Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Review

By Johnny Minkley Published 15 September, 2008

Delusions of grandeur?

Version tested: Xbox 360

Well, they weren't lying: the events of The Force Unleashed will change your understanding of the original Star Wars trilogy. The game has, of course, been relentlessly hawked to fans as much for its narrative promise as its gameplay. And the team can be forgiven for a little over-zealousness: the title's Episodes III and IV-bridging plot is fully Lucas-authorised and canon. It fills in the blanks between Palpatine's formation of the Galactic Empire and the fall of Anakin Skywalker, and the creation of a Rebel Alliance to strike back at the newly operational Death Star.

Moreover, we have been promised that the story of Darth Vader's secret apprentice would shed new light on the final three cinematic chapters of the saga. And while it was never going to be an "I am your father" moment, The Force Unleashed pulls this off with élan through a darkly ironic twist at its climax.

LucasArts' other grand promise for the game has been emancipation from the restrictive, wishy-washy moral code of the Jedi order with an experience that is indiscriminate in its application of the mantra, "Kicking ass with the Force." You can't argue with the sales pitch, and if you've been paying attention to our earlier previews and the trailers, you should already have an inkling that the studio has made good on that, too.

The concern has always been whether stunning looks and spectacular physics would translate into a great game. And, despite moments of riotous, blissfully creative carnage, The Force Unleashed ultimately falls short of its lofty ambitions - despite a concerted effort to Jedi mind-trick you into acquiescence.

'Star Wars: The Force Unleashed' Screenshot beast

What a terrifying beast! Until you realise it has forgotten how to move, so you can just chuck your lightsaber at it. Oh.

It all gets off to a cracking start. We've already enthused in detail about the opening mission, but it merits a restating. In search of a rogue Jedi on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk, you guide a striding, imperious Darth Vader through what amounts to a Force-wielder's adventure playground, with scores of Chewy's brethren offering themselves up for your murderous amusement.

As a statement of intent it's pitch-perfect. You can fling Wookiees hundreds of yards at the press of a button, impale them on a hurled lightsaber, lift, aim and throw huge rocks with ease, and smash through massive barricades with the Force. Debate all you like whether the dark side is stronger: it's indisputably cooler, and this feels like a watershed moment in the franchise's videogame history.

The downside to this bravura introduction is that when you take control of the apprentice and the adventure proper begins, you suddenly find yourself stripped of many of the powers you have just been applying with sick glee.

This is narratively consistent - you are, after all, just a student layabout - but it is nevertheless something of a comedown after the initial superheroics. The other reason for this is that The Force Unleashed's combat system is progressive, allowing you to upgrade Force and melee techniques as you earn more points.

'Star Wars: The Force Unleashed' Screenshot traipsing

Wish you were here? Unlike the instant appeal of classic locations, traipsing through the bland, mushroom world of Felucia is a drag!

Each time you level up you earn currency to spend on upgrades to Force powers, combos and talents. The system is flexible and broad enough to suggest a range of different strategies depending on how you prefer to play: do you max out your health bar first? Speed up your recovery of Force energy (there's a meter that drains every time you use special powers)? Stick to the hands-off approach and pour resources into super-charging Force Grip?

Tantalising you with this here's-what-you-could-win glimpse of the dark side is certainly effective. But given the length of the experience (more on that later), this drip-feeding of powers feels a little odd in a game supposed to be about the Force being unleashed.

The game is at its best when there's an opportunity for you to wield your powers creatively. The much-heralded Digital Molecular Matter physics system underpinning the experience does not disappoint, and you can interact with the environment in many satisfying ways.

With Force Grip, your projectiles can range from small crates, rocks and droids to huge boulders, large structures, and great chunks of vegetation. But there are few things as pleasing as grabbing a Wookiee or a Stormtrooper and swishing them around in mid-air as their limbs flail wildly, before either shooting them skywards, into each other, or frying them with Force lightning before smashing them into the ground. And there is something indescribably wonderful about plucking a soaring TIE Fighter out of the sky and dragging it to its destruction.

The controls are mostly slick: you grab on to a locked-on item using the right trigger on 360 (the version reviewed here). Then it's the left stick to move the object backwards and forwards, and the right stick for up and down. You can either set it down gently by releasing the trigger, or point in the desired direction and release to fling it. While it works most of the time, this latter option proved frustratingly hit and miss on occasion - with objects flying off in anything but the direction intended, seemingly locked-on to an enemy elsewhere in the area.

What works at a distance, does start to go a bit wrong up close. Trying to use Force Grip in the heat of battle in a confined space can become an irritating exercise in chance thanks to a temperamental auto-locking mechanic. And the illogically fixed camera angles used during several boss fights only exacerbate the problem. Still, overall, the moments of Force-flinging delight outweigh these gripes.

Lightsaber combat is less rewarding and rarely rises above mindless button-bashing. It's initially satisfying (what's not to like about cutting down hordes of walking carpets with your laser sword?) but ultimately shallow.

LucasArts' solution is to provide numerous moves to learn via the upgrade system, accessed via button-combos. But while some of these look cool, there's little strategic depth: it's still button-bashing, however you dress it up. At this point it will boil down to how you choose to play: you may want to unlock absolutely everything and use a different attack on every enemy you encounter. No doubt you'll glean enjoyment from that, but it won't materially facilitate your progress through the game.

'Star Wars: The Force Unleashed' Screenshot jedis

The Force, unleashed. Still think Jedis are cool?

I hate Quick Time Events. You may not, but in any case you should know The Force Unleashed is riddled with them. Every boss battle ends with a small series of tediously unchallenging button sequences to match, so your foe can be despatched with a scripted flourish. I understand the dramatic purpose behind QTEs, but as a gameplay substitute they stink. When you're too busy focusing on the symbols to watch large chunks of the directed sequences, what exactly is the point?

More disappointing, though, is the reliance on QTEs for some of your more challenging foes in general gameplay (of which there are many). What is a dramatically acceptable way of tying up a major game moment becomes an annoying distraction mid-level. This is a game that gives you incredible powers with which to manipulate your environment in ever more creative ways, and then repeatedly snaps you out of the action to idly stab at a few buttons so it can show the sequence where you chop the AT-ST in half again.

Doubtless there are balancing reasons behind this but, given the technology driving the game, it seems a shame the designers couldn't come up with a workable way for our apprentice to, say, pull apart an AT-ST in real-time.

Balance is probably the main issue with The Force Unleashed. As highlighted in the opening mission, your kick-ass powers can devastate scores of enemies with little effort. So to create challenge, the developer seeks to overwhelm the player with numbers; in the game's larger spaces you will routinely be faced with enemies attacking you from all sides.

'Star Wars: The Force Unleashed' Screenshot proxy

No apprentice is complete without an irritating android sidekick. Proxy is a holodroid, and responsible for some big moments late on...

For example, in an Imperial hangar you might have around 20 Stormtroopers gunning for you - some energy-shielded and packing deadly rapid-fire weapons. Meanwhile there's an AT-ST stomping around, using a gravity gun to chuck metal crates in your direction, while snipers on a higher level take potshots with laser-guided rifles. The only way out is to use your Force powers on a door lock and, as it stands, you can't stand still for more than a couple of seconds.

At times like this, The Force Unleashed is magic: the sheer volume and variety of enemies clashes with your own explosive dark powers to produce some wonderfully intense, memorable encounters. If only more of the game played out at this level. And it's during the outdoor stages that you begin to realise how much trickery is involved.

When you have room to manoeuvre, the game's generally low difficulty is all too apparent. The scale and detail of the environments are regularly stunning; the flipside is that you can see groups of enemies and target them from afar with projectiles before they even remember they're holding guns, allowing you to clear the way ahead without breaking sweat.

Enemy AI is laughably bad at times. It's cute to watch Stormtroopers desperately grabbing onto each other to avoid being blown away by your Force powers, but apart from that their primary directive seems to be to stand still and fire. LucasArts clearly hopes you won't really notice this when facing down a small army, but doesn't always get away with it.

One particularly dumb moment sticks in the mind: faced with a marauding Rancor, I quickly ran away and turned back to attack from a distance. The beast had stopped dead in its tracks, but was still perfectly in range for my lightsaber throw. I just repeated the move until it collapsed without argument. It's on occasions like this that the mask begins to slip.

The Force Unleashed's best levels are, unsurprisingly, those set in locations instantly familiar to Star Wars fans, and it's here the unalloyed thrill of authenticity enables you to overlook some of the game's flaws. They are brought into sharp relief, however, when it comes to the unfamiliar. Felucia is a case in point: infinitely less iconic both in landscape and inhabitants when compared with other areas in the game, and if it wasn't for the lightsaber in your character's hand and the clever physics, this could be any old third-person action title from recent years.

You also realise how uninspired and linear much of the basic level design is: again, without the tingle of familiarity the game is regularly revealed as a succession of large rooms and corridors, filled with grunts to clear. My issues with the weak AI were compounded when, weary of the slog across the bland mushroom planet, I decided to leg it ahead. I discovered I could make it through vast areas without so much as a scratch, and without anyone bothering to follow me.

'Star Wars: The Force Unleashed' Screenshot cloud

While you ponce around Cloud City, you can guarantee Lando's already cracking on to your pilot.

LucasArts would probably argue this misses the point of the experience entirely, but I would counter by saying the conceit can only work if the gameplay is consistently thrilling and engaging. It isn't. The other thing you miss by taking the lazy coward's option is currency with which to upgrade your powers (gained by slaying enemies as well as sniffing out concealed pick-ups). But, playing on the default difficulty setting (the second of four), this did not impact my ability to sail through the game with very little trouble.

The Force Unleashed is not a difficult game (and the challenge added on the higher settings is artificial rather than a case of smartening up the stupid enemies), and it's also not an especially long one. I completed it the first time around in a couple of evenings, the end arriving rather abruptly. But notice that I said the first time.

Linear and relatively straightforward the game may be, but the indisputable joy of applying Force powers to the world was enough to draw me back in for a second pop. Commendable details reveal themselves the more you take your time: smash a crate through a window on a space station, for instance, and the subsequent vacuum will suck nearby stormtroopers out before a metal shutter quickly slams down and regulates the atmosphere. Playfulness is rewarded in spades.

And herein lies the biggest problem: for all the rich possibilities thrown up by a muscular game engine, taking advantage is all too often inessential to progress and so many will coast through the game without noticing the finer points. And the painful lack of multiplayer only serves to underline this.

'Star Wars: The Force Unleashed' Screenshot crap

We can't help but wonder: what does Vader do when he needs a crap?

Technical prowess, however impressive, is not an adequate substitute for engaging game design. Playing through The Force Unleashed for a second time, I was reminded of Dan Whitehead's neat summary of Assassin's Creed on PC as "a 6/10 experience wrapped up in a 9/10 game engine". Ubisoft Montreal made the dangerous assumption that people would savour the game as the developer believed it ought to be experienced, and that's also true of LucasArts' effort.

But this is a Star Wars game and, in narrative terms, the most significant ever released. The stunning quality of the cinematics is everything you'd expect from a developer that shares office space with LucasFilm and Industrial Light & Magic, and the story is told with compelling vigour and convincing flair. The denouement is also fantastic, and it's worth noting that there is a second, non-canon ending on offer, depending on a decision you make in the final stage.

The introduction of memorable new characters like Proxy, the apprentice's beleaguered holodroid, and the smart and deliciously surprising deployment of familiar faces is expertly handled. And, for longtime fans of the fiction, the cathartic delight of slaughtering helpless Ugnaughts, Jawas and Wookiees cannot be overstated.

It gets an extra point, then, from this Star Wars obsessive for the story and the mostly magnificent recreation of the universe. As a fan you will want to experience what The Force Unleashed has to offer. It's just a shame that while there are occasional moments of brilliance when everything falls into place, they're not quite enough to back up the game's delusions of grandeur.

7 / 10

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Picture of Johnny.

About Johnny Minkley

Eurogamer TV's Johnny Minkley is a veteran journalist with a lifelong passion for games and the games industry. He uses Twitter more than most people use air.

Read more articles from Johnny by visiting the Johnny Minkley archive page.

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Comments (116) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Chrono-Kun #1 3 years ago

    First comment...

    I was shocked though. I thought it would get at most a 5/10 >.>

  • Aretak #2 3 years ago

    So a 6/10 if you're not all that arsed about Star Wars. Seems about right from the demo.

  • hiddenranbir #3 3 years ago

    QTE are next gen!

  • KingOfIceland #4 3 years ago

    Totally saw that coming. Still picking this up, I think I can handle the sloppy combat and wonky controls.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/08 @ 11:36

  • Widge #5 3 years ago

    So an ok game really, which is a bit of a shame if your shopping list is a bit chocka already.

  • Dizzy #6 3 years ago

    From the demo I assumed this would be slaughtered. I guess a 7 is the best it could hope for.

  • DanWhitehead #7 3 years ago

    While they've gone to considerable lengths to make glass that breaks like glass, the actual gameplay physics is often borderline broken. I've had four game-breaking bugs so far - usually because some object fails to load (such as the Imperial base which provided an invisible barrier) or because some character has fallen out of the gameworld. I killed one of the boss characters by sending him sailing into an abyss, but that doesn't allow for the QTE finale, so the game just left me there, stranded and alone in an inescapable arena. Add in the near constant scenery snags and wretched camera, and you've got a horribly half-arsed game. Mucking about with the Force and lightsabers is only fun for so long.

  • Chrono-Kun #8 3 years ago

    I'm guessing the guys at Eurogamer are pretty much screwed up.

    Oh well... I'll wait for Gamecentral's review =P That will bound to get slaughtered

  • napalm68 #9 3 years ago

    Sounds pretty cool actually.

    I loathe QTEs as well. The author put it very well.

  • Godz_Mercenary #10 3 years ago

    Stupid Star Wars game.

  • monty2k #11 3 years ago

    In the final game, can I slice a Stormtrooper in half with a lightsabre?

    I couldn't in the demo and that is such a major deal breaker for me.

  • Colin8703 #12 3 years ago

    I was playing the full game over the weekend and enjoyed it alot more than the demo. I'd even go as far as to give it an 8 as it was so much fun.

    Not sure about longevity yet but throwing bad guys all over the shop is great. the controls have been tweeked a bit since the demo also as the force is that bit easier to implement.

  • gaselite #13 3 years ago

    This is pretty much the exact same vibe I was getting from the demo, which is disappointing because I had been looking forward to it for such a long time.

    The technology backing this game though is undeniably great and I would desperately love to see Jedi Knight 3 on PC with this same game engine. JK2 was ridiculous fun and if they could tap into that with this technology and marry it with the crazily fun, occasionally inane (but in a good way) lightsabre combat of old rather than the button mashing, finesse-lacking mess of an experience I had with this demo it'd be a must buy. I hope someone's listening, seems like a no brainer to me.

  • menage #14 3 years ago

    @Colin

    Longevity is overated. How many time did I run through DMC1 or 3, or GOW 1 and 2. Once that is.

    Replayvalue in this day and age. Before I finish a game I already bought a new one.

    Still, this doesn't seem to be my cup of tea. I do like some decent ai.

  • rufus_the_stunt_bum #15 3 years ago

    @ lavalant

    Agree with you on that, the demo was very bland. 5/10 imo.

  • DanWhitehead #16 3 years ago

    In the final game, can I slice a Stormtrooper in half with a lightsabre?

    I couldn't in the demo and that is such a major deal breaker for me.

    One of my major gripes with the game, from a fan perspective, is how they've botched the balance of the game. They want you to be able to do all these ludicrous things with the Force, but that would make the game an absolute walkover. So pretty much every character suddenly has shields that can block lightsabers or make them immune to Force attacks, so you get the baffling situation where a powerful Sith apprentice can be killed by bloody Greedo and his pals. And yet, at the same time, you're able to pull starships out of the sky but your Force Push attack isn't enough to kill a Stormtrooper.

    Oh, and there's a robot that can use the Force. Not sure how that works.

  • Merlinho #17 3 years ago

    I want to play for the canon...but the gameplay does not sound inspiring at all. Short enough for a rent and complete by the sounds of it?

  • Colin8703 #18 3 years ago

    My thought's on longevity are if i think it will keep me playing until the end. It's very rare for me to want to revisit a game once it's finished. My games collection consists of over 50 xbox games but i've completed so few it's embarassing.

    I just keep buying them.

  • chudders #19 3 years ago

    The wait goes on...

    Bring back Tie Fighter.

  • monty2k #20 3 years ago

    @ DanWhitehead: Cheers for the reply!

  • Prodigy_BE #21 3 years ago

    Another sucky Star Wars release, and EG being extra friendly not to get in trouble with Activision when it comes to banner income and stuff. This franchise deserves so much better...

  • Chtulie #22 3 years ago

    You give a game an extra point for being a licenced game?
    I see a certain person being requested by a lot of publishers to be the one on review of a lot of movie marketing games for the foreseeable future.

  • RandomTerrain #23 3 years ago

    Well, I have to say, this sounds very disappointing.
    It sounds like they got off to a great start with the games engine, then decided that was all they really needed game play wise and got lazy. Really lazy.
    I may pick it up from a bargain bin one day. But probably won't.

  • mingster #24 3 years ago

    So not as good as Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast.
    Just redo this lightsabre star wars game including LIVE multiplayer and you'll have a hit.

  • RandomTerrain #25 3 years ago

    From what Dan says in the comments above, no way does this deserve a 7. Sounds very broken. Insulting to fans.

  • StooMonster #26 3 years ago

    Saw the final version of this title at my friend's house yesterday on his Xbox 360 -- and people say that piracy on the PC is rife!

    It looked very good ... although would be improved if Stormtroopers et al were cut into pieces by light sabre rather than bouncing about; and the disappearing scenery is annoying too.

    I want to see EUROGAMER comparison of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions: resolution, refresh, tearing, etc. please!

  • Quint2020 #27 3 years ago

    Exactly what I was expecting from the demo.

    Veto.

  • Aretak #28 3 years ago

    Is this the first review Johnny's ever written for the site, incidentally? I had a look at his contributor page and there aren't any others listed there.

  • zuljin #29 3 years ago

    I was looking forward to this, but the QTEs are a deal breaker for me. Sounds stupid I know, but Mercs 2 reminded me of how utterly pointless they are, and how they add absolutely nothing to the game.

  • mingster #30 3 years ago

    Lol.. @ Stoomonster
    I too went round someones house yesterday and they had the 'final' version.
    Which they acquired for £5 from a market.
    360 piracy is as easy as the PC i'm sure.

  • Strifer #31 3 years ago

    Lucasarts, where art thou? Stricken by commercial success, your corpse flails.

  • penhalion #32 3 years ago

    Like I originally said. I knew this was going to be sub-standard when your lightsaber couldn't even cut a stormtrooper in half. After that, you just knew that this was not going to be that great.

  • charliemouse #33 3 years ago

    Wookiee is spelt with 2 'e's Mr. Minkley.

  • space_ace #34 3 years ago

    so, jedi outcast outclasses yet another forced star wars game?

  • Blackthorned #35 3 years ago

    Yep, bring back Tie Fighter.

  • bonker #36 3 years ago

    I see EG still haven't sacked the utter cunt who arse-fucked the images page such that I haven't been able to look at a page of game images on EG for months now ...

    Please sort out the images page so it's actually useable ...

  • JonFE #37 3 years ago

    Have to admit that I was tempted by it, but the demo left me a bit cold. This review and -especially- Dan's comments just cement my initial reaction to the demo - maybe once it hits the bargain bins...

  • Vanmunt #38 3 years ago

    defo getting this, really liked the demo................ just finished the '5' Infinate Undiscovery, really enjoyed that and hated your perfect 10 Braid.. go figure.

  • sickpuppysoftware #39 3 years ago

    Sounds like ideal rental fodder to me.

  • michaelius #40 3 years ago

    Hehe owned.
    Looks like buy used copy when it comes in platinum series title :)

  • viper_h #41 3 years ago

    One word: It's Star Wars.

    Pre-ordered.

  • iago71 #42 3 years ago

    Hmmm...... I really hoped (in a pessimistic kind of way) that this would be the game to break the ongoing tradition of crap Star Wars games. Just as I thought - Still Im tempted to rent purely for the story and so on, though I know Ill regret it.

    Well as a couple of others on this thread have said..... TIE Fighter please!!!!!! With full online treatment...... Like it ll ever happen though.

    What happened to Lucas Arts ???? Surely they can get it right someday.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/08 @ 12:51

  • DFawkes #43 3 years ago

    I really don't get EG scoring anymore, they should just stop. Though I'd argue all review sources should drop the scoring.

    I'd still buy it when it inevitably gets cheaper, but I still have to finish some of the really good Star Wars games first.

  • Ranger101 #44 3 years ago

    Can someone please post a spoiler-tagged/hidden spoiler as to what the ending is for this game.

  • MaxHughes #45 3 years ago

    Wow! Only 7/10 =/ Still going to get the game though!

  • kapowaz #46 3 years ago

    It's shocking to me that over five years later, no game featuring swordplay has surpassed The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Every time I fire that up, I'm enthralled. Just go do the fencing minigame for a bit and see how many strikes you can get in without dying; this is swordplay at its finest, and it's a real shame that the only way other games seem to want to do it is with QTEs.

    By the way, the initially-powerful-then-stripped-of-powers routine is hardly new, and shouldn't necessarily lead to a poor game. One of my all-time favourite games — Castlevania: Symphony of the Night — does this, and it's all the better for it. Giving the player a taste of the power they can tap within the game, then letting them explore it themselves is a great teaser. It's obvious that in the case of SW:TFU they've just not done it right, amongst many other issues.

  • paketep #47 3 years ago

    The note doesn't seem to agree with the review.

    I'll understand it as a 5/10 if you are not into SW (or left after the bastardizing Lucas has done since the prequels).

  • ccfb #48 3 years ago

    "Oh, and there's a robot that can use the Force. Not sure how that works. "

    Midi-chlorians. Dur.

  • onyxbox #49 3 years ago

    i could get into this but I think I'll wait for it to land in the bargain bins... there's just too much stuff coming out in Oct & Nov so I have got to prioritise and I think this one falls short.

    Pick it up in the new year when the winter rush is over.

  • Beano #50 3 years ago

    Gametrailers.com bashed this game. Mentions loads of bugs and glitches as the main reason.

    Video review here: [link url=http:// www.gametrailers.com/player/39954.html
    ]http://ww w.gametrailers.com/player/39954...[/link]

    I'm gonna wait and get this on sale or used... does not sound like it's worth the full price.

  • des #51 3 years ago

    Star Wars:Lol

  • dr_faulk #52 3 years ago

    And I was expecting such a big turn around for Lucas Arts...

  • Darren #53 3 years ago

    I thought the demo was good (hated the QTE boss at the end though!) but I won't be buying the full game, I can't really be bothered with it and this review and other reviews imply that it's far from essential anyway. Sounds like a good game to pick up once it hits the £20 price point but it's not something I'm willing to pay full-price for.

    So, for me, the wait goes on for Pure, a game I really cannot wait to play...

  • saku_luk #54 3 years ago

    Jedi Knight - Jedi Academy is still the best game for me :/

  • 3william56 #55 3 years ago

    Surprised. The graphics on the PS3 demo are nice, but the use of the force grip is too angular, and just looks unnatural. And the basic indestructibility (can take massive amounts of rapid fire from the walker because you have to stand still using force push) just breaks the immersion. A Jedi/Sith whatever isn't superman, and if Alec Guiness can get shishkebabed by a sabre swipe, you'd think a Tie Fighter laser in the mush would sort out an apprentice.

    Jeez I wish devs would come up with something more interesting than a health bar getting worn down by zillions of hits. It ends up like an episode of the A Team - massive firepower and noise to no effect. Particularly when it applies to enemies - a stormtrooper needing half a dozen sabre swipes to drop, which a single swish should slice him in half. Make it harder to hit, but more damage. Same net effect, more realistic mechanic.

    Sorry, not even a funky story will have this one getting bought.

    "You're Fired"

  • knightmt #56 3 years ago

    I will still be renting this.

  • UncleLou #57 3 years ago

    So this is the game that allegedly would need a 3000 US$ PC to run, which is why there's no PC version. Hehe. A likely story.

  • zuul_ #58 3 years ago

    Very good review. I finished the game over the weekend and I can 100% agree with what's been said in the review.

    Awesome Star Wars atmosphere, but stuff like being able to just ignore enemies, stupid QTE, artificially making the game harder by just throwing tons of enemies in later levels, the ABYSMAL plant world... And sucky chain knockdowns by certain enemy attacks. Gah... those ruin the fun.

    I did not encounter bugs thou, thou sometimes my force powers just wouldnt work, but that might be due to the sucky autotargeting.

  • PlugMonkey #59 3 years ago

    It's cute to watch Stormtroopers desperately grabbing on to each other to avoid being blown away by your Force powers, but apart from that their primary directive seems to be to stand still and fire.

    Heh heh. Have you ever seen a Star Wars film? I'm pretty sure seeking cover must be a court martial offense for Stormtroopers.

    And herein lies the biggest problem: for all the rich possibilities thrown up by a muscular game engine, taking advantage is all too often inessential to progress and so many will coast through the game without noticing the finer points.

    This doesn't bother me, frankly. I'm sick of games putting in 'hidden'' things for me to discover and then sign posting them to the point of visibility from outer space. If you want to give imaginative players the feeling of discovery you have to make it so that unimaginative ones might miss it altogether. Sod 'em. :)

    It's a combat game, with crap combat mechanics? You can't just give it extra marks because it's star wars, and I was so looking forward to a 5/10.

    You can if it makes the experience more fun.

    In the final game, can I slice a Stormtrooper in half with a lightsabre?

    I couldn't in the demo and that is such a major deal breaker for me.

    That really bugged me in the demo as well. Droids get neatly sliced in two, but stormtroopers are impervious? If I couldn't slice the droids up, I wouldn't notice as much.

  • 1Dgaf #60 3 years ago

    Wouldn't it have been better to mark the game 6/10, but include in the review 'Star Wars fans can add an extra point on for the story'?

  • symmetry #61 3 years ago

    Expected this score but pre-ordered it anyway on the strength of the demo, which I played though about 4 times.

    Good fun!

  • iago71 #62 3 years ago

    LOL @ Bonker.......

  • schachmatt #63 3 years ago

    So will loads of other people sending the message.

    A proper Pc developer could probably do so much with this prototype version.

  • Gearskin #64 3 years ago

    ... I AM YOUR DADDY!

  • TedMoseby #65 3 years ago

    Having played the demo, I found it all a bit underwhelming. Given a blaster rifle and better controls, along with some much more diverse sabering skills, that hanger would have been stripped of enemies in half the time it takes to grab something - move it into position - throw it at someone; rinse and repeat etc. It seems as if the game has been built around the physics engine, rather than the engine having been designed to support the gameplay.

    Certainly won't be buying this for a while, especially with Fable 2 and Fallout 3 on the horizon (although dare I say it, hopes may well be dashed with those as well!)

    I can't help but think that if LucasArts were to retool Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy with the Force Unleashed engine, a whole lot of people would be happy.

  • Krelle #66 3 years ago

    @menage:

    Couldnt agree more.
    I actually have time finish short games. Around 7 hours is the sweetspot for me. Could even be shorter (3-4h) if the quality is top notch. Like Braid.

  • GordonCaladan #67 3 years ago

    Star Wars:Lol

    Sums up my thoughts about the downward spiral of this franchise perfectly.

  • PlugMonkey #68 3 years ago

    Sums up my thoughts about the downward spiral of this franchise perfectly.

    Why on earth would that make you 'lol'? Unless you were an utter cretin.

  • Gearskin #69 3 years ago

    And how can you consider the "downward spiral" of a franchise that has banked INSANE amounts of money for more than 20 years?

    Unless you were slightly retarded?

    Star Wars > You. George Lucas > You.

    He built his own freakin' Empire off the back of this, the reach of which extends far beyond just Star Wars.

  • Snidesworth #70 3 years ago

    Good mixed with bad, then. Style over substance by the sound of things, though still good fun. Think I might pick it up later after it's dropped in price.

  • HoriZon #71 3 years ago

    I still fancy it though with nothing out for me till Oct 24th for FC2, i do have CoD4 to play though, really not interested the online part minds. Also got The Darkness to sniff though but this is SW man!!

    Cancel pre-order? hmmm cant decide, seen a few views now and some video reviews yeah it sounds linear and dull in places and apparently has a load of bugs but what games dont have bugs? i loved AC and that was very linear to.

    For me 7-8 hours is gaming heaven games that go on to long i get bored of.

  • hiddenranbir #72 3 years ago

    How did you give this a seven?

  • Miths #73 3 years ago

    "tediously unchallenging button sequences"

    "The Force Unleashed is not a difficult game"

    Count me in then. Sounds like a game I might actually enjoy (and I had a blast with the demo) and finish, rather than one where I give up in frustration half way through because I'm a crappy gamer :p.

  • Razz #74 3 years ago

    7/10 is a little high after that review.

  • creepylizard #75 3 years ago

    but surely the most important question is, do the bodies vanish once you've killed an enemy? its always bugged me when they do....
    which is a problem as this happens in 99% of games....

  • Trafford #76 3 years ago

    A real shame.LA were wearing some pretty big pants in the run up to this.

    I must resist for now.

  • PlugMonkey #77 3 years ago

    creepy - you should definitely play STALKER, if you haven't already. After one particularly epic gunbattle I spent 10 minutes dragging the bodies into a neat pile so I could keep track of which one's I had looted.

    There really is no better navigational landmark than a corpse cairn at a key junction.

    (Remember: It's always good country craft so add a new corpse to the top of a cairn every time you pass, to maintain it for yourself and other hikers)

  • Sar #78 3 years ago

    Good for a rental tbh.

  • creepylizard #79 3 years ago

    @plugmonkey

    sounds good, actually. I sadly, only have the360 though.......

  • quantumsheep #80 3 years ago

    So does it unlock a character in Soul Calibur IV then???

  • septimus #81 3 years ago

    Loved the demo so still getting it.

  • OnlyMe #82 3 years ago

    I've enjoyed plenty of EG 7/10 games. I think this will be worthy of an import. Can't imagine there being any interesting DLC coming for it.

  • Maximilian #83 3 years ago

    I stopped reading after I learned there are QTE's. I passionately hate them.

    I would have bought the game if it weren't for that, regardless of the lacklustre score.

  • Gearskin #84 3 years ago

    ^

    AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

  • captain-future #85 3 years ago

    yeah right... 5/10 for Mercs 2 and 7/10 for LAME BORING STAR WARS GAME THAT WAS DONE BETTER 8 YEARS AGO.

    pah!

  • curtlikesmeat #86 3 years ago

    I'm going to give this a miss too I'm afraid.

    Gone are the days when any Star Wars game was a guaranteed purchased regardless of quality.

  • sirtacos #87 3 years ago

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO



    I'm still getting this. The (apparently) enthralling narrative outweighs the faults. I can work my way around the mediocre gameplay.

  • Khanivor #88 3 years ago

    Rental.

  • soviet_ #89 3 years ago

    Well, it sounds awesome to me. I loved the demo, the only thing that was a bit off, and frankly quite surprising are the QTE.

    And Jedi Academy? Scoff, I love Star Wars and the majority of the games, but come on, that game was on the poor side
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/08 @ 19:44

  • Ryze #90 3 years ago

    Damn. I completely understand the reviewer.

    I want this - however.

    Rental?!

  • darc #91 3 years ago

    Doesn't sound all that bad to me. Not a retail purchase, but probably a casual diversion sooner or later... maybe a rental. Nice graphics, cinematic production, repetetive, easy/ unbalanced, a bit shallow... anybody remember the Darkness? I'd describe it exactly the same way and I enjoyed that plenty.
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/08 @ 19:49

  • darc #92 3 years ago

    (Shame about the QTE's, though...)

  • rubberducko #93 3 years ago

    I have to question this reviewers intergrity. I know games like this are normally on top of the witch hunt list but seriously aren't you suppose to review these games with an open mind and professional? I know its not the best game out there but moaning about QTE's because you do not personally like them is not really helping us and also about making the the remark about giving you all the powers then taking them away. Have you never played games like Metroid Prime and such they give you a taster and then take it away making you want it all the more. Also about button bashing are not half the games that consist of fighting button bashing NG 2, DMC 4 (which personally I love) are both in same category. Combos are up to the player to utilise if the player decides not to use them and experiment then really its not the developers fault more the players for being so lazy and not playing the game for all its depth. Never see people moan about how you constantly duck behind cover in gears then rinse and repeat? I know this is a moan but just so tired of games getting reviews and picked on for substance that all games contain yet do not get picked up on because there named GTA, GoW or Halo and so on. I understand this ain't perfect but learn to have more an open mind felt like this was more an opinion then a review. Anyways rant over hehe
    Edited by 1 at 15/09/08 @ 20:24

  • bad09 #94 3 years ago

    "Stars Wars games are always average, with the exception of Lego Star Wars. "

    WHAT?????!!!!!

    Rubbish sir! the Battlefront series,the DF/JK series, X-wing/Tie Fighter, Knights Of The Old Republic, Star Wars Arcade, Jedi Power Battles, Ep1 Racer (console and arcade), Old Atari arcade machines (not Jedi!), Masters Of the Teras Kasi (Shut it, I liked it!), Republic Commando, Rogue Squadron and of course Star Wars Chess are all class games!

    As for FU, average game but the story seems pretty cool so I may pick it up, the demo wasn't great - but it wasn't terrible either.

  • NegativeZero #95 3 years ago

    @darc: the difference is that The Darkness had a legitimately well-written plot and wasn't relying on the strength of a franchise to sell copies.

    This sounds exactly as I expected. Bland, uninspired tech demo with a Star Wars wrapper. If this is the best that Lucasarts can do maybe it's a good thing that they're canning internal development.

    One part of me agrees with the people calling for a new TIE Fighter, but the rest of me has nightmares about what Lucasarts would try to do to it.

  • karstux #96 3 years ago

    "And Jedi Academy? Scoff, I love Star Wars and the majority of the games, but come on, that game was on the poor side "

    I'll have to disagree on that! I think Jedi Academy is the Star Wars game I replayed the most. What's not to like about full character customization, a perfect Lightsaber combat system with lots of styles to choose from (single saber, dual sabers, staff type saber...) and - most importantly - lots and lots of Sith saber wielders to slice and dice, in various scenic locations? I play it to this day, and it has really aged most gracefully.

  • Xerx3s #97 3 years ago

    I see that lucas arts has considerably improved the quality of their games compare to recent years.

  • IronCladChicken #98 3 years ago

    @pixel1980
    I wish that were true man - but up until the mid-ninties StarWars games (& pretty much anything released by LucasFil,s/Arts) was a sure sign of quality.

    Then one day they changedmanagement, stated that they would concentrate on consoles and went downhill from there...

  • Meho #99 3 years ago

    Comparing this game with DMC and NG series like rubberducko does, even GoW series does not make it look very good, I have to say. I have done the first three missions and the game is simply not designed tightly enough to be in the same class. The level design is not very inspired, the physics are excelent but their application is not just inconsistent but also quite sloppy. You can force push and force grip a lot of stuff but not always the stuff you actually want to push or grip. The enemy AI, Euphoria engine or not, is nowhere near the AI you'd find in any of the abovementioned games. The bossfights are really more about tricks than skills (although they have lovely cinematc camera angles) and the overreliance on QTEs defnitely breaks what little consistent gameplay quality you have there. I know GoW used to do it all the time, but there it was designed so that it is an addition to an otherwise very solid figting mechanic. Not so here, I'm afraid, QTEs replace your fighting skills, rather than complement them.

    So it is broad in its approach to force powers, but rarely deep: there are many things you can do, many of them spectacular, but few of them matter and you can usually just go through the game not caring about any of it, just slashing and force pushing your way through.

    My biggest gripe with it is of course the combat system that is simply not responsive or tight enough to be mentioned in the same sentence as DMC and NG (and, yes, GoW). Yes, there are combos in there, but the recovery time for many of the animations (such as standing up when being knocked to the ground) is so long, without an obvious way to cancel moves into other moves, that you actually end up just spamming the simplest of moves because anything more complex than that is sabotaged by the game that will not allow you to be more creative. Hence you are forced to button mash, but even that really slowly. I am by no means a top tier combat game veteran, but SWTFU simply feels slow and clunky in this respect. Comparing it to Ninja Gaiden II - because both games have instances where you fight many enemies - just shows that it is at least a class below. So far I have seen nothing in this game that could even hint that it could be near the NGII's infamous staircase battle.
    Edited by 1 at 16/09/08 @ 10:47

  • Zuiyo #100 3 years ago

    After reading the educated review, I thought 7 was very much appropriate. Bravo. Eurogamer.

  • GordonCaladan #101 3 years ago

    @Gearskin
    And how can you consider the "downward spiral" of a franchise that has banked INSANE amounts of money for more than 20 years?

    You obviously assume financial lucrativeness equals creative quality. I question that assumption.

    Unless you were slightly retarded?

    That's always a good approach to discussion.

    Star Wars > You. George Lucas > You.

    Yes, but even moreso, George Lucas > Star Wars consumers and thus you, because he still succeeds in suckering you out of your money on the basis of three or four admittedly excellent movies he made a long time ago...
    Edited by 1 at 16/09/08 @ 12:31

  • dryden555 #102 3 years ago

    Its a trend to make single player games way too easy

  • XdarXideX #103 3 years ago

    Hmmm... ok so it's a game you have to try and play rather than get through as quickly as possible? Normally, I like to get my £39.99 worth out of the games I buy so it sounds like a game I'll have to pick up. Just like Assassin's Creed... which I love.
    Edited by 1 at 16/09/08 @ 13:18

  • CUTZ_SIX #104 3 years ago

    This game looks and plays like a ps2 game in high res. Tearing and framerate drops all over. Boring level design and controls. imo

  • TurdBreaker #105 3 years ago

    I REALLY thought by now, with the state of physics engines, next gen rendering and processor power, we'd see :

    - locational object/env modification by a lightsaber : instead of a downward slice at a droid which always 'cuts' in a predefined way, any saber hit to it deofrms it at that angle, essentially a more dynamic interatcion.

    - the ability to cut through walls, doors, etc : the arg here being you wouldnt be able to steer players down the game plot, however, if the devs were smart enough, make enough "expodable" pipes, wires, things in the way that would immediately kill you.

    - stupid, pre-programmed button combos to defeat bosses : the whole AT-ST fight in the demo was laughable, they should have let you be able to cut the legs off, take chunks out, etc. Againg the arg being you'd not be able to control the player's path but if you made it more realistic, like loads of baddies you simply can't just "stand still" or stand and block, it would make the option of getting close enough to the walker more of a challenge.

    I suppose they are just moans really. But by now I would have hoped for a bit more interaction of the saber with objects. :(

    Oh, and items/baddies simply not just "vanishing" -- I really dislike that now in games.
    Edited by 2 at 18/09/08 @ 16:33

  • FladgeMangle #106 3 years ago

    I'm the person who bought the PSP copy. I suppose there will be another one sold, which will then be "backed up" and conveniently made available for "free appraisal of the complete product" for people who enjoy their "homebrew" PSPs ...sigh.

    Anyway.

    So far so good. I'd say 7/10 is a fair review score, remembering that this means you'll be having more fun than not when you play this game. Nice use of the PSP control system and well presented.

    I'm impressed enough to want the PS3 version too.

  • konnsky #107 3 years ago

    1Dgaf: Wouldn't it have been better to mark the game 6/10, but include in the review 'Star Wars fans can add an extra point on for the story'?

    +1 to what he said, as the review really reads like a 6/10 throughout.

    on a side note i hereby demand to give Johnny Minkley more games to review as his style of writing is so enjoyable to read.

  • XdarXideX #108 3 years ago

    @TurdBreaker

    I sympathise a bit about your comments but I can also see reasons why not to include some of those points as features.

    Regarding cutting through doors and walls - the emphasis is on the Force powers in this game. As such you use your force powers to open the majority of the doors.THis part is a no-brainer really. As for cutting through walls I don't see any point if there is going to be a mechanic in place to stop your from doing it. They may as well keep what they have done. "Realistic" or not.

    Defeating bosses isn't simply a button combo. The end portion is, but there is a fair amount of effort involved before hand to reduce their health/energy down. Sure it would be cool to be able to cut them down in any way you wish instead of the predetermined animated sequence but it would take up even more processing power.

    My guess is that the euphoria engine running the AI/animation coupled with the physics engine leaves very little room for complex graphical details. Personally I'm happy with the game as it is, even if it does get a bit repetetive after a while.

    I still enjoy spinning multiple daisy-chained enemies around like toys though!

  • ChocNut #109 3 years ago

    Personally I think the game is an 8. I too thought the demo was mediocre but the full game is much better. I only bought it after one of the podcasts I watch (totally rad show) seemed to think it was a big deal.

    Im not dissapointed.

    Forget the demo. Forget this review. The game is great!

  • grussbarbar #110 3 years ago

    Hmmm... Reading the review, I'd say this is one game that definitely benefits of the Wii's motion controls. I've played the Wii version with a friend of mine in the weekend, and passing the controllers to each other, we basically had 5,5 hours of non-stop fun before we realized it was the middle of the night already and decided to call it a day (night?).

    The game becomes a lot more interesting with the 2 Wii controllers, with your right hand (Wiimote) controlling your lightsaber and your left hand (Nunchuk) controlling the Force. It's incredibly satisfying to Force Push with a real push, Force Grip with a real grip (Z button), Force Slam with a slamming motion and such... Force Lightning with the C button feels right too, like you're just grasping the power within your hand. Oh, and you can slam two enemies/objects into each other by just gripping one with the Nunchuk/Z and then waving the Wiimote toward your other hand, suddenly controlling the Force with both hands.

    We've had a few instances when the control scheme didn't work exactly like expected (mostly with the Wii locking on to other things than we expected), but for the most part the controls worked very, very well. After about 15-30 minutes of practice I found the controls to work so intuitive that I didn't have to think how to use them anymore. As a result, play was never just buttonbashing for me. It was always thinking of a move to use and instantly doing it.
    A bunch of stormtroopers running my way? A quick push of my hand for a Force Push knocks most of them down so I can concentrate on the rest. Grab one by "grabbing" the Z button, then throw flick another into it from the side with the Wiimote. Getting jumped from behind? Quickly gripping C for Force Lightning buys you some time to get a bit of distance. Or just jump and slam the Wiimote down to slam your lightsaber into the ground for a shockwave, to get out of it if you're surrounded.

    The comboes work just as intuïtively. Want to charge up an enemy with lightning and then throw it back creating a small explosion where he lands? Use Lightning and push with your hand for Force Push. Hit a 2 part lightsaber/Wiimote combo and you can follow up with a quick push of your hand to knock the enemy down. For as far as we got, it seemed your basic moves can be linked into each other for comboes which makes the controls feel very natural, at least for the comboes we bought.

    The quicktime events are a let down tough. You just have to wave either the Nunchuk or the Wiimote when you're prompted to do so, in any direction, which isn't really that much fun to do.

    If any of you have a Wii at home, I'd very much recommend checking out the Wii version. I must note the graphics are very bad when compared to some of the Xbox 360 footage I've seen, but the gameplay is probably a lot more satisfying. =)
    Edited by 1 at 22/09/08 @ 19:45

  • shadaik #111 3 years ago

    One point I would disagree with: Felucia is my favourite planet from the movies (a shame we only saw it for like 10 seconds in Episode III) and it is easily the most alien, fascinating and imaginative world in the whole franchise.
    The score though, is fair at first (I loved the demo, have yet to get the full game from my brothers once he's through), but does not fit the review. Weird.

    However, the fact that the game managed to draw you in a second time probably saysmore about it than the whole rest of the review.
    Edited by 1 at 23/09/08 @ 10:14

  • SEVQA #112 3 years ago

    Against all my standards of not enjoying a demo I bought the SWTFU last weekend! Hey it couldn’t be worse than Mercenaries 2!

    SWTFU is a very short game as I finished it the same day of purchase, it has moments of confusion where you are left wondering what to do and might get a bit stuck. QTE events in general I hate and always use God of War as a benchmark and they don’t match, in fact childsplay and unimaginative in comparison.

    Everywhere Mercernaires 2 failed SWTFU succeeded in much as the graphics were clean, the effects were balanced, the sound effects and speech were appropriate and most important of all the FMV where watchable. Of which I found the story of this game to be absouloutly fantastic.

    To all those asking questions about replay value I can say this, that as you power up yourself in an RPG sort of way, you won’t be maxed out by the time you finish the game. But playing the game again allows you to retain your Force from your last game. So I can see myself playing the title at least twice before sending to the bargain bin!
    Edited by 1 at 23/09/08 @ 17:10

  • phip900 #113 3 years ago

    I thought this was a very credible, even handed review.

    But I want to raise two key points.

    Firstly, how is that Mario, a shortass plumber with a big tache, has been capable of avoiding death by falling over the edge of a cliff since the late 90s, while a Jedi Knight/ Sith Lord happily falls to his doom mid-combo on numerous occasions?

    And secondly, and this is my real point, I want to raise the subject of 'delusions of grandeur', which perfectly sums up the game. Yes, the physics are impressive, no, the gameplay can be awful - but fundamentally, this is because it is a very linear, very basic game that has not an ounce of originality or intelligence. The only difference between now and games from 1982 is the graphics. FU typifies this in a very obvious way.

  • FladgeMangle #114 3 years ago

    I've been playing both the PSP and PS3 versions since launch and I'm hugely impressed by both. I think the physics and AI make a massive difference to the experience. However, if you don't really enjoy 3rd person platformers, or think lineararity and traditional gameplay are not as important as innovation then they're going to be wasted on you. Personally I believe that if it ain't broke don't fix it. Nothing wrong with linear games, especially a story driven one like this. There's far too much emphasis on phrases like "open world" and "sandbox" to my mind.

    One thing I have noticed is the differences between the two versions. Obviously the technology accounts for a great deal but it's also obvious that the PSP version has been developed with a great deal of consideration and skill. It's also better structured, with you having a "downtime" on the planetary missions and an "uptime" on your ship where you can go about your Jedi/Sith upgrades.

    Finally, the story. If anyone can play this game without a tingle of excitement and surprised joy then they're obviously too young or too cynical to appreciate the magic of Star Wars in it's first run. When George Lucas said this game will make you think differently about the whole origonal trilogy he wasn't merely blowing smoke. Awesome.

  • lolife.se #115 3 years ago

    I completely agree with the above.. It's buggy, the controls unresponsive, the camera flimsey as hell, and the gameplay is really, really poor, especially compared to other actiongames, like eg. DMC or Ninja Gaiden. And the guy's a Jedi, but he can't avoid attacks worth a damn. He can't do much more than roll around, IF you make use of the z-targetting, which incidentally is dangerous as hell, cause it's as flimsey as the camera. I expected acrobatics alá Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, but got Street Fighter 1987. The only thing the guy got going for him is infinite retries (yes, I played it on hard). Sad...

    It's worth at most a 5/10, only because it has lightsabres and can be cool at times. Wait, no, actually, it deserves even less just for being Star Wars and this shoddy mess of a game.

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