Review
The Force Unleashed, Finally A Star Wars Prequel Worth Watching
September 23, 2008
Star Wars video games have always seemed a little too geeky for my taste—and I’m a Star Wars fan. I’ve watched all six movies more times than I can count. I defend The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones for no good reason. But I’m strictly a fan of the canon. The spin-off cartoons and books remind me too much of what I never liked about Star Trek and its endless storylines. The Force Unleashed is really, in a way, Episode III 1/2. Or, it’s the video game version of a movie that was never made.
LucasArts hasn’t tried to particularly make a great game in terms of design or strategy here—most of the time, the hack-and-slash light saber combos feels like God of Sith. What they have done, though, is bring superior ILM design work and film production values to a solid, highly entertaining story that just happens to be a video game. Oh, and you get to be Darth Vader’s apprentice, beating the shit out of runaway Jedi as well as screwing over the Empire and taking out stormtroopers, AT-ST walkers and TIE fighters.
Set right after Episode III, Darth Vader has stolen and recruited a young Jedi to turn to the Dark Side in his efforts to rule the galaxy. Each level involves another planetary mission to assassinate another Jedi master, mercilessly slaughtering everything that comes in your way. The story twists from there, but to discover the rest is what makes Unleashed popcorn-worthy. It deserves a good sound system and good old-fashioned button-mashing, nothing fancy. Force skills are upgraded with a combo leveling system, and the arsenal of moves, including force lightning and physics-accurate force-chucking of shrapnel through Imperial windows, are great to witness. Enemies and side character s span the gamut of classic and prequel films, including Wookiees, Rancors, and a couple other fun surprises. Side training missions run by your helpful psychotic shape-shifting droid companion are good tutorials and challenging mini games in their own right.
The Force Unleashed isn’t rocket science, but neither are the Star Wars films. They’re formulas for being entertained, and the best thing this game does is never forget the basic thrills of the Star Wars universe. In that sense, it may be the ultimate Star Wars game—and it might be the best Star Wars prequel, too.
DAS VERDICT: Gaming by the numbers for hardcore folk, but sweet sequel nectar for those weaned on the nipple of George Lucas.
Der Technical Info
Publisher: LucasArts
Developer: LucasArts/Krome Studios
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS, Mobile
–Scott Stein
*Xbox 360 version of Stars Wars The Force Unleashed was used for this review.
BUY NOW
This game will rock your socks off.
*If this game will not rock your socks off, we are not responsible.
