Star Wars: The Force Unleashed again in '10

When word first surfaced that a new Star Wars game would be unveiled at tonight's 2009 VGA ceremony, the prime suspect was a sequel to The Force Unleashed. After all, LucasArts' decently reviewed 2008 action game was a massive hit, having sold more than 5.7 million copies as of February 2009.

Sure enough, the game in question was The Force Unleashed II, due out in 2010. Though details are thin--no platforms revealed--it is clear the game picks up after the events of the 2008 original, which cast players as the secret apprentice to the Sith Lord Darth Vader, Galen "Starkiller" Marek. [WARNING: Spoilers ahead.]

The canon ending of the game, listed on the official Star Wars site, has Marek turning sides and sacrificing himself to save the Rebel Alliance leadership.

However, it now appears that Marek is very much alive, as he appears front and center in the sequel's trailer, which is viewable on YouTube. The former Sith now appears to be a Jedi, as he wields their distinctive blue lightsabers to slay a towering, Rancor-eating monster. The trailer features voice-overs from both Darth Vader and Yoda talking to Marek, perhaps indicating that he will be torn between the Light and Dark sides of the Force.

The official Force Unleashed II Web site www.unleashed2010.com was teased at the end of the trailer. GameSpot will have more details on the game as they become available. For more on the original, check out the video review below.