LucasArts is at it again.

   The Force Unleashed is the latest in a long line of Star Wars video games, and thankfully it lands closer to the head of the class than the back. The game puts you in the Sith-ful boots of Darth Vader's secret apprentice, code-named Starkiller (which, as some may recall, was the original surname given to Luke in George Lucas's first draft of the original Star Wars... don't worry, I'll get even geekier before this review is finished). As the secretive agent of the Dark Side, you're tasked with hunting down several of the remaining Jedi knights who found ways to survive both Hayden Christensen's poor acting and the Emperor's dreaded Order 66.

   The story, definitely the game's strongest point, is set in the time period between episodes III and IV, helping bridge the gap of 18 or so years that passed between Anakin's fall and the start of Luke's adventures. You'll get to check out the construction phase of Vader's Super Star Destroyer Executor, as well as the first Death Star (which, unlike the second, probably did not have construction workers aboard when it was destroyed), and even see the inner workings of a TIE Fighter facility. Haven't you always wondered how those things got put together? Nah, me neither. But it still makes for some fun ways to use your Force powers.

The Force is strong with this one

   As the title might reveal, the point of this game is to allow the player to UN-goddamn-LEASH(!) the powers of the Force. At this, the game succeeds with flying colors. There is a ton of cool Force stuff you can do throughout the game, and though it may seem a bit repetitive to throw ten stormtroopers off the same platform, until you actually do it (don't try this in real life, mind!), you won't really appreciate how much fun it can be. Or better yet, pick up one trooper, zap him with some lightning, then throw him at his buddies and watch them all go flying into some explosive barrels (yes, even the Star Wars universe has explosive barrels, but amazingly, they're not entirely red, nor do they have "flammable" labels plastered all over them!)

   So as not to ruin all of the fun after the first level or two, you start out with just a modest level of power and gradually learn more Force abilities as the game progresses, allowing you to push opponents, then throw them, then zap them, then pee fire in their face, and so on. The process allows for a fair amount of growth in the character, and the leveling system is simple and highly functional, telling you exactly what power you'll possess after an upgrade and how to go about using it. Plus, it adds a level of replayability, as you'll want to go back and max out all of the Force powers, then replay the first few levels acting like a total badass.

An elegant weapon

Places to see, people to kill

   The locations in the game are very detailed and fun to explore. They come with a bit of a downside, though - there are only four real environments. Two of the planets are visited twice - though in the case of Felucia, the first time it's sunny and the second time it's dark (oooh, big diff!) - and the first and last levels are essentially the same type of construct, with the overall scale of the levels being the only real difference. Despite this overall lack in variety, however, the developers and artists put a great deal of work into making the environments lush and full of nooks and crannies to explore. Felucia really crawls with life, and you can almost smell the toxic dump that is Raxus Prime ("what a wonderful smell you've discovered"). The little details add a sense of reality that captures the player and gives the game a cinematic feel that truly serves to enhance the story.

John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra, everybody!

   Star Wars music is iconic. You can hear a few notes, and you'll know instantly where it's from. Some of us can even tell you which scene in which movie a particular piece is from (and maybe even recite a little dialog to go along with the music... what, am I the only one like that?). The developers of The Force Unleashed obviously understood this, and knew that there was no way for them to top what John Williams had done, so rather than create a new soundtrack, they just abused the hell out of the fact that they have access to all of the masters and reused his stuff. Sure, they created a new main theme for the game, which is used in several cut scenes and during important moments of the story, but for much of the background music, you'll hear the same tunes you know and love from each of the series' six episodes. They are used quite well, though, and always seem to fit the gameplay just right. "If it ain't broke," I suppose.

Geez, another loading screen? I'll be Yoda's age before I can play again!

   The Force Unleashed is great to look at. The graphics are very high quality, and the cut-scene animations are right up there with some of this console generation's best. It's just really strange, though, that some of the processing power used to render such beautiful artwork could not have also been utilized for something as simple as making the menu screens less of a hassle. If you want to upgrade a Force power, you have to pause the game, which is the shortest step in the process. After scrolling to the "Force Upgrades" icon, you'll sit through a loading screen which will show one of several pieces of information that you either already knew (if you're a nerd like me) or didn't much care to know (if you're not). Then, after picking your upgrades (with a slight lag in menu scrolling), you'll sit through another few seconds of a loading screen on your way back to the menu. It's really not that hard to deal with, but it's something that, at this point in the history of video gaming, should have been dealt with a lot better. It also sucks if you accidentally hit the Force Upgrades icon when all you really wanted to do was change the color of your lightsaber - which also requires you to suffer the loading screens.

What's that funny feeling on my buttocks? Oh, hello, Obi-Wan!

   On the plus side, the game has some cool timed button-press mechanics during the fighting, most notably during the boss battles. What's best about these passive gameplay segments is that they add an extra layer of cool to your ass-kicking ways, giving you a new way to destroy that rancor or AT-ST rather than just zapping it with lightning until it falls down. The other fun fact is that you don't die the first time you mess up a timed button press, which is especially handy during the sequences that arise in the boss battles. If I had to restart every time I messed up finishing off a boss, I probably wouldn't be writing this review, because either I'd still be on the second level or I would've thrown my copy of the game out the window. As I said, though, if you mess up, you're just relegated to starting the button sequence over again, and given another shot at pre-animated glory.

   I would be remiss if I didn't mention the one horribly detrimental use of the button alignments, however. The Star Destroyer scene. You know the one, from the early trailer, showing the apprentice pulling a Destroyer out of the sky with just his Force powers and bringing it to a screeching halt just in front of him. Well, that scene doesn't play out exactly as the trailer showed it, and instead requires you to adjust the analog sticks to on-screen prompts, and then yank the ship down from the heavens. Do yourself a favor - if you get stuck during this part, don't follow the on-screen prompts. Believe me, there is no disgrace in using the Cliff Notes on this one - so just go on YouTube to find out what it should look like, or just close your eyes and hope (remember, "your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them"). It's really a shame that this part is so clunky, since it really is a cool element of the story, and the scene that plays out upon successful completion of the act is almost worth all the trouble you'll go through trying to accomplish it. Almost.

The Force will be with you, always

   Star Wars is bankable. You know it, I know it, and LucasArts sure a heck knows it. But if they're going to keep making games like this one, I think we can all rest a bit easier knowing that the future of Star Wars games is pretty safe. If you're not a fan of the saga, you may not be as swept away by this game as some, and you probably didn't read this far into the article anyway. But if you're like me and enjoy anything Star Wars related, you're sure to get some fun out of the deal.

       ... Darthziggy