This Lego spin on the entire Star Wars epic is a lot of fun for all ages. Simple enough for kids, lots to do for adults.
The premise of the game is to "play through the movies". Each of the 36 chapters opens with a Lego-ized version of the events in the game. Everything is tilted towards humor and might remind you of some of the old slapstick comedies of years gone by. There are character levels, where you play one of many of the films' primary or secondary characters, and there are vehicle levels, where you get to pilot some of the many vehicles. You have an infinite amount of lives, and you always pick up right where you left of if you "break" your character.
So, you may find yourself traipsing through the Death Star looking for Princess Leia. In this particular instance, you would be able to hot-swap between Luke, R2-D2, Obi-wan and other familiar characters. Each character might have an ability which the others don't that allow you to solve puzzles, find hidden areas, or progress through the level. A second player can drop in at any time via same screen or Live and help you out. In other levels, you might be piloting an X-Wing down the trench tying to blow up the Death Star.
Each chapter has many hidden items and collectables to find if you want full completion of the game. This is where Free Play comes in, where you can replay any chapter previously completed in Story Mode. You are allowed to take any characters you've unlocked with you, and you will need to in order to find many of the hidden objects. An example would be a door that can only be opened by bounty hunters, yet in Story Mode you never have control of a bounty hunter. Some of the hidden items unlock Extras which are like cheats or power-ups such as the ability to disarm all Stormtroopers in the game when you turn that Extra on.
Graphically, the game holds its own. It is a bit cartoony in the way it looks, but it is based on toys after all. The characters are recognizable, even though they are all based on Lego minifigures. Locations are familiar from the movies, but have been expanded to make for longer levels. And of course there is the famous Star Wars music, and the game does not disappoint. The use of John Williams' musical score is well-used in the game, as are the sound effects throughout.
If you are a Star Wars fan, don't let this game slip by you. If you like games with lots of hidden collectables, this is the treasure hunt for you as well. You'll love the references to the source material and the humor injected into this old standby. If you think Lego Star Wars is just for kids, then you'd be wrong.