Tested from PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions
So yes, it's true that the Star Wars saga is not its first foray into the HD era. Players fed up with the Death Star, the Force and the Jedi have flocked to the two LEGO Star Wars games with their eyes closed – and we understand that – but still, the Traveler's Tales titles weren't coming yet. at the ankle of the productions signed LucasArts Entertainment. It is for this reason that Star Wars: The Power of the Force was expected at the turn. All that was missing was the trilogies by George Lucas, worthy of the feature films made in the 1970s and 2000s. And from this point of view, the American studio made a strong impression by recreating the entire Star Wars. From the long corridors of the Imperial Fleet to the paradisiacal settings of Kashyyyk, passing through the colorful flora of Felucia or even the industrial cemetery of Raxus Prime, to name a few, the planets visited were not chosen by chance. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed sits directly between the episodes Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.
The never-ending story
You will then understand why Star Wars: The Force Unleashed reintegrates some oh so important characters from history, starting with Darth Vader / Darth Vader. And even if the prologue of the game features the dark lord, it is indeed in the skin of a new character that you will live this parallel story to Luke, Han and Chewie. Adopted son of Vader, you will embody the Apprentice. In addition to not having a name, the young hero is sorely lacking in charisma despite his changes of outfits which give him a little Altaïr side (Assassin's Creed) at times. It is only thanks to the cutscenes and a thoughtful staging that we get caught up in the game and that we can't wait to discover the end of the story. Because you suspect that things will not go as planned. Collected by Darth Vader as a future prodigy of the dark side of the Force, he was hired as a teenager to track down Jedi knights in the four corners of the galaxy. And if the first missions go smoothly, the Emperor does not appreciate this secret collaboration between the two men, which will force Darth Vader to review his plans and the Apprentice to choose his destiny. A scenario not necessarily surprising for a Star Wars but well served thanks to cut-scenes and successful dubbing. Let's not forget the music either, which loses nothing of its charm and goes very well with the action or the characters staged. So in the guise of the Apprentice, you will have to perfect your… apprenticeship. Logic ! If at first glance you will handle your lightsaber with ease, you will need to gain experience to start using the different subtleties of the Force. There are six in total: Throw, Lightning, Grab, Repel, Saber Throw, and Lightning Shields. Of course, each skill is unlocked as you progress in the story, but you should know that it is possible to strengthen certain characteristics thanks to the experience points gleaned during the fights and by recovering Jedi Holocrons conferring some bonuses. Thus, you will earn more by fighting as many enemies as possible and by diversifying your blows. Throwing a Stormtrooper at an explosive container or throwing a Wookie at other creatures will be considered a combo that will pay more than a simple saber attack. So by mixing levitation, lightning and shock wave, you will maximize your points. The gain in level is also important for the Apprentice who can also increase his physical talents (max health, strength regeneration, physical attack, etc.). This little RPG side is very pleasant, especially since even your weapon and your outfit can be personalized according to the adventure.
Butterfly Effect
So this is the reason that drives us to visit the levels from top to bottom, despite a level design that is not always obvious. Generally, levels are full of detail, especially for outdoor settings, which sometimes complicates readability. Fortunately, a mini map is there to guide you by indicating the position of your next objective. As for the secondary missions, you will have to manage like a grown-up, just like finding the famous Holocrons. But the more you walk through the levels, the more you notice hiccups in the matrix of the game. Starting with a camera that is not always easy to position in the right place and difficult to reframe in the heat of the action. Under these conditions, a fall into a crevasse happens very quickly and in terms of enemies, we need a few seconds of beats to understand where we are being shot. Moreover, it is sometimes laborious to lock an opponent with precision when it is entangled between several interactive objects, which can be moved using the Force. Like Grand Theft Auto IV, the Euphoria physics engine gives much more credibility to the movements of objects and bodies based on collisions. Far from displaying simple Max Payne ragdolls on the screen, this technological tool adds a degree of realism to the use of the Force, which sometimes gives comical situations, such as human Tetris. And everyone is ruled by Euphoria: troopers, AT-STs, Rancors, Jawas, Ugnaughts, and even vegetation. We take full peepers at the risk sometimes of dropping the frame-rate when the explosions are legion. Still, it's pleasant and fun to watch, and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed also benefits from a neat graphic design, both for the sets and the characters. But then what is fishing? As for the gameplay, despite a quick start, we tend not to go into the details. Some tedious combos quickly fall by the wayside and we quickly understand that the aggressive method is favored even against certain Jedi bosses. It almost borders on the beat'em all so much the action is repetitive. Even the presence of QTE on certain sequences fails to straighten the trend. We play nags, if it goes well and if it doesn't, it doesn't matter, we keep the experience points earned even after a Game Over. In short, very few subtleties in the game, and that's a shame.
