Star Wars: Lethal Alliance

A Twi'lek as the lead heroine and a combat droid at her side — Lethal Alliance bet on a pairing that isn't among the well-worn archetypes of the Star Wars world, and built an action game tailored to the handheld console around it. Instead of yet another Jedi with a saber, you get the mercenary Rianna Saren and her companion Zeeo, and the game makes this partnership its main mechanic.

The foundation is third-person action with an emphasis on combat, taking cover and using the droid as a partner. Zeeo can hack, reach places you can't, and generally open up paths you couldn't overcome on your own. This duo dynamic is what the title tries to distinguish itself with from an ordinary handheld shooter — you combine your own firepower with a helper and work your way through the levels bit by bit.

The plot sets the game in the era of the original trilogy and revolves around the Death Star plans, which ties it to one of the most iconic motifs of the entire saga. For the PSP it was an effort to offer a brisk, action-packed adventure of a kindly length for travel — nothing that dissolves into dozens of hours, but rather a tightly held experience.

On the small screen the game tackles the eternal problem of handheld action titles: how to manage aiming and movement on a single analog stick. It therefore opts for a design that leans on clear situations and use of the partner instead of tormenting you with demanding manual precision. Visually it sticks to the style of the era and tries to maintain a recognizable Star Wars atmosphere even at a limited scale.

Among the many Star Wars titles of that era, Lethal Alliance is interesting mainly for its choice of heroine and its buddy concept. It's not a grand flagship of the series, but honest handheld action that knows what platform it runs on and builds its pace and demands accordingly.

Why play: When you want brisk Star Wars action on PSP with an unconventional heroine and a droid partner around whom the whole gameplay revolves.