Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Game review by Marc Saltzman, Common Sense Media
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 12+

A good -- but not great -- Star Wars adventure.

Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, PSP, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 2008
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Parents say

age 11+

Based on 16 reviews

Kids say

age 10+

Based on 85 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that much of the gameplay revolves around combat, but there's no blood or gore, and you're fighting primarily against alien creatures or faceless stormtroopers. However, the fighting is relentless, thus garnering the "T" rating and our age recommendation of 12. The game raises interesting moral issues as you must decide whether you are an evil Sith or a good Jedi. Since you are required to play part of your time in the game as an evil Sith, kid-fans of the Star Wars movies may have trouble with the mandatory killing of many of the good characters they have come to love, including Wookies.

Community Reviews

TOTALLY A PARENT
TOTALLY A PARENT Adult
May 20, 2019
age 10+

I'm a fan of the star wars films

Get itself together csm 90% OF the reviews are made by robots and the rest are written by stupid morons who don't know what they are doing

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
TheJ777T
TheJ777T Adult
October 17, 2018
age 11+

Its pretty ok its a game for a certain group.

So I think this game is for children that can take stress of the game in which I mean there are some moments where you have to use certain buttons fast also there is a point in the game you have to use the joy sticks in certain ways it was a glitch the game had where you have to move them on your own instead of what the game is telling how to if you don't know that it can be really stressful at that point. Also this game has a really good message other reviews say its pretty dark and yes at the start. You start out as Darth Vaders apprentice but later you learn the truth eventually you start the rebel alliance against the empire. So others may say its dark in some areas but the over all message is light does triumph over dark....eventually it takes till the end of the series to win but you do do a lot of good stuff that starts the rebellion and eventually wins. There is some violence in this game but nothing like M games or even T rated games Theres no limbs off not even in the cut senes. I believe as long as your child is not obsessed with it its fine to me but I'm not telling how to parent. I personally am a hug starwars fan (the Lucas movies anyway) I have played this game in all the difficulty modes thats another thing by the way make sure your on the 2nd to lowest or the lowest when you start so you can get a good idea of the game these modes are hard I mean hard hard it takes a lot of strategizing time and skill to get through the rest especially the last mode. For example the 1st difficulty (after I finished the game this is my first time in the easiest mode) takes me about 2-3hrs in all (not none stop) and when I played the hardest it takes my literally about a week in my time in all. Over all its a good game but I would not recommend this for children that are obsessed with death I only suggest this for kids that understand the sort of thing I was talking about. I loved the game not the best I have played but it challenged my brain and made me think on some levels. I wish the best of luck to all that play this game

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 16 parent reviews

What’s It About?

STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED takes place in between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. You play as a lightsaber-wielding apprentice to Darth Vader, but as you unravel more of the story, key players, and locations, you might choose to become a noble Jedi Knight instead of an evil Sith. The game begins on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk, as seen in Episode III but also takes players to the junk planet of Raxus, the floral world of Felucia, a TIE Fighter construction facility, and more. Players will meet and interact with new characters designed for the game as well as familiar faces from the films (in fact, you get to play as the Sith Lord Vader during part of the game).

Along with its stunning widescreen, high-definition graphics on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the game excels in how you use your learned Force powers. Specifically, the developers at LucasArts did an extraordinarily good job in making players feel powerful thanks to superhuman abilities, including the ability to push around huge objects without touching them or damage things by emitting lightning blasts through your fingertips. Players can also combine these rewarding powers for a dramatic effect, such as using a Force grip on someone's neck, lifting them in the air and then zapping them silly before tossing them into a nearby tree. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game play exactly the same, but the Nintendo Wii version lets you swing around the wireless and motion-sensing Wii Remote and nunchuk to pull off the lightsaber moves and force effects.

Is It Any Good?

One of the key problems with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, however, is its linearity; players are on a pretty tight leash as they navigate these indoor and outdoor levels and can't veer too far away from your path. How amazing would it be to have some open-ended levels, such as a Grand Theft Auto sandbox game, where you're left to explore your surroundings. This drawback can also hurt the game's replayability. Other issues are the lack of a multiplayer mode and a PC version of the game, plus the third-person camera can sometimes obscure your view instead of providing a cinematic perspective of the action.

If Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was rated by special effects alone, the sci-fi adventure would garner unanimous praise by video game reviewers. But as with some criticisms of the iconic feature films, not everyone will find substance underneath the style. But it sure is a fun ride and one that Star Wars fanatics will revel in as they appreciate its gorgeous graphics and impressive physics effects while turning a blind eye to the game's shortcomings. Visually speaking, the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are much better (in high-definition) than the PS2, Wii, and handheld versions of the game. An iPhone version is also available at the Apple App Store.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how you can be good or evil in this game. How did you decide which to become? This game is not unlike many of the Star Wars movies: big on production but light on story. Are we more forgiving of a Star Wars adventure in this regard than other video games based on movie franchises? Or do video games really need depth? Also, what did you think of this game's linear path? Would you have prefered a more open-ended experience?

Game Details

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