The Star Wars films may have changed the way movies were made, but a majority of the licensed games they have spawnedhaven’t been quite as innovative. [we are referring to the first trilogy naturally – ED]  Of course there have been some high points, but they’ve done little to hide the dull, uninspired gameplay that has plagued fanatical series fans for decades (Masters of Teras Kasi says hello).

However to be fair, none of the previous games were granted the amount of creative license that the Lucas Arts team sought with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.  Set between Episodes III and IV, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a third person action game that pits players in the role of Darth Vader’s secret apprentice during the darkest period of a galaxy far, far away.  Although Jedi/Force powered action games have come and gone (with varying results), The Force Unleashed could be the first one to get it right with an interesting mix of physics-based technologies, over-the-top force powers, and big environments that do well to capture the epic scope and scale of the Star Wars universe.

During a recent demonstration at Lucas Arts, Design Lead Hayden Blackman and his team showed off three levels from the Xbox 360 version of this re-imagined portion of the Star Wars trilogy.

A Hidden Chapter Revealed, and Approved!

The story to Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is certainly ambitious, as it attempts to bridge a major gap in the epic series’ framework.  It's set when the oppression of the long dormant Sith has returned, the Galactic Republic is being dissolved, and the remaining Jedi are scattered and hunted.  While the political framework of the Galaxy is being rewritten by the Emperor Palpatine, the Dark Lord Darth Vader is secretly training an apprentice in hopes to over throw his vile master. 

Given the historical significance of the game’s time period, the developers sought approval from the guru of all things Star Wars: Mr. George Lucas, himself.  As per his request, the story of the Force Unleashed follows a similar structure to the Star Wars films.  So we can expect a romantic tale of swash-buckling samurai with occasional spurts of comic relief provided via silly robot sidekick.  This framework can make some casual Star Wars fans groan, but it should be fun to witness a number of guest appearances from major characters in the series like Jedi Knight Shak Ti or Senator Bail Organa.

Three Technologies and a World of Possibilities

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed makes use of three very specific physics and behavioral A.I. technologies: 1)Havok Physics, 2)Digital Molecular Matter, and 3)behavioral A.I. via a new system called Euphoria.  Havok, as the core physics model, needs little introduction since it’s been providing realistic mass and weight calculations for a decade it would seem. 

Digital Molecular Matter (DMM), however, is a new tech designed to simulate the substance of an object so it will also behave realistically during interactions with the Force.  A simple Force Push can send an outward pulse wave that reverberates through other organic objects like the freakishly large mushroom trees of the floral planet Felucia.   DMM was also demonstrated by ripping apart heavy blast doors in a TIE Fighter manufacturing facility.  Through DMM, the doors warped differently depending on where damage was focused. 

Lastly, Euphoria is a biomechanical A.I. technology used to grant the enemies in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed a sense of self-preservation and self-awareness.  Through Euphoria, Stormtroopers (and other enemies) will try to dodge objects thrown in their direction, or reach out and grab an object (or their friends) when they are picked up using Force grip – an ability that turns our unnamed apprentice into a Jedi-Gravity-Gun that can launch enemies at will.  The collaboration of the three systems does a convincing job of immersing players, as the destructive effects of their powerful force abilities are felt within the game’s large, colorful environments.

The Force Is Finally Unleashed

As combat heavy Jedi/Sith action game, Lightsaber-based attacks are an obvious means to dispatch your foes.  However, outside of typical combo based swordplay, the developers thought it best to set up combinations using Force powers as well.  One example of a Force combination was shown off on Raxis Prime, a planetary junkyard (complete with floating garbage trails), however when copied and pasted this setup can be applied to other scenarios in the game:
Step 1.  Force Grip baddie or floating piece of debris.
Step 2.  Charge the item with Force Lightning, essentially creating a lightning bomb.
Step 3.  Launch the item (or baddie) as a projectile for explosive damage on contact.

The Force abilities in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed are lavishly exaggerated past anything traditionally seen in the films.  The over-the-top nature of the action imbues Vader’s secret apprentice with a Kratos-like cruelty (undoubtedly a plus for any potential Sith lord).  So don’t be surprised when you can use the Force to pull a TIE fighter out of the air and chuck it at a squad of unsuspecting Stormtroopers.  The random ability to create projectiles at will seems exciting, unfortunately we’ve yet to actually experience these Force combinations (we only saw them played out in God-Mode).  Therefore it pains us to have no insight regarding the simplicity/complexity of assembling them amidst an attacking army of adversaries.

Rewards Minus Penalties

As with any action adventure game, rewards are an essential component in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.  Combos grant the player Force points which can be used to upgrade moves and abilities, enabling stronger attacks.  The cinematic payoff cam is the second type of reward, which during boss battles launches Shenmue-like QTE portions of the game (think God of War as a Jedi).  Traditionally these sequences are very unforgiving, requiring strict timing in order to proceed.  But the developers at Lucas Arts have decided to remove any penalties associated with this gameplay mechanic.  Player’s that successfully complete the QTEs will be rewarded additional Force points; player’s that don’t will receive no penalty and still enjoy the same cinematic visual experience.

Slated for a summer 2008 release across all platforms, there is still plenty of time for more information to materialize regarding Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.  For example, Lucas Arts would not discuss any multiplayer features on 360/PS3 at this time, and since we haven’t been given a chance to play a level we can’t comment on any particular quirks or perks yet.  However, the sections of the game they showed sparked a strong amount of interest, and with enough polish Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will be worthy of a second look later this year.