Review: Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy

Now the furore over George Lucas’s double trilogy is finally beginning to fade, you may be wondering why yet another video game featuring key moments is being unveiled.

And yes, while we would understand your apathy, especially given the Lego branding on the box, this is actually a rather wonderful game that brings new life to a tired franchise.

Don’t be so surprised, for last year’s first Lego Star Wars title was actually a little gem that might have been ignored by older gamers.

Thankfully for us elder types, The Original Trilogy only focuses on the first three films: Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi. So no Jah Jah Binks and Anakin Skywalker, this is strictly Han Solo and Chewbacca territory.

There’s no surprise that this has a real Lego quality to it – chunky bricks and those distinctive faces. And it works a treat, utilising the dual nostalgia of those classic old building blocks and the films to give the game its charming presentation.

A fantastic visual touch is the ability to craft your own custom players using bits and bobs from many Star Wars people.

The gameplay is simple: control one of many characters (and mostly several at one time, which can be easily flicked between) and blast your way through numerous distinctive environments using the familiar weapons such as the lightsaber.

It only takes a few minutes to feel comfortable with the simple controls, but that’s not to say that it’s some tediously basic shooter. For this is an extremely addictive game, made even more so by the myriad vehicles that can be used during the adventure.

You can even climb inside an AT-AT or Millennium Falcon and seize the controls, which are two of the many highlights in the game.

So while it’s no brain surgery effort and can be finished in an afternoon’s gaming, Original Trilogy is packed with little treats that makes you want to replay it all the moment you finish.

There are so many great little touches and excellent mini-games throughout (such as disguising yourself as a Stormtrooper) that you want to revisit immediately to see if there are any others that you missed first time. Plus, destroying the Death Star is something us grown-up kids will never tire of.

It’s not perfect; the camera is a bit irritating at times and sometimes you wish the other computer-controlled characters had a little more Jedi class, but it’s never enough to ruin the fun.

Also consider
Star Wars Empire at War
Overall: Perhaps not the Star Wars game you are looking for, but fans will enjoy getting tactical in the galaxy far, far away.
Rating: 3
Price: £40

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