Star Wars: The Force Unleashed PlayStation 3

Released on 19/09/2008

• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: Preview

  "You don't know the power of the Mark side!"

  'The Force Unleashed is a game about the Force', begins Activision's James Cathcart, 'This isn't purely about fighting with a lightsaber. It's designed to be exactly what the name says – a complete re-imagining of what the Force can do'.

  He's not kidding. From the moment Lucasarts released the first video of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed – showing a mysterious cloaked figure using the Force to bring down a hulking Imperial Star Destroyer – fans have marvelled at the possibility of wielding a power even Jedi Master Yoda himself could only dream of.

  Dark Side abandon

  The Force Unleashed doesn't start you out quite that powerful, but it certainly still makes good on its name. Giving you control of the saga's iconic villain, Darth Vader, you're soon striding imperiously across the spectacular-looking walkways of the Wookie homeworld Kashyyyk, wielding the Force to obliterate enormous gates, picking up boulders with a press of a button and slinging the planet's furball inhabitants casually to their doom with reckless Dark Side abandon. It's very, very good to be bad.

  Wield a power even Jedi Master Yoda himself could only dream of.

  Star Wars: The Force Unleashed takes place between the two film trilogies, in a time when the few remaining Jedi are scattered across the galaxy, hunted by the evil Galactic Empire, headed by Vader's master, the tyrannical Darth Sidious. The thing about the Sith, though, is that they always betray each other. So when Vader ends the level by finding a small boy with extraordinary Force powers, the besuited Sith takes the kid for his own, deciding to train little Starkiller as his Secret Apprentice in a bid to eventually overthrow the Emperor.

  Fast forward a decade and the boy has become a man – and developed considerable power with the Dark Side of the Force. And so Vader decides to send him on his first of many tests – and the first of the game's many levels as the Secret Apprentice.

  Secret Sith slaughter

  Star Wars: The Force Unleashed begins proper in a Tie Fighter Manufacturing Facility overrun by Rebel troops, lead by the Jedi General Kota. As Vader's Dark Side minion, it's your job to take him out. Being a secret Sith, however, you have to slaughter everyone else in the factory too. Rebels, Stormtroopers; none can be left alive to tell of your exploits.

  The Force Unleashed ends up playing like a Star Wars take on Ninja Gaiden, with weapon styles replaced by choice in the way you use the Force.

  This provides your first chance to test out the Apprentice's own considerable Force prowess; and it's an utter joy to behold. Unlike the lumbering Vader, Starkiller sprints, leaps and quick-dashes (both on the ground and mid-air) energetically, but like his master he can bend steel doors with a swift Force Push, as well as pick up highlighted objects with the R Trigger Force Grip ability.

  It's Force Grip that captures the imagination, especially when you run into your first batch of Stormtroopers. Pick them up, wave them around and they'll flail in comic fashion, scrambling desperately to find a purchase on something and even latching onto their comrades in their futile struggle to stay alive. It's perfectly conceivable to have several of them, all dangling daisy-chain-style over a precipice, and you'll laugh manically when you float them into the path of an oncoming Tie Fighter. This sandbox factor alone will delight Star Wars fans.

  Old-skool design

  And yet, The Force Unleashed also boasts a remarkably deep combat system. With unlockable Force powers like lightsaber throws, Lightning, Repulse and numerous saber combos (as well as novel costumes and blade colours to unlock), there's a world of choice. Linear and combat-driven as it is, The Force Unleashed ends up playing like a Star Wars take on Ninja Gaiden, with the wide variety of weapon styles replaced by a huge degree of choice in the way you use the Force.

  It's a true fan service, this; there's never been a game that's made you feel like a Jedi in quite the way The Force Unleashed does.

  It's an old-skool way of designing a game, which climaxes perfectly with each end-of-level boss battle. The first as the Apprentice sees you battling Kota in a room reminiscent of the location for the Count Dooku lightsaber duel in Revenge of the Sith, and proves an epic conflict with lightning-fast lightsaber parries, Force-powered projectiles and a spectacular QTE finish. It's a true fan service, this; there's never been a game that's made you feel like a Jedi in quite the way The Force Unleashed does.

  And Kota is just the beginning. We played another two levels after that; the junk planet Raxus Prime and the colourful vegetative world Felucia – each with completely contrasting, but equally beautiful detail and their own iconic enemies, from cobbled-together junk monsters to colourful Rancors; culminating in increasingly tricky Jedi battles that really push your ever-growing arsenal of Force abilities.

  Much has been said of The Force Unleashed being 'the greatest Star Wars game ever'. To fans that played Knights of The Old Republic that will seem a tough ask, but this is undoubtedly the most empowering, as well as visually astounding title that the series has yet seen. Add that to a compelling, twisty-turny story too, and Star Wars fans have every reason to be excited about unleashing the Force in just a few short weeks.

  Preview by: Mark 'Sithspawn' Scott
  Version Tested: Xbox 360
  Preview Published: 05.09.09

  Published: 10/09/2008

• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Review

  Mark pulls one out of the sky...

  Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is fashioned, first and foremost, to make legions of sci-fi fans feel like a Jedi in the Galaxy Far, Far Away. And on that count it succeeds; possibly moreso than anything before it.

  It's as empowering as games get: letting you liberally spray around Force Grip, Lightning and Push powers (amongst others) with the reckless Dark Side abandon you'd expect from Darth Vader's secret Sith apprentice. But only where the game tells you you can. And that's the biggest disappointment with an otherwise stellar fan service – the technology powering The Force Unleashed is at once liberating, and limiting.

  Strictly come sabering
  

  But at its best, The Force Unleashed is a dizzying dance of lightsaber-led melee combat and an ever-growing arsenal of satisfyingly potent Force powers, spread across planets all packing a feel you'd expect from Lucasarts' iconic IP.

  A toolset any action game would be proud of; giving the gameworld weight, momentum, breakability and believability.

  Indeed, from the skyrise treehouses of Kashyyyk to imposing imperial construction yards, the dazzling fauna of Felucia, ramshackle debris-strewn junk planet Raxus Prime and beyond, The Force Unleashed evokes an eyecandy and atmosphere that's unmistakably Star Wars. That familiar themetune booms, yellow text scrawls across the star-studded sky, and suddenly you're there – exploring the era between the two film trilogies. Playing first as Vader and then as Starkiller, this tale of the Rebellion's beginnings will, for true Star Wars fans, be unmissable.

  But The Force Unleashed doesn't succeed solely on its license. The core innovations create a toolset any action game would be proud to call its own; with Havok physics, Digital Molecular Matter and Euphoria giving the gameworld weight, momentum, breakability and as much believability as you can expect from a game featuring Wookies.
  

  Let me en-lightning you

  Pick up a boulder with the Force and smash it into an onrushing TIE Fighter to see sparks fly. Watch with glee as you dangle a panicked, flailing stormtrooper ten feet in the air – then hurl him through a window into the vacuum of space. Fry enemies with searing bolts of fingertip-propelled electricity and feel like the biggest badass around. It's about as far from the Jedi Code as it gets – and it's disturbingly fun to do, over and over again, until you've seen both endings.

  Pleasingly, you only get more powerful as you progress. The Force Unleashed siphons through a Super Star Destroyer's worth of melee combos and Force powers, costumes and lightsaber crystals, plus neat little touches (we're pretty sure we know what happened to Jar Jar Binks after Episode III) and some impressively powerful foes – including fellow Force exponents, and some unerringly enormous monsters.

  A Super Star Destroyer's worth of melee combos and Force powers, costumes and lightsaber crystals, neat touches and powerful foes.

  Sadly, it's these battles that bring about the biggest frustration with The Force Unleashed. Instead of unleashing the Force on a whim, boss battles end with a simple QTE. Facing Rancors, AT-ST's and rival Jedi should be amongst the game's most bombastic battles; but at the crucial climax, The Force Unleashed holds your hand. All that fancy tech isn't an ever-present, either; only certain objects will bend, break and explode as they should, shattering the illusion somewhat. Shame.

  The 'Moon' and back
  

  It's all a bit unbalanced as well. The Force Unleashed features temperamental auto-targeting which won't always pick the ideal enemy (kind of a cardinal sin in a short-range action game), and when later levels start throwing enemy snipers into the mix, you might find yourself wanting to Force Push your control pad into a wall.

  Still, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed boasts a story, setting and style that fans will adore, and features enough lightsaber swinging, Force-slinging, interstellar superbeing fun to keep even the most avid action aficionados hooked to the brilliantly bitter-sweet ending and back again.

  GAME's Verdict

  

  • Makes good on its name: you'll feel like a real badass dark Jedi.
  • Superb production values befitting a Star Wars title.
  • Crackin' story, plus two endings ensuring replay value.

  

  • QTEs take the edge off your Force-powered freedom.
  • The physics-powered destruction isn't consistent across the gameworld.
  • Annoying auto-targeting creates some imbalance - especially when the snipers start appearing.

  Review by: Mark 'Light Side' Scott
  Version Tested: PS3
  Review Published: 01.10.08

  Published: 01/10/2008

• Star Wars - The Galaxy Where Every Kind Of Game Is Played

  
  

  

  

  "The Force will be with you, always..."

  Obi-Wan's words at the end of the original Star Wars arcade game have certainly proven to be true - and then some. The release of Kinect Star Wars on Xbox 360 - and the accompanying Limited Edition R2-D2 console - proves that we're still enjoying Star Wars video games today.

  The motion-based controls of Kinect Star Wars shows just how far the franchise has come since the 8-bit action of The Empire Strikes Back on the Atari 2600 and Intellivision back in 1982.

  Which got us thinking - over the past 30 years, Star Wars has appeared not only in a great number of games, but in all kinds of game. From side-scrolling adventures, to first-person shooters to flight simulators, there's almost no genre that has not visited that galaxy far, far away...

  
  

  

  The First Person Shooter

  Dark Forces (1995) took the first-person tactics of Doom and transported them to the Star Wars Universe, adding then-revolutionary features like multiple floors and "looking up and down". Along with its Jedi Knight sequels, gamers were hooked on the adventures of Kyle Katarn and his discovery of the Dark Trooper Project , and the series is notable as the first "Expanded Universe" adventures to be embraced by more mainstream fans.

  First person shooting would return in the Star Wars Battlefront series almost a decade later, with the chance to play as StormTroopers, SnowTroopers, Rebel Soldiers or all kinds of troops and online skirmishing for the first time. We saw the last chapter of this series in 2009 - and are eagerly anticipating its return!

  
  

  

  The Classic Arcade Game

  While not the first Star Wars game, it was certainly one of the most memorable, and indeed laid the foundation of so much to come. Simulating the Death Star attack from the original movie, but with a bigger goal of avoiding enemies rather than shooting them in order to survive, the action played out with glorious wireframe graphics and - in a notable first for games in general - featured digitised voices and sounds from the original movie. It may seem simple by today's standards, but it set the bar for everything that was to come.

  
  

  

  The Combat Flight Simulators

  Arguably the first step in the 90s resurgence of Star Wars was the X-Wing series on PC. A WWII dogfight engine was given a 3D-graphic makeover and used to power the X-Wings, Y-Wings, TIE Fighters and more as the series moved through the events of the original trilogy. For many, these games really cemented just how good, and how versatile, Star Wars could be as a video game property.

  Rogue Squadron picked up where X-Wing left off. The series favoured arcade-style scoring on individual missions over the larger campaign-style approach, and took a much faster-paced approach to match the new power and possibilities offered by the N64 and GameCube. Rogue Squadron II is fondly remembered for its cinematic graphics, helping to usher Star Wars into the 21st Century

  
  

  

  The Side-Scrollers

  In the 90s, PCs had the X-Wing and Jedi Knight series, but Sega and Nintendo's consoles also had their share of Star Wars action. Games like Star Wars on the NES and Master System, Super Star Wars on the SNES and Shadows of the Empire on the N64 were more literal, adventure-driven adaptations, giving the chance to play as Luke, Han, Leia and the gang in ways that had never really been done before, and wouldn't again until the fun and frolics of the LEGO games. For all the fun that the 'Expanded Universe' offered, it actually made a change to just play out the movies!

  
  

  

  The Racing Games

  For all of the Phantom Menace's faults, one thing many agreed was that the Pod Races were cool. Star Wars Episode 1: Racer for the N64 attempted to recreate that coolness, with interesting and inventive tracks that took you off Tatooine and into the wider Star Wars galaxy. But what made it particularly cool was the option to use two N64 controllers as the dual controls of your racer and really feel like little Anakin.

  Star Wars also went down the kart racing route in Super Bombad Racing. It was aimed primarily for children to play, and while it was not the most well-received game that the franchise has offered, it had some fun gameplay and a fun visual style. If nothing else, proved that Star Wars could be adapted to pretty much any style of game.

  
  

  

  The Real Time Strategies

  The Star Wars universe seems an obvious canvas for strategy games, but the results have been mixed. Rebellion, Force Commander and Galactic Battlegrounds all gave it a try and had some interesting campaigns, but never really excited the way Star Wars should.

  Empire at War intended to end all that. A new engine was built from the ground-up, the need to build and acquire resources was removed, and the battles became much more realistic. The game was set between the end of the prequels and the beginning of the original trilogy, was chock full of well-known planets, vehicles and characters, and featured both Rebel and Imperial campaigns, including a scenario where the Empire actually wins! It was the RTS fans had been waiting for, and, thanks to a vibrant mod community, was also the RTS fans could make their own.

  
  

  

  The Beat 'Em Up

  In what seemed another obvious step, Masters of Teras Kasi took Star Wars into the beat 'em up arena on the original PlayStation in 1997. It mixed established stars like Luke and Chewie with lesser-known EU characters like Jodo Kast, giving each an individual style like the fighters of Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. But unlike those games, Masters of Teras Kasi had an inferior fighting engine, and the combination of obscure characters and the use of Lightsabers as little more than clubs did little to win over either casual or committed fans. Darth Vader and Yoda would go on to appear in SoulCalibur IV, but otherwise Masters of Teras Kasi was the first - and last - foray into the beat 'em up.

  
  

  

  The Action/Adventure

  Much like Shadows of the Empire a decade before, The Force Unleashed was part of a massive multimedia campaign to create an exciting new chapter in the Star Wars saga. It introduced 'Starkiller', Darth Vader's secret apprentice, but also introduced Star Wars adventuring to the current generation of consoles - and was the first chance to use a Wii controller to wield a Lightsaber! While it didn't quite live up the 'next big thing' hype surrounding it, the plot, visuals and gameplay won over enough fans to warrant a sequel.

  
  

  

  The RPGs

  Set 4000 years before the events of the movies, Knights of the Old Republic hit PC, Mac and Xbox in 2003. Choosing to play as Jedi or Sith, the pre-movie period setting allowed for a large-scale and versatile universe without having to worry about the established characters and storylines. The intricate plot featured twists and turns with a major shock twist coming at the end of the first game, still talked about as one of the best in gaming history.

  Things expanded with the release of MMO The Old Republic. Bioware promised a larger focus on story than usual for MMOs, a sensible step as the allegiances and politics of the Star Wars universe is more defined than the likes of Azeroth. The Jedi/Sith choice remained, with different classes available to both sides, and the opportunity for player vs player combat in the wider Star Wars universe was more than welcomed by players all over the world - nearly 2 million of them!

  
  

  

  And the rest

  There are plenty of Star Wars games we've not mentioned here - there simply isn't room to write about them all! But we hope this has been a fun trip around the Star Wars Universe, and one that shows just how versatile that universe is.

  If we've missed your favourite, or you have any other Star Wars gaming memories you want to share, feel free to add your comments below. And May The Force Be With You.

  Published: 03/04/2012

• LucasArts unveils new Star Wars game.

  We've been waiting for an announcement on the brand new Star Wars franchise teased by LucasArts recently, and the cat is finally out of the bag. Star Wars 1313 is the name of the third-person adventure game being cooked up by the studio.

  The collaboration between a diverse array of Lucas's companies which include Lucasfilm Animation, Skywalker Sound and Industrial Light & Magic, Star Wars 1313 will result in a mature, 18-rated game. Taking on the role of a bounty hunter, LucasArts is promising "a dark and mature" gaming experience powered by the Unreal Engine.

  A statement from the developer outlined the grand vision for this new adventure:

  "Named for Level 1313, a ruthless criminal underground deep below the surface of the planet of Coruscant, the game puts players in control of a deadly bounty hunter as he uses an arsenal of exotic weaponry to hunt down his marks and uncover the truth surrounding a criminal conspiracy," it read.

  "Star Wars 1313 emphasizes epic set pieces and fast-paced combat with a hero who uses human skills and gadgets, rather than supernatural Force powers, to make his way through this dangerous world."

  According to LucasArts president Paul Meegan, we can expect to find out much more about the game at next week's E3 gaming extravaganza in Los Angeles.

  "We're excited to share one of the projects LucasArts has been hard at work developing," he said.

  "Star Wars 1313 dives into a part of the Star Wars mythos that we've always known existed, but never had a chance to visit. We are committed to bringing the best gameplay experience and visual fidelity to life and I truly believe the work we are showcasing at E3 will speak for itself."

• Star Wars Game License Acquired by EA.

  When Disney acquired the rights to the Star Wars universe, following the purchase of George Lucas's LucasFilm, many fans were left wondering what it would mean for the future of videogames set within the epic franchise.

  Well, it turns out that Disney has decided to license out the property to EA for multi-platform console development, while keeping social, online and mobile opportunities for itself. Frank Gibeau, EA Labels President, confirmed that Dead Space and Battlefield studios Visceral and DICE respectively would be creating games in the franchise - and so will the creators of the Knights of The Old Republic series, BioWare.

  "Every developer dreams of creating games for the Star Wars universe," began Gibeau.

  "The new experiences we create may borrow from films, but the games will be entirely original with all new stories and gameplay. Powering it all will be the Frostbite 3 development engine - guaranteeing incredible graphic fidelity, environments and characters."

  Well, if the publisher's looking for any suggestions, both Knights of The Old Republic 3 and Battlefront 3 have been clamoured for by fans in recent years, and would surely put the massive publisher back into gamers' good books, following the troubled release of SimCity.
  

  Published: 07/05/2013

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