Review

A solid game with fantastic sound and visuals. However, unpolished aspects of gameplay will cause frustration. Ultimately, Force Unleashed is unlikely to be remembered for anything other than its excellent story.

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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

PS3 HANDS ON by Dan Cheer 14 May 2008, 5:00 pm

We picked Force Unleashed as a title to watch in 2008 a while back, and after viewing a demonstration and playing the game today, we're pleased we did.

LucasArts and Activision booked out a conference room at the Auckland Hilton, and invited us to partake in a presentation and hands-on gaming session for their latest Star Wars gaming title.

After being intimidated by the stormtroopers guarding the door outside the hotel, and the rather convincing Darth Vader inside, we were stepped through several scenes with expert guidance from the LucasArts representatives.

Game info

Description: The Star Wars saga will continue in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, a videogame developed by LucasArts, which casts players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The expansive story, created under direction from George Lucas, is set d... (more info)

Description: (hide)

The Star Wars saga will continue in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, a videogame developed by LucasArts, which casts players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The expansive story, created under direction from George Lucas, is set during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. In it, players will assist the iconic villain in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi - and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny.

As its name implies, The Force Unleashed completely re-imagines the scope and scale of the Force by taking full advantage of newly developed technologies that will be seen and experienced for the first time: Digital Molecular Matter (DMM), by Pixelux Entertainment, and euphoria by NaturalMotion Ltd. Paired with the powerful Havok Physics™ system, these new technologies create gameplay only possible on the new generation of consoles. DMM incorporates the physical properties of anything in the environment so that everything reacts exactly like it should - wood breaks like wood, glass shatters like glass, plants on the planet Felucia bend like plants on the planet Felucia would, and more. Meanwhile, as a revolutionary behavioral-simulation engine, euphoria enables interactive characters to move, act and even think like actual human beings, adapting their behavior on the fly and resulting in a different payoff every single time.

Features:

During the period between Episodes III and IV, players hunt Jedi in the role of Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice.

Unleash and upgrade the Secret Apprentice's four core Force powers - Force push, grip, repulse and lightning - throughout the course of the game, and combine them for ultra-destructive, never-before-seen combos.

Examples of unleashing the Force in ways never thought possible:

The Secret Apprentice won't just Force push enemies into walls - he'll Force push enemies through walls.

The Secret Apprentice won't just Force grip foes to throw them aside - he'll Force grip them in midair, zap them with lightning, then drop them to the ground to explode like a bomb.

In addition to new adversaries created just for the game, such as fugitive Jedi and Force-sensitive Felucians, players will also confront and associate with familiar faces from the Star Wars films, including Darth Vader.