| Star Wars: The Force Unleashed | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developers |
|
| Publisher | LucasArts[a] |
| Director | Haden Blackman |
| Producers |
|
| Designers |
|
| Programmer | Cédrick Collomb |
| Artist | Matt Omernick |
| Writers |
|
| Composer | Mark Griskey |
| Platforms | |
| Release | |
| Genres | Action-adventure,hack and slash |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer[b] |
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a 2008action-adventure game developed and published byLucasArts, and part ofThe Force Unleashed multimedia project. It was initially developed for thePS2,PS3,Wii, andXbox 360 consoles and oniOS, second-generationN-Gage,NDS,PSP, and Java-equipped mobile phone handhelds.[2] The game was released in North America on September 16, 2008, in Australia and Southeast Asia on September 17, and in Europe on September 19. LucasArts releaseddownloadable content for the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles.[3] AnUltimate Sith Edition of the game, containing both new and previously released downloadable content, was released in November 2009,[4] and later ported toMac OS X andWindows. An enhanced remaster of the Wii version, developed byAspyr, was released for theNintendo Switch on April 20, 2022.[5]
The project bridges the first twoStar Wars trilogies, acting as anorigin story for both the unitedRebel Alliance and theGalactic Civil War depicted in the original trilogy. The game introduces a new protagonist named "Starkiller", a powerfulForce user trained asDarth Vader's secret apprentice, who is tasked with hunting downJedi survivors of theGreat Jedi Purge while trying to keep his existence a secret. However, after he is tasked with planting the seeds of what would become the Rebel Alliance, which Vader plans to take advantage of to overthrow theEmperor, Starkiller begins to question his morality and to redeem himself slowly. FollowingThe Walt Disney Company's acquisition ofLucasfilm in 2012, the game became part of the non-canonicalStar Wars Legends continuity in 2014,[6][7] and an alternative origin for the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Civil War was given in other forms ofStar Wars media, such asStar Wars Rebels.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed received generally positive reviews from critics, praising its story, voice acting,physics, art, and soundtrack, but criticism for its linear gameplay and technical issues. The game was abestseller in the United States and Australia, with over 1,000,000 copies sold in its debut month. As of February 2010[update], the game had sold over 7,000,000 copies, and was the fastest-sellingStar Wars video game of its time.[8] A sequel,Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, was released in October 2010.[9]
The Force Unleashed is athird-personaction game in which the player's character's weapons arethe Force and alightsaber.[10] Developers treated the main character's lightsaber like another Force power, and wanted to ensure "something visceral and cool" happened with each button-push.[10] The game has acombo system for stringing lightsaber attacks and for combining lightsaber attacks with Force powers.[10]Experience points earned by killing enemies and finding artifacts can be used to increase Starkiller's powers and traits.[11] The gameplay is intended to be easy to learn; the development team included "horrible" gamers to help ensure the game's accessibility.[12] Players can casuallyrun and gun through the game, but the game rewards those who take a stealthy, more tactical approach.[12] The game includes enemies that are easy to overcome; game difficulty arises from presenting these enemies in large numbers that can wear down the player's character.[13] Additionally, enemies learn from the player's character's attacks; using the same attack on different characters can sometimes lead to the player's character doing less damage.[14] The enemies, which number over 50, have various strengths and weaknesses; developers faced the difficulty of effectively placing them throughout the game's varied environments.[13] Players must also carefully manage their automatically-regenerating Force energy when using exceptionally strong Force abilities, as overuse of them can drop the Force meter below zero to a negative level, incurring Force debt that disables all Force powers for a period of time until the auto-regeneration removes the debt; the more Force debt incurred, the longer the player will be without Force abilities.
The Force Unleashed has different features across platforms. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, powered by the Ronin engine, utilize high-definition graphics and advanced dynamic destruction effects. These versions also support downloadable content in two expansions, expanding the game's plot.[citation needed] The Nintendo versions usemotion controls to implement Starkiller's attacks, with the Wii version using theWii Remote to execute lightsaber attacks and the Nunchuk to wield Force powers,[15] while the Nintendo DS version utilizes thetouchscreen to execute attacks, where single actions can be executed by tapping a certain region of the screen (with each region corresponding to a particular action, such as jumping or Force pushing), while more advanced attacks can be performed by dragging the stylus across neighboring regions of the screen.[16]
The PS2 and PSP versions are identical in content to the Wii version, which is different than the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. Since these versions don't support or use DLC, they exclusively intersperse certain levels with 3 of the 5 Jedi trials that Starkiller completes at the Jedi temple in Coruscant to hone his abilities, which are all included in a DLC pack for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.[17] The PSP version also exclusively features five additional "historical" bonus levels that re-enact pivotal scenes and duels throughout theStar Wars saga,[18] as well as special scenarios that can be played with as differentStar Wars characters who have the same abilities in the standard single-player mode. The Nintendo DS version utilizes 3-D graphics like all other major versions, but lacksvoice acting.
The Wii and handheld versions support multiplayer. Players duel against each other as famous Jedi and Sith in theStar Wars saga in the Wii version,.[15] The handheld versions utilize wireless multiplayer for a 4-player battle mode.[19][18]
The Switch version is a port of the Wii version with numerous differences. It retains the motion controls from the Wii version, allowing players to use the Joy-Con controllers to perform various actions like swinging the lightsaber and using Force powers. While the graphical improvements are minor, it benefits from a stable 60 FPS performance, an improvement over some older versions with frame rate issues. This version includes the Jedi Temple missions, originally DLC on other platforms. However, some iconic moments from the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, like bringing down aStar Destroyer with the Force, are simplified or presented as cutscenes. It includes a local multiplayer mode, a feature in the Wii version. Players can customize their lightsaber with different colors, hilts, and combat crystals, though some specific features from other versions, like the unstablekyber crystal, are not present.[20][21]
Shortly into theGalactic Empire's rule, Imperial spies locate aJedi survivor of theGreat Purge named Kento Marek onKashyyyk.Darth Vader arrives as the planet is invaded and eliminates any Wookiee resistance between him and the fugitive Jedi. Reaching Kento's home,[22][23] Vader easily defeats him in a lightsaber duel but senses someone far more powerful nearby. Initially believing it to be Kento's Jedi Master, Vader prepares to execute the defiant Jedi until hislightsaber is suddenly force-pulled from his hand by Kento's son, Galen. Sensing the boy's strong connection to the Force, Vader kills Kento and an Imperial squadron after they try to execute Galen and secretly takes him as his apprentice, with only a select few knowing of his existence.
Years later, an adult Galen (given the alias "Starkiller") completes his Sith training. He's sent by Vader to eliminate several Jedi survivors across the galaxy in preparation for assassinating the Emperor so that the duo can rule the galaxy together. Starkiller travels aboard his ship, theRogue Shadow, alongside training droid PROXY (who is programmed to try and kill Starkiller) and Imperial pilot Juno Eclipse.[24] Starkiller's targets include Rahm Kota, aClone Wars veteran and leader of a militia;[c] Kazdan Paratus, insane after years of isolation on Raxus Prime;[d] andShaak Ti, who's hiding onFelucia. Two of these three Jedi masters, Kota and Ti, inform Starkiller that they have foreseen that soon Vader will no longer be his master before he finishes them (with Ti committing suicide instead). After the latter's death, Starkiller returns to Vader again, but the Emperor arrives, his spies having uncovered Starkiller's existence. To prove his loyalty to the Emperor, Vader appears to kill his apprentice by stabbing him and hurling him through space.
Unbeknownst to the Emperor, Vader has Starkiller recovered and resuscitated. Vader sends Starkiller to foster a rebellion among the Empire's enemies, hoping to distract the Emperor's spies for Vader to overthrow him. Starkiller rescues Juno, arrested and branded a traitor to the Empire, and escapes with her and PROXY. Looking for allies to aid his mission, Starkiller finds an alive Kota onCloud City, rendered blind from Starkiller's earlier victory over him and reduced toalcoholism, and rescues him from Imperial forces.
The group travels to Kashyyyk to locate Kota's contact, senatorBail Organa. Starkiller discovers his old home and meets his father's spirit, who expresses remorse for Starkiller's upbringing under Vader.[e] To gain Bail's trust, Starkiller rescues his captive daughterPrincess Leia Organa, and liberates the enslaved Wookiees at her request. Starkiller learns from Kota that Bail went missing on Felucia, after searching for Shaak Ti in the hope that she would rescue Leia. Starkiller travels to Felucia to find Bail, discovering that he'd been captured by Shaak Ti's former apprentice Maris Brood, who succumbed to the Dark Side after her master's death. Starkiller defeats Brood but spares her life, and convinces Bail to join the rebellion.
To convince more dissidents to do the same, Vader suggests that Starkiller attack aStar Destroyer facility on Raxus Prime to show that the Empire is vulnerable. Juno learns Starkiller is still serving Vader and chastises him, but agrees to keep silent. On Raxus Prime, Starkiller is attacked by PROXY, who attempts to fulfill his programming by killing him. Still, Starkiller defeats him, destroys the facility, and pulls a falling Star Destroyer out of the sky using the Force.[f] Bail meets with fellow senatorsMon Mothma andGarm Bel Iblis onCorellia to formally organize a rebellion, only for Vader to arrive and arrest them and Kota. After overpowering Starkiller, Vader reveals that he was merely a tool to lure out the Empire's enemies, and had never intended to use him to overthrow the Emperor. Starkiller escapes after PROXY sacrifices himself by attacking Vader.
Juno rescues Starkiller, who uses the Force to see that Kota and the senators are being held on theDeath Star. After Juno kisses him and he bids farewell, Starkiller battles his way through the station to reach the Emperor's throne room. Vader confronts him, but Starkiller defeats his former master and faces the Emperor, who tries to goad him into killing Vader so Starkiller can take his place. Kota tries to attack the Emperor, but is subdued with Force lightning. At this point, the player must choose between saving Kota (Light Side) or killing Vader (Dark Side).
ThreeDLC levels for the game were released for the PS3, Xbox 360, and computer versions of the game. The first one is set during the events of the main story and explores more of Starkiller's background,[26] while the second and third ones expand upon the non-canonical Dark Side ending of the game, taking place in their own alternate timeline.[27][28] All three DLC packs are included on-disc in theUltimate Sith Edition for all abovementioned three platforms.
TheCoruscant DLC depicts Starkiller, at some point before traveling to Kashyyyk, deciding to visit the abandoned Jedi Temple to learn more about his identity and connection to the Force. After fighting his way past the Imperial security forces, he reaches the old Council Chambers, where he meets Kento Marek's spirit who tells him that he needs to pass three Jedi trials. Upon doing so, Starkiller is faced with a mysterious Sith warrior, revealed to be a dark reflection of himself created by his own fear. Following his defeat, Starkiller finds a holocron left by Marek, who reveals himself as his father and implores him to return to the light side. Starkiller then returns to theRogue Shadow to resume his current mission.
TheTatooine andHoth DLC's are set during alternate depictions ofA New Hope andThe Empire Strikes Back, respectively, and present Starkiller as the Emperor's trusted assassin, referred to as "Lord Starkiller".
In the Tatooine DLC, he's tasked with retrieving the Death Star plans stolen by the Rebel Alliance, which have been tracked to Tatooine. He visitsJabba the Hutt, who has knowledge on the plans' whereabouts, revealing that they're in the possession oftwodroids atMos Eisley. When Starkiller refuses to work for him, Jabba attempts to have Starkiller eaten by hisrancor. Killing the beast, Starkiller escapes from Jabba's palace after massacring Jabba's mercenaries, includingBoba Fett. At Mos Eisley, Starkiller kills Jedi MasterObi-Wan Kenobi after a duel which allows the droids to board theMillennium Falcon, though Starkiller manages to place a tracking device on the ship before it takes off.
In the Hoth DLC, Starkiller partakes in the Battle of Hoth, where the Empire attacks the weakened Rebel Alliance base. During the battle, Starkiller infiltrates the base with orders to captureLuke Skywalker, who had begun training as a Jedi. Starkiller finds and defeats Skywalker in the base's hangar, severing his right hand. When theFalcon tries to take off, Starkiller seizes the ship with the Force while goading Skywalker to give into the Dark Side to rescue his friends. Skywalker attacks Starkiller with Force lightning, causing him to let go of the ship and congratulate Skywalker for embracing the Dark Side, planning to make him his apprentice the same way that Vader did to him.
Game planning began in summer 2004.[45] Initially, about six developers started with a "clean slate" to conceptualize a newStar Wars game; the small group ofengineers,artists, anddesigners spent more than a yearbrainstorming ideas for what might make a good game.[46] Over 100 initial concepts were whittled down to 20 to 25 that included making the game the third entry in theKnights of the Old Republic series or having the protagonist be aWookiee "superhero",Darth Maul, abounty hunter, asmuggler, amercenary or the last member of theSkywalker family living 500 years after the events ofReturn of the Jedi.[12][47][48][49] The decision to focus on the largely unexplored period betweenRevenge of the Sith andA New Hope helped energize the design team.[46] Consumer feedback helped the developers narrow in on seven concepts, and elements from those seven went intoThe Force Unleashed's overall concept.[12]
Production was greatly aided byconcept art, which was intended to bridge the twoStar Wars trilogies visually, convey the impression of a "lived-in" universe, show how thegalaxy changes under Imperial rule, and to seem familiar yet new.[31][45] An off-hand comment aboutthe Force in the game being powerful enough "to pull aStar Destroyer out of the sky" inspired an image by senior concept artist Amy Beth Christenson that became an important part of the developers' ideapitches and evolved into a major moment in the game.[31] These illustrations also inspired the creation of dozens of simple,three-dimensional animations.[45] Eventually, a one-minuteprevisualization video highlighting the idea of "kicking someone's ass with the Force" helped convince the designers thatThe Force Unleashed would be "a great game";[45][50]George Lucas, upon seeing the one-minute video, told the designers to "go make that game".[50] Once the concept was solidified, the development team grew from ten to twenty people.[51] The idea of "reimagining" the Force as "amped up" inThe Force Unleashed aligned with LucasArts' overall goal of harnessing the power of the latest video game consoles to "dramatically" change gaming, specifically through the use of simulation-based gameplay.[46]
In April 2005, after several months of planning, the LucasArts team received Lucas' encouragement to create a game centered onDarth Vader's secret apprentice in the largely unexplored period betweenRevenge of the Sith andA New Hope, drawing the two trilogies together.[29][47][48][52] LucasArts spent six months developing the story.[12] Lucas spent hours discussing with the developers the relationship between Darth Vader and EmperorPalpatine and provided feedback on what Vader would want out of and how he would motivate an apprentice.[53][54] Lucas Licensing reviewed many game details to ensure they fit intocanon.[55]Focus group feedback indicated that, while hunting downJedi at Vader's order would be fun, the character should be redeemed, in keeping with a majorStar Wars motif.[12] Before the game's release,Lucasfilm claimed it would "unveil new revelations about theStar Wars galaxy" with a "redemption" motif.[29][56] The story progresses through a combination of scripted events, in-game cinematics, cutscenes, and dialogue.[53]
Looking over many unexplored already existing characters, the creative team considered bringingDarth Plagueis, Emperor Palpatine's enigmatic master only mentioned inRevenge of the Sith, into the game's story through various methods: one was for Plagueis' spirit to serve as the guide for Vader's secret apprentice to provide players with information about their character's powers, another had Plagueis as the story'sMacGuffin by having Vader send his apprentice to search for Plagueis to resurrect his belovedPadmé Amidala, making Vader's apprentice actually areincarnated Plagueis or having a redeemed Plagueis become the apprentice's mentor. Knight and the developers explored different possible looks for Plagueis, depicting him as a human resembling actorMichael Gambon, azombie, atime traveler, acyborg, etc.[57] Although the game introduces new characters, developers felt the presence of characters already part ofStar Wars would help anchor the game within the official continuity.[31]
During pre-production, about 30 people were on the project team.[51] LucasArts spent several years developing the tools and technology to createThe Force Unleashed.[59] Prototyping, level construction, marketing, and public relations took about a year.[12] Until late 2006, the production team was ascertaining "how many polygons, lights, [and] characters" next-generation platforms supported;[51] a year of full production began in early 2007.[12] A series of quickly-produced "play blast" videos helped the developers focus on mechanics, the user interface, and finishing moves.[31] Development of the Xbox 360 version came first;PlayStation 3 development started when the production team had enough development kits.[47] Making the game run on both the PlayStation 3 andXbox 360 was "a monumental task".[53]
The game is based on LucasArts' proprietary "Ronin"game engine but also integrates third-party technology:Havok for rigid bodyphysics, Pixelux Entertainment's "Digital Molecular Matter" (DMM) for dynamically destructible objects, andNaturalMotion'sEuphoria for realisticnon-player characterartificial intelligence.[47][60] The focus of employing Euphoria to developThe Force Unleashed caused LucasArts to "sideline"Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings, anIndiana Jones title that had been in development since two years ago, for a while until development on theStar Wars title concluded.[61] LucasArts' programmers had to overcome technical hurdles to get Havok-, DMM- and Euphoria-coded components to interact.[22] Developers also had to strike a balance between realistic and entertaining physics.[22] LucasArts initially opted not to release apersonal computer version ofThe Force Unleashed, stating that doing the game well would be tooprocessor-intensive for typical PCs[29] and that scaling down the game'sprocedural physics for the PC platform would "fundamentally" changeThe Force Unleashed's gameplay.[62] However, LucasArts later announced Windows and Mac versions of the game, developed in conjunction with Aspyr Media, for release in Fall 2009.[63]
Lacking Havok, Euphoria, and DMM, Krome's Wii version relies on the company's in-housephysics engine.[64] Some character animations may beragdoll while others are preset; in developing the game, Krome tried to blur the distinction between the two.[64] The lighting system in the Wii version is more advanced than that in the PS2 version, which Krome also built; the PS2 includes more graphic details than the PSP version.[64]
The Force Unleashed is intended to make players think they are "actually, finally, in aStar Wars movie".[65] It is the first game on which LucasArts andIndustrial Light & Magic (ILM) collaborated since they both relocated to theLetterman Digital Arts Center inSan Francisco,California.[56] This collaboration allowed the companies to co-develop tools to make film-quality effects.[66] LucasArts worked with ILM's Zeno tool framework and helped ILM build its Zed game editor.[67] Lucas said having the two companies working together in the same building was "a great collaboration".[68]
It took Senior Manager of Voice and Audio Darragh O'Farrell four months to castThe Force Unleashed.[69] ILM's face- andmotion-capture "CloneCam" technology recorded actors' voice and physical performances.[59][70] This led to a change in LucasArts' casting process: for the first time, actors needed to match characters' age and gender.[70] Actors performed their lines together, rather than in isolation, to better understand their characters' interaction.[59] Consequently, the script's dialogue was reduced while reliance on characters' expressions — captured through the CloneCam — increased.[70] CloneCam technology had previously been used in producing thePirates of the Caribbean movies.[70]
LucasArts music supervisor Jesse Harlin said the music matches the game's motif of redemption and goal of bridging the gap betweenRevenge of the Sith andA New Hope:
We had to make sure that the game's score started off rooted within thePrequel Trilogy feel of ethnic percussion and sweeping themes that spoke to the nobility and grandeur of the old Jedi Order. As the game progresses, however, the Empire gains more control, the Jedi are hunted, and the ordered control of the Prequels gives way to the more romantic temperament of theOriginal Trilogy.[71]
The game'ssoundtrack includes material composed byJohn Williams for the films in addition to material created specifically forThe Force Unleashed. Jesse Harlin composed the game's main theme, whileMark Griskey composed the score. Griskey made use of several motifs from thefilm scores as well as Harlin's main theme.[71][72] The 90-minute soundtrack was recorded by the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra and mixed atSkywalker Sound inLucas Valley in September and October 2007.[71] During gameplay, a proprietary engine combines "musical elements according to the pace, plot, and environment of the game at any given moment", resulting in a unique musical experience.[72] A promotional soundtrack album was made available online through Tracksounds.com in 2008.[72]
Sean Williams' novelization was released in the United States on August 19, 2008. It spent one week as #1 on bothPublishers Weekly's[73] andThe New York Times'[74] hardcover fiction bestsellers lists, slipping to #7[75] and #9,[76] respectively, the following week. It also reached #15 onUSA Today's bestsellers list.[77]
Williams took on the writing project in part because of the "catchy description" ofThe Force Unleashed being "Episode 3.5" of theStar Wars saga.[38] The novel focuses on the dark side of the Force and its practitioners; Williams found it "interesting" to portray the Jedi as "bad guys."[38] The author most enjoyed developing the character ofJuno Eclipse, exploring the "feminine" side ofThe Force Unleashed in a way the video game does not.[38] Williams also said that while the game allows the player to "do" Starkiller's actions, the novel allows readers to experience Starkiller's thoughts about those actions, adding another dimension to the story.[38]
Dark Horse'sThe Force Unleashedgraphic novel was published August 18, 2008.[78]Newsarama called the graphic novel a "solid story" that matches the video game source material in both structure and plot.[79]IGN gave the graphic novel a score of 6.9/10 (6.4/10 for art, 7.5/10 for the writing), praising the overall story but faulting inconsistency in the art and questioning whether the comic medium was the best way to convey the story.[80]
AtToy Fair 2007,Hasbro showed seven figures from theiraction figure line based on the game.[81]Lego released a model of the Starkiller's ship, theRogue Shadow.[82]
Two weeks after the game's release, LucasArts announced development on two downloadableexpansion packs for the game's PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.[83] The first expansion added "skins" that allow the player's character to appear asStar Wars figures other than Starkiller, such asObi-Wan Kenobi,Anakin Skywalker,Qui-Gon Jinn,Jango Fett,C-3PO,Luke Skywalker,Darth Maul,Darth Sion,Mace Windu,Plo Koon,Kit Fisto andKi-Adi-Mundi.[83] The skins chosen to be part of the expansion were based in part on fans' feedback,[17] and many skins of such priorStar Wars characters were also implemented ascheat codes for the Wii, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions of the game with no additional downloads required. The second expansion pack added a new mission expanding Starkiller's background.[26] Although a moment in the game's main story was considered as a "jumping off point" for the expansion, LucasArts decided instead to make the new mission instantly accessible to players.[17] The mission's location — the Jedi Temple onCoruscant — appears in the Wii, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions ofThe Force Unleashed, but was cut during planning from the PS3 and Xbox 360 platforms.[17]
The Tatooine Downloadable Content, released August 27, 2009, is the first of two expansions that occur in an "Infinities" storyline, an alternate history in which Starkiller kills Vader and becomes Palpatine's assassin.[27][28] The second Infinities expansion, which takes place on Hoth, was originally only available as part of theUltimate Sith Edition, which also includes all previous downloadable content.[27] However, the Hoth expansion was later made available for download on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live.[84]
| Aggregator | Score | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS | NS | PC | PS2 | PS3 | PSP | Wii | Xbox 360 | |
| GameRankings | 60%[107] | 69%[108] | 72%[109] | 69%[110] | 74%[111] | 73%[112] | ||
| Metacritic | 61/100[113] | 65/100[120] | 65/100[121] | 68/100[114] | 71/100[115] | 70/100[116] | 71/100[117] | 73/100[118] |
| Publication | Score | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS | NS | PC | PS2 | PS3 | PSP | Wii | Xbox 360 | |
| 1Up.com | B[85] | C[86] | C−[87] | C[88] | C[89] | |||
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | C, C, B−[90] | C, C, B−[90] | ||||||
| Game Informer | 8.75/10[91] | 8.75/10[91] | ||||||
| GameSpot | 5.5/10[92] | 5.0/10[93] | 6.0/10[94] | 7.5/10[95] | 7.0/10[18] | 6.0/10[96] | 7.5/10[97] | |
| IGN | 7.0/10[98] | 7.5/10[99] | 7.2/10[100] | 7.3/10[101] | 7.5/10[102] | 7.8/10[103] | 7.3/10[101] | |
| Official Nintendo Magazine | 82%[104] | |||||||
| Official Xbox Magazine (US) | 7.5/10[105] | |||||||
| X-Play | 2/5[106] | 2/5[106] | ||||||
| Publication | Award |
|---|---|
| GameSpot | Best Use of a Creative License[119] |
1.738 million unit sales ofThe Force Unleashed across all platforms made it the third best-selling game globally in the third quarter of 2008;[122] as of July 2009, it had sold six million copies.[27]The Force Unleashed was both the fastest-sellingStar Wars game and LucasArts' fastest-selling game.[123]The Force Unleashed won aWriters Guild of America award for Best Video Game Writing.[124] During the12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, theAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awardedThe Force Unleashed with "Outstanding Achievement in Adapted Story".[125]
The Force Unleashed received mixed to fairly positive reviews.Electronic Gaming Monthly said the game is "ambitious--yet dissatisfying";[118] however,GameSpot said the game "gets more right than it does wrong".[95]GameSpot said the PC port of the game retained all of the game's strengths and weaknesses, but that the port failed to take advantage of the PC platform.[93]
GameSpot called the game's story "more intimate and more powerful" than theStar Wars franchise's prequel trilogy;[95]X-Play identified the game's story as one of the game's "few bright spots" and said the game's visuals successfully conveyStar Wars' "classic used universe" feel.[106]GamePro andGameSpot praised the game's art and physics, and GamePro also commended Starkiller's "cool powers".[126][127]IGN praised the game'svoice acting, particularly Witwer's performance as Starkiller.[101]The Washington Times identifiedMark Griskey's soundtrack as "another star" of the game, andTracksounds called it "the most entertaining Star Wars score sinceReturn of the Jedi".[43][72]Time calledThe Force Unleashed the seventh best video game of 2008.[128] The game receivedGameSpot's 2008 award for Best Use of a Creative License and was nominated for Best Voice Acting.[119][129]Gaming Target selected the game as one of their "40 Games We'll Still Be Playing From 2008".[130]
Conversely,Entertainment Weekly calledThe Force Unleashed the second-worst game of 2008 andGameTrailers called it the most disappointing game that year;[131][132] it was also a nominee forGameSpot's Most Disappointing Game recognition.[133]Official Xbox Magazine cited the game's linear gameplay and lack ofmultiplayer as reasons the game falls short of being "an all-engrossingStar Wars experience".[118]GamesTM suggested that allowing players to take ahack-and-slash approach means many "will never view the title's full potential".[118]IGN andX-Play criticized some boss battles and enemies' behavior;[106][134]GamePro also faulted "disappointing" boss battles and the game's "uneven" combat.[126] Rather than feeling more powerful as the game progresses,GamePro felt that increases in Starkiller's powers were dampened by increasingly difficult enemy abilities and positions;[126]X-Play commented that despite a good level-up system, Starkiller and his enemies are "pretty much on even ground most of the time".[106]Wired,X-Play, andGameSpot criticized the game's third-person camera and the sequence that requires the player to make Starkiller pull a Star Destroyer out of the sky.[95][106][127][135]Wired.com speculated that LucasArts could have recognized the frustration of the Star Destroyer sequence and removed it, but left it in because they hyped the sequence before the game's release.[135]Wired.com andGameSpot further criticized the load times and abrupt gameplay-cinematic transitions.[95][127][135]GameSpot also faulted "loose" targeting and some visual and audio glitches.[95][127]IGN, which also identified problems with targeting, speculated that DMM's processor intensiveness limited its use throughout the game, detracting from players' ability to feel immersed.[134]GameTrailers andIGN were disappointed with the lack of variety within and between levels.[101][136]X-Play, pointing to "Default Text" as the bonus objective description in the Xbox 360 version's final mission and other glitches, said it seems the developers one day "just stopped working on the game".[106]GameSpot cited the port's lack of visual options and poor framerate as evidence the PC edition had been rushed.[93]
IGN described the Jedi Academy expansion as "pretty decent".[137]GameSpot said LucasArts seems to have acknowledged some of the game's criticisms in developing the Tatooine expansion,[28] butIGN called the level's boss fights "a joke" in light of the player's high Force powers.[138]IGN found the level design inThe Ultimate Sith Edition's Hoth scenario uninteresting, and called the boss fight against Luke Skywalker tough but "not nearly as fun" as it could have been.[138]
The demo was the fourth most-playedXbox Live game during the week of August 25, trailingGrand Theft Auto IV,Halo 3, andCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare;[139] it was the ninth most-played Xbox Live title throughout all of 2008.[140] The week it was released,The Force Unleashed was the sixth most-played game on Xbox Live, and it rose to fifth the following week.[141][142] In its first week on sale in Australia, the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions ofThe Force Unleashed were the top and second-best sellers, respectively.[143] In the United States, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 version sold 325,000 and 610,000 copies, respectively, in September 2008; that month, the Xbox 360 version was the best-selling game and the PlayStation 3 version was the fifth best-selling game for their respective consoles.[144][145]
Nintendo Power praised the story and the number of lightsaber combos but criticized the game's easiness and hack-and-slash gameplay.[146] It also praised the Wii version for its story and Force powers, but criticized the game's lightsaber controls and linear gameplay.[146]GameSpot noticed visual glitches and problematic audio compression that detracted from the Wii version's "mature and exciting" story, adding that the reduced number of Force-manipulable objects helps mitigate the targeting problems experienced on other platforms.[96] Referring to the Wii remote and nunchuck controls,GameSpot also speculated thatThe Force Unleashed is "possibly the most waggle-heavy" Wii game.[96]Zero Punctuation criticized the Wii version's graphics and compared lightsaber combat to "trying to follow an aerobics routine with both your arms tied to different windmills".[147] The ability to upgrade Starkiller's abilities in the PS2 version, according toIGN, is not as "robust" as it should be, and the game's targeting system is sometimes frustrating.[148]IGN said the PS2's real-time cutscene rendering made Starkiller seem emotionless, and that pre-rendered cutscenes would have been better.[100]GameSpot found the DS version's plot interesting but the storytelling itself "lackluster".[92] While the DS version is easy, with Starkiller killing enemies "like a hot knife through butter",GameSpot said the player's sense of power is not matched by a sense of freedom.[92]GameSpot called the PSP version's camera "unwieldy", but added that smaller and less cluttered environments make the targeting system less frustrating than on other platforms.[18] The Wii version was a nominee for multiple Wii-specific awards fromIGN in its 2008 video game awards, including Best Story and Best Voice Acting.[149][150]
In the week of its release, the Wii version was the sixth bestselling game in Australia and was second toWii Fit among games for that platform.[143] The PS2 version was the eighth bestseller in Australia, and both the PS2 and PSP versions were the top sellers on their respective platforms.[143] The DS version was eighth most sold among DS games in Australia.[143] In the United States, the Wii version sold 223,000 copies in September 2008, making it the ninth best-selling game that month.[144][145] In the United States, the PlayStation 2 version was the 14th best-selling game in September 2008, selling over 100,000 copies.[151]
Caption 3: "Battle your friends with unleashed multi-player action."
His full name was Galen Marek
| Action |
| ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Action-adventure |
| ||||||||||||||||
| Arcade | |||||||||||||||||
| Educational | |||||||||||||||||
| Racing | |||||||||||||||||
| Role-playing |
| ||||||||||||||||
| Simulation |
| ||||||||||||||||
| Strategy | |||||||||||||||||
| First-person shooter |
| ||||||||||||||||
| Crossovers |
| ||||||||||||||||
| Cancelled games | |||||||||||||||||
