When I had first seen gameplay videos of III, I had mixed feelings. By this time, I had already been disappointed with LEGO Batman and the LEGO Indiana Jones series so my expectations were a bit low. Perhaps the very nature of the material lends itself to a better game or a better design philosophy. After all, I’m much more of a Batman fan than I am of Star Wars. Yet the LEGO Star Wars games have given both me and my wife countless hours of fun and challenge since the first came out back in 2005. So when watching these new videos of III, the concentration on the newer aspects and somewhat unfamiliar material gave me pause as to whether I’d be getting another fun game.

In gaming, change can sometimes be good. Other times not so much. A game like this that has such a long and storied trove of history to draw from, can flourish on “more of the same”. I can sum up my review by saying the best parts of this game are those that are familiar. The tried and true platforming/building/collecting. While I can appreciate that the “RTS-lite” portions are there to help bring the galaxy-wide scope of war into the game, more often than not it was repetitive and tedious. Something needing to get past to enjoy “the good” once more.

Pros:

• The eye/ear candy is better than ever. Lighting, explosions, the works.
• Level design and puzzles are as good as ever and a bit more challenging than previous games.
• Easy to follow story even if you haven’t watched the Clone Wars animated series.
• Space battles are the best in the series yet.
• The Hub is expanded in size with many more things to see and do.
• Camera angles are much more forgiving.
• Multiplayer is fun, even the RTS portions.
• Boss fights are better than ever.

Cons:

• RTS portions in single player can be tedious and repetitive at times.
• Unlocking characters is a pain in the a**.
• Glitched achievements.
• Timed missions take the fun out of some levels.

The fact that I haven’t watched the animated series, didn’t affect how much fun this game is. In many ways it’s the same solid, addictive gameplay as with previous games. That isn’t a bad thing when you consider how good these games truly are and how accessible they are to kids and adults alike. Even though the RTS elements dropped my review score, the rest of the game is good enough to overcome any hesitation I may have in recommending it. If you find these types of levels fun as well, then all the better.

8.25/10