The force is strong with this one.
Now I have eagerly been anticipating the release of LEGO Star Wars 2 much like a child might look forward to presents on their birthday. Everything I loved about LEGO Star Wars is even better the second time around. As Yoda would say: “Better source material, a better game does make.”
GAMEPLAY
LEGO Star Wars has always been a kid friendly game, but now they have improved it so adults can get more out of it. Whereas in the first game, the Jedi were hands down the best characters in the game, LSW2 balances this by making non-Jedi characters not only useful, but down-right fun to play.
Playing Han Solo is a blast. With the ability for gun characters to dodge incoming fire, plus being able to perform unique melee attacks (Leia literally has a **** slap) makes it even more fun. All characters except droids can assemble LEGO blocks into useful objects. You can even build and ride in vehicles during regular missions now too.
Speaking of vehicles, gone are the “riding on rails” flying levels of the first LEGO Star Wars. Now the levels are more open, and also allow you to use other ships (like TIE fighters) to access hidden areas.
GRAPHICS
The graphics on the 360 are impressive. Granted, they’re going to be a little blocky because of the nature of LEGOs, but they character animations are very fluid and add a character of their own to the game. Shiny surfaces abound, and the levels have very high-resolution textures. I like how objects in the foreground fade, and become blurry as you focus on objects in the background.
SOUND
Even better the second time around thanks to the better movie licenses. All the classic game sounds and music are here. I even caught myself saying lines out loud during the memorable sequences. All the sound effects are great, and have a nice thump in the bass. My only gripe is that the characters still don’t speak, and instead just grunt or utter other vocal expressions. But in a way, this adds to the light-hearted style of the game.
VALUE
The lasting value in LSW2 comes from the hundreds of unlockables to get. Everything from hidden levels and characters, to cheat codes can be found via hidden items in the game. This is how Travelers Tales is trying to get adults into the game more. Give them tons of things to find and do.
The only thing that’s missing is an online co-op mode. The kid friendly two-player mode is back, and it’s still just as well designed. There are many achievements to unlock, and they are well balanced between being easier to lock and unlock.
LEGO Star Wars 2 is even better the second time around. This is largely due to being based on the better movies, but many game play improvements also help. This is an easy game to recommend. It’s still a little too easy for adults, but the hundreds of unlockables make it more enjoyable. If you have a child that plays games, you must buy this to play together. Even if you aren’t a Star Wars fan, you can still find many hours of enjoyment here.