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America - Front

America - Back

Review Scores

VGChartz Score
7.3
                         

Ratings

     

Alternative Names

スター・ウォーズ フォース・アンリーシュド

Developer

Krome Studios

Genre

Action

Other Versions

PS3, X360, PS2, PSP, DS, PSN, All

Release Dates

09/16/08 LucasArts
10/09/08 Activision
09/19/08 LucasArts

Community Stats

Owners: 126
Favorite: 0
Tracked: 0
Wishlist: 6
Now Playing: 2
 
7.3

Avg Community Rating:

 

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

12th Apr 2009 | 1,767 views 


Smeags

User Score
7.4
                         

Presentation - 7.5
Gameplay - 8.5
Value - 5.5
*Insert Clichéd “The Force is _____ with this one.” Saying Here*

First off and foremost, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is an enjoyable action title. I want to get that out of the way because that’s one of the few generic positive comments I can afford to give it. Underneath the hood is something much less desirable, and in the end there’s not much to warrant something greater than it is. The Force Unleashed has carried the pedigree of greatness and high expectations with it along the development cycle. After all, you have the pleasure of connecting the post “Revenge of the Sith” dots as Darth Vader’s secret apprentice. What’s not to love about that? Well… once we delve into the nuts and bolts of this title, we’ll find that there’s too much going against this to ensure a great game.

[image]

I need to get this off of my chest before I continue: I am a Star Wars fan *gasps ensue* and because of this fact, I have a greater appreciation for some of this game’s elements than some of you non-Star Wars fans (they exist, just like Nesse and Big Foot do). I find the soundtrack to be fantastic (taking previous Star Wars tracks and applying them to the different levels, and it works rather well) and the story is one of the games strongest points. Unlike titles such as Shadows of the Empire and the Jedi Knight series, The Force Unleashed has you directly tied to the main events leading into Episode IV, and it can be a special feeling. Meeting up with characters seen in the previous and future sagas is definitely worthwhile. I can say that all in all it’s a fun romp through the galaxy filling in the gap between III and IV, and that’s never a bad thing.

And like all good things, this too must come to an end. Unfortunately and surprisingly enough, it ended way too quickly. It’s one of the games weakest elements, and it’s something that I still can’t get my head around. I beat this game in 6 hours and 24 minutes. That’s it. It was all over, and I was wanting more. Not because of how amazing the game was, but because of how little content was in the single player campaign. I payed fifty dollars for this game only to beat it in a couple sessions. After the credits had rolled past, I just sat there thinking of how much more they could have put in this game. Not only would this increase the overall play time, it could evolve the ever intriguing story as well. To tell the truth I felt like I was part of a bad deal with this game. Sure, the Jedi duels are nice, but it feels like an unfinished demo of Krome’s upcoming Wii title The Clone Wars.

[image]

But, like I said before, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is (while it lasts) an enjoyable action title. This is mainly because of the control method that lets you directly control your lightsaber and force powers. I have to admit, using motion in the nunchuck to release your force push is one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done in a video game. I actually caught myself saying “Wow” as I sent Stormtroopers flying across the space hangar. Everything is at your mercy, even the actual stages are at your command as you send debris flying around every which way. Anything can be a weapon, even the enemies who were previously firing upon you. It’s a whole lot of fun wreaking havoc upon your foes, and your force powers only become stronger as you progress. Even your lightsaber can be upgraded, with different power and color crystals (If you thought Mace Windu’s lightsaber was silly, just wait until you find yourself with a pink one). Speaking of your trusty lightsaber, using it is a breeze with the WiiMote. Swinging it in a horizontal directions a horizontal slice, a vertical direction is a vertical slice, and pushing it forwards becomes a lunging strike. It all works rather well, and it’s very satisfying as you string together combos with your lightsaber and force powers.

There’s one more thing I really don’t understand… well… that’s not true. Krome was assigned to develop the PS2, Wii, and PSP versions of Force Unleashed. I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this. The Force Unleashed is not a graphical powerhouse when it comes to Wii. It’s not even a powerhouse when it comes to PS2 hardware (I bet even the PSP can do better than this). It’s a rather dull looking game when everything is said and done. Cut scenes are laughable due to the lack of effort, and it only gets interesting when theres enough chaos on screen to distract you from noticing any one thing. The whole game just screams to be polished, and yet nothing has been done. Glitches are present in many elements of the game (an enemy became invisible all while he ran through a stone wall) and it just seems like a rushed job (which goes back to the lack of content I mentioned earlier). I guess Krome and LucasArts knew that they didn’t need to develop a great game to sell millions of copies. All they needed to do was sell a decent game, and in that they succeeded.

[image]

All in all, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is an enjoyable game while it lasts. It has a lot going against it, but at the same time it has some major areas in which it shines. Controlling the force through they WiiMote/Nunchuck is always satisfying, and the story lets you fill the gap in the Star Wars universe. However, the lack of polish and content can’t, and doesn’t go unnoticed. In the end, I enjoyed The Force Unleashed for what it was, and at the same time, knew that it could be so much more. It’s a shame really, but I can’t, even as a Star Wars fan, recommend a purchase. What I can do is recommend a rental, as you can get the same amount of goodness at a tenth of the cost.

+ A compelling story bridging the gap between Episodes III and IV.
+ Controlling your Lightsaber and Force powers through the WiiMote/Nunchuck is always satisfying.
+ Plenty of collectibles that might keep your interest.

- It ends just as it’s about to take off.
- On a graphical level, it compares to most average looking PS2 titles.
- An overall lack of polish and a rushed feeling grounds this title from going anywhere.


Sales History

Total Sales
0.00m
Japan
1.11m
NA
0.56m
Europe
0.19m
Others
1.86m
Total
1 n/a 146,067 81,600 39,061 266,728
2 n/a 47,263 55,220 17,330 119,813
3 n/a 33,639 48,893 13,895 96,427
4 854 26,044 22,857 8,898 58,653
5 302 21,561 17,383 7,094 46,340
6 233 18,994 14,707 6,143 40,077
7 190 17,479 11,809 5,352 34,830
8 154 14,881 10,266 4,593 29,894
9 145 14,859 11,646 4,830 31,480
10 126 15,878 11,919 5,069 32,992

Opinion (81)

DieAppleDie posted 05/02/2013, 11:42
no Japan sales?
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Muchs posted 06/01/2011, 03:44
In the list of Wii Software Totals it is no million seller, just the ami sales are visible.
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freddy1403 posted 11/03/2010, 10:08
very GOOD sales!!!!!
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dark_gh0st_b0y posted 12/12/2009, 05:37
the best version is the Wii one

i wish they could work more on the graphics and not just make them the same with Ps2
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primogen18 posted 25/11/2009, 06:29
Gotta love how this sold and still is selling better then the PS3 version, but Wii was left out of the Ultimate Sith Edition, it's pretty sad when they don't even give it a chance...
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Sulvi posted 24/11/2009, 03:06
This game is brilliant only on the Wii. All those surprised it sold more than on PS3? Why? PS3 version is just a boring button bashing piece of crap. The Wii version makes it actually feel like YOU are in control of the lightsaber and the force. It is great fun :D
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