HAX9000 has 7 chronicles

1. Star Wars: The Force Unleased - Wii
   

   Player Chronicle -- Posted on Sep 22 2008

   I am a HUGE....like Death Star huge....Star Wars fan. So when Lucas Arts announced they were going to be making a Wii version of The Force Unleashed I jumped at the chance to try it. So Friday I headed out to my local family video to give it a whirl. After beating the game I am ready to give you a full review!
   
   Graphics - Player models are great, some environments look great... others not so much. Overall it seems that the graphics were a little rushed. Also the Wii is kind of hamstrung from the start due to it not being HD. On a good note nearly every item in the game can be torn off the walls using the force...and if there is a pane of glass you can shatter it, usually by throwing a stormtrooper through it. One thing I noticed though by the end of the game there were a lot of reused graphics in the game. If this was on the 360 I might have cried foul, but for the Wii it was understandable and not too distracting.
   
   Controls - Motion controls still have a long way to go on the Wii, but after getting used to the controls (and realizing what works well and what works seemingly at random) it was a very unique gaming experience. Force push is achieved buy thrusting the nun chuck forward. This works really well and gives you the sensation of being a jedi. This also applies to force grip. You pick a target up and hold it in the air...from there you can throw it down, off ledges, through windows, into other stormtroopers....you get the picture..it is a blast. Force lighting also works great, as does repulse (which was featured in the previews- a force bubble smashes everything around you). Things that involve slamming things to the ground though didn't work that well...it seemed random. Not a big issue though since most of the game you will be picking things up and tossing them around. If you stick to what works you will have a very very good Jedi experience. Case in point my favorite combo involved picking up a target...force choking him, tossing my lightsaber into his chest WHILE still choking him. Then tossing his battered body into an exploding barrel taking out his buddies too. After a while things like that become second nature.
   
   Story - The story line is great, only the graphics hinder the cut scenes. Basically Vader kills your father and takes you prisoner when you are just a boy. He then raises you to become a super charged Sith warrior...so you can join him in killing the emperor. Some parts are a little hokey, but all in all it is an engrossing story of betrayal and redemption.
   
   Difficulty - The game has a slight learning curve when it comes to using the motion controls. But this is pointless because there are numerous check points, the game auto saves, and if you die you start at your last checkpoint. Total I died about 10 times most towards the end of the game. Overall the game is pretty easy, although some boss battles take some time to figure out what does the most damage. Most levels seem to offer a similar amount of challenge from the start of the game to the finish. At the end of each fight is a finishing move you have to do in order to actually beat the boss. This finishing move is basically just a cut scene of you killing the boss because they give you Quick Time Events that are WAY simple. Shake nun chuck, or shake wiimote...they are all the same. Not too big of a gripe, but they could have made it a bit more challenging. Overall it took me about 6 hours to complete the game. This would be ok if there was optional content, but there isn't, the game is totally linear.
   
   Sound - It is Lucas Arts and Star Wars. It is flawless
   
   Overall - I would give the game a 7/10. It does a lot of things right .... the physics engine is great, the motion controls work well enough to give you the jedi experience, and the story is great. It would be a 10/10 if the game was more non-linear and had HD graphics...maybe if they ever get motion controls on the 360...well a star wars nerd can dream can't he?

   
   

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HAX9000 has 1 comment on this chronicle.

1. BEN
   Posted On Sep 22 2008

   I'm proud that you beat the game in only one weekend...that's some Jedi action right there
   
   I also think you'll always be let down graphically and Wiimote-wise with the Wii compared to the 360, so it'll be awhile until Nintendo gets many 10/10 reviews from you, haha, great game review and thanks!