Playing the game for the most part is more fun than trying to digest the narrative. It comes off as strange because, as the game progresses, you're confused as to who's side your on, and it takes till nearly the end to get an accurate picture. Instead of Starkiller struggling with areas that seem morally ambiguous, all we see is a character pretending to be light or dark for a particular level. Then there's the obligatory Light versus Dark Side plot crutch that's been done so many times in Star Wars games that its become a cliché within its own world. Vader and Starkiller constantly go behind one another, resulting in a confusing, conspiratorial dance.
Exploiting trust is a perfectly acceptable plot device, but when it continually happens and seems to come out of left field as is often the case in The Force Unleashed it feels like a gimmick. It's when the narrative actually kicks in gear tossing in double crosses and questions on the proper use of power that it falls apart at the seams. From there, the story and gameplay switches over to you controlling the apprentice Starkiller as he undertakes missions for Vader. Far from seeing him as another target, Vader decides to take the boy as a pupil and trains him in the ways of the Dark Side. On the planet of Kashyyyk, Vader discovers a young boy in tune with the Force. Placing its foot in the lore between the new and original trilogy, The Force Unleashed initially puts you in control of Darth Vader on a mission to rid the galaxy of the Jedi one-by-one. Far from telling a compelling story, what we get is a standard light versus dark tale instead of a getting a graphical showcase, users have to deal with technical problems and Force powers quickly go from dazzling first impression to mundane gameplay fixture. From a development standpoint, the aspiring nature of the game seems sound: instead of churning out another by-the-numbers Star Wars game, LucasArts went all-out by establishing a new narrative, fine-tuning a multi-platform engine, and giving players new ways of utilizing Force powers.Īll this should lead to a game that's genuinely satisfying but, instead, ends up beating down its own hype.
That's precisely the problem that comes up over-and-over again with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Ambition and expectation often cross paths and don't always complement one another.
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