Review: Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (360)

The last few years have shown that the combination of Lego and the Star Wars license can be both enjoyable and highly lucrative. With the first title (containing episodes I to III) not seeing a release for the Xbox 360, this package gives anyone late to the party the complete experience.

The first impressions of Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga are not the best. To start with, players are placed into the Mos Eisley Cantina, which acts as the main hub. From here you can choose doors which lead to episodes I - VI, two-player arcade mode and various other extra content. Unfortunately, there is very little to play around with here. Both previous titles have had fun hub worlds to explore but this one feels uninspired, empty and flat.

Luckily, the same cannot be said for the rest of the game. All of the levels have been given a graphical face lift which makes them look smooth and a lot slicker. Furthermore, the vehicle sections in episodes I - III have been changed and improved so that they are not so frustrating and clunky. It means all six episodes now work to the same rules and have the same look, which adds coherence.

Lego Star Wars games have always been fun, but the characters have been somewhat clunky and slow to control. The Complete Saga deals with this problem admirably. It is very noticeable how fluid the game now is, especially in episodes I - III (which were the worst offenders). Character movement is much more dynamic and smooth and they now respond instantly to commands. This makes a huge difference and everything is now much more enjoyable.

Another of the irritations that persisted through the series to this point was that, though aimed at younger gamers, there were sections that could be stupidly frustrating. This was always most evident when trying to collect enough Lego studs to fill the Jedi bar at the top of the screen. This has partly been solved through the more responsive controls, but also by putting more studs on each level.

Though you may argue that these changes have reduced the challenge of the title, it is not a bad thing. The franchise has always been about having fun and collecting things. Though the game is easier, it is also undoubtedly more fun than before, as much of the difficulty came from frustrating issues. Gamestyle even played through some sections with the 'invincibility' power up and the game still stood up as satisfying and fun.

The perceived lack of difficulty may put a few people off because they do not think the game will last long enough. This is also not an issue; there is always something left to do. Gamestyle played through all the levels at least three times collecting various things and we could still go back to do the new challenges that have been added. As well as the main levels, there are also twenty bounty hunter missions to try. Then you can go into the extras room and try out the new and old levels placed there such as episodes I - III vehicle sections as they used to be, the hidden episode IV level, new Anakin level and two Lego cities. Even that is not everything; to finish this game one hundred percent will take a very long time.

The simple and easy to use drop-in co-op play only adds to the enjoyment and longevity as well. A second player can jump in at any point, play for as long as they wish, then disappear. It is uncomplicated and well executed, and it is hard to see how it could be improved upon.

Even the Achievements keep the good fun tone of the title going. For example, being rewarded for smashing Jar-Jar Binx twenty times can only raise a smile, while the 'did I break your concentration' Achievement for breaking the Emperor with Mace Windu (played by Samuel L Jackson) shows the development team have a sense of humour... one that also comes to the fore in many of the excellent cut scenes.

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga achieves everything it sets out to do. Here, we have a fun, well-constructed title that gamers of all ages will enjoy. If you already have both instalments separately, you may want to hold off until it drops in price a little. Though the improvements are good, this is still basically the same two games with shiny bits added. For anyone else looking for something that takes video games back to being fun rather than acting as a second job, this should be at the top of your list.

Rating: 8 / 10

Words by Gareth Chappell