[Multi] Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
 

In a back to the future moment, Lucasarts rides the Lego Star Wars pony to the days of Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie and Gonk to bring us a "saw that one coming" game. The demo is out on most of the usual places but they're all slow and retarded (I'm getting mine from GamersHell) so I can't judge anything yet, but I'm sure it's no more different than the first one.

And that's where you'd be wrong. Along with the features of the last game, this one will allow mixing-and-matching of characters (mixing any of the seven body parts). Players can upload their data from the first game to re-play as all of the unlocked characters in the new Free Play. Apparently, all of the characters will be able to interact with surrounding blocks, instead of just Jedi. (I presume this is smply because of a lack of Jedi in the original trilogy.) I think there may have been one or two other changes, but I don't remember those right now. I know all of this because of a recent Star Wars magazine my brother subscribes to. I believe it's the Star Wars Insider, but I can't be certain.

I glossed over the mixing-and-matching because it's not useful.

Well how about this: the boundaries that used to be in some levels, like in the podracing level or in the opening space sequence of Revenge of the Sith, are no more, granting a free-roaming experience.

Who gives a crap if it's original, or an improvement on the first one? Not me. If the levels are well-designed, this will keep me and some friends occupied for a couple of happy afternoons.

Awesome news, thanks Dope. This one snuck in under my radar.

"Free-roaming" is still not really the case. I just played through the level in the demo ("Mos Eisley spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.") and it constrains to the same sort of "here's an area, clear it out, solve a puzzle, collect studs and other shit, move on to the next area, repeat steps above, finish level, cutscene, yay" schema that existed in the first game.

Not that I'm complaining -- it was fun, just as fun as the first one -- and it seems unlocking new characters seems dependant on how you do in the level. But there is no Dex's Diner in the demo, so I have no certain way of knowing.

Also, to clarify: the characters can now build things with "workable" blocks strewn about the area. Building an AT-ST, for example.

Vehicles were cumbersome, BTW. And got annoying. You thought AT-STs sucked in the first one. You cannot destroy them now and any Stormtrooper can hop right in whenever they feel like it. Banthas poop for their "Special" move (they can still attack).

Buddy AI still sucks. I guess it would be too easy if they attacked as well, or collected studs.

Supposedky, the better you do, the harder the game becomes. So, more experienced gamers have a harder game. And I never had a problem with the buddy AI.

Anyways, I'm highly looking forward to this game. It's the first game that's come out in a few months that I want to get.

I'm so-so about the "new" movies' plots/stories, but I am really looking forward to a Lego game based on the original trilogy.

Precisely my own thoughts. I really enjoyed the multiplayer gameplay of the first title, but I've always wished they'd do... well, exactly what they are about to do. I wished they would release a game based on the movies I actually like.