Now first off, let me say that I'm not really a fan of the Star Wars movies per se. As I drop that nasty bit of flamebait in your lap, let me say it's because it's so empty as opposed to other science fiction franchises I enjoy. The scope of background to draw from and the mythos in it's size and complexity is a far cry from that established for Babylon 5, Stargate, Doctor Who or Star Trek.
Having said that, I've always enjoyed the Star Wars
games. I suppose in a way, I see the games as deep as the 90 minute movies they are based on. If you've ever played Rogue Squadron, Knights of the Old Republic, Jedi Knight series, Bounty Hunter and Shadows of the Empire, you know what I mean as they fill in so much more info and back story than the movies ever did.
LEGO Star Wars on the other hand, is part parody, part epic and all fun. I remember when I had first seen the original LEGO Star Wars game in previews and I knew right away that it would be an awesome game. In fact I even bought it on release day and have become something of a LEGO game fanboy.
LEGO Batman, how awesome is that?
So having played and beaten both LEGO Star Wars titles (first for PS2, second for X360) I was looking forward to this one (The Complete Saga). Wary that they had begun milking the franchise I didn't pick this one up right away as I did the others. When I did buy it, I was pleasantly surprised to find value in playing a remake of sorts so soon after the initial release of the first two games. You see "TCS", is a compilation of both LEGO Star Wars games but with more characters, more extra levels and the advancements the second game had brought into the levels of the first. So if your toying (pardon the pun) with the idea of buying one of these titles, this one has everything LEGO Star Wars and then some all in one title.
Now if you've never played one of these before, let me explain. LEGO Star Wars follows the story of the movies, separated by chapters and levels of all 6 main Star Wars movies (Episodes I through VI). In the midst of the levels you play, they have cleverly scripted cutscenes where some events are altered for comedic effect or exaggerated for a good laugh. To maintain the blunt quirky cuteness of the LEGO universe, grunts, beeps and other guttural language are used as opposed to voice acting. Very entertaining and there is subtle humor for gamers of all ages.
Gameplay which can be either co-op or single, is all about gathering "studs" which are the currency of the game, as well as building LEGO devices and solving platforming puzzles. For example to make a bridge to get to another area, you may need to destroy a crate for it's base LEGO pieces to build a bridge or a gun turret or even vehicles. In this mode the game is all about exploring in a platforming style (jumping, swinging etc) as well as combat with other LEGO characters as you'd find from the movies. Working from both single player and co-op this is an incredibly fun game that despite it's obvious allure for children, I'm not ashamed to say I enjoy because it offers to much to everyone.
The other aspect of gameplay is the vehicular combat. You drive, fly, shoot and destroy just about every major vehicle seen in the six movies. From the Mos Espa pod race to the Death Star run to the Hoth battle with a Snowspeeder. Controls, same with the platforming gameplay, are easy to master, intuitive and fun.
Sound is another area this game excels same as the previous two before it. You have everything from John Williams score from the Original Trilogy to the unmistakable sounds of a lightsabre and a Tie fighter. Everything is where it's supposed to be and it all sounds great.
Graphics while understandably simplistic, are colourful, vibrant and have such subtle details like reflection in polished floors, balls of flame for explosions and light trails from swinging sabres. Once in a while there is a bit of slowdown when the screen is loaded with characters but you hardly ever notice it.
If you wonder how much bang for buck you'd get out of this game, I'll tell you I have well over 50+ hours and I haven't reached 100% completion yet. You can beat the game in 20 or so, but if you want to unlock more options, characters and levels like the Bounty Hunter mode and such, you need to complete certain tasks and acquire certain items collected throughout each level to do it.
I'll also mention for you achievement lovers out there on your Xbox 360's that the ones chosen for this game are fun, well thought out and for the most part, easily attainable from your first playthrough.
At this point I'm expected to slap a score on here. I can hear the Tuskan Raiders in the distance, so it's time to go. I give this game a healthy
8.5/10 or B+ because it's a remake of two previous games but warrants a purchase regardless because it has enough fresh content and enough changes to make it stand on it's own.
