Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
PlayStation 3
Nostalgia Factor:
I've played through this game three times in my life now. Once when it first came out, another time back in 2013, and just now - here in the year 2023. I've always enjoyed this game, but now that it is "old", how would it stand up compared to modern day games? That's what we are here to find out.
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Story:
This game has to have one of the best stories ever seen in a Star Wars game. If you are a fan of the franchise and you've never played this before, you are in for a real treat. It takes place somewhere between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The game focuses on Starkiller, a secret apprentice under the control of Darth Vader. Vader uses Starkiller as a tool for hunting down and defeating the last remaining Jedi. When his work is done, Vader tries to talk Starkiller into defeating the Emperor with him so Vader and Starkiller can rule the galaxy together.
Unfortunately the Emperor learns of this plot, and surprises Starkiller and Vader as they are talking. To prove his loyalty and to throw ALL the shade at Starkiller, Vader presumably kills Starkiller and casts his body into space. But as we all know, floating around in the frozen vacuum of space is not a death sentence in the Star Wars universe. Vader sends someone out to fetch Starkiller, and as a way to undermine the Emperor sends him out to join the newly formed Rebel Alliance. The hope is that this will distract the Emperor and leave him in a vulnerable position.
You'll encounter all kinds of Star Wars characters like Princess Leia and Bail Organa. At the end, you are given a choice between fighting the Emperor or Darth Vader. I played the DLC this time around, and the DLC follows the "what if" scenario if you kill Darth Vader. Starkiller essentially becomes the new Darth Vader, pursuing the Rebels on Tattooine and Hoth. Another bonus level sends Starkiller to the Jedi Academy where he seeks to uncover the truth about his father.
I had forgotten how involved this game's story is, and I am seriously pumped to play the sequel to see what happens to Starkiller next. I mean, I have already played the sequel but that was like ten years ago and I don't remember shit.
Gameplay:
If you are looking for a Star Wars game that makes you feel like the ultimate Force-wielding badass, you have come to the right place. It took me a level or two to really understand the intricacies of combat. You start off with just a Force push and a lightsaber melee attack. As you play you unlock more and more Force powers, such as lightning, a repulse attack, and a lightsaber throw. You can also pick up enemies with the Force and toss them around. It is particularly satisfying when you pick an enemy up and throw them into other enemies.
The focus of the game is combat over exploration, so you are going to find yourself battling through waves of enemies. When combat clicks with you, and you fully understand how to control the powers at your disposal, the game becomes a ton of fun. You really do feel like the ultimate badass.
While the focus of the game may be its combat, there are some puzzles to solve. These mainly involve grabbing things in the environment with the Force and manipulating them to your will. I rarely got stuck as I played this game, as it is pretty linear and straightforward. But one thing that often tripped me up was something so simple it always made me laugh. You can knock open some doors by using Force blasts. I'd always walk right by these doors, confused as to where I was supposed to be going. I wasted so much time when the answer was staring me right in the face.
Unlike other Star Wars games, you won't find a lot of variety here. There is no space combat or speeder bike riding or anything like that. It is 100% on-foot. You start each level at a fixed point and you have to make your way to a fixed point, fighting hordes of enemies in the process. The only real exploration you do is taking side paths to uncover secret items or power ups.
The game is quite challenging from time to time. I remember a stage where you have to knock out all these generators that are lined up outside a structure in a big circle. Each time you take one out, a forcefield lowers and sends more and more enemies after you. It just keeps getting progressively more difficult as you go on. Another stiff challenge for me was the giant hangar battle towards the end of the game. It must have taken me a solid ten attempts (at least!) to make it through this part. I remember it being tough when I last played it ten years ago, as well. It's such an intense battle, with stuff coming at you from every angle. If you aren't careful you can find your health completely depleted in a matter of seconds.
Boss battles are plenty fun in this game. I struggled with the first few before I realized I was overthinking things. Just really go to town attacking your enemies, and don't let up your attack unless it is because you are dodging their attack patterns. Also, you should expect to have to deal with quick time events in this game. I'm one of those people that puts my controller down during cutscenes or when I think I've beaten an enemy. I have to say, I was caught off guard by these more times than I care to admit. If you are a QTE hater, most of them are fairly easy and give you unlimited attempts to pass them. Don't stress about them too much.
While I tend to like games with a little more diversity in their gameplay, I never got tired of playing The Force Unleashed. This is a fun, fun game. I think the challenge adds a lot to it. You can never let up. You can't just coast because the game is easy. You have to always bring your A-game. When I first started playing through this again, I wasn't quite sold on it right away. Within an hour or two, I was hooked. I was just as hooked in 2023 as I was when I had played it in the past. The Force Unleashed isn't just a product of its time. It still holds up as a good game today.
Graphics:
Back when this game first came out, it looked amazing. As a Star Wars fan I was completely blown away by the production values of the game. It almost looked like it could stand in as another movie in the series.
In 2023, a whopping 15 years after its initial release date, I have to say it still looks pretty good. When I first started playing through that intro stage where you play as Darth Vader, I was a little "ehhhhh" on the game's graphics. Things were rough around the edges and the environments weren't as detailed as other games I was used to playing (for reference, I had just finished playing through Death Stranding and Doom Eternal for the PS4). But the more I played this game and the more its environments opened up to me, the more impressed I became.
This game just completely nails that "feel" of Star Wars that makes it so special. The shiny, meticulously cleaned walls inside of Imperial Facilities. The lighting. The flashing of the computers and control panels. It is like you walked onto a set of one of the movies. The cutscenes and the giant battles are cinematic and amazing. The stage where you have to grab a freaking Star Destroyer out of the sky with the Force wowed me as a young man, and it wowed me as a 41 year old too.
When you play The Force Unleashed you aren't just playing a good game. You're getting a world class Star Wars experience.
Sound:
The sound in this game is impeccable. You have to start with the music. The whole game contains sweeping, loud, in-your-face music that really pumps you up in the heat of battle. And it is pulled directly from the original Star Wars trilogy. Expect to hear a ton of favorites as you make your way through the game. Never fails to get the blood going.
Sound effects are great too. Blaster bolts, the comforting vroom vroom of the lightsaber. Everything sounds perfect. If you mess up the music and sound effects in a Star Wars game, you are doing something wrong.
Voice acting is good, as well. All the characters put forth convincing, if somewhat "off" performances. I guess you can chalk it up to the technical limitations of the PS3. But I won't complain too much.
Overall:
I am surprised at how well this game has held up over time. Once you get through the opening chapter of the game, everything starts to look and feel like classic Star Wars. It's like you are playing through a completely unbefore seen side tale to the original trilogy.
I love how this game fully embodies what it would be like to be someone who is lost to the Dark Side and uses the full evil arsenal of powers to his ability. I said it before and I'll say it again: you feel like the ultimate badass playing through this game.
The music is great, the story is interesting. If you are able to check out the DLC, I'd advise you to do so. It does add some surprising value to the base game. I had a fun time with The Force Unleashed in 2008, I had fun time with it in 2013, and I had a fun time with it in 2023. For me, I don't think the appeal of this game will ever go away. This was a pleasant surprise, and I am very, very happy I decided to revisit it. Maybe I'll need to revisit the sequel soon, too?
THE GRADE:
A-
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