Lego Star Wars: TCS is a charmingly funny action-adventure game focussing on building, exploring, and problem-solving your way across the galaxy.

 Lego Star Wars is set within the Star Wars universe. The story progresses along with the plotlines of the movies giving you the opportunity to explore fan-favorite planets as well as getting to experience famous scenes first-hand. On one mission you could be flying the Millennium Falcon to attack the Death Star, another you could be exploring the sand dunes of Tatooine. Every meaningful Star Wars experience makes you feel involved on a personal level. 

While this is obviously a must-have for lovers of the Star Wars franchise it certainly doesn't alienate those who have no prior experience of the movies. The cut-scenes are charmingly funny, putting a whimsical spin on almost every situation (no matter how serious the counterpart scene from the movies is!)

Since this is a Lego game at heart, you will find yourself building (and destroying) countless lego structures in an (almost) entirely lego world. You play the part of the lego characters of each scene, with the ability to flit between multiple members of your team in order to solve puzzles and explore every inch of the planet you may find yourself on. One of the coolest features is being able to create your own character. And, since it's lego, this means you can cobble together any weird and wonderful mix of beloved Star Wars characters to make someone entirely new. Do you want Luke Skywalker's head on C3PO? No problem. Your limits are only that of your imagination.

During the game, you will find yourself trying to wrap your head around what is real and what is not. That is to say, what is Lego and what is not! A surprising amount of the worlds you find yourself in are completely at your mercy, should you choose to cause mayhem. Blow up crates, shoot stormtroopers, drive vehicles, fly ships, and control the famous AT-ST. Using them all to cause absolute carnage on every planet across the galaxy.

Among some of its best qualities, is the fact that Lego Star Wars: TCS has immense replayability. The first time you play a level, you must play it (more or less) the same way that it played out in the movies. However, the second time around you get the option to choose "free play". This essentially allows you some free reign with how you want the mission to play out. Instead of fighting Darth Vader as Luke, why not fight him as a Stormtrooper? Do you still have what it takes? Maybe you do, maybe you don't, but it's fun nonetheless. 

Additionally, free play is the only way you get to use the character you designed in missions. Maybe your Luke Skywalker - C3PO hybrid will fare better against Darth Vader than a Stormtrooper would? Completing the storyline and then going back to play again is far more enjoyable in this game than almost any other on the market. You can get a near enough fresh experience every time since there are over 120 characters to choose from.

Playing Lego Star Wars : TCS is intuitive and easy, the controls are easy to get the hang of and objectives are always incredibly clear. Although, this doesn't necessarily mean they will be a walk in the park! The puzzles are hard, yet rewarding. The levels are simple in their platform design, yet engaging and incredibly dynamic. Lego Star Wars: TCS will certainly frustrate you at times in your effort to gather every last collectible item. 

One of these "items" are lego studs, they pop out of everything that you break and spill out across the floor. These studs are currency in the Lego Star Wars universe and are therefore incredibly valuable! Studs allow you to buy new characters, upgrade abilities, and even unlock some goofy features like wacky and wonderful cheats that, once again, completely change the way you approach the game.

In your quest to find every stud, collect every Minikit (collectible items), and complete every puzzle there are a few things you should make sure you do. First, blow up everything! You should be a maniac for wrecking the place. The reason why? Most studs are hidden inside lego items like chairs and boxes, not just the ones you see on the ground. Second, you should ensure that you utilize every member of your team to do this. Some things can only be destroyed by a lightsaber, some by blaster shot, others require The Force (light or dark!).

On your quest to become a stud millionaire and unlock every character, you will find that you run into seemingly impossible obstacles. Places that are just too high to reach, tiny vents that only the tiniest of characters could fit through, and more. These may not be possible to achieve on your first playthrough. Once again, completing the level first and bringing back a new team, who may seem out of place at first, is the only way you will get some jobs done. 

While the levels may be fun, sometimes it's nice to take a break and explore the galaxy at your own pace. There are countless areas to explore that have no storyline or goal, offering you the chance to test out new characters and push their limits before getting dropped right back into the action again. It's a great game to pick up and play for 5-10 minutes or dive in for a multi-hour binge. There is always something to do, something to build, destroy or explore. The combat style is quite unique so it may require a bit of practice before you're pleased with your lightsaber skills. Luckily, there are some more than accommodating lego NPCs wandering around the galaxy just waiting for you to pick on them. Who knows, some of them may even drop rare rewards once you defeat them. 

All in all Lego Star Wars is an absolute gem that is suitable for all ages and abilities. While there are certainly some nuances to being good at the game, simply being able to get through the levels should be no trouble for any level of gamer. It's funny, charming, witty, frustrating, and incredibly fun. Share some of your favorite funny moments from the Lego Star Wars: TCS cutscenes in the comments below!