Finally it’s released and Activision and Lucas Arts have pulled out all the stops on the latest title in the Star Wars Franchise.  The Force Unleashed.  It’s been in and out the press all year and with some promising first trailers and some gorgeous screenshots we couldn’t wait to give it a try.  But does it really show us the true nature of the dark side, or is it just one big commercial flop! 

Now I’m not sure how many people will react to this review because there’s a 95% chance that if you like star wars.  You WILL like this game regardless of what it’s about or how it plays.  It seems the fact that it has light sabres and a plotline which involves Darth Vader is enough to encourage thousands of gamers to play it.  The story follows on somewhere between the third and the forth film.  Darth Vader is at large and unknown to the galaxy he has had his own dark apprentice doing his biddings for him.  As you progress through the game you will slowly be turned to do the Jedi’s cause.  But Vader plans for you to help him overthrow the emperor.  The plotline is great and the characters are very well designed.  Each fitting in the Star Wars saga perfectly. 

Here we come to the game play *sigh*.   I will say it now.  The Force Unleashed is a hack & slash adventure game.  Where you will be doing more hacking than any force using.  As much as I want to say otherwise that’s pretty much what the game boils down to.  You have two energy bars.  One health, and one energy.  Health can be obtained from items or by defeating enemies in the form of little green balls which come to you after you destroy your foe’s.  Energy however recovers over time, energy can be used on pretty much everything force related.  

The fighting is basic you have your standard hacking, you have force combo’s, grapples and of course jumping around the place.  You can also block and use superior force powers like force push, lightning and saber throw.  Everything you need when you’re the average Sith going on the daily killing spree.  The fighting is easy but it is let down by sloppy camera movements.  While fighting more than five enemies at one time can prove difficult as the controls aren’t that refined.  The fighting is enhanced by the fact you can combine weak and strong attacks as well as using that little bit of force to get the edge over the enemy. 

There is also some other features to the basic sword combat like sabre locks in which once you and an enemy sabre wielder clash you will be prompted by this mini game in which you have to repeatedly mash one of the buttons which appear.  You can also reflect most blaster bolts by simply standing still and hoping they go in the direction you wish.  Also you can force lock.  Force lock basically means when you use force lightning and so does the other force user another mini game appears in which you have to press the button for a small cursor to land in the hit zone.  Successfully do this and you will gain a damage boost and win the duel.  Also layered around the levels are several items such as holocrons which can be picked up for force points as well as upgrades but we will come back to this later. 

Now as you probably already know the FORCE is a big thing in “THE FORCE UNLEASHED”  You can pretty much grab most objects around the levels and fling them all over the place.  Enemies and objects make great throwing weapons also there is nothing better than frying your opponents into smouldering wrecks using force lightening.  It’s all very pleasing and it’s quite funny when storm troopers will cling onto any nearby ledge or object pleading for you not to harm them.  (even though half of the time they are clinging onto thin air!)  You can’t help but feel a tiny bit overpowered at times when flinging your enemies all over the places, at times you will stop to toy with your enemies