It’s been several years since
LucasArts first asked its fan base, “Would you be interested in playing as a
Star Wars villain?” Apparently, this idea was met with some enthusiasm, and the
result was The Force Unleashed for console gaming systems. TFU makes its PC
debut with the Ultimate Sith Edition with its flashy new packaging and
additional game content. Unfortunately, this updated release is just a few
banthas short of a herd.
To its credit, The Force Unleashed
does a lot of things extremely well. You don’t need to be a Star Wars junkie to
appreciate the story, which is lavishly presented in high-quality cinematic
sequences. The characters are brought to life not only with terrific voice
acting, but facial motion capture that impressively conveys the fluidity of
human emotion. For those unfamiliar, The Force Unleashed follows the adventures
of Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, who is exceptionally talented and trained as
an instrument of the dark side. This makes the apprentice a true “wrecking ball”
of the Force, indiscriminately blasting through rebel soldiers and stormtroopers
alike.
Although dazzling as always, the
lightsaber is not really the focal point of the combat. Most of the fun lies
within the clever integration of Force powers. TFU is an action game at its
core, and the available moves for the apprentice certainly reflect this. Hurling
objects at your foes, electrocuting them with lightning, or simply blasting them
into oblivion offers players the chance to channel quite a bit of aggression
into the game. As you become increasingly skilled, you’ll be able to string
powers together for devastating results; lifting a stormtrooper into the air,
then impaling him with the lightsaber, might be one of the coolest things seen
in any Star Wars video-game.
It’s not until reaching the heavier
battles that players may notice the flaws in this alluring gem. The physics
engine for TFU, while visually impressive, does not always function reliably or
realistically. More importantly, the combat is flawed in a few areas that will
cause significant frustration. In the thick of combat, the apprentice can
literally get stuck in a loop of collapse as unavoidable attacks from enemies
strike him repeatedly. The PC controls feel strangely stiff when compared to the
console version, which means the apprentice will not always do what you want, as
quickly as you’d want him to do it. The boss fights remain something of a mixed
bag. Many of them feel like cheap efforts to exploit flaws in the combatant’s
fighting style, while a few are genuinely engrossing.
This release also contains a few
missions from TFU’s “alternate universe” of Star Wars fiction, which I will not
spoil here. Aside from the exclusive new Hoth level, most of the “bonus” content
in this Ultimate Sith Edition was actually released as downloadable content on
the consoles. The player skins are basically what they seem – meaningless
cosmetic costumes that have no effect on the gameplay whatsoever. Even diehard
Star Wars fans may struggle to rationalize the purchase of the Ultimate Sith
Edition if they’ve played the original. It is disappointing to see that so many
of TFU’s flaws have been retained or even amplified, rather than repaired.
The Force Unleashed remains solid on
the graphical front, with plentiful effects and detailed textures to aid the
immersion of the experience. Sadly, players may find themselves pushing through
the unpleasant sections of the campaign just to find out what happens next in
the story. Without getting the gameplay right, The Force Unleashed flounders in
its efforts to keep up with its own epic narrative. The Ultimate Sith Edition
will provide entertainment for Star Wars fans, but action lovers may find their
excitement short-lived.
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Gameplay: 7.0
Sometimes
ingenious and sometimes frustrating, The Force Unleashed could have definitely
done with more time in play testing.
Graphics: 8.0
A fine job with
animation and physics, TFU is certainly one of the best looking Star Wars ever
made.
Sound: 9.0
While Star Wars
games are famous for their excellent audio design, TFU’s original voice acting
kicks the narrative into high gear.
Difficulty: Medium
Some of the
challenges are absurd or even unfair, but persistent players should get through
it.
Concept: 7.0
Playing as Darth
Vader’s secret apprentice is certainly a high selling point for the game, even
if the execution falls a bit short.
Overall: 7.2
Given the
emphasis on storytelling and single-player action, The Force Unleashed is
tragically flawed execution of a great concept. The Ultimate Sith Edition seems
to ignore these problems, rather than attempt to fix them. A serious refinement
of the combat, with a few extra gameplay modes thrown in, would definitely up
the ante for a sequel.
