PSP World

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Review

All this time we were excited for a (polished) brawler.

Star wars: The Force Unleashed is finally here on the Nintendo Wii. A multi-platform release with a more mature focus is a welcome rarity on the happy white box. For months we’ve been reading previews, seeing screenshots, reading every piece of information of the first (real) lightsaber game on the system that was born for a lightsaber game.

In the end, we’ve got a 3D game that could be remade into a 2D brawler from the Final Fight era without changing the experience.

Don’t get me wrong: The Force Unleashed on the wii is a great game. Despite not being developed by Lucasarts, the project got a high level of polish, especially in regards to the (all important) controls. On the other hand, the genre is getting a bit old: every level puts you walking from point A to point B, bashing dozens of enemies along the way. By the end of the level you fight a gigantic (but unsurprising) boss and that’s it. Sounds a lot like 1994´s Final Fight, eh?

Aside from the fact that the game is a brawler and feels as old as the genre itself, things go uphill from here: the graphics obviously aren't on the same level of its counterparts PS3 and XBOX, yet they still deliver some impressive effects on the Wii, with a steady frame rate, lots of (physically active) objects on screen and a nice use of lights. There are some low points, like the the Rogue Shadow, the protagonist’s spaceship, incredibly low on details and rough on the edges. But in the end the graphics won’t make you feel especially ashamed of owning a Wii. There´s much worse in the market.

As for the story, you are in control of Darth Vader’s nameless new apprentice, in a time frame between Episode 3 (Revenge of the Sith) and Episode 4 (A New Hope, the first one). Using a lightsaber and a varied assortment of force powers you will blast Jedi rebels and imperial forces alike. The story has some level of tension and surprises, but it will really win the heart of the Star Wars fan (or anyone that has ever seen any of the movies) by the time the original trilogy setup starts to show up.

But here comes the million dollar question: it’s the first (real) lightsaber game on Wii. How did the controls go?

Well, pretty nice, as long as you keep in mind that since the game is out now, in September 2008, we have no Wii Motion Plus to compare it with. As a result, 1:1 motion recognition is out of question. That being the case, I guess it’s safe to say that Krome Studios did their best with what they had.

The game recognizes horizontal and vertical slashes of the wiimote with ease, making the protagonist replicate these actions with a similar and fancier move on the screen. Combos get linked by making wiimote moves in sequence. A fine addition to the lightsaber mechanic is a system that prevents the crazy waggle: for example, if you make a left to right slash and during the character animation you rush a twisted move that totally negates the left to right motion, the character locks for an instant and you can’t link a combo with new moves. Is a neat idea that makes the combo success a job of rhythm and attention.

Along with the lightsaber mechanic, the developers added some force powers activated by the nunchuck motion or nunchuck+wiimote+button pressing. Everything very basic and functional. The force push, activated by a thrust with the nunchuck, is particularly satisfying.

Combat features an extra item that would be the only thing that separates Star Wars: TFU from a 2D brawler: the objects physics. In the game you are able to throw rocks, metal panels, people and all sorts of objects into your enemies using the force. Its pretty rad, and although it can be a cheap tactic for some enemies, still a nice addition, making the game more organic.

So, even though the game type feels a little old, the combat is pretty neat, except from one point: QTE, the infamous Quick Time Events, popularized by Resident Evil 4 and God of War. Every time you got a boss to deplete the majority of its health bar, a giant Nunchuck or Remote icon will flash the screen, meaning that shaking that device will start a killer-QTE-move. You’ve been battling this boss with rush and attack tactics, throwing rocks at him for the last 10 minutes, but this last drop of energy will go out with a bang: your character and the enemy will fly, wall kick, blast through walls, do a lot of unbelievable stuff…. While you will be shaking your controls according to the indication on screen: Giant wiimote – shake wiimote. Giant nunchuck – shake nunchuck. The presentation is ugly, anticlimactic and in a last analysis, utterly pathetic. This is the kind of gameplay that makes your father say “this (videogame) is a dumbass maker machine.”

There is also some stuff between levels, like lightsaber customization (don’t get excited, It isn't nothing exciting), some passcodes and 250 images of concept art, unlocked by collecting items scattered through levels. Seriously: who wants to see concept art from a game? That is the stupidest and lamest extra a game can offer!

Well, there you have it: the first real lightsaber game on Wii. Has it worth the wait? Kinda. If you want some mindless destruction that will last 6 to 7 hours, you’re on the right path with a Force Unleashed rental. The purchase is recommended only for the die-HARDEST Star Wars fan, or for a bargain bin pick-up in the future.

Final Score: 4/5