Who knew the Force Unleashed could be so much fun as a side-scroller?
User Rating: 8 | Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II DS
I wasn't expecting a lot from this game, but it's surprisingly good. It's a side-scrolling action-platformer, with many of the same force powers, saber attacks and enemy types as the console version. You use the d-pad to move, and everything else is controlled by swiping and tapping on the touch screen. The touch controls work well, the combat is fun, and the visuals are good for a DS game. I was a bit disappointed by the lack of 3D cutscenes like there were in first Force Unleashed for DS. There are a couple of really cool cinematics at the end of boss battles, but most of the story is told through 2D artwork or screenshots from the console game. The plus side is that all of the cutscenes are fully voiced, which was a pleasant surprise. The sound quality is good enough, and the music is great.
The biggest drawback is that the game is really short. I think it took me 5-6 hours to beat the first time, and I got stuck a couple times at some hard parts. If I played it again knowing what to do, I'm guessing it would take 4-5 hours. This is probably for the best though, because the combat is fun but it's not incredibly deep, and it would probably get boring and repetitive if the game were really long. Other than that, there's not much to gripe about. It's not a complex game, but it serves its purpose well. It's short, but it's fun while it lasts.
