Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars Preview

Having never watched Star Wars: The Clone Wars, I didn't fully understand what was going on or what part of the series I was playing through so I went straight into the demo not having a clue about what to expect. On offer here are two levels, both from the same chapter of the final game.

The first level begins with Anakin, Obi-Wan and R2D2 making their way through the corridors of a huge ship. After battling through a few enemies (who all crumble in the spectacular Lego fashion), the Jedi's find themselves in a huge train station. Using R2D2's electronic powers, the Jedi cross the station but not before having to pilot a large crane, made from the debris of a train you just halted with your force powers.

The Jedi then meet up with fan favourites C3PO and Padmé. After encountering a few droids, the teams become separated, leaving Obi-Wan with R2D2, Padmé and Anakin with C3PO. This aims to highlight one of the games new features, screen-changing. Holding Y allows you to swap between Anakin and Obi-Wan, even though they are on different sides of the same map. What is happening to the group you aren't following is shown in the corner of the screen.

Eventually, Anakin and his crew make their way into a huge control room. Using Padmé's gun ability and C3PO's powers of unlocking stuff, they manage to gain control of the ship itself, using it to change the aim of the guns. What this does wasn't revealed in the demo, but I'm sure it will all become clear in the final game.

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan comes face to face with a small Separatist space ship that he quickly dispatches using special finishing moves. Stepping on a small icon on the floor allows the Jedi to dispatch the enemy rather stylishly, defeating (or crumbling) it in one move. After heading into a huge room, Obi-Wan comes face to face with General Grievous, the four armed robot-alien from Episode 3 of the movies.

Using some conveniently placed exploding barrels, Obi-Wan destroys General Grievous (for the time being) and heads through a recently unlocked door before reuniting with Padmé, Anakin and C3PO. This brings the first level of the demo to a close.

The second level demonstrates the game's space missions. Unlike other Lego Star Wars games, the space levels actually feel like a fully-fledged feature rather than something else just tagged on to add variety. You play as a VIJ (Very Important Jedi) who is tasked with destroying a giant Separatist ship.

The controls are a little weird but after getting used to them you're performing backflips and barrel rolls as if you've been doing them for hours. After destroying a few cannons, you gain access to an inside part of the ship where you land and solve a short puzzle. Completing this puzzle allows you to pick up some purple orbs that, using your space ship, you can throw at purple targets dotted about the exterior of the ship.

Doing this a few times causes certain areas of the ship to explode in a spectacular fashion. Eventually, you manage to open a small hole in the side of the hull which, when a purple orb is tossed in, causes the ship to fully detonate. You and your fellow Jedi quickly escape, ending the second level.

The levels on offer here are pretty good, giving you a small taste into the fun that's bound to be had in the final game. Whether it will revolutionise the Lego Star Wars franchise remains to be seen but if the final game is anything like the levels on offer here then this may well be a title to look out for when the game is released in March.