Scully ON THE GAME

Lego Star Wars

If you are still sad enough to be playing with Lego bricks, then you are not on your own. Despite the high-tech advances in kids' toys, Lego remains a favourite despite all the odds. Part of the reason behind this is the company's willingness to reinvent itself; go to Legoland and you'll see what I mean.

So it was an act of pure genius to team up with George Lucas and come up with the ludicrously unlikely Lego Star Wars.

For the anally-retentive, Lego comes from the combination of the Danish words 'leg' (play) and 'godt' (well). Never a truer word when it comes to this little gem.

The game follows the story line of the three Star Wars prequels (assuming you can get your head around the episode numbering and release sequences). To a Star Wars anorak like me, the idea of reducing Darth Vader to mere interlocking plastic blocks is instantly abhorrent. Yet, somehow, it works. The graphics processing power of the PS2 and Xbox has been completely ignored when it comes to the characters; they are typically squared and, er, Lego-like.

But you will succumb the moment you see them, I promise you. Giant Interactive, who actually put the game together, has managed to weave real personality into the cast. But no corners have been cut when it comes to modelling the scenes and universe, which are truly spectacular.

There is nothing terribly exciting about the gameplay itself. Lego Star Wars is a regular platform game, consisting of levels where you collect money and containers. You return to the starting point, the diner, to spend your money on characters upgrades, such as more powerful weapons to blow away the ever more forceful enemies as you climb through the levels. You can also buy disguises, although – for the life of me – I spent a lot of money I had collected before I realised that accoutrements such as the handlebar moustache were totally useless.

Each level has ten containers to collect, although this takes several revisits to get them all, as you go back with detectors and other gadgets bought at the diner. Collecting all ten containers on a level rewards you with extra cash and some building blocks for piecing together a spaceship. All this sounds easy. It isn't. It can take a lot of hunting around and some lateral thinking to find elusive containers.

Good Character

Before entering each level, you can select to play as any of over forty possible characters. If you fancy wielding a lightsaber, then Anakin, Amidala, Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon is probably for you. Personally, I had great fun playing as Chewbacca (with a pretty mean crossbow) or Jango Fett. Just about every character or extra in the first three episodes is included.

Each of the characters has different armaments and special abilities. Choosing the right character for job is the key to getting through many of the puzzles and battles. Jar Jar, for example, can jump to heights others cannot and R2 opens certain locks.

When first playing a level you are limited to two characters who are fully interchangeable. But when replaying a level you will have access to all the characters you have unlocked.

New Kids on the Block

Lego Star Wars is clearly designed for kids – or big kids, at least. The game is extremely forgiving in general, dealing out virtually no punishment for failure. This and the platform play style means it is not particularly taxing and can be completed in a day or two.

An truly excellent feature is the incorporation of drop-in, drop-out for co-operative gameplay. Each player can switch characters on the fly, or drop out altogether. But if two characters stray too far apart in a scene, one will be dropped out by the system, which can be a little irritating.

So despite being targeted at children, Lego Star Wars really is a game for all ages. It is highly entertaining, reasonably challenging, and a hoot in parts (the disco scene is a classic).

Conclusion

Put simply, the graphics are state of the art. The characters may be deliberately blocky, but are instantly recognisable. The scenes, however, are breathtaking – particularly when it comes to moving water or reflective marble floors.

The sound effects, too, are very cool indeed (taken from the movies) and help to propel the game up the quality league.

Lego Stars Wars has a genuine charm. It must rank as one of the best children's games out there. But it also hits that rare balance that makes it equally appealing to adults. It is an innovative little game, and I love it!

Screenshot Gallery

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Lego Star Wars
Not the most testing of games, but very entertaining and a must for Star Wars fans.
Overall Rating:	8 out of 10
ESRB Rating:	Everyone (6+)
Publisher:	Eidos Interactive
Available for:	GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox