I'll be honest; when I first completed building this latest version of everyone's favourite astromech droid, I was a little underwhelmed. It's small - a lot smaller than I was expecting, even after checking all the specifications and measurements before purchasing. But once on display, it's really grown on me as a highly-detailed and visually-pleasing build.

The build process itself is really satisfying - R2 feels strong and sturdy, and at no point did it become too repetitive or tedious. There's some clever colour-coding whilst building the internal structure, which means it's not too complicated for younger builders either. The smaller scale compared to the previous UCS sets means the body is smooth and rounded, and from a distance you don't even notice the studs on R2's head, again given the impression of a totally rounded finish. I'd go as far to say that, at a glance, it doesn't even register as a LEGO build at first - a compliment in this case to the finish and level of detail.

Although there are a few small "playability" features such as the removable periscope and utility tools, the addition of an information plaque means this R2-D2 is primarily for display. The R2 minifigure included is as detailed as ever, and the bonus Darth Malak minifigure is a fun addition, especially for "Old Republic" fans.

I was lucky enough to pick up this R2 at a discount; if I'd paid the £89.99 RRP I would probably have felt even more underwhelmed at first, even though, at over 1,000 pieces, the RRP price isn't unreasonable. However, at the price-point I got, I'm very happy with this set. It scales perfectly with the newer 75398 C-3PO set, and I'm looking forward to getting these 2 iconic droids side-by-side.

This is a great model of R2-D2. If you are a fan of this little astromech, then this is the droid you've been looking for.

However, I am a fan of Knights of the Old Republic, and I woud have passed this set up if not for the EXCLUSIVE figure of Darth Malak. And I don't know how I feel about this.

On the one hand, Lego played me. They know they can release a popular character like R2-D2 and it will sell more than a theme appropriate pairing like T3-M4, the real hero of KotoR II. It feels like they are taking advantage of a fan like me and playing both sides of the coin instead of making a set that I actually want to own and build (more expanded universe stuff!)

On the other...I suppose I could look at this as a bonus. Hey, we get a figurine of Darth Malak! How cool is that! I would never have expected LEGO to make something from KotoR but here we are and I love it. And yes, that's why I wanted to own this set.

So to Lego...you know us pathetic millenials are buying toys pretending they are for our kids. Just make some more expanded universe stuff and have us gobble it up. Let's see more KotoR stuff, Jedi Knight, Shadows of the Empire, etc. And also...thank you for making Darth Malak. Even though I had to buy another R2-D2 to get him. But it is a really good R2-D2 so...thanks for that too. :)

I adore R2 and Star Wars, this is the most expensive Lego purchased I've made to date and the build experience and instructions are just poor. Built loads of sets before but the technic elements are almost impossible to see and interpret based solely on pictures. It seems like people must just get lucky because no matter what I do the third leg won't drop down. I've had to disassemble and reassemble and all the fun has completely been sapped where I'm just frustrated and thinking about getting a refund. This is NOT for anyone who doesn't want to have their head completely bent and for a big challenge. Lego support were no help so I'm having to send a video to technicians because there are no resources to help people. A common issues/troubleshooting video would go a long way. Not to mention some text that ADVISES YOU that you need to even TEST the leg function! I bought in store so I didn't even discover this leg was meant to drop until half way through. I can't imagine I'm the only one with this problem. So WHEN I finally can play with it and not a half finished mess, I'll update...

First off, I must commend the customer service from Game of Bricks. I had one issue with one part and they responded very quickly to my email. Once they knew which part there was an issue with they expressed shipped a new part to me. They also followed up with very friendly emails to make sure that I received the replacement piece and that everything was in working order. I greatly appreciate the attention and care they bring with customer service. Top notch!

This light kit was somewhat tricky, but they give you such easy instructions that you're able to work through it. It didn't take very long at all. One tricky part was connecting the remote, but again they give you pretty instructions on how to do so. (Connect to the power bank and immediately hold the power button on the remote for 3 seconds. That's it! Not tricky at all once you figure it out.)

The lights are wonderful. The remote let's you control lights and sound, volume level, brightness, etc.

This is my second light kit from Game of Bricks and once again I'm very excited with the outcome. I definitely would recommend!