Reviews// LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (PS2)

So has Traveller's Tales managed to clean up the issues we had with the game in our preview? The short answer is no.

There are still sections that require two players in order to pass. The most evil of these is the final confrontation with the Emperor which requires such a high degree of joypad juggling to play alone that it becomes an exercise in frustration rather than a pleasurable playing experience. The decision to make the game essentially a two player experience is a strange one, the first game was just as playable alone as it was with a second player. Sure, you could progress more quickly if you had two players, but you could always swap characters and perform the tasks required to progress. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that these two player only sections seem to occur at points where you need to solve puzzles and fight enemies at the same time.

Related to the point above, but worthy of a separate point of its own is the AI of the other characters in your band. As you progress through the levels of the different films, you collect characters who can assist in various parts of your quest. These other characters are computer-controlled when the players are not currently in charge of their actions. These computer-controlled characters will sometimes assist you in your tasks, but mostly they just stand around looking stupid, pretty or hairy as their persona demands. Quite often they get in the way and they very rarely do anything effective in a fight. It would have been nice to have them defend you from Stormtroopers while you built the exit door or for the droids to open doors without you having to switch to them and control their every action.

Another frustration is the combat model. On the whole this works well, but there are a few annoyances that distract from what should be a simple mechanic. The biggest issue is that you can attack your friends. This is not an issue by its self, it makes you more careful in a fight to avoid shooting Chewbacca in the back as he runs to ineffectively slap the enemy about the chops. The problem comes when you are in a group, fighting the good fight and your character suddenly decides that their friend is close enough to hit and does that instead of shooting at the approaching Gamorrean guards. Again, this can lead to frustration, which leads to anger, which leads to hate and along that path the Dark Side lies, hmm.

The points above are the biggest issues we have with the game, but overall it is a very pleasurable playing experience. The twin weapons of fun and nostalgia combine to overcome the tyranny of frustration and stupid accomplices. Traveller's Tales, Lucas Arts and Activision have another sure-fire hit on their hands with this game and it will launch with very few opponents into a chart that has been stagnant for weeks.

SPOnG Score: B+

LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy is an excellent game that has been let down by a few minor issues which can cause frustration and anger, especially when played alone. However these issues should not detract greatly from the two player experience, which is how the game will be played most often, dad helping little Timmy to get past the hard bit and then continuing to play because its just that much fun.