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(More customer reviews)After the release of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith in theaters we got Lego Star Wars; a game that was a lot of fun to play simply because it emulated the movies rather well with all the characters being made entirely from Legos. Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy is even better for the simple fact of nostalgia. Any Star Wars fan will enjoy this.
You'll begin the game in the Cantina in Mos Eisley. This is the hub, and from there you can go into any of the three episodes and play through them. At the start you'll only be able to choose A New Hope, but after completing the first chapter, you can choose The Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi. As you go through the three episodes you'll some of the most memorable moments of the movies acted out entirely with legos. These moments aren't only memorable, but they're given a hilarious charm. These moments are also from the actual original versions of the movies as well. In other words, Han Solo DOES shoot first.
The game is visually striking. Seeing your favorite characters from the original Star Wars films as legos is quite a treat. Not only do you get to have nostalgia with Star Wars, but with legos as well. Even better are the hilarious antics of most of the scenes. On the XBOX360 it looks especially sharp. Far better than the other consoles, especially because it'll actually focus in on objects (far off objects actually look blurry, for example). To benefit the nostalgia even more is how John Williams' classic score accompanies each and every level of the game. For a Star Wars fan this game is the ultimate nostalgia.
As you play through each of the classic episodes, you'll be in control of several characters. Not all at once, but you'll end up having to switch. At times you may only have two characters, at others there may be as many as seven in your party at once. Your characters, depending on who they are, also have their own unique skills they can use. Jedi for example, can double jump and use the force. Those who wield blasters have a grappling hook that allows them to ascend to accessible platforms. The droids can open up special doors for you. Other characters, like the Jawas and Ewoks will be able to go into vents and access areas the other characters can't. In all actuality, they're really no different than their counterparts in the original Lego Star Wars. Also like the original Lego Star Wars, you'll constantly have to switch between characters in order to get through each and every area. You'll have to switch to R2-D2 to open up a door, for example. More than one person can play at a time, which is also really cool. You can also beat up your allies if you wish, and they respawn instantly. The gameplay isn't completely the same, though, there have been some small tweaks made here and there.
The additions to the gameplay aren't huge, but they are welcome. As you progress through levels all your characters may be able to assemble certain materials together to form a droid to help them fight. In the original Lego Star Wars this ability was only given to the Jedi, but here everyone can do it. There are also moments when you'll have to dress up as a stormtrooper in order to gain access through certain doors. You'll also be given the chance at some point to dress up as a bounty hunter and you'll be able to use Thermal Detonators. Characters also have their own unique abilities. Chewie, for example, can rip a stormtroopers arms right out of his sockets. All of these are welcome additions, and that's not even all there is to the gameplay. From time to time you'll be in command of vehicles. Landspeeders, the Millennium Falcon, the X-Wing and more as you take on some of the more memorable moments from the film, like destroying the death star.
It will probably only take you five hours at the very least to complete the story mode of all three episodes. However, Lego Star Wars II is full of extras. Each time you dispatch an enemy, whether it be in story mode or not, you'll earn money. You can also destroy certain objects and obtain money. You can use the money you gain to purchase cheats and hidden characters. Each time you get a new character they'll walk around in the hub, and you can switch to them. "Purchasing" characters isn't the only way to get them. You could easily just use one in story mode and you've got him or her. You'll also get hidden characters if you've got save data from the original Lego Star Wars. Just unlocking all the characters takes a lot of time.
The importance of unlocking characters is so you can play through certain aspects of the free play mode. There are places that in story mode the default characters couldn't reach. These hidden characters might be able to reach it, though, and so you will find yourself playing through levels again. The good news is these levels are so much fun that playing through a second, third or even fourth time is no hassle at all.
Free mode also offers a way for you to customize what a character looks like. You could put Yoda's head on Luke Skywalker's body, for example. This is mostly just a lot of fun to mess around with. Some combinations are just all out crazy. You could, for example, put Chewbacca's head on Leia's body from when she's wearing the slave outfit in Return of the Jedi. This really doesn't do a whole lot for the gameplay as a whole, but it is quite fun to mess around with, and the combinations are endless.
The only real problem with this game that I can really think of is that there is little, if any, challenge at all. Each time you die you respawn right where you left off and you have infinite lives. There's really no such thing as a game over. If you die the only penalty is that you lose money. However, the sheer fun factor of the game is enough to do away with that, and still makes Lego Star Wars II a treat.
Lego Star Wars II surpasses the original in just about everyway. It's a Star Wars game for the classic trilogy done with instant perfection. If you love the original Star Wars movies, you'll definitely want this game.
On the positive side
+Based off the original theatrical versions and not the special editions
+Beautiful game
+Addictive gameplay
+Co-op mode
+Several extras and hidden characters
+Customizable characters
+Tons of replay value
On the negative side
-The story mode is quite short
-While not really much of a con for this game, it's got very little challenge
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Lego Star Wars II: The Original TrilogyThe Empire strikes back in this sequel to the endearing Star Wars game made all of LEGOs. LEGO Star Wars II follows the Rebel Alliance\'s battle to dismantle the Galactic Empire and rebuild a galaxy in pieces. From Darth Vader\'s pursuit of Princess Leia aboard her blockade runner to a showdown on the reconstructed Death Star the game includes even more of the family-friendly LEGO action. The sequel finally allows you to build with your LEGO blocks as a new Free Play mode allows gamers to customize the vehicles for new ship designs as well as Free Play all of the playable characters (over 100 in total) by mixing and matching body parts forming the likes of "Stormbacca" "Chew Vader" and "Leia Wan Kenobi." Other additions include cool new character-specific attacks and maneuvers Power Brick items playable mini-kit vehicles an improved two-player camera a greater challenge for advanced players and more.Format: XBOX 360 Genre:ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating:RP UPC:023272329761 Manufacturer No:32976
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