Here it is. The game every Star Wars fan has been waiting for. Approaching this game from a reviewer’s standpoint has been a rather tricky beast being that I’m a die-hard fan of the franchise. I even love the prequels; although I can acknowledge they have their weak points (Jake Lloyd is far worse than Jar Jar Binks). So when sitting down to write about The Force Unleashed I actually had to shelf my inner fan-boy to be able to detail some things that might irk gamers, Star Wars fans or not.

Firstly, and probably the biggest draw for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is the story. And let us put it to rest right now; this game’s narrative is excelsior! It’s everything you could have hoped for in a Star Wars property, whether you’re a fan of the entire film epic or one of those that swear by only the originals. If I had to paint a picture of how much I enjoyed The Force Unleashed’s story I would have to say that they should have made this Episode III. Don’t get me wrong, I think the real Episode III is the strongest of the prequels but if that was moved up to Episode II and then Episode I and II were combined into the first of the prequels even crabby Star Wars fans would have been happier. The narrative to Force Unleashed also works thematically; perfectly bridging the two film trilogies. No wonder this game is the first to be considered fully fledge canon right next to Lucas’ films because it’s almost to the point where Force Unleashed is vital playing/ watching to get the full scope of the Star Wars saga. The story is gripping, emotional, and a fabulous roller-coaster ride with superb voice acting and animated cut-scenes that deliver a grand sense of epic.

The game-play, on the other hand, is a rather cut and dry action-adventurer. For all the force maneuvers you can pull off (seven total which can each be upgraded three times), the game does still come down to being a romp through hordes of enemies strung together by an epic story. Personally, I had no problem with this, but for a lot of gamers in this current generation where online multiplayer and a quest that lasts at least twenty hours are essential, Force Unleashed just might not cut it.

Leveling your character does spice things up by letting you create a Sith lord that caters to your individual play style. If you want to focus on being the strongest wielder of the force know to man, beef up all your force talents. If you want to focus on being a brute with incredible saber skills you can do just that. The choice is yours with the easy to manage leveling system that the Force Unleashed implements which gives players incentive to revisit the game and try different character builds.

By far the weakest element of Force Unleashed is the actual game-play during boss fights. Most of the time they come down to pressing a button faster than your computer opponent and hitting them while they’re on the ground. However, the dramatic landscapes to which they play themselves out on are fantastic and really give you a drive to complete the fight. Then factor in the excellent button pressing mini-game choreography to perform a finishing blow and these boss fights become rather entertaining spectacles for gamers.

Like I said, games like Force Unleashed that last roughly eight hours without a multiplayer option sometimes just don’t seem all the enticing when you’re looking in your wallet and wondering if dropping $60 is worth it. It’s a decision you will have to make yourself but I’m glad I chose to pick this up. I’m having an absolute blast revisiting the game with my uber powerful Sith lord and being able to watch the amazing story over again. Think of this game as Ninja Gaiden, but instead of having nine weapons to upgrade and master, you have varying force powers and a story that actually makes sense and is quite compelling. Simply put; Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is fun as hell.

Crave Online Rating: 8.5 out of 10