I actually had a hard time scoring IGN’s LEGO Star Wars III online strategy guide, because it does so many things so very, very well but it has a glaring mistake that I can’t ignore. But I’ll get to that in a minute.

Like most online strategy guides, IGN’s guide is set up for those who are looking for quick answers. For example, if you’re stuck in one area or can’t find a particular minikit, you can find your answer in a matter of 2-3 clicks. The top of every page of the guide has a handy, clickable table of contents, so jumping from walkthroughs to Trophies is a snap.

As for the walkthroughs themselves, they are a perfect balance of text and screenshots. The pages themselves are long, but that’s because the writer was kind enough to put a single chapter on each page. There is no bleed over of chapters, so users won’t have to click back and forth in order to find what they are looking for with each chapter. The links at the top that allow for a quick jump over to the Minikits guide is also extremely helpful, although users should be aware that there is a disclaimer on the main Minikits page that says it’s best to use the Minkits portion for Freeplay Mode only.

When it comes to walkthroughs, minikit hunts, and quick answers to gameplay questions, IGN’s LEGO Star Wars III strategy guide definitely has you covered. Unfortunately, there is one element that is missing from the walkthrough/collectible standpoint: the Hub. All of the game’s Red Bricks are scattered across the Hub ships, and none of these Red Bricks have been mapped out in the guide. Granted, the Red Bricks aren’t vastly important to the overall story or gameplay–although they really help when it comes to getting your True Jedi status–but collectible fanatics and completionists will not find any assistance for obtaining Red Bricks here.

The lack of Red Bricks, though, was not the guide’s biggest problem. As I mentioned earlier, the guide does have a horrific mistake, and that lies in its separate 3DS guide. If you’ve frequented IGN’s guide section before, then you know that where possible, they include links to the other console guides. In this case, the guide was mainly for the Xbox 360, but links to guides for the PSP, Wii, PC, PS3, and 3DS were also included. Apparently the guide writer had no idea that the game is 100% different for the DS/3DS version, because the 3DS guide was exactly like the other guides.

So tough break, DS/3DS owners. You’ll have to find your assistance elsewhere, otherwise you’re going to be confused in a hurry.

For those who have a console version of the game, then this guide will definitely help you work through trouble patches and find all of the minikits. If nothing else, the screenshots give a clear point of reference for what to do next, thereby drastically reducing lookup time and time away from playing the game. If only it included the Red Bricks and either omitted a reference to a DS guide or created a true separate DS guide, it would have easily gotten a perfect score.

SGR Rating: 3/5

Author: Anthony Gerhart
Publisher: IGN
Editions Available: Online and PDF download
Acquired Free Online