With so many superior action titles available, Unleashed is hard to recommend unless you are a Star Wars fan.
However, when gamers finally got to try out The Force Unleashed for themselves, they quickly realized it was all a gimmick.
In The Force Unleashed, your Force abilities work like other abilities one would expect from action games such as Devil May Cry or God of War. You gain experience by killing enemies or exploring the world, and you slowly level up powers from there. This wouldn't be a bad thing, if the abilities didn't feel so lackluster. It feels very derivative; you've done this before but there's a Star Wars coat of paint over it. Abilities, such as Force Lightning or Push, don't feel unique in anyway. Conversely, the abilities that should spice things up, such as Grab, falter due to poor design and programming. Picking up an enemy and throwing him into a group of other enemies should be fun, and it is when you can pull it off. Unfortunately, the targeting system found in The Force Unleashed is clunky. You know you threw that Stormtrooper to the left, but for some reason he went flying to the right.
Of course, when things go right in The Force Unleashed, it can be exhilarating and immensely fun. But the game feels rushed, unfinished.
The core game play itself, minus the disappointing Force abilities, is a testament to an unfinished product. Platforming segments feel clunky, and when your character falls he feels like a brick. Lightsaber combat feels heavy and slow, even though one would hope for some finesse. Enemies will take several lightsaber hits before dying. Because of these, you never get the sense you're this unstoppable Sith apprentice, but rather a struggling boy who got a Dollar Store variant of a lightsaber.
It's all a shame too, as Star Wars fans truly get a great story delivered here. While most Star Wars games are repeats of the same thing seen in the movie, once in awhile there's a game with a fresh, new spin on the universe. Knights of the Old Republic comes to mind. The Force Unleashed, despite it's silly title, does feature one of the best stories the Star Wars universe offers.
This story, mixed with the cinematics and often superb voice acting, is the best reason to play The Force Unleashed. However, the gameplay isn't up to par. If the product felt finished and some of the core problems were fixed, then it would be fantastic. If you're not a Star Wars fan but you're looking for a new action game, it's hard to recommend Unleashed with other action titles such as Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, God of War, and Ninja Gaiden on the shelves. If you are a Star Wars fan, however, fly through The Force Unleashed to get the gist of the story and hope all it's problems and shortcomings are fixed in the upcoming sequel (as it appears they are).