For most people, the first thing to pop into your head when you hear the name "LucasArts" is the theme song to Star Wars. For more than twenty five years, though, the LucasArts team has been involved in all sorts of different gaming experiences for all different types of video game fans. Recently, the company decided to dive into fresh waters with the release of Lucidity, a unique new title for the PC and Xbox LIVE Arcade. Mixing elements of both a side-scrolling platformer and a classic puzzler, Lucidity tries to bring together the best of both worlds. But are these really two great tastes that taste great together?

Lucidity tells the story of Sofi, a young girl with a big imagination whose life is filled with memories of her loving grandmother reading her bedtime stories and catching fireflies together. One night, Sofi wakes up alone in her room when a single firefly appears in front of her before flying away. Sofi follows the firefly out of her room as the world around her transforms into a thick forest. It's up to the player to guide Sofi through the landscape of her dreams as she tries to remember the lessons taught to her by her "Nana".

At first glance, Lucidity looks like it's just another platform game. However, the player has no control over Sofi. Instead, Sofi just wanders forward, seemingly oblivious to the hazards around her. It's up to the player to get her to end of each stage safely. As Sofi walks across the screen, the player is given random tools to place in her path. These range from spring loaded shoes and desk fans to staircases and wooden planks. Using these pieces, it's up to the player come up with a Rube Goldberg-type solution to help Sofi safely navigate past the dangers surrounding her. For example, you might use a spring shoe to launch Sofi up to a waiting slingshot, which in turn throws her safely over a pit to continue her journey.

In theory, you'd think you could plan out Sofi's trek from start to finish early on, and in fact the game would work a lot better if you could. Because the camera is locked onto Sofi, you've only got one screen worth of space to work with at any given time. The problem is compounded by the overall size of each stage. Since a lot of Sofi's journey involved taking to the air, it's hard to judge exactly where she'll be falling before it's too late. Misjudge the distance of a fall and you've no way to recover before Sofi finds herself back at bottom floor of the stage, which it usually the last place you want her to be. One of the other things hurting the Lucidity experience is the random nature of the pieces the player is given. The only thing worse than just barely missing a jump or a drop is knowing exactly where you want Sofi to go, only to be given everything except the one piece you need to do it.

Strangely enough, as frustrating as Lucidity can be, it's hard to pull yourself away. The look and feel of the game draws you in and make you really care about Sofi's safety. As the game progresses and you start to learn about why Sofi seems trapped in her own mind, without the guidance of her Nana, you can't help but feel a real sense of sympathy. You sort of connect with Sofi on an emotional level, so that any time you fail a level, there's a twinge of obligation to try just one more time so as not to let her down.

Lucidity is a far cry from what we're used to seeing from LucasArts. Generally known more for its big adventure or sci-fi action games, it's an interesting twist to see the company's take on a more casual puzzle style of game. And speaking of style, that's something no one has ever accused LucasArts of lacking, and Lucidity is no exception. And though the game is far from perfect, it's got a distinct flavor all its own. The experience feels like it's been pulled right from one of Sofi's bedtime stories, and it's up to the player to decide if this story will ultimately have a "happily ever after".