The first Lego Star Wars was an eye-opening experience; I had low expectations, and expected a cheap and tacky knock-off of a game; however, I had a friend coming over, and wanted something to play together. Imagine my surprise to discover that under the kid-friendly lego surface of the game is a careful, well-designed game. Hot on the heels of the success of that first game comes Lego Star Wars II, which improves on every aspect of the original.
Now, you'll probably look at that score of five stars in shock, blink twice, and assume that I've either lost my mind or had my soul purchased by a publisher. The reality is that this game, and its predecessor, are deserving of those five stars, but there's a caveat: You have to play it the way it was intended.
First rule of LSW: Don't expect a replica of the films. Some artistic license has been taken in places; in other places, the interpretation of the film can be rather irreverent. In places, the changes from the films are intended to make the game more fun to play; in others, it's purely for entertainment value. Enjoy it for what it is - a comedic retelling of the original stories.
Second rule of LSW: Never play it alone. This is a game which has had huge amounts of effort pumped into co-operative play; play it alongside a friend. If you don't enjoy it with someone, you're missing out on a huge part of the experience. That someone doesn't have to be a kid - I played both games through with a mate of mine, both in our thirties.
Third rule of LSW: Don't think that just because you think the films suck that you won't like the game. Arguably, I liked it more because I think the original films are weak sauce. The introspective and self-effacing parts of the game, as well as the parts where it pokes fun at itself, are part of what make it a great game.
Fourth, and finally: Be forgiving. There are flaws in co-op mode caused by two people limited with one camera; camera bugs are common, and you'll often find that one person will need to drop out of the game for 10 seconds or so. Death is pretty much meaningless, though - dropping in and out doesn't get in the way of the fun, so long as you're not focusing on pwnage and teh w1n. Relax and enjoy the experience.
I can honestly say that LSW2 has been one of the all-time-best gaming experiences of my life, made all the better for being a shared experience with a friend; too often gaming can be a solitary enjoyment, and LSW2 represents one of the best co-op gameplay experiences around - it's a model for the way that games ought to be made, and we can only hope that they'll bring us more co-op goodness in the future.
If you've got a friend who has a computer, and hasn't played them before, get them a present for christmas. There are versions of both for just about everything on the market; it's been ported heavily. Avoid handheld versions, as they tend to be a bit crap, but for the most part anything else is fair game.
I've played both the Mac version of the original and the 360 version of LSW2, and I've got to say that for me, personally, the console was the better experience, if only because the 360's controls are far better than my cheapy USB gamepads, your mileage may vary. And while graphics power isn't very important, LSW and LSW2 are both very capable of looking very pretty - the shiny plastic effects, the movements, it's all very carefully and artistically done; so it's nice to be able to turn up the visual effects.
You owe it to yourself to give this game a chance. LSW and LSW2 have been out for some time, and should be reasonably priced; don't let this game slip away.
