Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Xbox 360, PS3)
by Eddie Turner on October 6, 2008 3:00 AM EST- Posted in
- GPUs
A Disturbance in the Force
With all The Force Unleashed has going for it, there are some notable inconsistencies that hinder the overall experience with the game. First, we'll address the enemy AI. While your foes can be challenging with their own ranged attacks, there's almost no variance in the ability to take them down. They aren't necessarily pushovers, but players can pretty much wipe any of them out using a single lightsaber combo throughout the entire game. This brings about to the question as to whether or not the force powers are necessary to defeat them. The answer is a resounding no, but without them the game would simply be boring.
Speaking of boring, there's nothing like being taken out of the action to participate in button mashing mini-games. No, this is not really an inconsistency; rather, it is a poor design choice that could really stand to disappear in video games altogether. While we're on the subject of disappearances, it should be noted that, for a game that's screaming for cooperative play, neither the PS3 nor the 360 versions contain a multiplayer component
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As for the level design, it works for the most part. Still, there is not a lot of variance in the game's missions. Players will travel from point A to point B then flip a switch or perform some similar action that will allow them to proceed to point C, all the while taking out wave after wave of enemy forces. If you're imagining this can get boring, you're correct. Even the use of your force powers becomes dull not long into the game, thus dissipating the desire to upgrade them.
As mentioned previously, the game incorporates an auto-targeting system that highlights objects that can be picked up. While this does help, objects along your path are so numerous that targeting the wrong object or enemy happens all too often. This auto-targeting also directs your lightsaber attacks and can be quite frustrating when trying to eliminate an attacker, only to swing at a nearby barrel. These issues, coupled with the frequent slow down periods and audio that cuts in and out at times points to an unpolished final product.
As far as the contrast between the two consoles is concerned, there were no dramatic differences worth pointing out. It all comes down to which one you own or prefer (if you own both). The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions both look great, yet suffer from the same issues mentioned above. However, the increased tightness of the analog sticks on the 360 controller did provide for better control over the auto-targeting issue, as well as the accuracy when throwing objects with the force grip. However, if you're not pondering over which console to buy the game for, or you're not an Xbox fanboy spamming the PlayStation forums, this is a trivial concern.
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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)