Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II Review

By John Teti Published 26 October, 2010

Noooooooooo!

Version tested: Xbox 360

Say this for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II: there is no pull-the-Star-Destroyer-out-of-the-sky moment. The original game got a bum rap because of that Sisyphean boss fight and other missteps like it, not to mention an abundance of small technical glitches. The sequel was supposed to learn from those mistakes. And it does, somewhat.

Sadly, this follow-up fails to learn from the things that made its predecessor great in spite of the flaws. Star Wars has been called both a space western and a space opera, and in The Force Unleashed, writer/producer Haden Blackman managed to capture both sensibilities in one crackling game. Starkiller was the ultimate gunslinger, riding into town and taking names (even the ones unpronounceable by human tongues). Yet he also played the central part in an epic tale of Wagnerian proportions, one that brought depth to the pre-Luke portion of the Star Wars timeline – more so than George Lucas' prequels did.

The Force Unleashed II maintains some of the crazy cowboy mentality. It's still fun to wade into a posse of stormtroopers and unleash every Force stunt in Starkiller's repertoire: slamming the bad guys against the wall, flinging them into oblivion, stunning them with lightning, and of course, decapitation-by-lightsaber. The game is at its best in prosaic moments, when the screen isn't filled with some titanic mega-boss but rather with an array of smaller challenges to dispatch one by one.

1

These stormtroopers thought for sure they'd get Starkiller this time. Ah, the eternal optimism of the henchman.

The epic scale is gone, though, at least in terms of storytelling. The game zips from beginning to end with practically no fanfare – the second act, such as it is, consists of a five-minute trip to Dagobah. (Allows for the obligatory backward-talking Yoda monologue, it does.) The Force Unleashed II is about half as long as the original, but it's not that the game is short – I'll take a crisp, energetic five hours over a 20-hour slog – the trouble is that not much takes place in that time. Dude escapes Empire, dude retrieves Jedi master, dude fights Empire. Fin.

The central conflict is supposed to be the mystery of whether this Starkiller is the authentic article or just one of many clones that Vader brewed up in his backyard lab. Yet the game minces about this question without advancing toward a meaningful answer, like it's bored with its own premise. Starkiller yells "You lie!" at Vader once or twice or a thousand times, and that's about it.

3

An early freefall sequence makes for a pretty set piece, but there's not much behind its good looks.

As far as combat is concerned, while there's nothing that approaches the tedium of the Star Destroyer fight, the handful of boss showdowns don't exactly sparkle with excitement. The Force Unleashed II subscribes to the notion that boss fights need only to be long and noisy.

There is no cleverness required, or even allowed, to battle these monsters. A relentless series of tips pops up on screen throughout the game to guide you to the next step, lest you figure it out for yourself. Likewise, General Kota, the world's bitchiest Jedi Master, is on the comm channel to coach you at every turn. When this ill-tempered lout repeatedly screeches, "You have to deactivate the shield!" over a crackly radio connection, I can't help but think, hey, the Dark Side seems mighty nice this time of year.

Combat against the lesser foes is more entertaining, even though the selection of enemies is so skimpy that you'll see most of the game's basic antagonists within the first 20 minutes. There's the usual array of stormtroopers, of course. As mentioned above, screwing with these guys is so much fun it should be an Olympic sport.

Aside from those drones (which come in regular and somewhat-smarter-than-regular varieties), The Force Unleashed II has just a handful of basic tricks up its sleeve. There are the bad guys who are immune to your lightsaber, and the bad guys who are immune to everything but your lightsaber. Toward the end of the story, the game starts tossing these two out side-by-side. Enjoyment does not ensue. I understand the fast-paced chess match that the designers were trying to set up, but here it simply plays out as bland frustration. It's a clumsy tactical element that takes the most satisfying thing about The Force Unleashed – dancing on the edge of berserk with crazy combinations of powers – and neuters it.

Then you have the huge droids, which you are supposed to whale on until you get the opportunity to slay the beast with a quick-time event. You know quick-time events; they're those moments where the game flashes an "X" on the screen, and you get a mini-cut-scene as a "reward" if you press X in time. The Force Unleashed II is packed with 'em. Is this the best that the medium can do? The game tells us which button to push, and then we push that button? Star Wars deserves better than this tired old crutch.

One of the promises made by the developers was that they would improve the all-important 'Force Grip' controls used to manoeuvre impossibly large objects in mid-air. This seems like a strange claim now, as I perceived minimal change in the Force Grip part of the game. That's fine with me, as I never had much of a problem with it in the first place. It had a bit of a learning curve, but once it was in my fingers, there was no end to the thrill of grabbing enormous chunks of the scenery and flinging them around.

4

This droid-disembowling mini-cutscene gets a little less cool every time the game makes you watch it again.

If anything, Force Grip is a tad worse in The Force Unleashed II. To the developers' credit, once you toss an object, it does seem to home in on enemies a bit more reliably than in the first game; the hard part is picking something up in the first place. The Force Grip targeting flickers all over the screen with no apparent rhyme or reason, so it can be maddeningly difficult just to make Starkiller grab the crate that's sitting right in front of him.

More problematic is the game's use of space. The Force Unleashed gave players wide-open spaces where they had plenty of room to manipulate objects in three dimensions. Too much of the sequel takes place in relatively cramped corridors, such that using Force Grip is a clumsy affair, like working your recliner sofa through a narrow doorway.

On one seemingly airy level, The Force Unleashed II even commits that most egregious sin of level design: invisible walls and ceilings. I found myself wondering, why can't I rocket that stormtrooper into the great beyond? The answer was: because the developers said so, that's why.

2

Somebody wants a hug!

It's hard to imagine a game that squanders its opportunities more than this one. The Force Unleashed was not just a very good game; it also had plenty of room for improvement. That translates into a rare chance to make something phenomenal. This sequel should have been like Mass Effect 2: a triumphant success that makes good on the original vision.

Instead, we get a game that feels like it was created out of obligation rather than inspiration. The Force Unleashed was Haden Blackman's baby, yet he left LucasArts a couple months before the sequel was released. In retrospect, that may have been a sign of trouble. The game industry's obfuscating wall of public relations minders and non-disclosure agreements will keep us from knowing the story behind The Force Unleashed II for a long time, but the final product certainly has the whiff of a creative process gone awry.

Whatever went down behind the scenes, the result is a game that sometimes resembles a flavorless tech demo for The Force Unleashed – not a worthy successor. While there are certainly pleasures to be had in The Force Unleashed II, they come off as the dregs of a concept that has run its course. The series was bound to exhaust itself someday, but the fact that it happened this early is a brutal disappointment.

5 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of John.

About John Teti

John Teti is a writer and producer based in New York. His interests include games, TV, cake, and being a writer and producer based in New York.

Read more articles from John by visiting the John Teti archive page.

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Comments (162) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • CaptainQuint #1 2 years ago

    George Lucas sucks balls.

    Whoa... Hang on a sec, this guy is the same miserable sod who wrote the Mafia II review.

    Methinks I'll read a few more reviews of this game before completely writing it off.
    Edited by CaptainQuint at 26/10/10 @ 17:47

  • KayJay #2 2 years ago

    Shame... :-(

  • Benno #3 2 years ago

    wow, wasn't expecting it to be that bad

  • Ignatius_Cheese #4 2 years ago

    Caveat: This is a John Teti review.

    Who loves ya, bebe!

  • Embra #5 2 years ago

    My only surprise is that anyone thought the first game was any good...

  • Der_tolle_Emil #6 2 years ago

    Wasn't really interested in this anyway but I'm sure a lot of people will be disappointed.

    Now, how about a Dark Forces remake or XBLA release?

  • ryanbreck #7 2 years ago

    "This sequel should have been like Mass Effect 2: a triumphant success that makes good on the original vision."

    Exactly what I'd hoped for and worried wouldn't happen. The first game had much to recommend it, despite some almost game-destroying flaws: even worse than the Star Destroyer fight, the Raxus Prime boss is infuriatingly cheap, and at such an early point in the game. The game had a very strong plot though,and I wish they had devoted a little more time to telling it, which is a thought that I have had very few times in all the time I've played videogames. The DLC they released actually gave me a lot of hope for this sequel, so if they have failed to follow through on this, it's criminal.

  • dudefella #8 2 years ago

    It says John Teti at the top of this review

    /disregards entire thing

  • oceanmotion #9 2 years ago

    QTE can fuck right off and die.

  • mukki #10 2 years ago

    Wow
    a 5....

    well enjoyed reading the review

    Maybe I should pick up the first installment of the series... should be pretty cheap by now

  • beastmaster #11 2 years ago

    "Do not want!"
    Edited by beastmaster at 26/10/10 @ 17:22

  • mungolikebeans #12 2 years ago

    Saw this coming i did.

  • kendoji #13 2 years ago

    Ouch!

  • CaptainQuint #14 2 years ago

    "More problematic is the game's use of space. The Force Unleashed gave players wide-open spaces where they had plenty of room to manipulate objects in three dimensions. Too much of the sequel takes place in relatively cramped corridors, such that using Force Grip is a clumsy affair, like working your recliner sofa through a narrow doorway"

    Ah, that explains why the visuals are of such a high standard then. Smoke and fucking mirrors. Yawn.

    /Disappointed

  • Quixz #15 2 years ago

    5!! after all the hype!! I wonder if i should still buy it.

  • onyxbox #16 2 years ago

    oh well, that saves me some cash

  • Spydy #17 2 years ago

    Demo was shit.

  • butler` #18 2 years ago

    The series was bound to exhaust itself someday

    It's the second game of... two. It's not exactly FIFA is it!?

  • Kanjin #19 2 years ago

    A real shame, like the review said they had clear things to improve on, but they didn't :S what else is there to say? And they made it WORSE than TFU?!

  • kinky_mong #20 2 years ago

    Over-hyped series of kid's films gets another piss poor game. More at 11.

  • dudefella #21 2 years ago

    After reading the review it seems like an entirely reasonable score actually. Must say the demo didn't blow me away either. That they didn't capitalize on the good stuff of the first game is a real shame.

  • Ryboy #22 2 years ago

    Is this even a surprise? Even us fan boys saw this coming.

    Will buy when it's 74p on Steam.

  • WinterSnowblind #23 2 years ago

    This is exactly what I've known would happen since we started hearing about the game.

    They've tried to improve the game in the wrong areas, the gameplay from the first game was fundamentally broken and should have been scrapped. Instead they chose to have more big robot enemies, which look totally out of place in the SW universe, let alone the time period. Why did nobody on the development team realize that the best part of the first game was throwing wookies through trees as Vader?

    THAT'S the experience the game needed to capture all the way through.

    Ontop of that, they've taken the best element of the first game, the story.. and reduced it to the typical SW EU fiction. There's no closure to the story or even any satisfying developments. They just thought it would be cool to meet Yoda, Jabba the Hutt, Boba Fett, etc.. Utter drek.

  • jamieryan75 #24 2 years ago

    shame. i thought the demo was great.

  • neilka #25 2 years ago

    Worse than Ha(n So)lo

  • beastmaster #26 2 years ago

    Being negged on 'Do Not Want'? Hmm...Not heard about the subtitles? I suggest you watch this. Ties into the review caption.

    Or perhaps you just think my comment is shit, which is fair enough.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzqLHiCNr0Q
    Edited by beastmaster at 26/10/10 @ 17:26

  • HoriZon #27 2 years ago

    oh dear..

  • Shikasama #28 2 years ago

    There is an awful lot of talk about the 'the medium' in this review, so much that I can't help but get the feeling you just hate third person adventure games or have unreasonably high expectations given the limited nature of the first game.

    I'll be looking for consistency in the next couple of reviews.

    Saying that, the scoring policy says that a five is average, so if you are a fan of the series or a fan of the story then the game will probably do you just fine after its come down in price.

  • TeaFiend #29 2 years ago

    Review cancelled, will wait for bargain bin. I have plenty of other things to play in the mean time.

  • onyxbox #30 2 years ago

    the criminal part... this will sell more than Vanquish :/

  • Morgawr #31 2 years ago

    Lucasarts should have just let Raven continue the Jedi Knight series, which was far better than this. I think I'll save some money and buy the Jedi Knight Collection on Steam instead of this muck.

  • JohnnyWashnGo #32 2 years ago

    Wow. Thats fifty quid saved right there. Think I'll do what I did with the first game and pick it up when it goes sub twenty quid.

  • radioactive_bumfluff #33 2 years ago

    just as they did with Indiana Jones in South Park, Starkiller is now being raped...

    was thinking of getting this game too, ah well that's one game to cross off my xmas list!

  • Eighthours #34 2 years ago

    The Force Unleashed was not just a very good game...

    I didn't think it was a very good game at all. It was a just-above-average game with a number of serious flaws, made more bearable because it told a cracking yarn. Without the Star Wars licence and decent story, I would never have stuck with it to the end.

  • dsmx #35 2 years ago

    noooooooooo! isn't a pun.

  • bad09 #36 2 years ago

    Any chance of some interesting Star Wars games Lucasarts?

  • andywilkie35 #37 2 years ago

    Wahey! Predictably arse game is arse!

  • technicianTed #38 2 years ago

    As good as an alan wake dlc episode then.

    I was worried what with all the hype the game engine has been getting on eurogamer that the game might not end up being very good anyway.
    I didn't like the original, it lacked something.
    It also looks like the sequel is more of the same.

    It's gonna make the face off pretty pointless now, dodgy games don't deserve a face off.

  • rosshuts #39 2 years ago

    Disappointing, almost as bad as Greedo shooting first!!

  • ZizouFC #40 2 years ago

    They keep taking the Star Wars brand in Alderaan directions.

  • sjmlondon #41 2 years ago

    As someone once said, "I have a bad feeling about this".

    The good feeling is I've just saved £40.

    I shall add it to my rental request list now and a have go on the basis that I enjoyed the first one.

    I have a sneaking feeling this is short because they've held back chapters to be sold as DLC. Pah!
    Edited by sjmlondon at 26/10/10 @ 17:50

  • coolbritannia #42 2 years ago

    These aren't the picture captions you're looking for, move along.

  • lucky_jim #43 2 years ago

    The first game was shit, so is this one, for all its technical hooha. There hasn't been a decent Star Wars game since the KOTOR ones. If you look back further than that, what good Star Wars games have there been? The one on the Gamecube was pretty decent; X-Wing/ Tie Fighter were excellent; and the Atari arcade games were great for the time (and yes, I know I've left the SNES games off that list, that's because they're pretty crap when you take off the rose-tinted specs).

    For a series so old, well-loved, and based around such a rich world to base games in, that's a shite return for thirty years. Why is it so hard to get right?

  • Skurmedel #44 2 years ago

    Spawned some great Star Wars-puns in the comments at least :) Although I'm disappointed nobody's done "a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced" yet.

  • Boomerang #45 2 years ago

    @Raining_Upwards

    Still isn't a pun, buddy. It's a fucking quote.

  • RevanNL #46 2 years ago

    But it's better then Mafia II?

  • Goodfella #47 2 years ago

    I don't care who wrote the review, the first game was dire and this doesn't sound any better.

  • TheTrueSpin #48 2 years ago

    After all the hype EG gave this game on a technical level, I am surprised. I am sure the devs are to, especially after all the interviews you conducted with them to talk about framerate upscaling, AA, motion blur and using the cell processor.

  • asphaltcowboy #49 2 years ago

    Played the demo and I was pretty bored before the end... shame really. Jedi Knight anyone?

  • Lebowski #50 2 years ago

    "Anybody wanna pizza roll?"

  • asphaltcowboy #51 2 years ago

    As for people talking about the Mafia II review... it was a boring game with boring mission design! Get over it!

  • Markitron #52 2 years ago

    ''Yet he also played the central part in an epic tale of Wagnerian proportions, one that brought depth to the pre-Luke portion of the Star Wars timeline – more so than George Lucas' prequels did''

    Im all for having a bit of a go at the prequels, but that statement is just utterly ridiculous

  • Progguitarist #53 2 years ago

    Give this man more reviews please...he's not afraid to call a spade a spade.

  • Entity #54 2 years ago

    The series was bound to exhaust itself someday

    "It's the second game of... two. It's not exactly FIFA is it!?"

    ...and there goes the rest of the sentence that stated that...

    OT: I'm not at all surprised. They'd have to have really pushed the boat out to stop it stagnating.

  • EthanWoods #55 2 years ago

    The first game was "very good" ? It was full to the brim of fights where everyone and everything was resistant to your all-but-one of your attacks, yet you seem to suggest only the sequel had this problem.

    Become strange, your memory has.

  • Sunworship #56 2 years ago

    The rot set in at Lucasarts when they started churning out Star Wars games. Now the licence is diluted to homeopathic levels and is about as effective.

    Do what you should have done years ago and let it die with what little dignity it has left folks!

  • DoctorFouad #57 2 years ago

    disappointing

  • EVERYGAMER #58 2 years ago

    son I am disappoint!

  • Lawlost #59 2 years ago

    XWing Vs Tie Fighter for this generation of consoles please.

  • Shrike #60 2 years ago

    Hm. Not sure where I stand on this, and that's speaking as someone who's running out of time to cancel his pre-order. This is a well written review, but there's an equally-well-written, more detailed and more positive review on Gamesradar that is diametrically opposed to this on a number of points. Crucially, the Gamesradar review was also clearly written by someone who very recently (re)played the first Force Unleashed and offers a pretty technical rundown of why the sequel is the better game. So, I dunno. A rental, maybe?

  • johnteti #61 2 years ago

    @lucky_jim: Obviously, I did like the first Force Unleashed, but I agree with you when you ask, "Why is it so hard to get it right?" I think you've cut to the core question here. I mean, making a quality video game isn't easy by any stretch. But I can't think of a fictional universe more suited for video games than Star Wars. You'd think they'd be getting a little bit more of a return on it.

    @Chaney: You are correct.

    @EthanWoods: You may be right; perhaps my memory is playing tricks on me, although I did replay much of TFU1 before writing this review. The selective-immunity soldiers just didn't strike me as a problem in the first one. There always seemed to be enough wiggle room left in the battle for me to experiment with different crazy moves. Perhaps the device is more crude in TFU2, or maybe it has simply worn thin. It definitely was not fun for me this time through.

  • Ptarmigandalf #62 2 years ago

    Quick Time Events must die.

  • rojjer #63 2 years ago

    This is actually great news! It means I'll be able to finish other games I have then pick this up for cheap sooner rather than later. Despite all the review says, sometimes I want to blow through a game mindlessly, especially if it gives me the illusion that I'm some sort of Jedi Master lol

  • chrisola #64 2 years ago

    The Fail is strong with this one.

  • Genome #65 2 years ago

    Who cares about TFU? Give us what we really want: another Katarn game. Hey, you can even use the Dark Side ending of Jedi Academy as the basis for the plot. Kyle failed to train his apprentice and now we must track him down and stop him.

    That idea is for free, LucasArts. The next one will cost you.

    Or just give us a faithful remake of Dark Forces and Jedi Knight with the TFU engine. I'd buy that. With this one, wait for the bargain bin I shall.

    EDIT: Typos. Me fail English? That's unpossible.
    Edited by Genome at 26/10/10 @ 18:50

  • Darren #66 2 years ago

    Ouch at the score!

    Was very hyped about this game after playing the PS3 demo which I enjoyed. Ironically, I've just had my pre-order for the PC confirmed by GAME a few minutes ago too as it was looking like it wasn't even going to be released in this country as Amazon, ShopTo, Play.com and HMV don't have that version listed. Did they see EG's review then? ;)

  • Shrike #67 2 years ago

    Preorder cancelled. You win this time, games journalism.

  • MadCaddy13 #68 2 years ago

    Well I loved Mafia 2 and since this guy gave it a 4 I'll be nabbing this one

  • Huxamalay #69 2 years ago

    Oh dear, as a fan of the first one (even with its flaws) I was expecting big things

    Bugger

  • ruslan74 #70 2 years ago

    Oh boy, what a tedious review. Did he have his morning coffee? WTF?

    *Goes off to read other reviews*

  • Osahi #71 2 years ago

    ad some high hopes for this one, as I enjoyed the original and count myself as a huge Star Wars fan (yes, I do wave my hand at automatic doors from time to time to pretend I'm opening them with the Force, so what?), but this is the confirmation of my more negative thoughts. Too many bad press came out the last couple of months and the demo was fun, but not great. So yeah, I'll pass and cancel my preorder.

  • Dynamize #72 2 years ago

    Tarkin the piss really, isn't it.

  • EVERYGAMER #73 2 years ago

    @Dynamize

    Oh very good sir have a posi :-)

  • Stompy #74 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 23:13:35 17-04-2012

  • subpc #75 2 years ago

    I'm confused by this review-- it's all over the place.

    I just know that the parts I've played so far are pretty awesome, and definitely better than the first one-- I don't expect every Star Wars game to be a masterpiece to match Epsode IV or anything, but this one is a lot of fun.

  • Shrike #76 2 years ago

    @Stompy

    I actually am the Mirror World John Teti and I find your assumptions about my intelligence very hurtful.

  • telboy007 #77 2 years ago

    Cock, I had high hopes for this...

  • DAN.E.B #78 2 years ago

    Unimpressive!
    ..........most unimpressive!

  • Genyus #79 2 years ago

    Kinda saw this coming, who thought the first part was good anyways?

  • FogHeart #80 2 years ago

    I felt a great disturbance in the 'net, as if millions of preorders cried out in terror and were suddenly cancelled.
    Edited by FogHeart at 26/10/10 @ 22:24

  • coolbritannia #81 2 years ago

    I find your lack of score, disturbing.

  • coolbritannia #82 2 years ago

    You'sa thinking people gonna buy?

  • coolbritannia #83 2 years ago

    This review score is too accurate for Sand People.....

  • Shikasama #84 2 years ago

    Stompy - I think what they were actually getting at was the unreliability of a reviewer who has been caught out somewhat in the past. Your grasp of the literal is impeccable.

  • YenooR #85 2 years ago

    5 is bad.

  • coolbritannia #86 2 years ago

    Good against tech articles is one thing, good against reviews? That's something else.

  • jefranklin18 #87 2 years ago

    And the wait for a decent Star Wars game since Dark Force 2 continues...

  • makeamazing #88 2 years ago

    I have to admit i always take poor reviews with much more of a pinch of salt these days anyway (must be getting old), I wouldn't cancel a pre-order of a game because one site gives a lower than expected review, well, first i would see what everyone else is giving it. I just think people take one review to heart sometimes.

  • Raz76 #89 2 years ago

    I was a big Star Wars fan back in the day, but I'm at the point where I hope they put a lid on the whole thing. Preserve the small amount of dignity it has left. Won't happen though.

  • coolbritannia #90 2 years ago

    It's a fucking crime that the only quote I can think of from the prequels is from Jar-Jar Binks. Fuck off, Lucas.

  • coolbritannia #91 2 years ago

    Buy this game? I'd sooner kiss a wookie.

  • Felwyn #92 2 years ago

    Finally someone with the balls to tell the truth when dealing with overhyped POS.

  • abot #93 2 years ago

    So far a 64 on Metacritic

  • JUNKERDENB #94 2 years ago

    2 wookies 1 cup

  • Goodfella #95 2 years ago

    Obi-Wan: I have something here for you. Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough, but your uncle wouldn't allow it. He feared you might follow old Obi-Wan on some damn fool idealistic crusade like your father did.

    Luke: What is it?

    Obi-Wan: It's a copy of The Force Unleashed II.

    Luke: Noooooooooooooo!

  • M_of_the_sys #96 2 years ago

    Doc! There's something I have to tell you about the future!

    Did I do it right?

  • septimus #97 2 years ago

    Hah. A 5/10 from EG means it will probably play great. Story isn't as good but plays better... I can live with that. The last game didn't get a great review here, but still one of my most replayed games just because it felt good to play.

    But it gives the usual EG reader what they want.

  • byakuya83 #98 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 10:03:41 30-03-2012

  • Iain815 #99 2 years ago

    I expected shit, but not this potent.

  • captainrentboy #100 2 years ago

    Played the first two levels(The second one is quite huge) and I'm really enjoying it so far! Just had my first massive boss fight, which is broken up into 4 or 5 parts, not all of which were massively thrilling but still good fun. If you liked the first one I really can't see why you wouldn't like this one :/ From what I've seem so far, 5 seems harsh, it's easily a 7 or 8 for me.

  • GuitarWolf #101 2 years ago

    "Whoa... Hang on a sec, this guy is the same miserable sod who wrote the Mafia II review. "

    I just planned to skip to the score and read a few comments like I usually do for games I'm never going to buy. Thanks for letting me know it is a John Teti review, definitely gonna read the shit outta this now.
    Edited by GuitarWolf at 26/10/10 @ 23:04

  • randompanda #102 2 years ago

    ZizouFC - God that's good

  • trip919 #103 2 years ago

    Oh my this is surprising. A terrible SW game that is also a sequel to a terrible SW game. Sweet heavens.

  • TheJuriel #104 2 years ago

    This is about what I expected. Tried out the demo, it hadn't fixed any of the first part's problems.

  • jambo74 #105 2 years ago

    May the ROFL be with you

  • coolbritannia #106 2 years ago

    You Lando.....

  • dudefella #107 2 years ago

    Always count on reviews of Star Wars games to have excellent quote puns in the comments

    best thing about these games coming out, really (and I liked the first TFU)

  • coolbritannia #108 2 years ago

    I thought that dudefella. We're already better than Lucasarts, we can make a shit game entertaining!

  • AzureNightmare #109 2 years ago

    Really the only brutal disappointment here is how poorly the review is written. The reviewer here spends way too much time complaining about what he perceives to be faults of the game and not enough time discussing what the game does right. I think this manner of reviewing is just plain wrong and low brow. The game deserves more than this kind of review. A reviewer that tries to rate the game on what he/she thinks it should and shouldn't be and not on what the game doesn't really deserve to write reviews until they realize just what a mistake they are making by not rating the game based on its own strengths and weaknesses. John Teti, you disappoint me and I suggest you take a look at your style of reviewing games and rethink how you're doing things. Become a shining example of how to review games, don't become another statistic of poor videogame journalism.

  • chrisola #110 2 years ago

    ^^ This is not the review you are looking for. Move along.

  • sjmlondon #111 2 years ago

    May the DLC be with you

  • sjmlondon #112 2 years ago

    Remember, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware. Anger, fear, aggression and poor reviews. The dark side are they.

  • darkmorgado #113 2 years ago

    "More problematic is the game's use of space. The Force Unleashed gave players wide-open spaces where they had plenty of room to manipulate objects in three dimensions. Too much of the sequel takes place in relatively cramped corridors, such that using Force Grip is a clumsy affair, like working your recliner sofa through a narrow doorway"

    Ah, that explains why the visuals are of such a high standard then. Smoke and fucking mirrors. Yawn.

    /Disappointed

    Uncharted and Killzone say HI.

  • darkmorgado #114 2 years ago

    This is not the game you're looking for

    /waves hand

  • darkmorgado #115 2 years ago

    Finally someone with the balls to tell the truth when dealing with overhyped POS.

    *COUGH* Fable 2 *COUGH*

  • 3william56 #116 2 years ago

    Modern Star Wars sequel sucking ar$e, with no plot and boring characters? Sounds like it captures the spirit of George's intent right on the money.

    Demo was dire. One minute the bloke is having to take 5 swings at a bog standard stormtrooper and reels at a hand weapon shot, the next he swats a couple of tonnes of fast moving tie-fighter out of the air and shrugs off a artillery sized canon blast. Even Yoda not this could do. Character was stupidly overpowered right from the start, then to make a challenge, they borked it in random ways.

  • 3william56 #117 2 years ago

    Modern Star Wars sequel sucking ar$e, with no plot and boring characters? Sounds like it captures the spirit of George's intent right on the money.

    Demo was dire. One minute the bloke is having to take 5 swings at a bog standard stormtrooper and reels at a hand weapon shot, the next he swats a couple of tonnes of fast moving tie-fighter out of the air and shrugs off a artillery sized canon blast. Even Yoda not this could do. Character was stupidly overpowered right from the start, then to make a challenge, they borked it in random ways.

  • RKOwned #118 2 years ago

    Still gonna rent it. Would like a Face off of the multiplatform versions though.

  • ATNR1 #119 2 years ago

    The force unleashed was one of my most replayed games, of this generation, even though it was flawed, I still enjoyed using the force abilities and generally just fucking with the AI, and of course it was also a replacement for one of my favourite games of the previous generation, Psi Ops. For me to buy this it would just have taken some improvements on the some of the faults, and focusing more on it's strengths, but no, this isn't AC2 or ME2. Damn! With so many good games out right now, I think I will give this a miss.

  • Tonne #120 2 years ago

    john says it's a 5 then it must be an 8 or 9
    if you look at the reviewtrackrecord of the good man.

  • headrush #121 2 years ago

    Hated the demo. Skipping this.

  • phycus #122 2 years ago

    First one was rubbish, not surprised this one is either.

  • muscleblade #123 2 years ago

    There is a bossfight early in the game that makes it all worth it imo. The game is also much better than the original. The story should have been better though.

  • Koborover #124 2 years ago

    I knew it, Lego Star Wars still reigns as the best next-gen Star Wars game.

    The really sad thing is that this game probably sells well again (like the very mediocre TFU1) because it has the Star Wars name. This ensures a future for this weak series, while fans are craving for the good stuff: more Battlefront, Jedi Knight, X-wing, etc.
    Edited by Koborover at 27/10/10 @ 08:37

  • rivuzu #125 2 years ago

    They need to stop spooning us this sour taste we hate and give us some of the good stuff, wrapped in a Jedi Knight shell. Until I see another one of those, no Star Wars game even comes close.

    The Force Unleashed? Hardly. The Force Bound By It's Own Flaws With A Stagnant Lack Of Updated Changes? Sounds more like it. Guess it wouldn't fit on the box though...

  • zuul_ #126 2 years ago

    "Played the first two levels(The second one is quite huge) and I'm really enjoying it so far!."

    Then you played the good stuff, I enjoyed the first two levels a lot, too. Unfortunately, the game drags down once you reach the spaceship, they just throw more and more of the same enemies at you til the end. Totally uninspired and bordering to annoying. The last level even recaps the first one.

    Very confusing that there is such a difference in quality between the two halves of the game. Did they run out of time? How could they have spent so much time on such a VERY short game and still not get it right?

  • HarryPalmer #127 2 years ago

    Demo was boring after about 5 minutes. Review seems spot on.

  • FogHeart #128 2 years ago

    - Reads AzureNightmare's post

    - Checks AzureNightmare's post count

    - Yeah, thought so.

  • spookyzombie #129 2 years ago

    I was playing the PS3 version last night and I've got to tell you that a 5/10 is ridiculous. It improves on the first FU in almost every area. If you played the first one and thought that was a 4/10, then pay attention to EG's score. I think this is no lower than a 7/10.

  • Zerobob #130 2 years ago

    After playing the demo I was massively impressed by the game graphically and even the FMV (I think?) cutscenes blended perfectly with the game so you could barely tell them apart....one of the first times I've seen this.

    However, I wholly agree with the review that the Force Grip targeting issue should have been sorted by now. I find it unbelievable how badly implemented this is and it completely ruins the coolest skill in the game...

    ...and that got me thinking the same thing again. Why do Star Wars games always float like a seal with a shark bite out of it? Every game is fundamentally ruined as far as I can remember, bar Rogue Squadren on the N64 which was fantastic in every way.

    If there is any lineage of game that people want to do well its Star Wars. The series has a lot of fans and I think its safe to say a lot of those fans are gamers. Will there ever be a truly good Star Wars game again? LucasArts...creat "Star Wars: Lightsaber Duel" for PS Move, Kinect and Wii, do a good job of it with your massive resources and watch the money flow and people smile. Please.

  • FreakyZoid #131 2 years ago

    John Teti, you disappoint me
    I am sure he is losing sleep over this.

  • geeza2020 #132 2 years ago

    another lazy kashyyk in :(

  • Darren #133 2 years ago

    @Zerobob - Not played Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic or Star Wars: Jedi Knight then?

    Like most licensed games, the miss ratio far exceeds the hits but there have been a few good Star Wars games over the years IMO. Do you remember the excellent 3D wireframe Atari games? The was even a decent Star Wars game that pretty much ripped of the original Doom's engine too and there was that X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter game.

  • rivuzu #134 2 years ago

    @FogHeart

    My thoughts exactly.

  • muscleblade #135 2 years ago

    John Teti think its better than Mafia 2 atleast, so it cant be that bad.

  • Quint2020 #136 2 years ago

    Ouch, Was kind of looking forward to this as well.......

  • NeoKenzi #137 2 years ago

    The amount of people who would have read this and then cancelled their pre-order must be quite high... I think I'll wait myself now till its super cheap!! It might even get a price drop from various shops now too...

  • JayKwon #138 2 years ago

    People who wanted this and saved some money for this, but now do not want this anymore, should buy Vanquish:).

    It doesn't have the force, but then again, it doesn't need to.

    I do wonder though what will happen with the Force Unleashed 3..

  • slivir #139 2 years ago

    Tried the demo. Immediately shut it off after that ridiculous fall sequence. Way too much crap happening at once. TIE fighters flying out of nowhere lol. Reminds me off Treyarch's COD games. Filling a screen up with explosions and random shit does not impress.

  • DiamondIce #140 2 years ago

    I quite enjoyed the demo but I was never going to buy this straight away.

    The fact that the review is by John Teti leaves me feeling dubious as to whether the game really is as bad as 5/10.

    I take the opinion of the mechanics and features of a game with a pinch of salt since Mr Teti thought the vibration of the 360 pad when your character lands in Limbo was a sweet surprise.

  • Matfink #141 2 years ago

    Lightsaber omnipotency - the elephant in the corner of the Star Wars game design book.

  • Cludge_Monster #142 2 years ago

    I was only going to buy this if it had Star Destroyer necking with his sister....

  • justsomeone #143 2 years ago

    can i just say, not having yet read any of the comments, but having read and enjoyed the review, that i love John Teti reviews. more please. this is not meant as irony by the way, i really do enjoy his unvarnished take on big releases.

  • coolbritannia #144 2 years ago

    Azure Nightmare, are you the same Brad Mosbacher who is a features editor at Nintendo World Report? No Tweets I see....

  • raion #145 2 years ago

    Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy weren't particularly good games either, but once you fired up the lightsaber and rushed the crowd it didn't matter, because they were so much fun to play.
    you know "fun", lucasarts? maybe you should look into that.
    plus, dismembrement and lightsaber duels. all of you young'uns! donwload the Jedi Outcast demo and see for yourself what's a fun star wars game!

  • andromeda #146 2 years ago

    just give up on Star Wars altogether and make Star Trek games.

  • rayscoota #147 2 years ago

    Is there no PC UK release of this game? cant find it listed anywhere and steam are only selling to the us, whats going on?

  • EVERYGAMER #148 2 years ago

    I have to say having played this to about half way (I'm guessing) I have found it to be a marked improvement on the first game in every area. I cant help but think that people looking back on the original are guilty of rose tinted specs syndrome. TFUII is to TFU what Empire was to Starwars. Its a plot designed to get inside the head of the central character. It is not without very good reason that lucasarts brought back the 2 icons from Empire strikes back in order to strengthen this link in peoples minds. (I'm expecting a slew of "I didnt know Lando was in this game jokes";)
    I'm gonna throw out an idea here, good Starwars games dont necessarily have to have you visiting a dozen different planets and systems (Starwars never really had people going between more than 3 to 4 in any film) and they dont have to have you saving a planet or defeating a dark jedi or the emperor everytime. They dont even need to give you the choice between the light and dark side. They need to fulfil the simple role of feeling Starwars. This game does that very well indeed. They fixed the iffy force grip so you can now aim it alot better and they now allow you to force grab all projectiles, be they missiles, force projectiles or even blobs of carbonite! I agree with the review about the basic some enemies can only be hurt by the force/some enemies can only be hurt by lightsabres combat mechanic but I played the original game and as I recall the majority of the time you would just hit X twice and then Y for lightening and keep spamming that until the enemies were dead or just hold down Y for force lightening on the large robots or rancors! And dont get me started on the boss battles I still grind my teeth remembering how badly designed they were.
    Edited by EVERYGAMER at 27/10/10 @ 18:03

  • man.the.king #149 2 years ago

    @Skurmedel

    "Although I'm disappointed nobody's done "a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced" yet."

    That's probably because you got the "suddenly silenced" part wrong.

    Those voices? They are just starting... :)

  • tincanrocket #150 2 years ago

    With the amount of cheese in this game it sounds like they should have called it Star Wars: The Foreskin Unleashed II - What Lies Beneath Darth's Helmet?

    har-dee-har-har

  • Farzlepot #151 2 years ago

    andromeda - just give up on Star Wars altogether and make Star Trek games.

    Yeah. Because that worked well in the past!

  • Skorms-Boss #152 2 years ago

    got it, love it, reviewer can get stuffed!

  • CosmicCracker #153 2 years ago

    I can never understand how Star Wars can be such an awesome series and yet no body ever makes a GREAT game for it.
    WHY?

  • Xardan #154 2 years ago

    Hilarious how crap like this gets more comments than the fantastic fable 3.

  • actionfitz #155 2 years ago

    " brutal disappointment"

    you called it :(

  • coomber #156 2 years ago

    "EGers grasp of logic is impeccable:

    1) John Teti didn't like Mafia 2
    2) I did like Mafia 2
    3) Therefore I am the opposite of John Teti, and will like what he does not

    I presume that John Teti craps out of his bum, does your crap oppositely come out of your face? You idiots."

    I think you need to work on your own logic. Something like this:

    1) John Teti didn't like Mafia 2
    2) I did like Mafia 2
    3) Therefore my opinion on games varies greatly to his
    4) Stompy is a prick.
    Edited by coomber at 28/10/10 @ 08:04

  • muscleblade #157 2 years ago

    @EVERYGAMER

    I agree with some of your points. I too thouth i was half way through and went to the chapter select too see how many was left. One was left and i have been playing for a couple of hours. This game is shorter than Vanquish but i dont mind cause of all the other releases lately. The 5 minute Dagobath level is one of the nine btw. I thouth i was on chapter 4 when i was on chapter 8 LOL. Otherwise the game is decent and more than a 5 in my book.

  • EVERYGAMER #158 2 years ago

    @muscleblade

    Yes the game as stated in the review is a lot shorter than the original (sneeze and you'll miss Degobah). However I am of the age now where it is actually a blessing for me to be able to complete a game in under 10 hours as with work and other commitments I just dont have the time to play 30 hour epic games. *looks back with misty eyes to when he was a teen in university sinking hours and hours into FFVII and Ocarina of Time*

  • lonelyfrenchy #159 2 years ago

    I only say this : please, Lucas, I want another sequel to KOTOR !

  • cardboardMonster #160 2 years ago

    I've been playing it this weekend and I agree 100% with the review. It's when you get about halfway through and suddenly you don't feel like you're controlling a badass anymore. You're just some chump who's more than likely to get taken down by enemies immune to your supposedly infinite force powers while you get sniped from range and torched by giant robots. It's just not fun anymore. It's like they took the hideous Death Star hangar bit from the end of Force Unleashed 1 and thought, "this is great - let's make a whole game like this".

    The first game, flawed as it was, revelled in its strengths - this game seems determined to shoot itself in the foot and make playing a slog rather than fun. It's a genuine shame as the production values are through the roof and Star Wars fans will appreciate the little details, even if they are just ticking the fan service boxes. Quite gutted in truth as I'd been really looking forward to this!

  • byron_hinson #161 2 years ago

    Well seemed like a four hour game - jesus what a waste. Graphics engine was great and it looked spectacular at times, but repeated environments in a game less than 5 hours long? Awful

  • gaselite #162 2 years ago

    Can we have a new Dark Forces now please?