Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is out this week for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Rating: 7.5/10
FOR ages, Star Wars fans have hoped to wield the extraordinary powers of The Force.
In The Force Unleashed, a third-person perspective hack-and-slash action title from LucasArts, they can do just that.
Force powers such as lightning, sabre throw, push, and grab have been given the next generation console treatment and E-Talk can tell you that LucasArts has done a fantastic job conveying the sense of control and power one would have if they had Force powers in real life.
You play as Darth Vader’s apprentice during the period between film episodes three and four.
Unlike other Star Wars games, you play the bad guy and you must wipe out the last remaining Jedi Knights.
The visuals are astonishing, although at times the character models look so good they appear out of place when contrasted against some lacklustre environments.
The sound is top notch and presented in Dolby Digital, staying true to the quality aural experience the Star Wars franchise consistently offers.
But here’s the unfortunate part – The Force Unleashed throws wave upon wave of faceless enemies at you, each offering no real challenge.
But as a mass, they stagnate your progress with pointless battles that serve only to make you drool at the wonders of The Force powers you’ll use to decimate them.
It’s a tedious feeling and represents a game that has strived so hard to get its technology correct that it forgot about the gameplay.
But don’t let that stop you from trying the game. It still contains the best representation of Force powers in any Star Wars game and there’s a guilty pleasure to be found in Force pushing Storm Troopers through glass windows to then watch his buddies be sucked into space.
Star Wars fans will love this title but others should try before they buy as there is little replay value once the short single player campaign is completed.
