Not as Unleashed as I Would Have Hoped
Recently I purchased the Force Unleashed game, and I have to say, despite all the talk, I'm in between disappointed and "damn this is fun to play!" But to make this easier to understand, let's break the game down.
Storyline: 10/10
As everyone has said, the storyline is excellent, having that Star Wars feel to you as you watch each cutscene. Though it was fairly predictable, the story itself is still magnificent, and should have come out in theaters rather than the Clone Wars movie
Characters: 8/10
There is a large number of interesting characters in this game, each having their own unique story, creating another large expanses of stories of the Star Wars universe. I won't go into to much detail as to not spoil the story, but many of the characters are immensely cool and enjoyable. But, some characters don't get enough of a chance to spread their wings and become a true part of the story. Plus, it is never explained why the Apprentice is named Starkiller and what his real name is (according to G4, his name is Galen Marek, but shouldn't teh game tell you that?)
Cutscenes: 5/10
Just because the storyline is good, however, doesn't mean that the cutscenes the game used have to be good as well. The cutscenes are rather atrocious, the graphics no where near those of SSBB, which I would have expected after all the excitement over this game. They even used a blueish vortex back-drop out the window of the ship featured in the game to represent hyperspace (wth?)
Graphics: 3/10
The graphics were equally horrible, if not worse. Players will find themselves falling through near every object the encounter, flailing on numerous corners throughout the game, or in general looking like you came out of a GameCube game. The characters are the high point of the graphics, looking like video game characters of today in a retro setting. Still, this is a Wii, and we really shouldn't be expecting too much of the graphics, but this game is down right ugly
Gameplay: 8/10
This is by far the best part of the game, immersing you in a world of action. The Wiimote acting as the lightsaber and the nunchuck your leaway to the force, this game is very interactive and by far incredibly fun to play, which is what holds this game up, one of the only reasons to get the game. Once you've felt the force in your hands, it's hard to put them down until you beat the game. ... Which won't take that long.
Game Length: 6/10
Despite the excellent gameplay, the storyline is incredibly short, taking you around eight to six hours to beat, depending on whether you're trying to get all the special powerups and screens, which contain cheat codes in them.. However, the multiplayer is what makes this game long and incredibly fun. Who doesn't want to fling you're friend around with the force every now and then?
Playable Moves: 8/10
There is a wide variety of combinable moves, and all of them are very fun, working together very effectively and looking generally awesome. Sometimes it may be hard to use some of the moves though, confusing some moves with others (I've found it impossible to use the force choke except with Darth Vader on the 1st level)
Multiplayer: 7/10
It's always great to be able to play with some of your best friends in a game, and this is one of thsoe games you should really take the time to do just that. It's 2-player, obviously, a duel not working very well with 3 or 4 players. However, there are some disappointments. There are no unlockable stages, leaving you with a mere 9, all of them very small and the graphics are just as bad. 12 of the 28 playable characters is Starkiller in different costumes, and Yoda and Sideous are playable (then again, they are to an extent, possibly too powerful to put as playable). And it becomes difficult to move your character around in the cramped environment. Plus, you can only move so far away from your opponnent, making the arena even more closed in. However, this is by far the best part of the game, so don't be put off by some of these trivial negetives. It bstill is very fun and worth your time.
Enemies: 4/10
The characters you fight may be cool, but that doesn't mean their great to fight against. Don't get me wrong, they are hard. But in this case, their way too hard. It's not that you have too much trouble fighting them, but they all seem to be on the same playing level as you, despite how much you level up yourself. Every 10 minutes, you'll find yourself dying for a while into you get into the habit of searching for the health capsles that are spread out throughout the levels, or else you'll die very swiftly, only to be reborn a few feet away from the enemies, because they are foten stationed at the checkpoints. Unlike all the normal enemies, the bosses tend to be rather easy to beat, swiftly taken out, yet the minibosses are near impossible sometimes, these huge monsters just ramming into you again and again, not giving you enough time to recover enough to retaliate. There isn't even way to get the to pause or be phased, the lightning not even effected their attitude, though it does bring down their enegry swiftly.
Replayability: 6/10
Though the storymode is fast and easy, you'll need to play it twice to unlock all the characters for duel mode and to see the second ending, therefore encouraging you to play twice, and the multiplayer will get you to play numerous times with you're friednds, but after a while, you'll get tired of it.
So, in the end, as much as it pains, me, I'd give this game about a 6.5/10. This game, despite the hype, has disappointed me greatly, and I would have expected more from a agame of this stature
Please be sure to review my review!!!