--Shaak Ti, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Story
Some stupid developer choices with the camera and controls aside, the HD console version of The Force Unleashed is an excellent game from an older era. On the Xbox 360, it is a very different game than the Switch/Wii/PSP/PS2 version, which has multiplayer and Jedi Temple levels that are absent here, while this version has you play through parts that were only cutscenes in the Wii like Starkiller's departure from Darth Vader's medical ship. Some of the biggest differences in the Xbox 360 version are actually the greatly superior graphics and voice acting. Thanks to these, the mostly identical dialogue is utilized so much better than on the Wii or eventual Switch remaster. This alone helps The Force Unleashed better convey the Sith cycle of betrayal, the conflict within the main characters, and the moralism at the heart of Star Wars.
Production Values
Some of the cutscenes look distinctively old at this point, but they still are not as bland as many of the Switch version's own cinematics. Closeups of character faces can display more emotion and detail even in these cutscenes because of this. In the midst of gameplay, the visuals are massively improved over the other version I have reviewed. Also very superior in this case is the voice acting, which brings much greater nuance of personality to what often amounts to the exact same lines in the Switch remaster. Without the dialogue itself differing except in some cases, The Force Unleashed on the Xbox 360 manages to do far, far more with that same dialogue due to the voice performances alone. Fluctuations in intensity and tone of voice can make an enormous difference in the quality of art. A particular improvement in this regard is the delivery of Juno Eclipse's words, which were devoid of outward passion on the less powerful consoles. Lines like Proxy's when he says he hates "being" Darth Vader (Proxy is a humanoid droid that can project himself as holographic figures), to which Starkiller replies "I think he does too," consequently get right to the heart of the themes, plot, and characters so much more for this reason as well.
Gameplay
On this platform, even some of the basic force abilities like lightning and repulse are gradually unlocked by progressing through missions, and Starkiller literally levels up as a character through experience points (called force points) that grant three different kinds of points for character upgrades. Starkiller truly can become rather powerful by the end of the game if you earn and spend enough points, but enemies tend to not all be easy to defeat. Sometimes this is even because of atrocious issues with the camera or other such things beyond full player control. The camera also has a habit of not always focusing on the intended direction or enemy, while onscreen actions do not even necessarily respond immediately to button presses. Moreover, you cannot stand up after being knocked down by some enemies fast enough to avoid immediately getting knocked down again.
Strangely by comparison to the Wii version, not only is the Rogue Shadow (Starkiller's ship) not a hub between levels, but force pushes are actually weak and not even particularly harmful to enemies, if it harms them at all. Loose objects from nearby do not hurl towards them as on some other systems. Still, here, the camera occasionally zooms in on an enemy as they are defeated, another difference, and there are not 200+ holocrons and lightsaber crystals to collect. Instead, most levels have bonus objectives that reward you with upgrade points. Two endings await in the final level, one canon to the then-overarching tale of Star Wars, and this and the likely incomplete character upgrades could incentivize a second playthrough.
Some spoilers are below.
Like the other version, the Xbox 360 game tells the story of how Darth Vader spares the son of a Jedi who survived Order 66 and fled to Kashyyyk, raising him to embrace the dark side, kill other remaining Jedi, and at some point supposedly overthrow the Emperor. Darth Vader savagely attacks his apprentice, called Starkiller, at the Emperor's command, but he is resuscitated or resurrected (it is somewhat ambiguous which occured) and tasked by Vader with organizing the enemies of the Empire to distract the Emperor. Assembling an opposing army, Starkiller becomes more and more invested in the quest of these rebels.
Intellectual Content
With fewer collectibles than the Wii/Switch (and PSP/PS2) game but stronger production values, The Force Unleashed on Xbox 360 has minimal emphasis on exploration and practically no actual puzzles, but the reinforced production values make the story, the characters, and the moralistic issues they face more overtly central. It could have benefitted from more numerous or lengthy cutscenes in some cases, but the game makes it fairly clear that Darth Vader, like Starkiller until he turns against the Sith and Empire altogether, is enslaved to a master that will use and disregard him whenever it is convenient. Without getting into moral epistemology, this version of the game at least takes the concepts of good and evil, as well as power and betrayal, seriously.
Conclusion
The story of The Force Unleashed is a great setting to explore the destructive potential of the force more than had been portrayed in gaming up to that point. Even in the versions with lesser production values, the plot itself was never problematic, only the execution and the quality of things like the graphics or voice acting, but those pitfalls are avoided here. The difference better vocal performances alone make is no small thing! Issues with the controls and camera do not overshadow the strengths of the gameplay with all of its non-graphic brutality and the narrative context of that gameplay. Anyone with an Xbox One can download, play, and screenshot this gem of a game 15 years later, and the sequel, a review of which is approaching, is also available for download.
Content:
1. Violence: Without drawing blood, the lightsaber and force attacks are sometimes quite intense, but even impaling an enemy while lifting them off the ground is not graphic.
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