Game Review--Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (Xbox 360)

"The accelerated cloning process is still... imperfect.  Those who came before you went mad within months.  I believed you would be the first success, but it seems you are to suffer the same fate."

Darth Vader, The Force Unleashed II

The Force Unleashed II turned out to be a controversial sequel, one that took the story in a very different direction than the first game while very plainly enhancing the gameplay.  Starkiller had never had smoother movements and attacks than he does here, but neither the light side ending nor the dark side ending of the original game specifically hints at the plot that comes with this improved combat.  This is of course not a negative thing in itself.  A story could be unexpected or different and still rise to incredible heights.  Unfortunately, this story is more brief and less complex than that of its predecessor.  At least special costumes await those with save data for the first Force Unleashed, the better of the two where plot is concerned.  In all other ways, though, the sequel is superior.

Production Values

Better graphics greet veterans of the first game immediately, and although there is even more motion blur in the screenshots this time, the facial animations are clearer even in cutscenes, the colors are more vibrant, and the gameplay itself is very smooth.  Visually, The Force Unleashed II stands very strong, its only unusual element being the very different face given to Juno Eclipse.  Just as potent as in the preceding game, the voice acting realizes the characters well as beings with their own personal demons and moral alignments that are unraveled somewhat over the course of the story.  It was the voice performances that elevated the often short dialogue in the Xbox 360 version of the first game, and they do the same again here.

Gameplay

The best components of this sequel are absolutely the evolutions of the gameplay.  Now, Starkiller wields two lightsabers, both of which can have their colors separately changed and both of which can be thrown at once.  He can perform Jedi mind tricks on multiple people at once when the ability is upgraded.  He now has the option to catch missiles from Imperial walkers, hold onto them, and throw them back at the war machine they came from or other enemies.  A new meter, once full, allows Starkiller to significantly amplify his force abilities for a short period.  Once again, different collectible lightsaber crystals can also enhance specific powers, and individual force abilities like lightning and repulse can be leveled up using orbs produced by kills.

Furthermore, the boss fights are much more varied and elaborate this time.  Among the bosses is a massive creature with a hand that can squash a rancor.  All of the additions and improvements to the core gameplay vitally come without forgoing any of the strengths of the prior game.  The Force Unleashed II is overall much better when it comes to mechanics and smoothness.  Beyond the main story, a series of time-sensitive challenges unlock as you go through the levels.  These secondary "levels" see Starkiller pursuing objectives like using specific button sequences on Proxy or killing stormtroopers to extend a timer as long as you can before 20 of them escape the area.  Completing the challenges does unlock more costumes or grant more experience points, with various tiers of final times providing different layers of rewards.

Story

Some spoilers are below.

General Kota, the Jedi that Starkiller first fought and then allied with before he became a Jedi, has been captured by the Empire.  Darth Vader visits the cloning planet Kamino during this time, a clone of Starkiller waiting for him.  Contrary to Vader's wishes, the clone refuses to attack a holographic projection of his romantic interest Juno Eclipse and mentions that he has what seems like striking memories of past events.  The clone escapes the facility and fights his way off world, where he locates Kota and begins to look for Juno.

Intellectual Content

As short as the story is, it does give the chance to lightly touch upon the Starkiller clone's (or what at least seems to be a clone) fixation on reuniting with Juno at the cost of aiding the Rebel Alliance.  Beyond the general moralism of Star Wars, this and the epistemology of whether the Starkiller of the game is a clone or the revived original (and no being with human limitations could possibly know if they are a cloned person) are all that The Force Unleashed II really addresses, neither getting used more than is necessary to propel the story forward.  The first game better dives into the betrayal of the Sith by their own companions, the cruelty of the Emperor and Vader, and the layers of Starkiller's shifting worldview.

Conclusion

The Force Unleashed was great enough in the right ways to warrant a sequel.  If only it had a plot that gave Starkiller more to do than try to find Juno Eclipse, it would have been much better than it is.  The romantic spark between Starkiller and Juno only emerges near the very end of the first game, after all, and yet Starkiller acts as if they have been married for years or decades.  Otherwise, almost everything about this naturally builds upon the mostly solid foundation.  More characters from the expansive lore of the original film trilogy are brought in, a great mystery is introduced (if Starkiller is a clone or not), and the gameplay and graphics have distinct improvements.  The strongest part of the first game, the combat and force abilities, is better than ever before and would hold the game up all on its own.

Content:

 1.  Violence:  Bloodless lightsaber combat and force-assisted killings are common.  Sometimes lightsabers still slice off enemy limbs, but without anything more graphic than just the separation of body parts before the bodies disappear.

 2.  Profanity:  "What the hell" is included in some dialogue, as mild as it is.