lostinside

Greetings and salutations to those of us lost inside the gaming world. Recent game releases have flooded the current game market with a substantial supply of games for review and obsession. Let me start by narrowing the focus immediately to the one that caught my eye on Tuesday. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Developer LucasArts has outdone themselves with a masterpiece of storytelling and gaming excellence. The story follows the ascension of Darth Vaders secret apprentice Galen Marek aka Starkiller. For those of you who do not already know, this game covers the time gap between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episod IV A New Hope. To gamers who are Star Wars fans I ask, what could be a more intense beginning than to be the apprentice of one of the most infamous characters in science fiction history? For those who may not be Star Wars fans, but enjoy a well executed storyline and beautiful gameplay I say PURCHASE WORTHY!! Not only does it incorporate everything you want for a well engineered plot, including two or three major twists to the storyline that you will not see coming. But the game also includes something never before seen in gaming history, Digital Molecular Matter or DMM created by Pixelux Entertainment and euphoria by NaturalMotion Ltd. These technologies are an advancement above and beyond previously set industry standards. And, in this gamers opinion, is the new bar for next generation console excellence. Havok also has put there best to show with the Havok Physics system tm. So whats all this mean? Easy, when you break stuff it breaks. Material in the world acts as it would in the real world, providing an element of realism that enhances gameplay and provides the eye candy hardcore gamers require. The Story? I refuse to deny gamers the opportunity to be shocked by the many video sequences that play out similarly to the stylization of the movie saga. I will say this, questions are answered that may not have been for some. Recall that in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and the following movies there were only a small handful of Jedi remaining. Namely Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and a developing Luke Skywalker. For fans of the saga, this left us wondering what happened to the rest? Order 66 doesn’t cover it, after all we’re talking Jedi. The answer is beautiful in its simplicity Vader and Starkiller. From General Rom Kota in the beautiful enviornment of Cloud City, to Jedi Master Shaak Ti in the jungles of felucia, the answer come in the form of eradication. But if you want the story I recommend either the book Star Wars: The Force Unleashed by Sean Williams or the game itself.

Gameplay is an essential part of this purchase. The targeting system takes a minute to get used to, but once mastered is fluid and quite helpful. The RPG aspect of upgrading your Force powers, Force combos, and Force talents as well as your Lightsaber give you the advantage of equipping for situations rather than limiting you to a base setup. Costume options allow you to explore Starkiller in his different attire, I’m a fan of the Sith Warrior Robes myself. Holocrons provide you with points to spend into your upgrades, crystals to put in your Lightsaber, and Force Points to level your character. But they aren’t all easy to find, so good hunting. Lightsaber combat is simple and timing sensitive. with upgrades allowing you to mix in Force Lightning and Force Push as well as grappling maneuvers that deal heavy damage. Blocking is simple and effective, standing in the midst of storm troopers who are firing at you at range is an easy, albeit cheasy, way to kill the enemy and avoid damage. Grappling one to three opponents with the force is an easy way to immobilize the enemy, and an easy way to take out others at range by launching them at other targets. The training room leaves something to be desired as, in my case and that of others I have spoken to, I already mastered the techniques purchased with ranking spheres soon after the purchase. This eliminates the necessity of training, but I can still say that it is fun to be locked in a small room with an AT/ST and twenty Stormtroopers of varying class and skill.

In summary this game has hit the top of the list like a rocket for games that you must play to believe. My hat is off to those involved in its creation and my great thanks for a job well done. Finally a game that exceeds its hype. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed gets the thumbs up from this gamer, enjoy and may the force be with you.

*Want a game torn down from a gamer perspective? Hit me up with a request at Rockfan083081@yahoo.com

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