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Games that mix genres nowadays are so commonplace that it's easy to miss the crossover mechanics. What was once merely a selling point for games, a checkmark on the box, is now a fundamental part of so many titles. Action games tap role-playing elements, first person shooters nab driving game mechanics, the genre-bending list goes on and on. Still, it's a difficult road to navigate for many titles, with so many elements that need to be developed to maturity. It's a tremendous challenge for any developer. Star Wars: Lethal Alliance is another cog in that crossover machine, combining third person shooting with some platforming, and puzzle solving elements. Unfortunately, while it has some solid gameplay in those areas, it doesn't excel at any of them.
Lethal Alliance features the tale of Rianna Saren, a former slave seeking revenge on her old master. And just so you're aware ahead of time, no she's not a Jedi. No light sabers in this new DS title. So with blaster in hand and a droid named Zeeo at your side, you shift from your personal vendetta against the Black Sun organization to helping out the Rebel Alliance in their struggle against the Empire. For the most part, you control Saren and use Zeeo to your advantage by issuing some basic commands to him. He can run interference and plant some bombs when you need him to. At other times, when a specific path is blocked, you take control of the droid to hack a computer to open up the way by beating a variety of mini-games. Each level gives you the opportunity to utilize both characters.
Star Wars: Lethal Alliance is another cog in that crossover machine, combining third person shooting with some platforming, and puzzle solving elements.
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Along the way you'll interact with some notable characters from the Star Wars universe, including Leia, Kyle Katarn and of course, big poppa Darth Vader. You'll also visit locations from the movie universe, including Tatooine and Mustafar. For a series fan it's always nice to see these definitive connections to the universe. The movie connection runs a little deeper, but you'll wish it didn't as the game features typical Star Wars dialogue. That is to say, it has some pretty horrendous dialogue. George Lucas would be proud. The story is not exactly a strong point either. As a matter of fact, it seemed to me that the story runs counter to established canon about certain events between Episodes III and IV. Then again, there's probably some sort of explanation to shoehorn it into the continuity.
Star Wars license aside, the gameplay mechanics are solid, but flawed. Working with your droid is particularly satisfying, especially during the platforming sections. Often in order to advance past gaping chasms, you must hop aboard Zeeo and avoid lasers, mines and other obstacles. The only downside is that those sections are extremely easy, even towards the end of the game. That simplicity is compounded by completely unnecessary blue arrows and marks on the ground which highlight the proper path. The best platforming sections are dizzying vertical climbs that force you to dodge obstacles at high speed, a la Attack of the Clones. As a bonus, speed runs of those sections unlock after you beat the game.
The droid mini-game puzzles are also pretty good, although they wear a little thin by the end. These computer hacking mini-games take advantage of the touch screen, but it's the same few puzzles over and over again. Also, just as with the platforming aspects, the simplicity of the puzzles dulls the enjoyment over time. Of course, it doesn't help that random bugs sometimes pop up to hinder your progress. On the bright side, an unsolvable puzzle does present quite a challenge.
While the platforming and puzzle solving sections are mostly a success, the shooter sections are the obvious weak link. 3D shooters don't seem to work very with the DS control scheme, and this title doesn't do anything to convince you otherwise. Killing stormtroopers often boils down to merely mowing them by holding down fire and strafing back and forth. Your enemies will mostly stand still and be unable to hit you. I guess that without an analog stick, lateral movement is about all you can ask for. As if that wasn't bad enough, the game forces you into sections which require you to kill a number of enemies to before moving on, and just in case you didn't want to, a force field prevents you from advancing until you do.
In the end, I found myself dreading the shooting sections but looking forward to the puzzle solving and platforming, even if they were a little too easy. The problem is that when one section of a genre-bending game drags, it can weigh the entire title down. Without a doubt, that's the case here. So while Lethal Alliance isn't a can't miss game, it is a decent title for a Star Wars fan looking for a fix.
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