Star Wars: The Force Unleashed | 
| From: Lucas Arts Entertainment
List Price: $59.99
Buy Used: $29.58
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Rating:  139 reviews
Sales Rank: 145
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: adventure_games
ESRB: Teen
Media: Video Game
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Age: 12 - 20 years
Operating System: Xbox 360
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 0.1 x 0.1 x 0
MPN: 33276
Model: 32761
UPC: 023272332761
EAN: 0023272332761
ASIN: B000R0URCE
Release Date: September 16, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Confront and associate with familiar faces from the Star Wars films, including Darth Vader in addition to new adversaries such as fugitive Jedi and Force-sensitive Felucians | | • | Unleash and upgrade the Secret Apprentice's four core Force powers - Force push, grip, repulse and lightning - throughout the course of the game, and combine them for ultra-destructive, never-before-seen combos. | | • | Examples of unleashing the Force in ways never thought possible: Secret Apprentice won't just Force push enemies into walls - he'll Force push enemies through walls, and will Force grip them in midair, zap them with lightning, then drop them to the ground | | • | Visit locations such as Episode III's Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk and the floral Felucia, the junk planet Raxus Prime, plus an Imperial TIE fighter construction facility | | • | Decisions made by players throughout the game will determine the path of the story, including multiple endings that will rock Star Wars continuity as they know it. |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
The Star Wars saga will continue in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, a videogame developed by LucasArts, which casts players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The expansive story, created under direction from George Lucas, is set during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. In it, players will assist the iconic villain in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi - and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny.
Join the Dark Side |
You are Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice
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Use The Force to disable your enemies
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Artwork of the Jedi "Maris"
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As its name implies, The Force Unleashed completely re-imagines the scope and scale of the Force by taking full advantage of newly developed technologies that will be seen and experienced for the first time: Digital Molecular Matter (DMM), by Pixelux Entertainment, and euphoria by NaturalMotion Ltd. Paired with the powerful Havok Physics™ system, these new technologies create gameplay only possible on the new generation of consoles. DMM incorporates the physical properties of anything in the environment so that everything reacts exactly like it should - wood breaks like wood, glass shatters like glass, plants on the planet Felucia bend like plants on the planet Felucia would, and more. Meanwhile, as a revolutionary behavioral-simulation engine, euphoria enables interactive characters to move, act and even think like actual human beings, adapting their behavior on the fly and resulting in a different payoff every single time.
Game Features:- During the period between Episodes III and IV, players hunt Jedi in the role of Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice.
- Unleash and upgrade the Secret Apprentice's four core Force powers - Force push, grip, repulse and lightning - throughout the course of the game, and combine them for ultra-destructive, never-before-seen combos.
- Examples of unleashing the Force in ways never thought possible:
- The Secret Apprentice won't just Force push enemies into walls - he'll Force push enemies through walls.
- The Secret Apprentice won't just Force grip foes to throw them aside - he'll Force grip them in midair, zap them with lightning, then drop them to the ground to explode like a bomb.
- In addition to new adversaries created just for the game, such as fugitive Jedi and Force-sensitive Felucians, players will also confront and associate with familiar faces from the Star Wars films, including Darth Vader.
- Visit locations such as Episode III's Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk and the floral Felucia, the junk planet Raxus Prime, plus an Imperial TIE fighter construction facility.
- The Force Unleashed is LucasArts' first internally developed title for next-generation consoles, and it represents the first in-game collaboration of talents and technology between LucasArts and Industrial Light & Magic, two companies now finally under one roof at the new Letterman Digital Arts Center in San Francisco's Presidio district.
- The Force Unleashed debuts Digital Molecular Matter from Pixelux and euphoria behavioral simulation from NaturalMotion Ltd.
- LucasArts is preparing an unprecedented promotional effort around the launch of The Force Unleashed, encompassing a full line of toys and game-based action figures from Hasbro, as well as a full publishing program from Dark Horse, Del Rey and Palace Press.
Meet the Cast
The Star Wars Saga will continue in 2008 with LucasArts' biggest-ever video game event. Set during the "dark times" between Episodes III and IV, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed portrays the previously untold story of Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice -- and now you can put a face to that mysterious character as well as the major supporting cast members as LucasArts unveils the actors set to star in The Force Unleashed. The New Technology of The Force Unleashed
With The Force Unleashed, LucasArts not only introduces a new chapter in the Star Wars saga, but also two completely new and innovative technologies -- Digital Molecular Matter by Pixelux Entertainment and euphoria by NaturalMotion Ltd. These groundbreaking technologies combine with Havoc physics to create true next-gen gameplay and the Force like it's never been seen or experienced before.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 134 more reviews...
Loads of fun, beautiful graphics, and a paper-thin plot: It's Star Wars! September 17, 2008
Michael D. Cooper
42 out of 44 found this review helpful
First of all, you should know that this game is kind of short. I received it yesterday and it took roughly 10 hours on standard difficulty to complete.
Yet the fact that I didn't move the entire 10 hours is testament to this game's ability to be loads of fun to play, regardless of game-length.
THE GOOD:
The opening level places you in command of Darth Vader, giving you a preview of the absolute power of the force... that you realize you can't match at first with the apprentice. As the developers have stated, this is to give you a chance to realize what you can become.
The absolute awesomeness of this level really sets the tone for the game. Marching down and eliminating Wookies while ATAT's walk down below from the cliff and Star Destroyers, troop transports, and TIE Fighters fly all around left me feeling like this was really Star Wars.
The leveling in the game gives you a chance for character customization once you take control of the apprentice. Want your force-grip to be able to grab two enemies instead of one? Spend your force points in upgrading force-grip. Also - you can wear various costumes, make your lightsaber one of nearly 20 colors with various special effects, and really make your character your own.
The gameplay is solid, with a few questionable level designs toward the end of the game.
THE BAD:
The story is 'good' but as I gave the writer of the novel a hard time for not delving deep enough - I have to say that the cutscenes were chopped down to the point where you really can't grasp the full impact of the story which was more clear in the novel.
The Romance:
The love dialog/romance is worse than George Lucas if that gives you any indication. These characters develop feelings for one another despite Juno Eclipse being little more than a 'professional imperial' who forgot to button the top 5 buttons on her uniform and having no dialog really outside of a few sentences in the cut scenes.
Then again - if I saw a woman dressing like that I suppose it wouldn't take much romance for me to develop feelings for her either.
Multiple Endings? There is a dark side ending and a light side ending, but this isn't Knights of the Old Republic. 99% of the game is the same regardless of what you choose to be/wear/do. The final 'choice' is made 30 seconds before the final boss fight. Regardless of how you play the game - it comes down to what you do 30 seconds before you fight the final boss. I was hoping for a variety of missions or at least a change in objectives.
Frustrating objectives:
Sometimes your objective is very vague. I spent more than one level wandering in circles and jumping off cliffs trying to figure out what to do because the mission objective was something like "Pick out the hydrospanner from the flexoregulator" which is probably something you would know if you were an uber-geek who knew what either was. Guesswork and trial and error. Also - in the second Raxis Prime level the force controls at the end LIE to make you die quicker.
Bugs:
Few and far between, but I had some ATST decide to despawn (which was good for me) and a few hiccups. For the most part the game was solid.
OVERALL:
Despite the flaws, I sat through the entire 10 hours and couldn't stop because it was extremely addictive. The game is simple - but it works and is fun. You can tell a lot of love went into this, but you can also tell that the cutscenes feel disconnected from the rest of the story in terms of dialog because of spotty editing which leaves you wanting more.
This is better than anything else LucasArts has had in a while, and you really feel like this is Star Wars.
Bottom line: A step in the right direction. A+ Gameplay, C- Story.
 Just the action game that the Star Wars franchise needed September 17, 2008
J. C. Amos (Seattle)
17 out of 22 found this review helpful
It took me no time at all to become a fan of The Force Unleashed. The game starts you as Darth Vader himself, fighting your way through the Wookie planet to eliminate a rogue Jedi in hiding that the empire has discovered. Vader lets you experience what some of your force abilities will be throughout the game as you later play his apprentice. And while is was very entertaining, I found something a little disturbing about killing dozens of wookies. They howl at you as they die and everything...
Soon you are playing Vader's apprentice, trained by Vader himself in the Sith arts. Your abilities are much more limited from what Vader himself had; I'm guessing to leave Vader as a benchmark to what you can aspire to become. Still, TFU doesn't waste any time and throws you right into the action. The force abilities you are given are incredibly fun to use against your enemies: foring pushing them into walls, picking them up and chukcing them like dolls, picking them up and chucking them like dolls into TIE Fighters, lightning, force repulse and the good old fashioned hack and slash with your lgihtsaber. You think that killing dozens of rebel and storm troopers alike might get old, but it really doesn't. The more of them you kill, the more force points and combo points you build up and you get all new ways to eliminate them. And even though you seem to be an unsoppable killing machine, the game is still challenging in spots, and I'm only playing it on the medium difficulty. Battling other force users is one point where the game can get challenging and also more fun. Matching wits and strengths jedi to jedi is a very fun gaming experience. Upgrades also add a nice element to the game, collecting points for new force combos, upgrading your abilities and upgrading your character's stats. This adds an extra addictive element to the game in a mild RPG fashion.
And then there's are the visuals. They are amazing. The character designs, the lighting, the action; they are all flawless. The backround settings and environments are also gorgeious and have an almost painted look, like a mural. This might sound out of place but it actually looks really amazing. You might see what I mean when you first arrive on the junk planet. My only complaint here is that some of the close up textures look a little bland, mostly on the fungal world that I've noticed.
Audio is great too. Much of the score is old John William's classic, so there's no complaint there. A lot of the affects seem to be taken right from the movies, which is also fine. Sound affects for explosions and force sounds seem about as good as I could expect. And I especially like how the troopers plead for their lives as you pick them up with the force and wave them around.
The story itself is also very well done. It bridges some of the gap between episodes 3 and 4 and actually explains some of the continuity. It also manages to do this without recycling old Star Wars stories and themes which is nice.
So I enjoy this game a lot. One complaint I've read in reviews that I only partially agree with is slightly clumsy controls. There is some room for improvement there (when using force grip, throwing an object and getting it where you want it to go can be difficult.) But every game for me has something about the controls or gameplay that I don't like, and I usually look past it. Another complaint of mine is lack of multiplayer. This could be an awesome game multiplayer.
To reiterate:
Pros: Mostly great graphics, fun and addictive gameplay, awesome force abilities, good story
Cons: Some clumsy controls, graphics could use work in some areas, no multiplayer
The Force Unleashed is a great game for the Star Wars fan or otherwise and I recommend it.
Despite some flaws, Force Unleashed delivers September 16, 2008
N. Durham (Philadelphia, PA)
15 out of 22 found this review helpful
The eagerly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is finally here, and Star Wars fans will find plenty to admire and enjoy here. Others however may find a certain degree of disappointment to be found with Force Unleashed thanks to some noticeable flaws and glitches, but if one overlooks these, a good time is to be had. Featuring one of the best and most compelling stories you may ever find in a video game period, Force Unleashed also features some thrilling and jaw dropping moments that will make even the smallest Star Wars fan squeal with joy. You play as Starkiller, the secret apprentice to Darth Vader, and you are charged with eliminating the last remaining Jedi in the universe. Interacting with your pilot Juno Eclipse and a droid named PROXY, Force Unleashed also features some compelling and inventive characters to boot; so much so that you'll actually be caring about what happens to them as the game progresses. As said before, Force Unleashed is loaded with thrilling moments, but a good amount of these moments are few and far between, and some technical and gameplay glitches really hurt the game as well. Including times when the camera seems to want to work against you, the targeting system is frustrating in in every sense of the word. Force Unleashed also comes off at times as being too epic in scope to fit the final product of what you're playing; it just feels as if something is missing here that shouldn't. Still though, the game looks wonderful, the music is superb, and the art design is simply spectacular. All in all, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed isn't a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but despite it's flaws, the game delivers the goods that Star Wars fans will be looking for, and it is definitely worth your time and attention.
 continues the tradition of bad star wars game September 22, 2008
Huy Doan (fremont, ca United States)
12 out of 27 found this review helpful
pros:
great graphics and sound
that's about it
cons:
repetitive, overdone gameplay
cheap, mindless enemies. especially the bosses.
perhaps the worst controls scheme i've ever seen on a xbox360 game, and i own about 50 games.
How bad? 9 out of 10 times i pick up an explosive barrel to fling at my enemies with my jedi powers, it lands at my feet and knocks me over. Its nearly impossible to select the object you want to force grip since there are crosshairs. Often times i would stand literally next to the object i want to levitate, and i would basically start throwing stuff that's OFF camera.
Most of the puzzles are non intuitive. There are ledges that you can jump off and die, even if the floor is 10 feet beneath you. The storyline is ridiculous and the acting is flat and boring. The enemy AI is virtually non-existent - they have a set pattern. There's too many jump puzzles which is not fun to figure out when the wonky camera gets in the way.
Overall this game had tremendous potential but the designers severely jump the shark on the basic gameplay. The game looks and sounds great, but i think they spent too much time making it look like a star wars game versus playing like a great game.
 DISAPPOINTING September 17, 2008
S. Bitters
8 out of 12 found this review helpful
I was really looking forward to this game and the demo was good on live but the overall game play is just bad. The story is good but the game play and level up are bad. There's alot of spots where you just get stuck and can't find where to go or how to shut off laser fields. I'm sick of buying strategy guides so my advice is to wait and buy a used copy and get the guide or save your money there are alot of cool games coming out this fall.
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