The Force is with LucasArts' Sith-focused action title, but it's not too strong.
In TFU you take on the role of Darth Vader's secret apprentice, a young Sith warrior hidden from everyone, even Emperor Palpatine. The word "secret" is an important one, as it gives each mission a degree of ruthless gravity. Anyone who sees you can't live. That includes indigenous species and Imperial troops alike. Without delving into too many spoilers, the story takes on many serpentine turns, but should feel familiar to anyone who's invested plenty of time in the mythology. For fans who have seen the prequels but haven't delved as deeply into the supplemental "Clone Wars" stories, it's not overly convoluted.
The idea behind the Apprentice is that he's an amoral badass with some cool-looking attacks at his disposal, such as crackling electrical attacks, lightsaber tosses, and the ability to set off a force field that can plow over nearly anything within reach. With each enemy defeated, he gains experience points that enable him to purchase new abilities and combos. In theory, this is great stuff, but in execution, it's hard not to think of other action games, such as the God of War and Devil May Cry series, that have done many of these combat conventions better. Enemy targeting feels loose -- dense combat situations find the Apprentice aiming for inanimate objects as often as Stormtroopers. That's not to speak of the camera, which can prove maddening during certain boss fights.
It's not just the lightsaber combat that's flawed. The physics-based destruction and mayhem were better executed in Psi-Ops. The Apprentice can pick up debris and people then toss them around, but it's a bit herky-jerky. You'll adjust to tossing Imperial guards through starship windows and you'll string together some nasty combos, but the interactivity lacks the depth of Midway's ill-fated action title. In other instances, sudden button-pressing mini-events aren't uniform (some require button taps, and others require a different approach), so you might find yourself failing one and wondering why.
One of the biggest shortcomings to TFU is that it assumes too much of the player. It's downright perplexing as to why LucasArts didn't better integrate tutorials into the game itself (something that the PS2 version, developed by a different studio, does a great job with), rather than assuming that everyone will break away from the Stormtrooper-smiting action for test chamber practice. The game suffers from instances of unintuitive gameplay sprung at inopportune moments. It doesn't take much time to explain how or why certain moves work and others don't. If you don't get it, you fail. If you do get it, you don't always know why. For each great step that the story and aesthetics take, the gameplay undoes it with a backflip.
On more than one occasion, amidst the sprawling and beautiful environments, you'll likely face some puzzle that never quite makes sense. In another game, the sort of trial and error needed for traversing these perilous situations wouldn't be a problem. Here it's a frustrating hindrance, mainly thanks to TFU's frequent and lengthy load times. It'd be less aggravating if the game didn't take ten seconds to load every time you die, go into your options menu, or upgrade something. Much of its action is hobbled by the technical equivalent of speed bumps.
Possibly the worst offense of TFU is the way that it fumbles epic setpieces. The expectations associated with huge moments toward the end of the game loom large, and the clunky mechanics completely undermine these great moments. Instead of feeling like a badass using the Force, you'll likely feel as exhausted as the character does after pulling off some big event. We won't delve into spoilers, but one of the most epic moments we've witnessed in a "Star Wars" title is undermined by awkward controls and finicky timing.
TFU does have its charms. It's a relatively handsome title that has plenty of environments that naturally flow within the "Star Wars" universe. From brawls on starships to lush jungle terrain, these battlegrounds bleed authenticity. It's not hard to see the top-notch production values, from the cut-scenes to the voice acting. The plot fits nicely within the story arc of the films, even if a few dramatic moments are a tad ham-fisted. By the time the credits roll, you'll understand a few more hows and whys than you might've prior to playing, especially if you're not a hardcore "Star Wars" fan. It's certainly one of the better "Star Wars" narratives in some time. In a game with so many gameplay issues, it's the plot and visuals that will likely keep you playing.
Depending on your ardor for all things "Star Wars," you might be able to forgive the flaws of The Force Unleashed and appreciate it as another piece of Lucas' greater narrative puzzle. It's certainly got the sleek authenticity one would associate with a "Star Wars" film. If you're not a Jedi fan, you'll likely be disappointed that the gameplay doesn't quite live up to the production values on display. Awkward controls and handling largely dilute the fun of "kicking ass with the Force," especially during a few big moments toward the end. The Force Unleashed spins an entertaining yarn, but its gameplay prevents it from becoming a rich contributor to "Star Wars'" interactive tapestry.