Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Xbox 360, PS3)
by Eddie Turner on October 6, 2008 3:00 AM EST- Posted in
- GPUs
Use the Force
While most force powers are initialized by pressing a single button on the controller, the force grip is activated using a partnership between the right trigger (RT) button on the 360 controller (L2 on the Sixaxis) and both analog sticks. As you progress through each level of the game, active objects or enemies are marked in blue. Once you've got your sights on what you wish to pick up, you pull the right trigger causing that object or enemy to be immediately suspended above the ground. At this point, the right analog stick is used to raise and lower your grip's intensity, and the left analog stick can be used to move your grip forward and backward. Once players have this scheme down, the symphony of destruction begins by letting go of the trigger while the object is in motion to throw it in the direction it's moving.
Force powers may also be combined with one another during combat. For instance, while suspending an enemy with the force grip, sending a jolt of force lightening his way doubles the damage, and by extension, the player's pleasure. Force powers are also used as elements of lightsaber attack combos. For example, players may choose to deal a quick one-two with the saber, followed by a quick force push to finish them off.
In addition to dealing with your attackers, force powers allow you to manipulate the environment to solve the game's puzzles. In order to advance in certain areas, the force push might be used to open doors, while the force grip can be used to extend catwalks. The situation may also call for players to electrocute an object for throwing, which takes advantage of multiple powers at once. Players will also use power combos to defeat the game's bosses. However, strategic power usage quickly turns to strategic button mashing as no boss goes down without a tedious mini-game sequence.
 |
With all these objects flying about in the game, one would expect some impressive physics. Fortunately, the game meets and often exceeds those expectations with gusto. Trees fall, walls crumble, and objects bounce around as you would expect in "real" life. Even so, the physics are exaggerated to a great degree. For instance, enemies thrown using the force grip will often sail through the air with no hope of returning to solid ground. This, of course, adds to the pleasure principal rather than subtracts from it. Knowing this, the developers incorporated an action camera that, when activated, follows enemies along their aerial paths to doomsday. Overall, the physics work really well in the game and can make for some great fun indeed.
The environments in The Force Unleashed are beautiful and are reminiscent of those one would expect to see in the Star Wars movies. Outdoor settings are cleverly crafted, often with multiple tiers in which to engage the enemy. Indoor environments are also laid out nicely with plenty of signature Star Wars eye-candy in every area. Environments in the game are also destructible and take damage on a scale that matches the current battle. To escalate the experience even further, Lucas Arts adds an enticing musical score composed by Mark Griskey, whose video game accolades include music for Knights of the Old Republic 2. These tunes, along with the original themes from John Williams, make The Force Unleashed a truly authentic Star Wars experience.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
23 Comments
View All Comments
AnnonymousCoward - Tuesday, October 7, 2008 - link
From http://tinyurl.com/49z2kg">http://tinyurl.com/49z2kg "so processor intensive and powerful that the kind of machine you'd need to run them is not the kind of machine most people are going to have...Every platform is getting a great game and they should all be able to stand-alone; we didn't want to deliver a sub-par experience for PC gamers."PC's have FAR greater single-thread performance than the Cell. That was the case even before the C2D, and now I'd bet that a dual-core C2D could compete with 6 fully utilized Cell processors. Not even mentioning quad core. Or GPU physics!!
Aside from all that, how could they deliver par performances on PS2, Wii, DS, and PSP? Does the physics there just suck, and that level of physics suckiness would be sub-par on PC?
Note to LucasArts: use the GPU for physics!
Jawadali - Monday, October 6, 2008 - link
I have only played the demo of the Xbox 360 version of this game, but If you are looking for a game where you can use force-like powers, I'd recommend playing Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy. In addition to being a decent third-person shooter, there are a decent number of powers that you can use not only to fight (or avoid fighting) enemies, but also to solve puzzles to progress through the various missions. For a PS2/Xbox game, I think the application of these powers was pretty novel and well executed in Psi-Ops.jasonmellow - Monday, October 6, 2008 - link
Star Wars Battlefront I was the reason I started building my own PC. Star Wars Battlefront II is the reason I keep upgrading my hardware and is still my favorite game due to the intense and competitive multi-player action. As a Star Wars fan who loves his PC, I bum that this new title is useless to me.EddieTurner - Monday, October 6, 2008 - link
If you make your next upgrade an Xbox 360, you'll be set. I do know that another Battlefront is at least being pondered over right now. Probably already in the works. No mention of platform though.Unleashed is still fun to play despite its repetition. If you're a Sta Wars fan, that'll make the experience even better.
TheFace - Monday, October 6, 2008 - link
It's a rental. Why buy it with no multiplayer, no co-op. Basically little replayability.Spivonious - Monday, October 6, 2008 - link
What about the Wii version? It seems strange to ignore it.EddieTurner - Monday, October 6, 2008 - link
Lucas Arts didn't send me the Wii version. I did ask for it though.strikeback03 - Monday, October 6, 2008 - link
Didn't Yoda say "Always two there are, a master and an apprentice." How does a third fit that already established line?mmntech - Monday, October 6, 2008 - link
Vader takes on Starkiller as an apprentice in secret in order to overthrow the Palpatine. This is explained pretty early in the game, as well as in the demo. That's why he's charged with the task of leaving no witnesses, including Imperials.I liked this game but I think it was definitely overhyped. It was short for a console title and I felt DMM and Euphoria weren't used to their full potential except on the first level (as Vader). The highlight of Force Unleashed was finding out the fate of Jar Jar Binks. He can be found frozen in carbonite in the museum on Imperial Kashyyyk. I guess that's not him at the end of Episode VI (DVD) unless someone was foolish enough to defrost him.
slashbinslashbash - Monday, October 6, 2008 - link
Wookiee (2 e's) and Kashyyyk (3 y's)