Games-Reviews-Star Wars: Force Unleased
Star Wars: Force Unleashed
Genre: Action/Adventure Platform:PS3, X-Box 360, Wii ESRB:T Players:1 Rating: 7 out of 10
A year ago, Game Informer revealed to the world Lucasarts first Star Wars game set in the Episode 3/Episode 4 universe called Star Wars: Force Unleashed. The game was suppose to put special emphasis on force powers, one-on-one duels with Jedi masters, and explaining what Darth Vader did between episode 3 and episode 4. Force Unleashed was released a month ago, and the question on my mind was this; “Will this disappoint me like countless other Star Wars games?” The answer? Yes, yes it does.
The story in Force Unleashed achieves its original purpose; To explain the twenty year gap between episode 3 and episode 4. You start the game playing as Darth Vader searching Kashyyyk, the wookie home planet, for any surviving Jedis. After killing the only jedi on the planet, Vader discovers the Jedi’s Force wielding son, whom he raises as his secret apprentice, unknown to Emperor Palpatine. When this child becomes an adult, Vader sends the apprentice (known as “Starkiller and the character you control throughout the whole game) to hunt down the remaining Jedi as training for his ultimate goal: assassinating the Emperor. But, will assassinating the Emperor fulfill his destiny he longed sought for, or will something in the story change his mind?Either way, the story will have you at the edge of your chair wondering what could happen next. Another thing I like about the story is how the game fits into the Star Wars storyline without interfering with the plot of the movies (if you choose the canon ending).
The graphics in the game is a mixed bang. For one thing, the force powers were amazing. Force push, and lightning looks just as great as the movies, and the characters looks detailed. However, the environments in the game is a different story. The environments in the X-Box 360 version of the game look as detailed as a last gen X-box game. Like a typical Star Wars game, the music in the game is taken from the Star Wars library. Things like Darth Vader’s theme song, typical sounds coming from the swipe of a lightsaber, and the screams of freshly killed stormtroopers makes a strong presence in the game. Although hearing James Earl Jones as Darth Vader would of made the game fantastic, Matt Sloan (from the Youtube series, Chad Vader), made a great effort to bring Darth Vader to life.
Normally, I would talk about gameplay in one section of the review, and the bad parts of the game in another section, but the gameplay was probably the biggest problem I had with the game. Before I talk about the bad stuff, I’ll talk about some parts of the gameplay I truly enjoy. For one thing, the addition of RPG elements to the game is nice bonus to the game. The RPG element of the game makes your character really feel like he’s evolving into a powerful Jedi. For example, when I first played as Starkiller, it took him three tries to open a door using his force push power. Later in the game, I increased his force push powers so much, that he basically blasts through the door with one try. Also, I really enjoyed grabbing a Stormtropper with the force and hurling him miles above the air. Speaking of force powers, I really enjoyed how Lucasarts used force powers to solve various puzzles throughout the game. You could be using force grab to provide some cover for you as you cross a bridge, other times you could be using your force lightening power to blow up an explosive to get to another part of the level. Sadly, this is where the good stuff of the gameplay stops. For one thing, the boss fights were really, really annoying. In typical boss fights, you find the boss’s weakness and exploit it. In Force Unleashed, there’s no weakness, you just repeatedly attack the boss until you find some cheap trick and finish them from there. Also, the combat feels too repetitive, and cause me to feel bored by the second day playing this game. Heck, playing as Darth Vader in the beginning level left me bored to tears! Also, the gameplay feels to similar to the Star Wars: Episode 3 game released a couple years ago, and we all know how bad that game was.
In the end of the day, Force Unleashed is not a bad game. I highly recommend it as a rental if you’re a die hard Star Wars fan and wants to know what happened between episode 3 and episode 4. However, if you’re looking for a great Star Wars game, then look else where.
