Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

"I see your Schwartz is as big as mine!! (minor spoilers...)"

This was one of the most hotly anticipated non-Christmas release games this year..... but does it deliver? Well, yes and no..... in comparison to it's console counterparts, this PSP version really has a lot to shout about and a few things to make it's developers blush with shame..... lets start with the good stuff shall we?

Ever wanted to be a Jedi? Crush your enemies throats like a grape, electrocute them, throw your saber at them - hell, pummel them with random objects flying through the air!? And why not? These are all things that any budding Sith/Jedi who grew up in the 70's and 80's has dreamed of doing. The PSP version of SW:FU certainly delivers on this front. The number of ways you can dispatch your pathetic foes is pretty staggering, and more importantly, virtually all of them are fun to use and see. In addition to this, they all seem easy enough to execute on the PSP's limited control scheme in comparison to it's console counterparts.

Did I say pathetic foes? Yes, I did, but what's this? Some challenging enemies too? Indeed it has - you'll be fighting other Sith and Jedi for some quite challenging moments, and will even be dispatching multiple gigantic Rancor, hell bent on smashing your little character to pieces. Most of these tougher battles have a system after wearing down their energy to close-to-death that run a God of War style button pressing mini game which will allow you to watch your enemies final moments as your character tears them asunder. And tear them asunder he will! I've seen these button pressing moments executed better, but overall they work very well and make for some very satisfying kills. They certainly empower the player, making them feel like a true Sith/Jedi.... Whilst none of these moments ever challenged me to the point where I felt like my player may die, and I would have to restart, they were certainly noticeably tougher than the general enemies and help to break up the game play. Put it this way - in simple terms of operating a character like a true Jedi/Sith - no other game has ever come close to giving such a range of powers that are so easy to use and with such pleasing results. Some may argue that the KOTOR series had it all, but as it was turn based fighting, it lacks the urgency that SW:FU has. Definitely kudos go to the designers for packing so much in for this area.

Graphics and sound - well, what do you know? Some of the best graphics I've seen on PSP so far alongside Tekken and Daxter are to be found in this game, from the corridors of Vader's cruiser to the hugely varied planets that you'll visit, there are some lovely colour palettes and artistic touches that will thrill non-Star Wars and dedicated fans alike. The characters are all animated extremely well, and bar a few clipping issues with some of the environments, they hold up very well. Some of the tougher foes are designed beautifully and really give you a sense that your fighting someone who could give your character problems. The sounds are excellent, from the crackle of the force lightning to the hum of the lightsaber spinning through the air. Authentic as you could get - would we expect any less? The cast is also voiced very well, and whoever it is doing vader's voice deserves praise... although I haven't checked, I'm pretty certain it's not the original James Earl Jones, but it is someone who sounds an awful lot like him. The expected Star Wars score from John Williams in the background as you advance through levels also fits perfectly and just immerses you that little bit more.

The game also has a mode called "force unleashed" which is just a 1-on-1 mode of pitting you against the various tougher Jedi/Sith you'll encounter in the game. Interestingly, it gives you access to all the extra Force Powers you've unlocked and powered up in the story mode, so if you play this before the story mode, it will probably kick your ass.... and on the other hand, if you've finished the story, you'll likely breeze through it with some truly astonishing killer abilities.

As mentioned above - the ability to upgrade your Force Powers is one of the more interesting elements of the main game. Throughout your quest, each foe you dispatch will drop some lovely blue orbs which float directly to you and give your character Force Points to spend on upgrading existing abilities, as well as adding some new ones. There are some truly interesting ones in there - Pummel, Maelstrom, Sith Strike, Detonate to name but a few... the list of abilities is impressive, and as you upgrade them and make them more powerful, their usefulness will also ever-increase. Choke and Lightning are probably my favourites, but I'm sure you will all have your own faves in there. You can also collect various extras hidden around the place, from powerups that extend both your health and your amount of available Force Power, to Jedi Holocrons that are hidden places, as well as different coloured crystals and light saber powerup crystals that boost the power of certain Force abilities, or even the saber itself. You can then customise your lightsaber to reflect any colour blade you so desire, as well as add a power crystal to boost your saber or your Force abilities. Add to this different unlockable costumes for your character, and these elements add some replay value and some variety to the game.

And now, for some of the stuff that sucks. Because there is some.... well, lets be honest, there's a fair bit actually. Grievance number 1 - the camera. Why is it, that, despite the fact we've been making 3D games since the mid-90's, that so many developers even today fail to make a camera that follows the character and holds the right place? Obviously, due to the PSP not having a 2nd analogue stick to swing round the camera manually, your relying on someone programming a camera that can show your character no matter what he's doing... well, whoever that person, or persons are - they failed. Somewhat dramatically in some cases. You will find moments that the camera just doesn't adjust to where it should be, and you'll hear blaster fire and enemies shrieking at you, and watch disappointingly as your characters energy depletes with blows being landed off screen that you just can't see. Yes, you could hold the block button to preserve your characters energy, but let's face it, should you have to? The short answer is no - you shouldn't. There really is no excuse for a camera that doesn't work. Please Lucasarts - locate the staff who programmed the camera and feed them to some Sandpeople. It's justice served. The camera is the number one reason that this game cannot score above a 7 with me....

Grievance number 2 - the intermittent sound. During the first few missions, the voice acting from the cut scenes was unreliable and popped in and out... not the most annoying thing, since there are subtitles, but since the compelling story is such a selling point and the voice acting such good quality, the sound programmers need a slap here.... maybe not feeding to Sandpeople, but certainly a kick in the pins from a Jawa is due (or something similar...). For a game that had such AAA potential and a big budget, it's just down to poor programming and is unforgivable in my eyes.

Grievance 3 - the characters "aim".... when the screen is filled with enemies (which is quite often in the later missions) you'll find your character often doesn't know where he's aiming and is just swinging his saber blindly into mid air whilst blaster fire eats away at your energy... OK, the force powers give you other ways to dispatch multiple foes, but me, I'm in it for the saber mainly, and it's frustrating to see such a blatantly powerful character swing away like Stevie Wonder as enemies laugh at him.... A minor solution I found is to just take your thumb off the analogue stick and hammer the square button to swing the saber, and by default, he kinda aims for the nearest enemy, but this is less than ideal. Could have been better..... again, for such a big budget game, it's pretty unforgivable. Makes you wonder who tested and approved that portion of the game... what were they thinking!?

Overall, I find the PSP version of the game much more satisfying than the 360 version I've also played.... Although the graphics are clearly better on the 360, the 360's control issues are even worse in my humble opinion, especially the control mechanic used to pick up items to throw with the Force.... it may be because the PSP has less items on screen to throw due to processing power, but either way, it just feels like a much better game on PSP. Bottom line is it's more fun to play, with smaller environments and less objects cluttering the space.

If you have even an inkling to wield a light saber from your childhood - you can't go far wrong with this game. You'll find the story compelling, the action satisfying and the ability to wield force powers so easily absolutely enchanting. If you're a non Star Wars fan - I'd still give this one a go.... either rent it first, or try it out on a friend's who has bought it. I think most people will be happy to have played this game. It was oh so close to getting an 8 or 9, but the stupid, unwittingly programmed camera and clumsy aim controls just dropped the ball. There is no excuse for a poor camera in this day and age...... they perfected it in Mario 64 for goodness sake!

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/03/08

Game Release: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (EU, 09/19/08)