05/11/2008
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, when everything goes to plan, is a lot of fun. You either like Star Wars or you don't (can all those indifferent please put your hands down). If you do like Star Wars then you’ll enjoy many of the cool things you can do in this game. From force gripping a jawa and throwing him into a crowd of enemies, to electrocuting large packs of storm troopers, Force Unleashed really does unlock the dark side in you. Playing as Garen Marek, you should find yourself engrossed in your plight as a dark assassin and the story should stand alongside any Star Wars epic… but does it?
Let's be optimists for now. The story in the game is great sci-fi fare, set after Episode 3, Darth Vader discovers a young boy in whom the force is very strong (you play the first level as Darth in a training mission). Taking him as a secret apprentice he uses him, you, the Starkiller, to kill the few remaining Jedi in the galaxy. You are accompanied throughout the 9 levels by PROXY, your trusty droid, and Juno Eclipse, a rather attractive, overachieving pilot who ticks many sci-fi fanboy boxes. The art design in the game is what we’ve come to expect from the Lucas Arts team. The cinematography, the character models, even the backgrounds in the levels are sumptuously detailed - even eerie at times. Coupled with the sound score, inimitably Star Wars, the whole feel of the package is instantly familiar and satisfying.
But the physics engine is where this game really comes into its own. As a third-person action game, you control the protagonist (or should that be antagonist?) through his discovery of stronger and newer force powers; such as the ability to force grab objects, including your enemies, and toss them asunder as you see fit. Cruel as it may seem, it’s immensely satisfying grabbing a pesky wookie and tossing him through a group of explosive barrels. You also have the powers to force push and electrocute, which can be combined with your stalwart light sabre combinations to create dazzling attack combo and wreak havoc on all who cross your path. When you test the physics engine the number of attack combos is really impressive; force grabbing tie fighters and destroyers and moving massive pieces of scenery, you can't help but feel enamoured with the dark side.
Force unleashed is a good game; once you’ve mastered the controls and grown fond of your character, it shines with a light that would have kept even Yoda happy. At times I found myself whooping with joy; but niggles like long loading times, glitches and frame rate drops, with unforgivable things like clipping and dodgy camera angles, stop it from being a classic return to form for the series. |
