versa. This means that you Grandma or your five year old son can play. You do have health as represented by little hearts which when empty prompts your character to explode into the above mentioned studs. You’ll respawn close to where you died with another attempt in mind. There aren’t any checkpoints and there is no saving midlevel. Luckily, the enemies drop substantial amount of hearts and studs which results in little dying and copious amounts of fun.

The enemies in question are taken right from the films (as you’ll be playing the storyline) and you’ll have the usual array of abilities at your disposal. While in the Jedi’s shoes, the lightsaber will be your first port of call. In case that’s not enough you can use the force to manipulate the scenery to both good and evil effects; good represented by the blue glow, evil by the red. If you’re not playing as a Jedi, then you most likely be carrying a blaster. There’s the controllable droids that lack any weaponry, but can access terminals and finally the bounty hunter, which uses a blaster and can reach special areas. There’s a lot of variety on offer and it promotes replayability by granting secret areas only reachable with certain classes. It’s easy to replay a chapter as once completed you can revisit it with up to four characters you’ve unlocked. Hidden in the secret areas are mini models, collectable red bricks and side quests. The in game currency allows you to buy characters or special extras which allow specific bonuses on a level. For example, more plants will appear on certain levels or more studs will be collectable.

If you’re a first time visitor to the series then the two games will obviously appeal substantially and most likely the new characters and levels will be unobserved. If you’ve played the games before then the new content will obviously mildly appeal to you, as does the free-play mode where you can run through the game with a created character (and a friend). There connivance of both games being on one disk is a plus as is the updated graphics for the original game. It’s a lot to pay if you’ve played it before but if you are a fan then it’s worth picking up if you’ve spotted it reduced. There is the option to play through free-play with any characters from both games, and the Xbox Live multiplayer has been tweaked to make it an all round more enjoyable experience.

For most people, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga will be like a special edition of a DVD. If you’ve never seen the films then it’s a must buy. If you’re a fan then the extra features will be nice, but not worth the full price. For obsessive’s, then there is nothing I can say to stop you from buying the 10disk HD Redux version. It’s a great little game for new players but merely a rental for those who have already experienced the game. A great buy for parents with young children but it’s unlikely to draw people away from Call of Duty 4.

Score: 7/10

Xbox 360 Version Reviewed - (Also available on Nintendo Wii and DS as well as the Playstation 3.)

Comments (7)

	1. 03-09-2008 08:17
	can i enter the club please!!!!!!! Guest Report