Star Wars: Force Unleased

[jwinges]

Too bad we don't get dual mode with the PS3. I want the graphics of the PS3 version but the dual mode of the wii version...I'm torn as to which to buy.

[Mr March]

The Star Wars forced-based, non-movie plot FPS games have been pretty good. Jedi Knight, JKII, Outcast and Jedi Academy were all a lot of fun to play with good balance and some excellent use of RPG elements and force abilites. I think Force Unleashed looks like another solid entry into that same line of games, but I suppose I'll have to wait to know for sure.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

Oh, and I heard the game's canon. And not EU canon, but Lucas-blessed movie canon. Can anyone confirm that?

Yes, Lucas was constantly interacting with the development staff with regards to the story, and characters. The staff went along with his suggestions, and he did have a hand in the story. From what I read last night, the apprentice's true identity is not learned in the game, but he is named in the novel. Beforehand he was said to be the child of 2 jedi, the father rumored to be Quinlan Vos.

Some of this I got from the Art book, which is awesome and I did not even realize it was out til sunday! I thought it would be out later this month. Excellent book, especially if you are a fan of digital paintings and concept art. It has some spoilers though, so be warned.

[bandit29]

The demo was decent. Destroying things with the Force Grip was cool. I've never been big into SW games but I might get this eventually

[Hikuro]

It's not a bad game, force targeting sort of sucks, I wish there was an easier way to use your throwing abilities and not so many strong ass heavily armored storm troopers as I've encountered.......but it's not a bad game at all. Atleast we see how the Rebel forces were assembled.

[GreenGuy42]

I hate hate HATE the targeting system's wonkiness, however...

...I did get used to it. The graphics are awesome. The gameplay is awesome, and yeah, finding new, creative ways to kill Stormtroopers is by far, some of the most fun I've had on the 360. I even found the whole Star Destroyer scene fun. I do hope that the developers make a sequel, and try to iron out the one issue I had with it. I'd love to see this engine employed again.

[trapar]

Well, I downloaded this game for the DS. In my opinion it was ok....for a DS.

I just noticed that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, abbreviates for "STFU"....if you don't put in the "W"

Edited September 19, 2008 by trapar

[Skullsixx]

Its not for PC, who cares.

Damn right!!!

[Max Jenius]

After JK1/2 and KOTOR, bein a jedi got boring.

[trapar]

....automatic doors make me feel like a jedi.

[badboy00z]

I so want to play this game but I don't have the PS3 or the 360. One thing that bugs me about lightsaber combat in all the games is the fact that you can't slice off limbs and heads of people. I know you can stab a stormtrooper and it will go all the way through to the hilt but I want to see heads roll and being able to beat someone with their own arm or leg. I guess we haven't seen that yet is probably because of ratings and a 1 hit kill thing won't be that much fun. IMO that would just make me want to practice more so I won't die so fast. I want each strike to be a life and death situation like in a real duel. Or at least have a Resident Evil 4 button taping thing for blocks.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

The load times that pop up every time you want to change lightsaber options, costumes, or upgrade the force SUCK!

[carzooyah]

Just played the DS version. Game lasts 4 hours, way too short but the amount of visual candy and music scores keeps the game interesting (for a DS). Has multiplayer which is really a one on one fight.

Will get the psp version to see how that one plays.

[Mr March]

I hate camera problems, or any game where you have to fight with the interface itself. I've read a ton of reviews and they all say the same thing. Sounds like TFU would have been a good game, but the dropped the ball. I'm passing on this one. It's definitely NOT the killer app I was hoping it was going to be, so I'm not going to take the plunge for a new console for TFU.

[Hikuro]

The game was okay, the game play is rubbish at times, camera does get annoyingly aggrevating, and the fact you can't target what you want to throw stuff at pisses me off.

not too mentio nthe HORRIBLE camera angles when you fight a boss. You zoom so far out you're a fraking ant and you can't see what's around you if objects block your vision to see where your character and enemy is at.

HOWEVER I do like the cenematics VERY much, it almost makes up for the game cause we finally see the birth of the rebelion and how it all came to be.

Now we have a beginning, middle and end........let that just END star wars right there.

[Chronocidal]

Meh.. while it sounds an interesting concept, jedi games are getting.. well, overused to say the least. Battlefront 2 is nice if you mod it a bit (no you dingbats, the Y-Wing does not have a machine gun turret ), and the JK series was fun. But I'm still waiting (and probably will still be for years) for a decent sequel to Tie Fighter (XwingVsTie and Alliance don't really count in my book, although they were fun at times).

You know, just for once, I'd love a SW game where I feel like a small part of a big story, and not the "omgwtfbbq pwnzor of the universe." Just for example.. I'd love to see a game that forces you to be WEDGE during Yavin. Eat that folks, you're not the hero, and you only get to cover his backside. Congradulations, you qualify to be a human shield. If there's anything that really continuously bugs me about these games it's the utter insignificance of anyone besides the player character.

Lucasarts needs to take a few lessons from more rpgs, and come up with some real-time party based combat. Now, I haven't played KOTOR, but given how popular it was, you'd think they'd learn from that, and keep doing what worked.

Edited September 21, 2008 by Chronocidal

[mikeszekely]

Now we have a beginning, middle and end........let that just END star wars right there.

Actually, I was just thinking the other day that A New Hope was, what, 31 years ago? In modern Hollywood, that means it's due for a remake.

[Duke Togo]

Meh.. while it sounds an interesting concept, jedi games are getting.. well, overused to say the least.

LIES!

[kung flu]

Meh.. while it sounds an interesting concept, jedi games are getting.. well, overused to say the least.

Now, I haven't played KOTOR, but given how popular it was, you'd think they'd learn from that, and keep doing what worked.

Well, KOTOR 1& 2 are jedi games for your information. The problem with star wars is that its too popular that you get hard core fanboys that buy anything star wars even if its a load of crap. So even crap games would sell well becuase of the fanbase, so theres no need for Lucas to change their strategy as long as they can still milk money from the fans and they fall for it. Even the new star wars movies were utter crap, but that didn't stop them being box office hits. The Force Unleashed though its pretty average in my opinnion and would still sell well. Jedi powers is the only thing thats original in Star Wars compared to other Sci Fi genres.

[Duke Togo]

Well, KOTOR 1& 2 are jedi games for your information.

And RPGs, for that matter.

[Uxi]

Eh, I think it's a "good" solid game, just waaaay too short and no potential to string it out without any multiplayer, even of the 1 on 1 variety much less Jedi Outcast goodness. There is some quirkiness in there but the only real complaint I hold is Shin's (the load times between each option area are recockulous - i can't think of any good excuse for that). The story is good, the cutscenes are good and flinging crap around with the Force is a helluva a good time. 'Targetting' is implict and done with direction and I can hit what I want the vast majority of the time. The same with lightning or flinging the lightsaber at it or what not.

[M'Kyuun]

I'm still on the second chapter (Raxus Prime, which sounds more akin to Transformers than SW, but I digress) and I think it's a fair game. There's nothing really new beyond the amplification of certain force abilities. I.E., push, grip, and lightning are amplified ridiculously, but he can't force jump for sh!t. The camera is a pain at times. Only certain things can be gripped and manipulated, although other objects, such as the detritus laying about on the junk world, move if your character walks over them; you just can't move them with the force. Too, if you're standing too close to a grippable object, the blue force-ueable mark disappears. The target lock does not work well, at least for me, so I just do my best to hurl stuff and hope I hit what I'm trying to aim for. The biggest complaint I have is that your character cannot move while using force grip...due to the "concentration" required. Asinine, if you ask me, since he can push objects while moving. Anyways, using grip exposes you to enemy fire; I think the creators would have made the game more enjoyable if your character at least took a defensive posture with the lightsaber to deflect some of the enemies' fire. After all, manipulating your environment with the force was one of the top selling points of the game; they didn't tell you it's suicide unless you use it behind cover when facing a a large number of enemies.

Though I've been playing games like these for years, I have no skilz, so I'm not too plussed about the length, as all these games take a long time for me. I have a goldfish memory, so remembering all the confounded combos is a challenge all its own. Some of the moves are pretty cool, however.

The writing seems decent so far; it's better already than the Clone Wars movie, although I realize CW is for kids while FU is more mature in tone. The voice acting is decent as well as the dialog. It's not too hammy, and already there is good use of the graphics and pauses to show "conflict" in your character during the cinematics. I'm enjoying the game, but I'm looking even more forward to seeing how the story draws out. I was going to read the novelization, but I decided to hold off until I played it through. I've read that there are two possible endings, which usually always involves choices in the game and makes it a bit more replayable. Personally, I think they should make a jedi game along the same lines as Deus Ex, where one has a group of choices through out the game in various situations..light-up the ole lightsaber, or massage the enemy's will. T'would be a fun game, methinks. In the end, your conduct in the game will determine your affinity, allegiance, and path in the game.

Edited September 21, 2008 by M'Kyuun

[Uxi]

Personally, I think they should make a jedi game along the same lines as Deus Ex, where one has a group of choices through out the game in various situations..light-up the ole lightsaber, or massage the enemy's will. T'would be a fun game, methinks. In the end, your conduct in the game will determine your affinity, allegiance, and path in the game.

That was KOTOR. And before that, the Jedi Knight games.

[Scream Man]

Less so the Jedi games...

Im about 2/3 through now. Still a solid game, and one Ill gladly keep a hold of, but certainly not the amazing game that it looked to be in previews. My main beef is the samey environments; Felucia and Raxus Prime twice so far, possibly more too. And i keep waiting to make a choice of lightside or darkside, but it doesnt seem Ill be getting that...

[taksraven]

I think it looks great. Jedi Academy was loads of fun, as were nearly all of the PC series of Jedi games including Jedi Outcast, Jedi Outcast II, and the old Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight

You're right, these games were vastly underrated and a lot of fun to play. The only thing I wanted to do in those others that I hope can be done in these ones is a direct confrontation with Vader. ( I was told that I have to confront him again and I was hoping to get the chance).

[M'Kyuun]

That was KOTOR. And before that, the Jedi Knight games.

[/quote/]

I hadn't thought of KOTOR, since I've never played it. I knew it was an RPG, and of course I've heard all the raves. However, the turn-based combat turned me off to it...close-minded obstinance on my part.

The jedi games gave a little bit of choice, but nowhere to the degree of the two Deus Ex games. Lots of choices, and real-time combat. However, the Dark Forces I & II, Jedi Outcast, and Jedi Academy had really good story development, fun gameplay, and a nice variety of environments/locations throughout.

It's a shame that, out of all the many planets in the SW universe, the game creators reused any planets.

My biggest complaint about Force Unleashed is that you can't save your progress at any point. I hate checkpoint saving; it makes having a save option useless, b/c the game will autosave at each checkpoint regardless, and it only serves to piss off the intrepid gamer when he's just taken out a sh!tload of bad guys and a boss, and ends up dying while attempting a long jump, only to return to the beginning of the level to do it all over again, and again, rather than just loading the last point where he wished to stop. As I mentioned, I have little talent for gaming, but I enjoy it nonetheless, and playing a game with a save option that doesn't save anything is a bit frustrating.

Edited September 22, 2008 by M'Kyuun

[Uxi]

The reuse of Felucia was logical given the command from Shaak-Ti to Maris. The planet with Kota... it made sense given the best place to find someone would be where you last saw them. Reusing Raxus Prime was pretty sucky, though.

[mikeszekely]

At least when they reused environments, especially Kashyyyk, it felt to me like they took pains to keep the levels from being too similar to the first run.

EDIT: Maybe less so for those of you playing on the PS3. I heard that the Vader intro level is during the day on the 360, and night on the Sony consoles.

Edited September 22, 2008 by mikeszekely

[Duke Togo]

My biggest complaint about Force Unleashed is that you can't save your progress at any point.

Well, come on, lets be honest, being able to save any time you want is cheap and tends to make games too easy.

The more I hear about this game, the more it reminds me of the first ZOE. Question is whether or not they end up with a true winner of a sequel like Kojima did with The 2nd Runner.

[Uxi]

At least when they reused environments, especially Kashyyyk, it felt to me like they took pains to keep the levels from being too similar to the first run.

EDIT: Maybe less so for those of you playing on the PS3. I heard that the Vader intro level is during the day on the 360, and night on the Sony consoles.

It was day when I did on the PS3.

[mikeszekely]

It was day when I did on the PS3.

*shrugs* Maybe I heard wrong. Or maybe it's day on the HD systems, night on the PS2/Wii? I can't remember.

[Vince]

I've just beat Vader, almost done the at the end and it freeze ... twice. I'm trading it back in as soon as I finish it.

[badboy00z]

How does the PS2 version compare to the next gen consoles versions? Is there any material cut from it?

[Duke Togo]

1 million copies sold in its first week of release.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

Okay, I heard there are 5 endings, and some sites say 2, which is correct? Apparently the way to obtain either ending is making a decision at the last stage, either try to stop Palpatine from killing, or leave him be, and take on Darth Vader again. You get the jedi ending if you decide to fight Palpatine, you get the dark side ending if you decide to let Palpatine do his thing and take on Darth Vader instead.

I got the jedi ending...wondering if there really are 5 different endings.