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Product Features

Genre
Adventure
Publisher
Activision
Release Date
October 29, 2010
Available Platforms
Nintendo DS, PC, PC, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo Wii, XBox 360

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Star Wars The Force Unleashed 2

The Star Wars Saga continues with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, the highly anticipated sequel to the fastest-selling Star Wars game ever created, which has sold more than seven million copies worldwide. In Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, the world was introduced to Darth Vader?s now fugitive apprentice, Starkiller?the unlikely hero who would ignite the flames of rebellion in a galaxy so desperately in need of a champion. In the sequel, Starkiller returns with over-the-top Force powers and embarks on a journey to discover his own identity and to reunite with his one true love, Juno Eclipse. In Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, Starkiller is once again the pawn of Darth Vader?but instead of training his protge as a ruthless assassin, the dark lord is attempting to clone his former apprentice...

  • Paul Martin January 12, 2011 360
    ****

    Let the arguably most iconic music ballad begin as the made-famous bright yellow text scrolls up and into the distance as Lucas Arts release the highly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2, the sequel to the 2008 hit Star Wars: Force Unleashed.

    The story continues to follow that of Starkiller (a.k.a The Apprentice) as he is brought back from death by the evil Darth Vader. The game begins on the planet Kamino, a planet that is renowned for its appearance in the movie Episode 2: Attack of the Clone's. Kamino is where the empire effectively began with planets natives using their ability to clone an army for the Republic; this is where Vader returns to clone Starkiller. This leads to confusion as to whether Starkiller is actually a clone or his original self, yet he has no memory allowing the story to build its mysterious edge. Starkiller begins to have visions of his past however, and feelings towards a woman called Juno (His pilot and romantic plotline in the Force Unleashed). These feelings begin to cause confusion, more so as Vader tries to rid these emotions that made Starkiller turn to the Light Side of the force in the previous outing. Visions of Vader's betrayal however dawn on Starkiller and force him to turn on Vader and run to ensure survival. Starkiller uses the visions to trace down the one person he feel's he can trust, Juno.

    Although the story arc is one of the few Lucas Arts could have used for the revival of Starkiller, I don't particularly like the cloning concept. Despite the mystery this places on the story whether Starkiller is, or isn't a clone it does seem like Lucas Arts lacked the imagination on how to continue from the previous outing and chose the easy way out. Despite this opinion it does allow familiar characters to return. I do, however feel it was rushed in terms of depth and length. Although the game was intriguing to play throughout and gave a sense of urgency to find out what the truth actually is, the game just begins to start when it ends. The length is a major downfall as you should be able to complete the story within 5-6 hours at the most. There are only 4 locations throughout the game, two in which you have to make your way back through is the same level/location you have already completed. The Yoda appearance was a serious missed opportunity as it really is more of a cameo rather than an appearance that revolves around the plot. The level is barely a level and lacked the ability to produce the same spark Dagobah provides in the film Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back. Overall the length of the game seriously weakens the quality of the product and the lack of ides Lucas Arts produced within the game. Don't misunderstand me when I say there are some very memorable moments within the game that will make the gamers jaw drop off in amusement and awe, but it doesn't produce the same quality the Force Unleashed did in terms of variety, story and length. The only other possible replayability factor is the Jedi Challenges. This pits the player to complete a certain objective in a time frame for medal awards. I.e. get from A to B in so many seconds or minutes to obtain a platinum/gold/silver/bronze medal. Although it's a welcome addition to the game, it lacks any real sort of replayability after they have been complete still leaving the game on the short side. I believe fans would have liked and appreciated a longer, whole and more immersive single player story experience than small additions that some would cast aside if I am being completely honest.

    The gameplay has been significantly improved allowing the gamer access to more combos and force powers. A lot of the glitches and complaints from the previous outing have been fixed and in return the game runs smoothly. The controls are responsive and easy to pick up considering the abilities Starkiller has at his disposal. The control layout is the same as the original outing, but there was never really issue with the control aspect of the game so why change something that isn't broken. Starkiller wields dual lightsabers this time around making him feel a lot more powerful and allows access to a more variety of combos. Lucas Arts did however miss another great opportunity to allow the gamer to decide whether they wish to wield a single handed lightsaber or even a Darth Maul two sided lightsaber. This could have allowed for more customisation and produced different combos allowing the gamer to play and decide how they feel most effective. This however isn't a major issue, but was an issue I raised in the previous outing to add more depth to the combat system. All the original force powers return for the sequel with the newest addition being Jedi mind trick. Although there is a comedy factor when watching the mind trick force power in action it does make you wonder why even more force powers where not added; Force Speed for example. The ability to carve enemies up with an insane speed boost would have been most welcome and that is one of the many possibilities Lucas Arts could have provided. Overall the control layout responsiveness and gameplay itself isn't actually bad if anything its good. The lack of options that have been added into the game is what makes the biggest negative impact. Most, if not all problems from the original have been fixed allowing the game to run smoothly, which you can only praise Lucas Arts for responding to the public feedback they received from the first outing.

    The graphics of Force Unleashed 2 are by far the most impressive area of the game. It almost makes you feel like you're watching a film. The cut scenes are jaw dropping and provide a major improvement from the original. I would go as far to say they are the most realistic graphics to date and could be used for CGI if a film adaption was ever created. Samuel Witwer, who plays Starkiller, provides a great acting display as visual concept of the actor allow his facial emotions to pour through into the game giving the game the ability to wow the gamer. The scenery is also impressive, although as stated lacks variety in the 4 levels the game has to offer. Overall the graphics are arguably the best graphics on any game to date, especially in the cut scenes where all the action or drama unfolds. Lucas Arts should be proud of the look the provided Force Unleashed 2.

    The Audio side of the game again is very impressive with all original voice actors from the original returning for their parts. The dialogue however does sometimes lack in the open play of game with Starkiller spouting pointless insults or angry threats that mostly sound out of place in a Star Wars title. It's what you would call a damaged masterpiece as the talent is there; just some of the material lacks the quality and shouldn't have made the final script. The music side of things is classic Star Wars. Any Star Wars fan would appreciate the authentic soundtrack that has been taken from the movies. The sound effects from the movies have also been provided within the game making the lightsaber 'buzz' and 'crackling' sound authentic. Overall the audio is fantastic, if anything it's the level of perfection. There are no complaints about the voice acting, but the dialogue could have been reviewed or some needless remarks removed. However, this does not spoil the overall experience.

    Overall the game is brilliant and abysmal at the same time, maybe more brilliant allowing a good game to shine through. Had it not been for the ridiculously short length and perhaps maybe a little more story along the same quality of its previous outing The Force Unleashed 2 would have been the perfect Star Wars game fans dreamed of. The game does feel rushed and incomplete whether this was because of deadlines I don't know, but the fact that the game lasts for 5-6 hours maximum is something that could not be forgiven. The graphics and audio make up for some if not most of the negatives, but overall it's a game that had a lot of potential, but could not produce the same quality sequel the Episode 5: Empire Strike Back produced back in the day. The game however for any Star Wars fan is a must buy, just maybe not a full price considering the length, or should I say "full price worth, this is not." 7.4/10