Unleashed and Unwieldy
When first seeing demos for The Force Unleashed, I couldn't help but think it was just an excuse to fool around with a bunch of neat physics tools. I mean, look at the base story for the game, especially in those early stages; you play as Darth Vader's "Secret" Apprentice, a character nowhere even HINTED at in the original trilogy or prequels. The chances that this game was going to have a meaningful impact on the Star Wars universe were slim and none, so you can see how I arrived at this conclusion. Upon finally playing (and quickly completing) the game, it was to my own surprise that I found myself playing it to see the end of the story, actually chugging through gameplay just so I could see how things panned out for my now beloved Starkiller.
The story of The Force Unleashed takes place between the events of the prequels and the events of the original Star Wars series. During an Imperial invasion of Kashyyk, Darth Vader personally goes in search of a rogue jedi hiding on the planet. Upon finding and killing said jedi, he discovers his son, imbued with far more force potential, and decides to take the boy on as his secret apprentice to aid him in his eventual coup against Emperor Palpatine. You control the apprentice, codenamed Starkiller, as you hunt down your master's enemies and eventually play out a story full of deciept, betrayal, and tragedy. It's actually pretty compelling stuff and probably trumps the storylines of both The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones from the prequel saga. Also of note is how many significant events actually occur in The Force Unleashed, and if you're a Star Wars fan, you're going to gain all new information and insight into the expanding Star Wars universe.
The overwhelming strength of the story is only dampened by, surprisingly, the gameplay. The Force Unleashed starts out as just plain fun, but degenerates into a frustrating and crippled gaming experience with each new level. At game's start, following a fun-filled "tutorial" level as Darth Vader, you're placed in Starkiller's shoes with limited powers and combos. However, these first stages are the strongest parts of the game, as they allow you to freely exercise your force powers and experience the game's pretty extensive physics systems. You best get all your kicks in against these preliminary mission's week opponents and indoor environments, because as soon as you get a third of the way into the game, it's fun time over. Later opponents hit harder, are resistant to many of your force powers, and outdoor levels don't have the same amount of environmental weapons at your disposal. Fights become formulaic rather than fun and frustrating swarming tactics and cheap moves will have you tearing your hair out. The game also likes to get a little bit TOO creative with certain segments, and the game doesn't hold up well to many of them, like platforming segments, segments where you have to move objects while enemies swarm you and are seemingly endless, and this ONE segment involving pulling down a Star Destroyer. What should have been the coolest thing in the game, or at least just a small "Hmm, cool" moment becomes the most annoying and fun-wrecking element in the entire game. It's just an exercise in tedium and patience, and it's horrible in every way!
Looks fun, doesn't it? IT'S NOT!
The boss battles are a mixed bag. The Force Unleashed doesn't really SEEM to follow the traditional boss formula that's established in many games in that, there's no obvious pattern or fashion in which you're meant to approach these major baddies, so essentially you're just throwing all your arsenal at them hoping that something gets through. In ways, this is a negative because there's nothing that you can truly fall back on when you face bosses, but I tend to put a positive spin on it. These boss fights feel more like an actually struggle with another force user and for the most part, I found them enjoyable, if not only slightly frustrating. Besides, some of these boss fights are against genuinely awesome opponents and end with a pretty great finishing move each time. I'm sorry, I just can't get tired of those quick time events.
As for graphically and in sound design, The Force Unleashed is pretty stellar in both aspects. The player models and animation look great, and levels are all incredibly detailed. Glitches such as clipping and wonky terrain effects are usually a result of the game's pretty ambitious terrain deforming tech. It's nothing too distracting, but some more of the serious glitches could actually have you restarting your game, just to further your frustration. In the sound department, all the typical Star Wars themes are appropriately and effectively placed throughout, as are the signature sounds of lightsabers and blasters. The voice cast is AMAZING, from Sam Witwer's voicing of Starkiller, to Jimmy Smits' voicing of Bail Organa, every member of the voice cast does a fantastic job in conveying the gravity and tone of the game. Considering their performance, much of the game's fantastic story can be owed to the talented voice actors.
The Force Unleashed overall left me with a good feeling following completion. However, rather than it being from the amazing tech tools implemented, it was from the game's well done and heartfelt story. It was a surprise, to be sure, but a bitter sweet one. In the end, as a story, The Force Unleashed is fantastic and a joy to watch unfold. As a game, it certainly is fun and can be played in short doses with minmal frustration, but overall, the game doesn't seem to know how to play to its strengths and leaves the best parts of the actual gameplay in the first few levels. The games relative short length allows you to experience the strong story, but I wouldn't recommend playing much longer than that, unless you are preparing for the torturous rigors of becoming a Sith Lord.
