As you have most likely gathered from Bobfish’s words below, I am, and have been for many years, a Star Wars fan. And I have to agree with most of what he said. That’s right, I said most. Deal with it. Opinions differ from person to person and two perspective opinions are better than none.


However, Star Wars games in recent years have been rather tantalizing disappointments on home consoles, the best of which being, in my opinion, Star Wars: Battlefront. It certainly got my excitement for SW gaming flared for more, and we weren’t disappointed with the coming of its sequel, and also Lego Star Wars. Perhaps we were finally going to see the quality and number of Star Wars games increase. Wait… now hold on. Did I just say quality? Well step back ten years: The Nintendo 64 console had such greats as Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, arguably on of the finest of its type, it being a flight sim of the finest Star Wars ships And Shadows of the Empire, a rough and tumble into the life of a Smuggler (Dash Rendar) who owed Han Solo far too many favours. Both great games, but enough of my nostalgia which I do not wish to go into in depth. Down to the matter at hand:

Star Wars The Force Unleashed. It is by no means a terrible game, but does that mean it’s any good? To be honest… it’s a wholly lukewarm
experience.

The game itself, at first at least, is appealing, with well designed and unique levels that in many cases are truly spectacular, and has a huge focus on the Force, which is very much unleashed… but nothing more.

Unfortunately, there is so much focus on the Force, that most other aspects are lost in its “Oh look I can do this! Hey look, you can tear a Star Destroyer from the sky! Look… look!” manner. But honestly, avert your eyes now, as the Star Wars experience you were expecting is long gone, with the game actually having the player repeat the same tasks in nearly every level. So much so that the game literally, and in some cases narrowly, leads you by the nose down the path it wants you to follow. Granted of course it makes sure your path is filled with as many dumb, cannon fodder, grunts you could possibly handle till it become a tiresome repetitive rant of the game bragging what it can do by repeatedly showing you the some thing over and over, leaving much of its initial potential behind in its Force fuelled
carnage.

Meanwhile, it does showcase some amazing set pieces, boss battles and graphics, including sound effect that really immerse you into the universe so far far, and getting farther away, with the well thought out but ultimately redundant, story. The effects and level design become less inspiringly amazing as the game progresses, becoming nothing more than a slash ‘em up Star Wars style, only I wish it was ‘that’ cool. The set pieces, such as tearing the Star Destroyer from the sky, are probably its one true saving grace, but even then, they repeat on you, leaving little in the way of replay value, while the game’s boss battles are also samey, turning to button bashes and on screen prompts for finishing moves. All in all leaving you with a rather cold, empty “What has playing this achieved?” feeling

.

Jedireaper’s verdict:

Ultimately Star Wars: The Force Unleashed’s linear game-play, and repetitiveness is its undoing. If it had an online multiplayer, or even some split screen action, the game would have been marginally better. As it stands. I wouldn’t recommend it, even for the story, because if that is what you are buying the game for, go out and get the Novel release written by Shane Dix, which does a better job of conveying the story than the game does, though I wouldn’t really recommend doing that either.


Jedireaper says:

Graphics: 8/10
Gameplay: 6/10
Audio/Music: 8/10
Plot/Scripting: 7/10
Replyability: 4.5/10
Overall: 6.7/10


I compare this game to something of a hyperactive child, that wants to how you its new toys. That sums up, for me, this Star Wars game.