This thread is about a game that is available on multiple formats. This discussion may be based on a different format to the one you expected. If required, you can go back to pick another thread.
|
"Monkey say..."
Regular
on 03/11/2009 at 5:28:29PM
Edited: 3/11/09 22:47 Total Posts: 135 |
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
A long time ago in a childhood far, far away...
1982 was the year I went to see The Return of the Jedi at the cinema. I was the princely age of seven and I cried my heart out when Yoda and Darth Vader died. But even so my love for Star Wars had set in. That day was a good day.
1982 was also the year my best friend told me the secret about Father Christmas. That day was a bad day, although it didn’t stop the presents coming so it wasn’t that bad with hindsight.
A year later we lost our pet dog to a heart attack. It was then that I understood what mortality was, and I cried for the days that I had lost with a good friend. It was another bad day.
Fast forward to the date 16th July 1999, and something similar happened to me as an adult. For the following 10 years I would mourn a similar loss… that of a childhood dream that had begun 17 years before.
I recently found myself at a bit of a ‘video game’ loose end. I was, in fact I still am, eagerly anticipating the arrival of Modern Warfare 2. However my games cupboard was a little bare; the games within I had either completed or grown weary of. As I had a voucher for HMV which was of insufficient value to cover the cost of new title I decided I would buy something a little older, and a little different (for me). What I bought was Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga.
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga brings together the movie hexology of Episodes I to VI into a pleasant little platform/ puzzle game for the old and young alike. The story mode follows the films very closely, with you playing a multitude of characters throughout the 160 chapters this game is made up of. Each chapter is quite short, and involves you having to solve a series of ‘simple’ puzzles and defeat a few enemies along the way. I use the word simple under advisement, as some of them can be quite infuriating to begin with.
You start off in the Mos Eisley Cantina, from where you can select each of the six Star Wars films to play. Sticking with story mode for now, we begin with Episode I. You walk through the door…
da- da- da-
daaaaa- daaaaa-
da- da- da- daaaaaa- daaa-
da- da- da- daaaaaa- daaa-
da- da- da- daaaaaa...
John Williams. Scrolling titles.
Cue a short cut scene from the start of the film as Qui Gon Jin and Obi Wan Kenobi arrive to negotiate the end of the blockade, beautifully enacted by CGI Lego. And without words too, which I will admit brought a smile to my face. At least I would not have to endure the forced dialogue and Ewan’s voice acting. Fans of the franchise will already know the story, and so for them the scene is thankfully short. And for those who have not seen the film there is enough content to tell the story.
Suddenly you are in control of Qui Gon, and for the next 10 minutes or so you will have puzzles to solve, studs to collect and enemies to kill. The controls are simple to pick up; jump, attack, defend and special ability (i.e. use the force). You can also change characters when you are standing close enough to that character (Y button), which will help you solve certain puzzles as each character has different abilities (for example, only a 3PO unit can open certain doors). And that is pretty much it for each chapter, which does get a little repetitive after a while. But thankfully each of the chapters is small and contained enough for this not to be too much of a problem.
And so slowly or quickly, depending on your style of game play, you work your way through the entire Star Wars story. From Tatooine to Hoth; from Coruscant to Endor. X-Wings, AT-ATs and speeder-bikes, this game has the lot. It is a bit simple in design and yet near perfect in execution. You get to do all those things you dreamed of as a child. You duel with lightsabres; you blow up the Death Star. Even the dross that was Episodes I, II and III in this is actually good fun to play.
It’s not even just a case of playing through the story either as there is plenty more to do after you have done that. There is a plethora of characters and vehicles to unlock, many of which you will not be able to get the first time of playing. You can revisit these chapters in Open Play, with the other characters you have unlocked. These characters will open doors you could not open before and will reach studs and pieces you could not reach before. This will then unlock even more. It is platforming heaven. Well, almost…
The A.I. in this game leaves a lot to be desired at times. Playing one-player means that you are reliant upon the console helping you out from time to time as you face off a dozen or so enemies. But the help is not forthcoming, and you find yourself battling alone as the CPU-controlled second character stands and watches you getting shot to pieces (literally). There are also camera issues, which are particularly ludicrous when playing two-player. Rather than split screen the camera tries to keep both players in the one screen at once, which can be very limiting.
But that aside the game is a very pleasant experience. There is enough here for both Star Wars fans and platforming fans. Most of all, for me anyway, it reminded me of when Star Wars was a trip to the cinema with my mum to watch Ewoks battle the Empire. It reminded me of when Star Wars was a good day.
Overall I would score this game 85%. The A.I. and camera issues let it down slightly, but generally this game offers a very endearing and yet challenging gaming experience.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
altaranga
"Monkey say..."
Regular
on 04/11/2009 at 1:14:39PM
Total Posts: 135
|
|
Thanks guys. I put a bit of love into that one.
@pb, sadly I do not own a Wii. However I hear great things about the playability of this game on that system (for example, wiggling the remotes around to build the lego pieces). Hopefully one day I will get the chance to try it out.
|
|
|
|
pb
"Shoryuken!"
Moderator
on 04/11/2009 at 11:51:44AM
Total Posts: 10339
|
|
Hah, great review. I love the Wii version of this game, you get to wave the Wiimote around like a lightsaber.
|
|
|
|
altaranga
"Monkey say..."
Regular
on 03/11/2009 at 5:28:29PM
Edited: 3/11/09 22:47 Total Posts: 135
|
|
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
A long time ago in a childhood far, far away...
1982 was the year I went to see The Return of the Jedi at the cinema. I was the princely age of seven and I cried my heart out when Yoda and Darth Vader died. But even so my love for Star Wars had set in. That day was a good day.
1982 was also the year my best friend told me the secret about Father Christmas. That day was a bad day, although it didn’t stop the presents coming so it wasn’t that bad with hindsight.
A year later we lost our pet dog to a heart attack. It was then that I understood what mortality was, and I cried for the days that I had lost with a good friend. It was another bad day.
Fast forward to the date 16th July 1999, and something similar happened to me as an adult. For the following 10 years I would mourn a similar loss… that of a childhood dream that had begun 17 years before.
I recently found myself at a bit of a ‘video game’ loose end. I was, in fact I still am, eagerly anticipating the arrival of Modern Warfare 2. However my games cupboard was a little bare; the games within I had either completed or grown weary of. As I had a voucher for HMV which was of insufficient value to cover the cost of new title I decided I would buy something a little older, and a little different (for me). What I bought was Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga.
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga brings together the movie hexology of Episodes I to VI into a pleasant little platform/ puzzle game for the old and young alike. The story mode follows the films very closely, with you playing a multitude of characters throughout the 160 chapters this game is made up of. Each chapter is quite short, and involves you having to solve a series of ‘simple’ puzzles and defeat a few enemies along the way. I use the word simple under advisement, as some of them can be quite infuriating to begin with.
You start off in the Mos Eisley Cantina, from where you can select each of the six Star Wars films to play. Sticking with story mode for now, we begin with Episode I. You walk through the door…
da- da- da-
daaaaa- daaaaa-
da- da- da- daaaaaa- daaa-
da- da- da- daaaaaa- daaa-
da- da- da- daaaaaa...
John Williams. Scrolling titles.
Cue a short cut scene from the start of the film as Qui Gon Jin and Obi Wan Kenobi arrive to negotiate the end of the blockade, beautifully enacted by CGI Lego. And without words too, which I will admit brought a smile to my face. At least I would not have to endure the forced dialogue and Ewan’s voice acting. Fans of the franchise will already know the story, and so for them the scene is thankfully short. And for those who have not seen the film there is enough content to tell the story.
Suddenly you are in control of Qui Gon, and for the next 10 minutes or so you will have puzzles to solve, studs to collect and enemies to kill. The controls are simple to pick up; jump, attack, defend and special ability (i.e. use the force). You can also change characters when you are standing close enough to that character (Y button), which will help you solve certain puzzles as each character has different abilities (for example, only a 3PO unit can open certain doors). And that is pretty much it for each chapter, which does get a little repetitive after a while. But thankfully each of the chapters is small and contained enough for this not to be too much of a problem.
And so slowly or quickly, depending on your style of game play, you work your way through the entire Star Wars story. From Tatooine to Hoth; from Coruscant to Endor. X-Wings, AT-ATs and speeder-bikes, this game has the lot. It is a bit simple in design and yet near perfect in execution. You get to do all those things you dreamed of as a child. You duel with lightsabres; you blow up the Death Star. Even the dross that was Episodes I, II and III in this is actually good fun to play.
It’s not even just a case of playing through the story either as there is plenty more to do after you have done that. There is a plethora of characters and vehicles to unlock, many of which you will not be able to get the first time of playing. You can revisit these chapters in Open Play, with the other characters you have unlocked. These characters will open doors you could not open before and will reach studs and pieces you could not reach before. This will then unlock even more. It is platforming heaven. Well, almost…
The A.I. in this game leaves a lot to be desired at times. Playing one-player means that you are reliant upon the console helping you out from time to time as you face off a dozen or so enemies. But the help is not forthcoming, and you find yourself battling alone as the CPU-controlled second character stands and watches you getting shot to pieces (literally). There are also camera issues, which are particularly ludicrous when playing two-player. Rather than split screen the camera tries to keep both players in the one screen at once, which can be very limiting.
But that aside the game is a very pleasant experience. There is enough here for both Star Wars fans and platforming fans. Most of all, for me anyway, it reminded me of when Star Wars was a trip to the cinema with my mum to watch Ewoks battle the Empire. It reminded me of when Star Wars was a good day.
Overall I would score this game 85%. The A.I. and camera issues let it down slightly, but generally this game offers a very endearing and yet challenging gaming experience.
|
|
|
|
|
|
