I'm not exactly the world's biggest "Star Wars" nerd - more like a casual fan. I enjoyed the original trilogy, thought the new trilogy was passable, and have a tremendous love for the "Knights of the Old Republic" video games (and I still believe that if Lucas had hired THOSE cats to write the new movies, they would've been exponentially better). I've never read any of the vast number of "Star Wars" novels, nor have I attended any sort of conventions, and I don't get particularly excited about things that are "Star Wars"-related.
However, the new game "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed" caught my interest, because it is considered to be official "Star Wars" canon, bridging the gap between the two trilogies and shedding some more light on story elements that were barely glossed over in the films. The hype around the game has been tremendous, and indeed the trailers and screen shots and promotional materials made it seem as though it would be a pretty big deal. Now that I've finished it, I can say that I had an enjoyable time, just not quite as enjoyable as I had hoped.
The graphics are superb, with fluid animations and painstakingly-detailed environments. The game play... not so much. A lot of fantastic ideas, just wrapped around an awkward control scheme that needed a few more months of polish and fine-tuning. The vast array of light sabers and costumes adds a bit of customization to the character you play, but ultimately none of them have any lasting effect on the game.
However, the story was still intriguing. You play as Darth Vader's secret apprentice, the son of a Jedi Knight that Vader was sent to assassinate. Vader has raised him and taught him the ways of the Force, and plans to utilize him to help overthrow the Emperor. That's the setup, but as with any "Star Wars" story, the events play out much differently than you might think. The narrative fits perfectly into the gap between the two trilogies, and events are set in motion here which set the stage for the story that we all know.
All in all, the game was decent, just not one I can recommend buying. I logged just under 8 hours on it, and that's with dying numerous times and searching every level for hidden items. Players wanting to run straight through can probably clock in at 6 hours or less - not much return on that $60 purchase. Rent it and enjoy it over a weekend, then move onto a better game.
I'm off today and tomorrow, then I'm working every day until I leave for Indiana. I'll be arriving on Wednesday, the 24th, around 3:00pm. Dinner with the parents that night, then nothing really planned for the evening. I've got tentative plans for my birthday, and Friday the 26th I'll be seeing Brand New with Bridgette. Saturday I'll go to Poker Night (which, according to recent my space posts, seems to have gotten a bit out of control), and I'm not really sure what's going on with the rest of the trip.
Anyone that wants to hang out while I'm in town, get at me.
However, the new game "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed" caught my interest, because it is considered to be official "Star Wars" canon, bridging the gap between the two trilogies and shedding some more light on story elements that were barely glossed over in the films. The hype around the game has been tremendous, and indeed the trailers and screen shots and promotional materials made it seem as though it would be a pretty big deal. Now that I've finished it, I can say that I had an enjoyable time, just not quite as enjoyable as I had hoped.
The graphics are superb, with fluid animations and painstakingly-detailed environments. The game play... not so much. A lot of fantastic ideas, just wrapped around an awkward control scheme that needed a few more months of polish and fine-tuning. The vast array of light sabers and costumes adds a bit of customization to the character you play, but ultimately none of them have any lasting effect on the game.
However, the story was still intriguing. You play as Darth Vader's secret apprentice, the son of a Jedi Knight that Vader was sent to assassinate. Vader has raised him and taught him the ways of the Force, and plans to utilize him to help overthrow the Emperor. That's the setup, but as with any "Star Wars" story, the events play out much differently than you might think. The narrative fits perfectly into the gap between the two trilogies, and events are set in motion here which set the stage for the story that we all know.
All in all, the game was decent, just not one I can recommend buying. I logged just under 8 hours on it, and that's with dying numerous times and searching every level for hidden items. Players wanting to run straight through can probably clock in at 6 hours or less - not much return on that $60 purchase. Rent it and enjoy it over a weekend, then move onto a better game.
I'm off today and tomorrow, then I'm working every day until I leave for Indiana. I'll be arriving on Wednesday, the 24th, around 3:00pm. Dinner with the parents that night, then nothing really planned for the evening. I've got tentative plans for my birthday, and Friday the 26th I'll be seeing Brand New with Bridgette. Saturday I'll go to Poker Night (which, according to recent my space posts, seems to have gotten a bit out of control), and I'm not really sure what's going on with the rest of the trip.
Anyone that wants to hang out while I'm in town, get at me.
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When do you come back?
I'm glad my drunken txting was amusing you