Lucas Unleashes the Force on Gamers

George Lucas makes up for too many lackluster films with the debut of the video game "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed", letting players pick up a Lightsaber and let loose their inner Sith.

The Force is strong with this game which lets players see the events that transpire in between "Star Wars: Episode III and IV. Darth Vader has taken a Sith apprentice named Starkiller, a moniker originally given to Luke and Leia in the first drafts of the orginal "Star Wars." The powerful warrior must hunt down the surviving Jedi Knights, while dealing with many familiar characters from "Episode IV such as Princess Leia.

LucasArts designed this game for what they call "pick up and play," meaning any novice gamer can press start and use the Force without being overwhelmed. For the most part this really works, the controls are easy to understand and fluid. This may upset serious gamers who want more than the typical button mashing.

The title promises unleashing the Force, and the game delivers. Players can wield the Force as never before, with lightning bolts, throat-crushing Force grip and multiple combination moves that don't require a programming degree to master. It should be noted that the Nintendo Wii version allows the Nunchuck Controllers to use the Force and Lightsaber in a very arm tiring way.

The story is what really elevates this game, giving fans and casual observers alike a very entertaining journey. Starkiller is a welcome addition to the "Star Wars" universe. Unlike wooden Anakin from previous adventures, this new Sith apprentice is less "emo" and more pro-active warrior. This Jedi spends very little time moping around and more time cutting down his obstacles.

"The Force Unleashed" only falters in level design. It seems as if the creators were more interested in fleshing out the script, than giving deep thought into making the actual levels little more than stop points in between cinematics. This is a minor gripe that most fans may not even notice, but hardcore gamers could be turned off by. This game was so hyped up that fans were expecting an experience closer to "Grand Theft Auto" with free roaming capabilities, but designers chose to appeal to a broader audience with a more generic style.

The graphics are top of the line, coming as close to playing a movie as is possible with the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. The rich texture used in background scenes are amazing, with subtle easter eggs hidden throughout. Fans will be giddy running through an uncompleted Death Star or noticing the change from Clone Troopers to the more familiar Storm Troopers. The score is what one would expect from "Star Wars", with John Williams now very familiar music embellishing each level.With the painful "Star Wars: Clone Wars" animated film still in theaters, this game manages the near impossible; giving fans hope for the future of the franchise. For the first time in a long time, it is good to be back in the galaxy far, far away.