Gameplay
The first thing that needs to be said about how LEGO Star Wars II plays is that they didn’t change the core of the game at all. You still switch back and forth between different types of characters to perform different tasks. You use druids, Jedi, blaster characters, and bounty hunters to open special doors that only their class can open as well as access different parts of the level that you can only reach by using a blaster character’s grappling hook or using the force to build a path. Fighting enemies and exploring is exactly the same as the original.
Improvements
LEGO Star Wars II does do a few things differently, however. The biggest change is the addition of vehicles and turrets that you have to find and build. Bigger vehicles, such as an AT-ST “chicken” walker have several different sections that you have to build and put together before assembling the final vehicle. And when I say you have to build things, I really mean you just hold a button while your character does it for you. One thing that is kind of interesting is that it isn’t always readily apparent just what you are building so the game is always filled with nice little surprises when you figure out just what it is you’re doing. The vehicles themselves control fairly well and have a health bar similar to that of the individual characters. Rather than being destroyed when the vehicle health runs out, however, it just ejects your character and you can run back over and hop right back in if you want.
The other main difference LEGO Star Wars II brings to the table is that the levels are absolutely huge and offer a ton of secret nooks and crannies and areas that only certain characters can get to. The replay value is going to be through the roof thanks to the great level design and sheer number of characters that will be available.
Humor
Another area where LEGO Star Wars II stands out is in its humor. This game is just really, really funny and it is a treat to see the scenes Star Wars fans know and love given the LEGO treatment. New to the game this year is that you can perform melee attacks when you get close to enemies and watching Chewbacca rip their arms out will make you laugh every time. I was also able to try out the character creator and it really is as easy as the videos have made it seem. You can pick hats, hair, heads, torso, arms, hands, legs, and weapons from hundreds of different parts to create truly unique characters.
Graphics and Sound
Graphically, LEGO Star Wars II isn’t too different from the original, but there are definitely some improvements here and there. The main thing I noticed right away is that there are a lot more characters (both civilians and enemies) in each area than before, which is pretty cool. The sound is similarly mostly unchanged but somehow better. There isn’t any voiceover work, thank goodness, and instead the characters use facial expressions and mumble in “Simsish” which makes dramatic scenes from the movies even funnier.
Bottom Line
After spending some time with LEGO Star Wars II, I have to admit I’m really looking forward to the final version. Huge levels filled with secrets to find and things to do, a great sense of humor, fun gameplay – this game has it all. It is everything the original LEGO Star Wars was but improved, which is a very good thing.
