Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 1 and 2
A long time ago, in a galaxy far far before The Last Jedi and The Force Awakens the Force was unleashed like never before.
In September of 2008, three years after the release of The Revenge of the Sith, The Force Unleashed was released for the seventh generation of consoles. It aimed to bridge the gap between the prequels and A New Hope (before the new Star Wars Canon was introduced) and also allowed gamers to use the force like never before.
The Story
The Force Unleashed begins with a level based on Darth Vader being sent by The Emperor to kill one of the remaining Jedi, Kento Marek, who was hiding on the wookie planet of Kashyyyk. The Sith Lord is incredibly overpowered and is able to kill enemies with ease. At the end of this level he discovers Kento Marek’s son, who he takes on as a new apprentice, without the Emperor’s knowledge. The apprentice is named as ‘Starkiller’ and becomes the main protagonist of the series.
When Starkiller is of age Darth Vader informs the protagonist of his main mission: to kill all remaining Jedi who survived Order 66. Vader makes it clear that he wants Starkiller to help him kill Palpatine and rule the galaxy as Master and Apprentice. However when Starkiller tries to kill Rahm Kota, a surviving Jedi, he becomes influenced by the Jedi. This is the start of Starkiller’s journey through both the Light and Dark sides of the Force in which he battles both his emotions and morality. Sadly the player is very rarely given much choice in the matter, but Starkiller’s journey is an exciting one and certainly is full of tension.
Not only does the story span out to some of the most iconic areas in the Star Wars saga, but it also features many interesting cameos from characters who either deserve more attention in the Canon or are well known favourites. Bail Organa is one of the main side characters who pushes the rebellion forward. In The Force Unleashed 2 Boba Fett makes a brief appearance, as does Yoda. But perhaps one of the most intriguing parts of the story comes from the pilot-cum-love interest, Juno Eclipse. Sadly her performance is a little flat, but Starkiller’s love for her is clearly displayed early on and is ever present in the narrative.
The Gameplay
Star Wars games seem to constantly struggle with how overpowered Force-wielding characters are. But The Force Unleashed makes the most of these powers by making the protagonist feel completely unstoppable until he duels with some of the latter enemies. The game operates on a very simple yet effective system of levelling up Starkiller’s Force powers and lightsaber skills. Starkiller can use the Force to strike enemies down with lightning, throw his lightsaber at enemies, pick up and throw enemies and objects (which is the most fun), or Force push enemies to their death. Using each of these techniques is incredibly rewarding and is one of the best aspects of the game.
The tougher challenges of the game come when duelling high powered enemies. Sadly these duels are not perfect, but do a very good job of upping the tension. They can become a bit of a button-masher at times, but there will be a few occasions when technique will pay off. Sadly other enemies can become a bit repetitive and there really isn’t much variety. There’s only so many AT STs that you can take down until it becomes a bit of a chore. Luckily the variety of Force attacks can keep you engaged, but not entirely challenged.
One of the biggest criticisms of the game when it first came out was how linear the levels are. In The Force Unleashed 2 the mini map is removed (perhaps because it showed how linear the levels really are) but the levels are still very compact and restricted. Of course we would all love an open world Star Wars game, and apparently that is what was being planned for the third instalment which sadly got scrapped, but I found this level design quite refreshing. The linear design keeps the waves of enemies consistent and also drives the player towards the final goal.
The verdict
Apart from some fairly clumsy platformer moments, The Force Unleashed games are great action games which truly allow the player to feel how powerful the Force is. It may well be the best Star Wars game around at showcasing the power of the Force. It’s a series that is certainly worth checking out, especially to see an alternative take on how the rebellion begun before the days of Jyn in Rogue One or Ezra in Rebels. The Force is certainly strong with this one, and it can be with you too when you play The Force Unleashed!