TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Video Game Review: The Force Unleashed

ADVERTISEMENT

By ROMMIE JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 19, 2008

System: Microsoft Xbox 360

Also available for: Sony PlayStations 2 and 3, Sony PSP, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS

Publisher: LucasArts

Reviewer's rating: ***

ESRB rating: Teen

Game type: Action

Kind of like: "Ninja Gaiden" with magic

Best feature: Using the Force to crush your enemies in imaginative ways can be awesome.

Worst feature: A shocking number of bugs and glitches mar the game.

The bottom line: For 31 years, we've waited patiently for technology to reach the point where we can finally have the powers of the Force at our disposal. With "The Force Unleashed," the payoff is frequently exhilarating - hurling a giant boulder at an angry Rancor or whipping an Imperial stormtrooper into the path of an oncoming TIE fighter provides a visceral rush almost unparalleled in the world of interactive entertainment.

Which is why it's all the more frustrating when the game's designers unnecessarily reattach the leash. It comes in the form of a maddeningly imprecise targeting system, frustrating camera angles and level designs that make the best aspects of the Force seem near-useless or, at least, mundane.

Still, "The Force Unleashed" hits more than it misses, and the game's gripping narrative yarn - about Darth Vader's secret apprentice, whose surreptitious adventures spark the Rebel Alliance, leading up to "A New Hope" - is the best "Star Wars" story in years, right up to its two possible endings.

The appearance of familiar characters and locales will excite enthusiasts, but even nonfans should appreciate the action - especially in the more expansive levels where the full might of the Force can truly be unleashed.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT