So I got my copy yesterday @ 7am when WalMart opened its doors and I've been hacking away at it steadily since. My opinion: it's a pretty solid hack/slash adventure.

The graphics are amazing, that is to say - the backdrops and backgrounds. The settings are very picturesque and pretty typical of a Star Wars/Lucasarts video game production. However the actual play-maps can be confusing at times and problematic during moments of heavy conflict but this tends to be true of most GoW style games depedent on combos, unlockable powers and QTE's. The QTE's however are, much to my chagrin, a pretty obvious drawback. Rather then give the player the ability to take down bosses and mini-bosses with powers, once you beat said enemy in to submission you are prompted to follow a "hit this button now" sequence while your character goes through motions that are not unlike MK fatalaties but without the complexity of actually having to tap out complex patterns on the controller.

The story is supurb. It delivers a dynamic, canon-fitted campaign that connects the dots between Episodes 3 and 4 and takes full advantage of its place in the Star Wars canon and unlike RPG's similar to KotoR, the outcome is static making it a perfect 'chunk' of Star Wars history. It weaves itself in to the pre-existing tapestry masterfully and explains aspects of the films, later revealed, that were not as well documented by the movies themselves. I would recommend the game to any Star Wars fan based on the story alone. Thankfully though it offers so much more.

Freedom is offered to the player in slotting and selecting powers and items that give your character, the same character everyone playing the game picks up, a more connected sensation - you still get to make Starkiller very much your own.

Like most GoW style games, once again, there are areas of extreme frusteration and moments of exasperating futility that can threaten to scare off the meek and mild but for any gamer with a measure of stick-to-it-edness the rewards are well worth the aggrivation.

I don't want to spoil anything for any potential players out there, and those looking for more comprehensive reviews (with spoilers included) there are a host of such articles to be found in various magazines and websites. But I will say this - Since sticking the disc in the tray and hitting load I have been transfixed by the width and breadth of The Force Unleashed and I consider it a must have for any true Star Wars geek and a definate need for console gamers.

Enjoy!

I'm planning on waiting until Christmas to get it. I'm fricking broke right now. Getting it for the Wii, though. Gonna be awesome. *waits while the anticipation kills him*

Rogue Jedi, ftw!

Also, the game is decent. Gets a bit repetitive at times but most games are. The camera is annoying, and the same with the autotargetting. I find myself throwing lightning at some random object most of the time and not the guy in front of me.

The story has been fun, the opening is bad ass, and Vader reclaims his throne as awesome villain. Oh, and also it doesn't go TOO over the top with the Force (except every so often) like they showed in the trailers.

SPOILER









Why are there Dark Troopers? Didn't they come into existance closer to a New Hope? And weren't they really rare? Sorry, my one major quibble.

Ah, forgot it came out.

I'm grabbing it for Wii soon. I'm assuming you have it for Xbox? I wonder if there is a big difference in the graphics.

More than likely. The Wii's graphics aren't that great.

Why are there Dark Troopers? Didn't they come into existance closer to a New Hope? And weren't they really rare? Sorry, my one major quibble.

Their Purge Troopers, not Dark Troopers, apperently from what I can understand briefly is that they might be the precursors to the Dark Troopers.

Just beat the game myself, my only complain is something that'll spoil it for people so I ain't saying what my complaint is yet.

But, Beff hits it on the nail well. The graphics are excellent, the cinamatics are superb and while I was hoping for a scene with you fleeing from a starship and outwitting it, I settled for some far more cooler than that.. again.. it's a spoiler so I ain't saying ;)

Got it, loved it, passed it (with the two multiple endings), and will return it so I can purchase both Fable 2 and Fallout 3. As much as I enjoyed playing through the game, I have to say I'm not going to hang onto it... The simple fact being I almost unlocked everything on my first go through, therefore nothing is keeping me coming back (save the Force use, but even that will get old).

I am a little annoyed, however, at one holocron item seemingly being bugged: the Sith Robes. Every time I get that pick up, I put the clothing on and then pass the level, only to have it unavailable for the next (level)... it doesn't seem to save me gathering it on Raxius Prime.

I thought the story was good (though a little short for my tastes - I completed the game in about 6-8 hours), well tied in, and (funnily enough) seemed more involved than the recent movies. I enjoyed the multiple endings, and found that Starkiller was quite enjoyable as a character. His force use did get a little over the top, though, toward the end - See Spoiler below...

Also, in my version, those Purge Troopers are called Dark Troopers... so maybe it's just a re-used name for the project at a later date?

SPOILER:









The fact he defeated both Vader and Palpatine made me rub my chin and think. From all indications, he looked to overpower Palpatine, yet died when the Force lightning backfired... it didn't seem to work, in my mind.

I knew he was going to die either way, so I didn't care too much.

Did anyone else unlock the second ending by jumping down to attack Vader? You should check it out.

Well, just finished... well and done.

Both endings, enjoyed. All unlockables, unlocked.

It was the story that most drew me in and kept me going and once I'd gone through one way, and come out dark, I needed to go through again and come out the other... light.

I liked it all around, story-wise and had but a few qualms with the game play. Though I lament there is no multiplayer it, like Assassins Creed, is one I will probably come back to time and time again.

I am with you Paul, in some regards. The story aspect really drove me to stop and think, to consider the implications of its place in canon and while the gamey force use may well have seemed a bit over the top in the fiction context, it fit right in with the video game mantra: bigger is better.

Over all I would give the game a solid 9 out of 10, with a point lost only to compensate for such lackings as said multiplayer and minor fickles like camera bugs, enemy glitches and QTE boss deaths.

Enjoyed.

I expect you to get Fable 2, so that we can both run around in multiplayer together, Beff.

You should make someone with boobs. Female boobs.

i thought the demo was better then the game. it dragged to long.