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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Xbox 360)
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6 Customer Reviews
RRP: £39.99
Amazon Price: £39.98
You Save: £0.0100000000000051 (0%)
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
Platform: Xbox 360
Publisher: Activision
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Editorial: The Star Wars saga will continue in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, a videogame developed by LucasArts, which casts players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The expansive story, created under direction from George Lucas, is set during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. In it, players will assist the iconic villain in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi - and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny.
Join the Dark Side |
You are Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice
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Use The Force to disable your enemies
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Artwork of the Jedi "Maris"
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As its name implies, The Force Unleashed completely re-imagines the scope and scale of the Force by taking full advantage of newly developed technologies that will be seen and experienced for the first time: Digital Molecular Matter (DMM), by Pixelux Entertainment, and euphoria by NaturalMotion Ltd. Paired with the powerful Havok Physics™ system, these new technologies create gameplay only possible on the new generation of consoles. DMM incorporates the physical properties of anything in the environment so that everything reacts exactly like it should - wood breaks like wood, glass shatters like glass, plants on the planet Felucia bend like plants on the planet Felucia would, and more. Meanwhile, as a revolutionary behavioural-simulation engine, euphoria enables interactive characters to move, act and even think like actual human beings, adapting their behaviour on the fly and resulting in a different payoff every single time.
Game Features:- During the period between Episodes III and IV, players hunt Jedi in the role of Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice.
- Unleash and upgrade the Secret Apprentice's four core Force powers - Force push, grip, repulse and lightning - throughout the course of the game, and combine them for ultra-destructive, never-before-seen combos.
- Examples of unleashing the Force in ways never thought possible:
- The Secret Apprentice won't just Force push enemies into walls - he'll Force push enemies through walls.
- The Secret Apprentice won't just Force grip foes to throw them aside - he'll Force grip them in midair, zap them with lightning, then drop them to the ground to explode like a bomb.
- In addition to new adversaries created just for the game, such as fugitive Jedi and Force-sensitive Felucians, players will also confront and associate with familiar faces from the Star Wars films, including Darth Vader.
- Visit locations such as Episode III's Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk and the floral Felucia, the junk planet Raxus Prime, plus an Imperial TIE fighter construction facility.
- The Force Unleashed is LucasArts' first internally developed title for next-generation consoles, and it represents the first in-game collaboration of talents and technology between LucasArts and Industrial Light & Magic, two companies now finally under one roof at the new Letterman Digital Arts Center in San Francisco's Presidio district.
- The Force Unleashed debuts Digital Molecular Matter from Pixelux and euphoria behavioral simulation from NaturalMotion Ltd.
- LucasArts is preparing an unprecedented promotional effort around the launch of The Force Unleashed, encompassing a full line of toys and game-based action figures from Hasbro, as well as a full publishing program from Dark Horse, Del Rey and Palace Press.
Meet the Cast
The Star Wars Saga will continue in 2008 with LucasArts' biggest-ever video game event. Set during the "dark times" between Episodes III and IV, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed portrays the previously untold story of Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice -- and
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"After the hype...." - 24 September 2008
....the reality bites. And yet again what's served up is a another disappointment to add to the Star Wars universe.
I was really looking forward to this game coming out after perusing the website and being impressed by all the 'revolutionary new technology' the creators were waxing lyrical about. It looked impressive. The game looks impressive. It's not impressive though.
The game play is dull and repetitive. I've seen little if any examples of the so-called revolutionary graphic/technology. Combat is nothing more than a button bashing affair and the end of level boss combat have such poor camera angles that it becomes more a case of luck than judgement in defeating them.
All in all I can't say I'm surprised by LucasArts latest offering as I've only really enjoyed "Rogue Squardron" (N64) and the original 'Battlefront' game. Oh well maybe next time....
....but I won't hold my breath.
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"STAR WARS: The Taking of the Pith" - 23 September 2008
Oh dear. I was looking forward to this game as is every other 'Star Wars Freak' but I was hugely disappointed. The story is strong and the cut-scenes help the story along but the gameplay is exceptionally poor. The movement (both character and camera)is jerky and unconvincing with no fluidity at all. Graphics are impressive and full of grandeur as long as you don't move!
Gameplay is repetitive and dull in the extreme and controlling items using the Force is not as pleasurable as it should be. The game is big but I gave up playing it after 3 sessions as it annoyed me. Decent video games should not 'annoy' only the rubbish ones do that. Avoid like the plague, especially if you enjoy Star Wars.
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"far far from KOTOR..." - 11 October 2008
i've been a Star Wars fan ever since I can remember. having watched the first movie well over 100 times i guess that makes you a fan.
But on the games side, it's a love / hate relationship. Sometimes Lucasarts comes out with some amazing games like Knights of the Old Republic (1&2) and sometimes things that aren't so good. Force Unleashed (FU) is somewhere between both.
The good:
- Very polished graphics
- superb representation of the worlds
- Great use of force powers
- Pretty good physics engine with regards to how the game plays
The ugly:
- Extremely linear storyline (ie zero thinking. follow the arrow, kill the lvl boss, move on)
- Originality of story is mixed at best
- Levels and combat become repetitive once you've unlocked all /most of the force powers (after about the 6th mission or so).
- character level progression becomes pretty meaningless since aside from the force powers and attributes there isn't much of a real role playing game to the game anyway
Overall I've been pretty dissapointed by this game. It's one of the titles I've been waiting for after having played both KOTORS twice all the way through. But FU comes up short. Once you've unlocked most of the powers the combat becomes fairly repetitive. The boss battles aren't much fun either. You essentially have to find the pattern to beat each boss and once you find that their isn't much thinking involved. There are no side quests like in KOTOR or characters that you meet that you feel can really alter / affect the story. As I said, the story is linear. Nothing you do alters the final or can change the outcome. Basically it's like playing Sonic the Hedgehog in a Star Wars universe with some minor elements of an RPG game.
In conclusion, it depends what you like. If using the Force, immersing yourself in the Star Wars universe and playing a "platform" (aka Sonic, Devil May Cry or other level / boss) based game is for you then you'll like this game. If you're looking for an in-depth, story driven RPG like Kotor, Mass Effect or Elder Scrolls save you're money...
P.
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"The Force unrealised" - 21 September 2008
At first, it's impossible not to like this game. The hype has been overwhelming and the prospect of playing as Darth Vadar before stepping into the shoes of his secret apprentice is a thrilling thing for even a half-baked star wars fan. The intro is great- the rousing John William's score, the scrolling text, and then a pre-rendered, high definition intro. Good times.
However, even a few minutes into the game, the initial thrill begins to wane as the limitations of this new release start to unravel. Sand box this ain't. From the off you can move ten feet to you left and ten feet to your right and it is immediately clear that the only direction you are meant to (and allowed to) go is straight forward. This rapidly establishes itself as the overriding rule of the game, and it is not much of an exaggeration to say the environments are almost as restrictive as the old crash Bandicoot games. Remember them? Replace Crash with Sith and you're not in a galaxy far, far away from this. No sense of a leap forward in gaming technology here, then.
So on you plough, blasting things out of the way with force push, swinging your light-saber wantonly, rolling past huge wookies and bumbling stormtroopers. There's no doubt that using your force powers to hurl adversaries out of your path and over cliffs is great fun. This is strongest and best aspect of the game, so starting with Vadar at the height of his powers is a master-stroke.
Eventually, after a surprisingly short introduction level, you find your way to an expanded area, which, were this two generations ago, you would assume were designed to facilitate a generic end of level boss. You know the type of boss I mean- from Playstation one/two games. The type of boss that attacks you with repetitive moves, the aim being to learn this repetition and exploit the weak spots. Imagine my surprise, then, when exactly this type of boss strolls into my field of vision and battle ensues. His techniques are learnt, he is overcome, we proceed to the next level. And repeat. And repeat. And Repeat. In fact, by level five it is quite clear how bereft of ideas this game is. The core purpose of every stage (save for a very few token gesture later levels at Cloud City and other venues) is to stroll down a narrow predetermined route, dispatching poorly matched hordes, before arriving at end of level boss venue and duking it out. Plus, the levels are disappointingly short throughout and, as the game progresses, less and less interesting. Awards for game play and level design will not be on the shelves of Lucas Arts this year.
What you can say for the game, at least, is that it looks incredible. The graphics are first rate and the sense of being part of a larger struggle never leaves you. Look over a cliff, there's a huge star destroyer hovering forwards. Looks out a window and there's a brace of tie fighters deep in a dogfight. Magic. And no matter how limited the game play there's an impossible joy when bumping into familiar characters and (superficially) exploring familiar worlds. This is star wars- and its clear no expense has been spared.
But at its root that is the beginning and end of the problem. This game suffers precisely the same ills as episodes 1-3. Fantastic to look at but very, very, oh so very little underneath. How George Lucas can keep making this same mistake over and over again fills me with as much disbelief as it does rage. But that's a different subject altogether.
Bottom line is, if you like Star Wars, You'll be thrilled with the eye candy this game has to offer. But once you've finished it, the day after you bought it, it will go back into your draw and never bother GTA4 again.
7 out of 10 at best.
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"Almost ruined" - 21 September 2008
This game has a lot going for it. Force powers are great, art & design is fab and a great story.
However, the game play just about ruins the whole game. Whole sections are far too difficult, forcing you to do that same old no-no; replay the same section again and again and again and again.
That's bad enough, but the targeting system is poor, you'll launch an attack with an enemy standing right next to you and the targeting system will loose him, miss and you'll die.
Some of the boss fights are simply random, you're winning and just before you complete it, some new enemies appear and take turns to attack, after which your character has to spend a second recovering. In effect you are reduced to spectating in anger and frustration unable to do anything and forced to repeat. There is no sense of satisfaction from winning these, just relief that another rubbish, boring part of the game is over.
Programmers keep making the same poor mistakes and somehow they get away with it. The story keeps the game alive, but very poor programming and design almost killed this one - a terrible disappointment.
There are other releases on their way which will no doubt deserve your money more.
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"Good story, but gameplay can get a bit too repetitive" - 20 September 2008
After years of waiting for this game, I was very excited about playing it.
However, does this game live up to the hype? The answer, sadly, is no.
Sure, the story line is good, (there's a shock ending!), the graphics are pretty good too, but the game play? Unfortunately, the game play is not so good. To put it a more accurate way, it is enjoyable for the first level or two, but after that it really does seem rather repetitive. The same old thing over and over again, the only difference between levels is the map (other then the fact you have to play almost the same map twice for a few planets).
The Force powers can brighten things up at times (throwing Storm Troopers off platforms is always fun!) however this is over shadowed by the repetitive nature of the game play in general.
Here's my ratings:
Game play: 3/5
Graphics: 4/5
Story Line: 4/5
Sound: 3/5
Overall: Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars (Slightly closer to 3).
BUY: If you're a Star Wars fan.
DON'T BUY: If you aren't a Star Wars fan / are looking for a great game.
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"Star Wars The Force Unleashed" - 22 September 2008
This is a brief honest review from a game lover and a star wars fan.
Having now completed the game, one day after purchase I feel a little short changed. Although the game is fun, once you have gained control of your power (unlike other reviews I have not found that the game will throw items off in random directions when you send them flying, and simply attribute this to poor use of the controls)it is a very short game.
The game is fun, you do get a thrill from throwing around hoards of stormtroopers, electrocuting rancors, and blasting open doors with your force push. Also the story behind the game, I feel, is well done.
Unfortunatly the game does have many flaws, glitch's, you may hear about, being one of them. The game seems not able to keep up with everything going on and that causes the game to stutter at times, albeit very briefly, however once you are into the game and busy slicing up at-at's you hardly notice it. Also many of the boss battles are from an awkward POV, which cannot be changed, in some cases this is only a minor problem, but in some battles it means that the boss himself is off screen whilst he kicks your butt; this however does not take away from the end boss battles, which I enjoyed.
These however are the only major problems, repetition is not so much a problem as the game, as said before is quite short, and there is a lot of fun to be had from this game, however it may be worth waiting for the price to drop a little before purchase!
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"short and sweet" - 24 September 2008
years ago, games used to last a lot longer. when dark forces came out on the pc, it took me a good 2 weeks to finish. nowadays, games are finished in a matter of hours and the force unleashed is no difference.
sure, its got sweet graphics, an intresting story, cool powers, but the game itself is over so quickly. took me about 5 hours of gameplay to complete, and there are little extras to amuse you after its finished.
its a lot of fun to play, but like a lot of modern games (conan) it take syou longer to walk to the shop to buy it than it does finish it.
save £35 and rent it overnight.
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"button glitch?" - 20 September 2008
The first 4 missions are very enjoyable and then starts getting boring. This game is very simlair to battle front,
The controls did not work at times, times you find yourself standing there doing nothing. The aim does not always work. you kill someone, and they you target another guy. then you lose the target.
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"Impressive tech, authentic Star Wars experience but let down by poor controls" - 21 September 2008
Let's begin with what you already know if you've played any previous LucasArts' Star Wars titles. The presentation and production values are excellent and, as expected, it looks and sounds great.
The ambience of the movie series is captured perfectly here. The locations are dripping with authenticity, the story is intriguing and bridges the two (very different) film trilogies rather well. It's clear that fans of the movies are those that'll benefit the most from this title.
The gameplay is mostly lots of fun, which makes those moments where it fails all the more infuriating. The controls are very poorly implemented, particularly in the use of force grip and throw. It's often very difficult to lock onto your desired target, which is crucial during some sequences in the game. You will find yourself repeating certain sections over and over again, not necessarily because they are difficult but due to easily made blunders thanks to the control system. The camera doesn't help either, often taking much wider angles during boss battles. This is just frustrating, and does no favours to the already awkward controls.
Having said that, much of the game plays just fine when there isn't so much going on or the player is under little pressure. Slamming Stormtroopers against walls and impaling them with your lightsaber provides no end of fun. The force powers are better implemented here than any previous Jedi/Sith game, which makes it a greater shame that the targeting lets it down.
In the end, hardcore Star Wars fans will be more than pleased with how it integrates elements from the movies. Just be prepared for some very frustrating sequences.
It really is a massive shame that a PC version isn't yet planned. I think the experience could be much better realised with a revamped keyboard and mouse control system.
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