Tips for LEGO Jedi

LEGO® Star Wars® 2: The Original Trilogy obviously takes most of its queues from the surprise Xbox® hit LEGO® Star Wars®. There is, however, a surprising amount of content that has been added in the way of level design, puzzles, and character abilities to offer a more unique, and in some ways, more challenging game. Keep the following tips in mind for a smoother, more entertaining LEGO Star Wars experience.

The final epic father and son duel. In LEGO.

Auto Targeting
With games like Halo® 2 and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter™, it's common to try and get your aim as precision perfect as possible before firing off a shot. However, with LEGO Star Wars 2, no such level of control is required. Provided you are aiming in the correct general direction, your shots should drop their targets without any difficulty, so feel free to shoot from the hip.

Dodge and Shoot
To avoid taking a hit while setting up your shot, don't act, just react. Wait until your enemy takes a shot at you, then dodge and return fire. The blaster bolts in LEGO Star Wars 2 don't move too quickly, so you should have plenty of time to get out of their way.

Wonder how long those take to build.

Use Cover
While the initial battles are not intensely difficult, don't be lulled into forgetting about cover. Nearly every area in LEGO Star Wars 2 is littered with crates, barrels, and other objects to hide behind. Despite the slow paced blaster bolts, a crowd of Stormtroopers can light up a room in short order, so always make sure to use your cover effectively.

Destroy Everything
Not only is it just good clean fun to destroy every bit of environment you can, it should also be an important part of your strategy. Most destructible elements in the game will provide hearts for health or LEGO studs for points, so let loose and shatter everything in your way!

Crane Shadows
When operating the cranes, use the shadow it casts as a guide. It can be difficult to guess when the crane's claw is directly above your enemy or ally, but as long as the claw's shadow is over your target, you're good to go.

The Force is strong with this one.

Character Specific
Different characters are capable of different abilities, so if you get stuck, you might need to change characters. In the early stages of the game, Obi-Wan Kenobi is your only Force user. He can use the Force to move objects that glow blue, and in one example, you will use the Force to build a makeshift pillar for Luke to stand on. Luke can then use his special ability, the grappling hook, to proceed.

You'll find similar puzzles throughout the game, so don't get stuck thinking in terms of simple abilities, but in how the abilities of the characters on your team might be able to be used together.

Hidden Treasure
Advancing through the levels in LEGO Star Wars 2 isn't just a matter of moving forward. Make sure you look around each environment before exiting, or you might be leaving behind valuable treasures in hidden areas. Exploring that ledge above you may not be required to advance in the game, but it might lead you to a hidden area filled with secret bonuses.

Article by Ryan Treit