Must play for any Star Wars fan.
Star Wars. George Lucas' world that has seen more movies, books, games, comics, toys...etc. than any other IP on the planet. Well it took Lucasarts long enough to put out a next gen Star Wars game. It doesn't live up to its hype.
That definately doesn't mean its a bad game.
The Force Unleashed takes place in the Star Wars story, between Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace. You play as Darth Vader's secret apprentice who been trained by the dark lord since childhood. Missions of consist of hunting Jedi, and taking care of Vader's enemies. The story evolves more with great twists and turns, no spoilers here.
Third-person action is the call of the day here. Lightsaber action is fast, furious and a lot of fun. Force powers are a blast to use as well. Somewhere Lucasarts went wrong with the camera in the midst of the it all. As you're using force powers you often have to babysit the camera, which can be frustrating. Running around tight corners can be a nuisance. The worlds you visit are rather varied. Problem I had most was you have a few missions where you return to the same planets, but they do manage make you visit other areas. So you're not exactly seeing the same landscapes.
The graphics are good and get the job done. Some of the enviroments are nice to check out. You can tell they held back a bit. Maybe because of all the force power physics, which I imagine is pretty demanding. Throwing stormtroopers lifeless bodies hundreds of feet in the air never gets old to me. Use your force power grip on about anything in the world, then hurl it at your enemies is great fun. An aim assit is thrown in to help make those throws, but if it wasn't there you would probably miss enemies everytime.
Last but not least, the story. A great Star Wars story here, that I enjoyed all the way till the end. My biggest problem is you do a mission, cutscene, do a mission, cutscene...etc. The story was good enough for a bigger game on the lines of Knights of the Old Republic. Which I believe would have worked better for the story. For what it is I can't complain too much 'bout that. Great voice work also. Real actors were used to map the main characters, which I believe was a plus. They give some good performances, especially the apprentice.
All in all, it shouldn't be missed by any Star Wars fan. You get a great story, some badass lightsaber action, cool force powers...with a camera that needs babysitting. It's about a 8 to 10 hr. romp...I say give it try.
