The Force Unleashed (talking about the PS2 version from here on out), is like video game junk food. It has a nice story you don't have to concentrate much on, it has easy to learn and easy to master combat, and you do cool stuff like fighting giant monsters and robots and dealing with a boss fight at the end of each level. Easy on the eyes, light on thumbs.
If you have experience of playing the seventh generation versions ("Next-Gen"), expect a slightly different experience. The story of Starkiller is slightly more fleshed out, with the additioanal ambiguity adding some meaning to the through-line of the story: Is there good in this clone of a murdered Jedi? Knowing Star Wars, the answer is in the question itself, and although the story still does very easily prefer you become a Jedi, I appreciated the slightly more fleshed out moments that are in modified backdrops. The difference between the versions does increase as you go along the game. I wouldn't say it's better or worse, it really comes done to personal preference.
The combat, when in sync is your typical beat 'em up/hack 'n slash. You deal with normal enemy cannon fodder, some brutes, and the cannon fodder become stratified as the game moves along. There's not much strategy involved, but the sense of progression is nice as your increase in abillities. If your a Star Wars fan, there is innate fun in swinging your lightsaber around and killing bad guys, and the game is aware of it. Your journey as a Sith apprentice progresses from weak, one two way lightning to eventual crowd control lightning storms. You'll move from small crowd control repulse to eventually becoming a mini-moving tornado. As you collect orbs from killing enemies, the upgrade tree makes being able to roleplay whether you wanna be "good" or "evil" with your force powers. The combat encounters eventually become repetitive, but the short length of the game makes up for it.
As your roam from Imperial destroyers, to the tropical Felucia, or to the deprecated Jedi Temples, you'll find a variety of collectibles that are at-times, frustratatingly hidden. The game doesn't have a replay feature (just a New Game Plus), or ability to track how many collectibles are in each level, so you're left to your own devices if you really wanna play this to 100%. The Jedi Holocrons showcase some neat concept art, and the lightsaber components give some welcome customisation.
For a late-PS2/Wii cross-port (that somehow is best on the PSP), the game looks great, albeit muddy at times. It's certainely ambitious when trying to go for open-vista battles, however I do feel the game looked best when going for smaller environments with attention to detail. The character models and cutscenes are all in-game, but they do look good for the hardware at hand. The highlight here, are the animations. The way Starkiller twists and turns as he strikes contact with anyone in his way, with whatever clothes he has swinging around in the background, is immensely satisfying, even though the actual game skill required to get there isn't much. By the time you're at the end, and just about to go for New Game Plus, the hybrid combat and force power combos are just plain fun to perform. Enemies will ragdoll around and although it may not be at Euphoria levels like it's next-gen counterparts, it's nothing to scoff at either. Also.. Star Wars music. Need I say more?
The Force Unleashed is through-and-through for Star Wars fans, but if you like a fun action game, I think you'll get your mileage out of this one. It's a decent game to sit down for a weekend on and just plow through.
If you have experience of playing the seventh generation versions ("Next-Gen"), expect a slightly different experience. The story of Starkiller is slightly more fleshed out, with the additioanal ambiguity adding some meaning to the through-line of the story: Is there good in this clone of a murdered Jedi? Knowing Star Wars, the answer is in the question itself, and although the story still does very easily prefer you become a Jedi, I appreciated the slightly more fleshed out moments that are in modified backdrops. The difference between the versions does increase as you go along the game. I wouldn't say it's better or worse, it really comes done to personal preference.
The combat, when in sync is your typical beat 'em up/hack 'n slash. You deal with normal enemy cannon fodder, some brutes, and the cannon fodder become stratified as the game moves along. There's not much strategy involved, but the sense of progression is nice as your increase in abillities. If your a Star Wars fan, there is innate fun in swinging your lightsaber around and killing bad guys, and the game is aware of it. Your journey as a Sith apprentice progresses from weak, one two way lightning to eventual crowd control lightning storms. You'll move from small crowd control repulse to eventually becoming a mini-moving tornado. As you collect orbs from killing enemies, the upgrade tree makes being able to roleplay whether you wanna be "good" or "evil" with your force powers. The combat encounters eventually become repetitive, but the short length of the game makes up for it.
As your roam from Imperial destroyers, to the tropical Felucia, or to the deprecated Jedi Temples, you'll find a variety of collectibles that are at-times, frustratatingly hidden. The game doesn't have a replay feature (just a New Game Plus), or ability to track how many collectibles are in each level, so you're left to your own devices if you really wanna play this to 100%. The Jedi Holocrons showcase some neat concept art, and the lightsaber components give some welcome customisation.
For a late-PS2/Wii cross-port (that somehow is best on the PSP), the game looks great, albeit muddy at times. It's certainely ambitious when trying to go for open-vista battles, however I do feel the game looked best when going for smaller environments with attention to detail. The character models and cutscenes are all in-game, but they do look good for the hardware at hand. The highlight here, are the animations. The way Starkiller twists and turns as he strikes contact with anyone in his way, with whatever clothes he has swinging around in the background, is immensely satisfying, even though the actual game skill required to get there isn't much. By the time you're at the end, and just about to go for New Game Plus, the hybrid combat and force power combos are just plain fun to perform. Enemies will ragdoll around and although it may not be at Euphoria levels like it's next-gen counterparts, it's nothing to scoff at either. Also.. Star Wars music. Need I say more?
The Force Unleashed is through-and-through for Star Wars fans, but if you like a fun action game, I think you'll get your mileage out of this one. It's a decent game to sit down for a weekend on and just plow through.