Hype Muffin
Set between the events of Episodes III and IV in the Star Wars movie canon, The Force Unleashed follows the actions of Darth Vader's secret apprentice, Starkiller. Vader uses him to dispatch the few remaining Jedi knights in the galaxy, but half way through the game the plot takes a sharp twist. The only problem is that the twist isn't believable or interesting. The potential established in the first half of the story quickly fizzles out, and the plot loses sight of itself as poorly constructed character development is jammed awkwardly into the game. The game ends by setting up the events of Episode IV, but it feels contrived and unnecessary, revealing no new or interesting dimensions to the overarching story of the Star Wars universe.
Like other 3rd person sword fighting games on the Wii, lightsaber combat boils down to wild flailing of the Wiimote. Starkiller's force powers, however, is the saving grace of the game's combat. Picking up various objects or enemies themselves with the force and tossing them around the different environments is immensely satisfying, as is using force lighting to fry enemies. Despite the variety of abilities the game supplies, though, these are the only two necessary to make it through the entire game. Furthermore the game has some difficulty in striking a balance between overly easy battles and annoyingly difficult portions (flying enemies and explosions that knock Starkiller down over and over grow tiresome quick).
The environments in the game look great but one can't help but ask for more variety; with the entire Star Wars universe at the developers' finger tips, it would have been nice not to retrace several planets. The amount of destructible objects in each area is impressive, though, as is the amount of collectable objects scattered throughout the game. The Wii version of the game includes Duel mode, allowing two players to face off in lightsaber and force power combat. Unfortunately the gameplay mode lacks polish and real play value; it may be fun for a few matches, but there is no depth here.
Aside from the weak lightsaber controls in the game, the other greatest problem in the controls is the camera. Although it is operable through the D-pad, the camera can be frustrating when surrounded by enemies or navigating large areas. Otherwise, the quick time events (shaking either the Wiimote or nunchuk) for finishing moves are easy and provide some fun animations, though a little more variety would have made it even better.
The game's cutscenes really suffer from a lack of detailed graphics and voice acting. If the character movements (especially their faces) aren't stiff and awkward, their dialogue is, the worst offenders being the two main characters of the game. It makes getting into the plot of the game a real chore. Otherwise the sound effects in the game provide plenty of blaster fire and lightsaber crashes, and it's always fun to hear the Imperial March booming through your speakers.
The main game clocks in at about eight hours--not bad for an action/adventure, but not fantastic either. The game does offer plenty of replay incentives, though, from collectable concept art (always a treat to view in Star Wars games), health and force expansions, and increasing the power of Starkiller's various combat abilities.
Star Wars fans will surely want to try out the Force Unleashed, and while it provides a fun adventure while it lasts, the game is as easily forgettable as the prequel trilogy.
7.5/10
Images from IGN.com, though I must admit they were not that clean on my TV. The images also lack the status menus on screen during gameplay.
