Sunday, July 6, 2008

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS, PSP

Genre: Action

Release Date: September 16

Give in to the lure of the Dark Side in the next major Star Wars game. You'll take on the role of Darth Vader's secret Sith apprentice, Starkiller, running mysterious errands for the Jedi Lord while wielding incredibly destructive Force powers.

Why It's Hot: It's the missing link. Set between the end of Episode III and the beginning of Episode IV, The Force Unleashed sees Starkiller tracking down the few Jedi who lived through Emperor Palpatine's Jedi purge, lending new insight into Vader's relationship with the Emperor and functioning as a sort of bridge between the two film trilogies. That's awesome, and so is the game's tech. Thanks to a trio of cutting-edge technologies, you'll toss stormtroopers, rebel soldiers and even entire Tie-Fighters around like ragdolls, turning the galaxy far, far, away into your personal Jedi stomping ground.

Why It's Not: Think this is your chance to bust out your spot-on Star Wars kid imitation by waving your Wiimote around like a lightsaber? Not quite, padawan. Though you'll be able to swing your sword using gestures, The Force Unleashed is not a saber simulator. Another strike against the Wii version: it's being developed by a different studio (as is the DS and PSP) and isn't powered by the same fancy technology as the 360 and PS3 versions. The Force might not be with this one...

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