Certain doors will remain locked until a particular character attempts to open them. Early on, I encountered such a door with C-3P0's head painted on a nearby lock. After a bit more exploration, I met the droid and was able to add him to my party with the touch of a button. After moving back to the door in question, I was allowed to pass. The player will be able to switch between available characters simply by positioning him or herself near them, and pressing a single button. Party members who are not being controlled by a human player are managed by the computer and tend to follow along at a brisk pace or attack when necessary. Gamers hankering for some multiplayer action will be pleased to know that a another player can step into the fray at any time by pressing Start on a second controller. And thankfully, at any time, control can be turned back over to the computer by utilizing a selectable menu option.
While the demo level was somewhat enjoyable, it was also very easy and didn't offer much at all in the way of challenge. Then again, it's clear that LEGO Star Wars is squarely aimed at younger gamers. While the game could definitely mature a bit in later levels, it's difficult to say if older Star Wars fans will find much to appreciate other than the fact that two licenses have been cleverly combined to created a rather compelling looking game. Who knows? Maybe LEGO KOTOR is next on the agenda?
