Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Xbox 360)
Product Details | Similar Products | Customer Reviews | Publisher: Activision List Price: £39.99 Our Price: £39.97 You Save: £0.02 (0%) Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours  |
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 | Product Details: Release Date: 19 September 2008 Publisher: Activision Rating:   Sales Rank: 244 | | Look for similar items by category: | | Customers who bought this item also bought:
| | Customer Reviews: Flawed but still worth it... (16 November 2008)Personally i bought this game purely and simply because i love star wars and i especailly love the games. With that in mind i still love the game. The idea behind it is good the story isn't too bad(though its not the awe inspiring link between EP III and IV that people tote it as). The graphics could probably be better for the console power behind it but the locales are still gorgeous to look at especially the wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. To be honest its everything i expected it to be though which is good. The bad part is though that its still fundamentally flawed by the same things that make many close combat games annoying. The fiddley close combat is made all the more worse by the fact that you can't block properly if your getting hit and there are several enemies within the game that are designed with one thing in mind and thats to swamp you with hand to hand weapons and just take it in turns to hit you with combos you can't block. I died several times playing this game from the most simple of things as i just couldnt possibly escape the corner id been pushed into. Exploding ranged attacks always seem to knock you over and then just the split second before your completely up again you get hit and knocked over again. And the targeting system for the force grip seems to only work when the game wants it to i spent valuable seconds in several fights waving the camera back and forth jsut trying to get a lock on a box to help my fight out a little and usually ended up dead for my sins. The camera system itself is annoying as nine times out of ten when firing lightening at an enemy it misses at the crucial moment because the camera is at a slight angle and doesnt adjust quickly enough. However when these things do work and don't get in the way as they all seem to only a the most important moments this is a brilliant game. I'm literally playing my second play through as i write this and once you have all the powers the early levels are definitly a lot more fun overall. This is definitly a hit or miss game, you either love it or hate it im afraid. Not scruffy looking, but definitely a nerf-herder! (11 November 2008)From screenshots, this looked like the star wars games were getting their mojo back. And for the occassional few minutes whilst playing the game, those beleifs were justified. However, this game is in no way represented well by its graphics. The graphics themselves are amazing, with character models looking spot-on and some really interesting textures appear throughout the game. However, the actual gameplay feels less like star wars and more like dynasty warriors with telekinesis. The ligtsaber itself, despite being able to 'cut' through walls like qui-gons, this is simply another graphical flourish and lightsaber combat feels more like hitting people with a baseball bat than slicing through them with one of the most powerful weapons in the galaxy. This probably has something to do with making the game playable in terms of not killing every enemy within 2 seconds, but it still feels just plain wrong! The force powers themselves are the highlight of the game, and once you get some of the later upgrades, you feel more powerful than the Emperor himself...Well, at least you would if the enemies in the later missions weren't invulnerable to your force attacks. Again, this will be because of the difficulty, but in a game thats greatest strength is the force, it feels wrong for them to be completely redundant in the final half of the game. This then leaves to resort to hitting people with your glowing baseball bat. One strength of hte game, however, is its story. I am not exagerating when I say that it is infinitely better than Episodes I & II combined, and includes some great twists and characterisation, even giving quite a fair amount of insight into Vaders and the Emperors dealings between Episodes III & IV. In fact, the story in this game sets up the original trilogy and a hugely significant way. To sum up, this game is generally fun to play but fails to deliver on alot of its early promise, although the story makes this an essential purchase for any Star Wars fan Straightforward, but challenging (07 November 2008)I see many of the people's main criticism of this game is based on the linearity of the game. They tag this as a downfall of the game. That is an unfair review. You cannot compare this game to kotor. It is NOT an rpg. It's an action game. And if you grade it as an action game, it actually fares pretty well. Agreed, the plot is at times cliched and predictable but it is so well meshed into the movie's line without distorting the same while involving major characters that I couldn't repress a nod of respect for the writer. As for the action, the controller problems are complete bogus on my co-reviewer's part. It takes getting used to, but the degree of liberty you are given implies a degree of complexity. And the cutscenes, special events and boss fights are all pretty challenging. The combo moves to advance boss fights, while not original are still entertaining and well executed. All in all, this is a game for those who seek to have some fun whilst using a lightsaber and force powers to wreck the opposition. It doesn't go deep, and it's pretty straightforward but that is how the game is presented so it shouldn't be held against it. Far from perfect but still enjoyable (02 November 2008)The Force Unleashed follows the story of Starkiller, the secret apprentice of Darth Vader (in the years between Episodes III and IV in the Star Wars universe). The game opens with Vader hunting a rogue Jedi on Kashyyyk. This search yields more than the destruction of this Jedi, revealing a much more powerful being who becomes Vader's apprentice. The game's story is one of its strong points. Starkiller begins his career (some years later) as a Jedi hunter. He carries out Darth Vader's will to locate rogue Jedi around the galaxy, along with his pilot Juno Eclipse, and his training droid PROXY (who also acts as a sort of walking holo-communicator). But Starkiller soon develops misgivings about his orders, and leaves the dark side behind to rally the Empire's enemies...but not before layers of deception unfold. The voice acting is good, and each character's physical appearances and mannerisms are the best I have seen in any game before. The plot is a worthy addition into the Star Wars universe (although the hard-core fan would probably disagree). You'll also encounter some familiar characters along the way, including Princess Leia, and the Emperor himself. Those who have played games in the Jedi Knight series will find that TFU has a very familiar set up, with the exception that the only weapon available is a lightsaber (and let's face it, it's the most fun anyway). You can also throw you lightsaber, with it boomeranging back to you (taking out a few enemies on the way), and unleash a variety of different combos. But although there are similar force powers in the Jedi Knight series, what sets this game apart is the magnitude of which the force is used. TFU allows you to grab objects (like a barrel, for instance) and shift them around in any direction you desire. You can use this to build platforms, or them it into a flying weapon. The system isn't perfect, however. There are a few targeting issues, and things won't always go where you want them to. A flying object is great, but it's highly annoying when it goes completely in the wrong direction. Regardless, using this force grip talent on enemies is highly amusing - but make sure you them move them away from other objects while doing it, or they'll try to grab on! If you have a large army converging on you, use force push to send them flying, or use it to blast open a door. Electrocute your enemies with force lightning, or send everyone and everything flying with force repulse. You'll also need the force to bend, distort or shape objects in each level in order to advance beyond them. TFU puts the force in your control, but keep an eye on the amount of force power you have left. This will replenish over time. The levels themselves are the recognisable Star Wars style, with a few locations from the movies making appearances (Bespin, Felucia and a pre-constructed Death Star). The game is completely linear, (which has been criticised, but who said it was going to be an RPG?) but completing bonus objectives, collecting force points, and using the force itself increases your level (which enables you to upgrade Starkiller's skills) The Jedi "Holocrons" dotted around the levels might grant you a new lightsaber crystal (changing the colour or effect of your lightsaber) or a new costume for Starkiller. One thing I'm not a fan of is respawning enemies, and this is a common occurrence in a lot of levels. Though the advantage of this is that when you defeat an enemy, your heath is increased. However, this is the only way of increasing your health, unless you happen to stumble upon a Holocron (there are also Sith Holocrons that can replenish your health, increase damage, unlimited force power, etc). Boss fights, however, can get a little bit frustrating. With no enemies in sight, there's no way you can replenish your health, and there doesn't seem to be any respite when you get knocked down or get back onto your feet either. After defeating a boss you must press a sequence of buttons in order to finish them...quite cool if you're fighting a Jedi or Sith. This can be done also with recurring bosses (Such as an AT-ST or Rancor) when they have only a little bit of energy left. TFU is far from perfect. It's a lot of fun, but there are some frustrating parts (including the Star Destroyer sequence...oh God), and it's evident that not all the bugs have been ironed out. But a lot was expected of this game and it has delivered somewhat with a decent effort. So while this could have essentially been a spin-off to the Jedi Knight series, TFU is probably a good indication as to what is to come, and serves up a respectable game in the mean time. It's good, but it's no KOTOR. (30 October 2008)THE STORY: Darth Vader has secretly been training an apprentice and now unleashes him against the few Jedi remaining in hiding throughout the galaxy. However, betrayal is the way of the Sith and the apprentice may in fact be the catalyst which destroys Vader and his own Master. WHAT'S GOOD: This game has lots of elements which are great. The graphics are brilliant and the physics engines used (the programming of which led to the game's 12-month delay) are even better. A lot of effort has been taken over the story here too, as well as the characterisation and animation of the main characters (General Kota remains a favourite of mine). Combine those elements with lightsaber-based violence and the sound of Darth Vader's mechanical breathing and you've got something special. WHAT'S BAD: Sadly the game is just too damn short. I completed it in just two days. It is also robbed of replay (and therefore financial) value by the fact that there's really only two endings, despite the 'dozens of possible endings' we were led to expect, and that choice only comes on the last level. Also, the action is, ultimately, very repetetive and this once again reduces the replay potential. The final annoyance is that you don't even get the lightsaber duel mode or the Jedi Temple level in the 360 version (which is supposed to be the definitive version). OVERALL: An enjoyable romp through the darker side of Star Wars, but lacking in both complexity and sustainability. My advice? Stick with KOTOR all the way baby! |
