May the LEGOs Be With You

Published November 1, 2007

While the universally loved LEGOs and Star Wars licenses have enjoyed a long and successful marriage at retail, you could have been forgiven for thinking that a videogame mixup of the two wouldn't work so seamlessly. However, the original LEGO® Star Wars® and its successor, LEGO® Star Wars® II: The Original Trilogy captivated not only fans of the movies and toys, but also gamers at large, and now the two games have come together in the revamped, extras-filled LEGO® Star Wars™: The Complete Saga for Xbox 360®.

Boss Nass makes his LEGO Star Wars debut.

Extra, Extra!
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga isn't just a two-game combo. It contains far more than just the standard content found in the first two games. From entirely new, never-before-seen levels (including ten bounty hunter missions) to revamped versions of classic chapters, loads of new customization parts for characters, entirely new characters such as the bounty hunter Zam Wessel and Boss Nass, and much, much more, The Complete Saga represents the ultimate in fan service.

Much like the recently released The Orange Box, The Complete Saga represents a remarkable value in gaming.

The Concept
For those unfamiliar with the franchise, imagine the Star Wars characters, ships, vehicles, equipment, and worlds all built in classic LEGOs fashion, and then imagine all the gameplay possibilities built into such a breakable, fashioned-together environment.

Gather up the pieces to an AT-ST walker, put them all together, and then run roughshod over Imperial stormtroopers. Puzzles of all kinds take full advantage of this concept. A simple puzzle may require you to use the Force to reattach gears onto a crane, and then activate it while standing on top of a crate, so that you are raised to an otherwise unreachable area. Neat.

Touching in LEGO form too.

Couple that with storytelling techniques bursting with charm, with every dramatic moment conveyed through subtle, often hilarious animation, and you have an instantly appealing concept.

Cantina Hub
Each play session begins in that infamous hive of scum and villainy, the Mos Eisley cantina, and from there, you have access to every unlocked movie episode and chapter. Even the cantina and the surrounding areas are full of puzzles and adventure as well.

A visit to the cantina bar grants you access to unlocked content such as popular characters, but you can also purchase extras here, receive in-game tips, watch story clips, and even enter cheat codes.

At the cantina, mix and match LEGO parts to create some truly outrageous custom characters. There's nothing quite like a purple-clad elder Obi-Wan with a giant 'fro, or Boba Fett in suit and tie, wielding a lightsaber. There are literally millions of combinations, nearly all of them hilarious.

You killed my master, prepare to die!

Feature Notes
The core action is intense. Wield lightsabers as Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Luke and Anakin, use the Force to deflect blasters, hurl opponents into each other and totally break down the environment around you. There are other great gameplay elements:

• Co-op: Play through all six episodes cooperatively with a buddy on the couch or over Xbox LIVE®. It's especially helpful to have a human ally along while solving cooperative puzzles.
• Bounty hunter time: Every chapter of every episode includes side missions that can only be accessed by certain characters. This adds immediate replay value to every level as you scope out each side mission location while playing through the core story. Return later with the proper character and take on the mission to master previously unseen sections.
• Free play: Any level previously played is available in Free Play mode, enabling you to attempt level-specific achievements, increase your overall chapter score, or go back and do those side missions.
• Party members: It's a party, and whether it's R2-D2, C-3PO, Chewbacca, or another Star Wars character, use your party members and their special abilities to help complete a puzzle or open a locked door.

LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga is the ultimate introduction for gamers who have yet to give the franchise a chance, but it also possesses more than enough new and refined content to satisfy those who played the previous two games. Much like the recently released The Orange Box, The Complete Saga represents a remarkable value in gaming. May the LEGOs be with you.

Article by Ryan Treit