Traveller’s Tales' LEGO adaptations of many popular media franchises, from Batman to Indiana Jones, has finally come full circle and landed back at home base with Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars. Releasing February 15th, this third title is based on the popular animated television series and will feature 20 story missions and 40 bonus levels rivaling the length of any of the previous LEGO games.

Since LEGO Star Wars’ release back in 2005 the series of games have come a long way with the additions of new and inventive mechanics and better performance during co-op play. Clone Wars builds upon many of the previous games' streamlined features including the split-screen effect that occurs when co-op players venture off in opposite directions.

Along with the increased support for co-op play comes a new feature where players are able to jump between two parallel storylines in one mission. Using a picture-in-picture feature, players will see two simultaneous actions on screen. Whilst playing the larger screens storyline, the storyline visible in a smaller bubble will continue, controlled by AI, but will not progress forward or complete any objectives. The idea here is for the player to experience two sets of objectives all under the guise of a single mission.

Missions will also be stepping outside of their traditional third person platforming element with a new RTS style of gameplay. Players will be able to command their own clone army as they battle the droids of the Empire. A first for the series, this new gameplay mechanic opens up the possibility for future LEGO titles to take the game series in an entirely new direction.

After the success of LEGO Star Wars, Traveller’s Tales’ LEGO games have been either hit or miss. Some attempted to implement inventive mechanics to make the adaptation feel appropriate while others felt like carbon copies of the previous game. The most recent release, LEGO Harry Potter, was seen as the largest leap forward for the series using many of the magical aspects of the film and book franchise to its advantage.

Though LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars takes the building block series back to its roots, there are many aspects that reflect the lessons learned from previous titles. If you have yet to check out any of the LEGO games, do yourself a favor and give one a try before LEGO Star Wars III releases.

Any LEGO game series fans out there looking forward to The Clone Wars? What popular media franchise would you like to see Traveller’s Tales tackle next?

Star Wars III: The Clone Wars releases February 15th, 2011 for the Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, DS, and PSP.

Source: Kotaku