Game Review: Star Wars unleashes good game play with a challenge
Posted by The Skyliner on September 24th, 2008Tommy Lee
Staff Writer
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, an innovative new release in the large library of previous Star Wars video games that released on Sept.. 16, literally puts the force in your hands.
The Force Unleashed is not just a new Star Wars game that does not hold any relevance in the story, but is the tie between the movies Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.
The game begins with Darth Vader hunting down a rogue jedi. After Vader kills the jedi, he finds the jedi’s son, who is gifted with the force. Vader then takes the young boy as his apprentice, who from then on is the main character, known only as Starkiller. As Vader’s apprentice you are sent to kill the remaining jedi in the universe.
The game is mainly just action, with a little bit of role playing game mixed in. You have the ability to choose your combo moves, powers, appearance, and even the color of your lightsaber. Of course, you have to unlock these items by leveling up first.
Control wise, the game is fairly simple until you get to higher level combination moves. Sometimes the targeting system can throw you off; it takes a little getting used to. When it comes to most enemies, you can pick them up and throw them wherever you choose, whether it is off a cliff, into a wall, or even into other enemies. There are other forms of weapons like force lightning and force push to take out anyone in your way, plus your lightsaber.
The graphics in The Force Unleashed are breathtaking. As you travel to different planets and space stations, the force actions you use interact with the environment, whether it is a bridge that rolls when hit by the force or a window in a space station that explodes and sucks everything out into space.
The enemies in the game are pretty undemanding to kill, you can even punt a Jawa like a football. However the boss battles, which are usually against jedi, can sometimes bring quite a challenge, especially at higher difficulty settings.
I recommend Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for any die-hard Star Wars fan seeking answers to bridge the gap between the two movie trilogies. Anyone who enjoys action video games or punting a Jawa will enjoy this game.
Tags: Fall 2008, Vol. 108 Fall - Issue 3