Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

aka: Star Wars: El Poder de la Fuerza, Star Wars: Il Potere della Forza, Star Wars: Le Pouvoir de la Force
Moby ID: 36818
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Description official descriptions

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed gaps the story between Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, which tells of how the Rebellion was brought to be. The player takes control of a young boy who was discovered by Darth Vader while fighting the boys Jedi father on the planet of Kashyyk. Vader takes the boy as his own secret apprentice, training him to bring down the rest of the surviving Jedi's scattered across the galaxy.

The majority of the game has the player exploring levels, using force powers such as lightning and grip to decimate opponents by throwing them off of high areas, electrocuting them or even using environmental objects to slam them into their opponents as well Force Repulse that can propel enemies backwards. There is also the classic light-saber, slicing opponents up with the ability to change its colors by finding different color crystals throughout the game.

Players can upgrade these powers by destroying enemies, filling up on blue orbs that are left behind to earn points to earn more powerful attacks. More force orbs can be obtained by using flashy and complex on enemies. The player will also encounter bosses towards the end of the levels, ranging from Jedi's to large creatures like a Rancor. To kill these bosses, the player must complete a series of button pressing scenes, like in the God of War games.

This version differs from it's next-gen brethren, only featuring the Havok engine and different level layouts, including a new level that involves the remains of the Jedi Temple as well as story differences (ex: In the first stage of the game the player takes control of Darth Vader, on the PS3 and 360 version, Vader lands in the middle of the day to encounter a Fleet Admiral and fight the Jedi at the end at his hut, while the PS2 version has Vader landing in the night, encounter a Clone Commander and fight the Jedi in an open field, surrounded by wreckage and fires from downed Tie-Fighters).

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Credits (PlayStation 2 version)

581 People (491 developers, 90 thanks) · View all

Directed by
Chief Executive Officer
Executive Producer
Senior Producer
Producer
Design
Lead Level Designer
Lead Level Designer (Adelaide)
Lead Programmer
Programming Lead (Adelaide)
Programming Lead (Melbourne)
Lead Artist
Art Lead (Brisbane)
Art Lead (Adelaide)
Art Lead (Melbourne)
Cutscene Director
Lead Engine Programmer
[ full credits ]

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 69% (based on 11 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.5 out of 5 (based on 7 ratings with 1 reviews)

Nostalgic and classic Star Wars story.

The Good
The series time-period in which the story in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed takes place -- shortly before Star Wars: A New Hope -- evokes a welcome nostalgia for fans of the original trilogy. Familiar characters and vehicles enjoy a fair spotlight in this game. The main character of the game -- the "Secret Apprentice" -- makes a first impression that almost instantly allows the player to identify with him, and the character is a classic Star Wars character indeed. It is a delight to take on the persona of this Jedi. The characters Juno Eclipse and Proxy are excellent supporting cast, making this quite like a classic Star Wars story. The character of Darth Vader is written and played quite well too, bringing back memories of The Empire Strikes Back when Luke and Vader duel in Could City. The setting is rich for a good plot and amazing cut scenes, of which there are a good amount. The highlights of gameplay present in the boss-like battles against AT-ST walkers, humanoid enemies, huge beasts and the like. All that you've learned dispatching the many saber fodder are applied to avoiding the boss' attacks and getting into position to deliver a little damage at a time, and the "press the correct button real fast when it appears on screen" sequences allow for fun and stylish damaging and finishing moves that have a perfect place in a Star Wars game such as this one.

The Bad
The main gameplay can become tedious, especially in the later levels. It is the level designers responsibility to keep the player challenged, but the monotony of fighting more and more enemies and progressing more or less linearly through a level gets a little boring, especially when an increasing quantity of enemies designed to be a tough match for the character's abilities frequently appear. I recommend playing one level at a time when this happens. The plot -- while interesting -- at times feels contrived and an unexpected twist near the end feels downright cheap. Overall the story could even be considered a little short. I would have liked a more extended stay in the role of the "Secret Apprentice." However, the plot fits into the genre well enough. I found myself unable to choose a good costume for a level until after the level was completed and I earned a costume perfect for that level. The ability to change saber color is a nice touch, but I found myself defaulting to red most of the time, and the slight differences in shade are nearly unnoticeable.

The Bottom Line
This is a short game rich in plot and well-developed characters. It is great backstory for Star Wars: A New Hope, and super in nostalgia value with its references to the original trilogy. The main character is fun to play and the supporting cast is excellent. Some of the cutscenes are must-see. I'd recommend this game to anyone who is more than a casual fan of Star Wars and interested in material that goes beyond the movies.

PlayStation 2 · by virx61 (20) · 2009

Trivia

Shaak Ti makes an appearance in the game as one of the bosses, but she also made two appearances in the second trilogy. She is in the Battle of Genosis as one of the Jedi attempting to free Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padme, and also appeared in Revenge of the Sith, where she was killed by General Grievious. However, since this death scene was cut from the original version, she was not "officially killed off" and could be used for the game. Her death scene can be seen here.

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Big John WV.

Additional contributors: Jeanne, sgtcook, Hipolito Pichardo.

Game added December 23, 2008. Last modified February 22, 2023.