Nitro
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Total Posts
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11960
- Joined: Dec 30, 2005
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The Bottom Line [Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway]
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Sep 29, 2008 14:18
I'm going to use this thread for all of my impressions. I'll update the title to include the newest game, and list the full lineup in the original post. I have half finished my Pure write up, and will be posting that along with my Soul Calibur IV impressions at some point this week. I'm still playing through BiA3 so that will follow later along with my Crysis Warhead impressions and videos.
I have just bought a HD capture card so i'll be recording a fair amount of 720p footage, and possibly doing a voice track instead of writing my impressions. I've been really busy moving into my new place recently that i haven't had time to get everything sorted out yet, but I sould be back up to speed soon enough and have some interesting stuff in the pipeline ;)
In the meantime...
Star Wars: Force Unleashed
I get excited when new Star Wars games are announced. All you have to do is get the game design and mechanics right and you have a killer title... everything else is already there for you. From the different races that populate the universes' planets, to the weapon and enemy designs, to the over-arcing back-story. It's all already been meticulously laid out by other people in the form on 6 movies, countless comics, multiple novels... and other games. It can't be hard to make an awesome Star Wars game. Or at least that's what I tell myself every time a new title is announced.
Apparently, it's not as easy as you might think. Or at least, that's the way the countless awful games set in the Star Wars universe make it appear. 9 out of every 10 games has been a dud, with the first two Rogue Squadron games, the first Jedi Knight and the first Battlefront game being the only real standout titles. The Lego Star Wars series, while cool... can't really be counted.
When I heard that LucasArts had a game in development where the main character was a Sith - Darth Vader’s apprentice no less - I was overcome with joy. When I first saw the game in motion, I knew they were creating something special. Now that I’ve played the final retail version through to completion, I can safely say that Force Unleashed is the best Star Wars game I’ve ever played, and one of the best games I’ve played so far this gen.
LucasArts had the die hard fan inside me with the very first level. Playing as an incredibly powerful Vader, on a mission to find and kill a rogue Jedi... it's every Star Wars fan's dream. From there on in, the game only gets better. The visuals are superb - full of colour, with nice textures and excellent lighting/shadowing. There are a few murky textures [for reference I have the PS3 version] - but these are usually limited to surfaces off in the distance. There's no aliasing, which is nice, ...and everything jogs along at a fairly stable 30fps. The framerate dips occasionally when there's a lot going on in a scene... but those moments are few and far between. It never crawls to the kind of pace seen in Ninja Gaiden II - and it looks better.
The character models and particularly the apprentice are superbly detailed. The armour and clothing design, which changes with every level you play - to fit the different environments and hazards you encounter - are all well done. The animations are superb and the Euphoria powered physics both add to the overall experience. There have been times where I’ve literally said "holy shit!". It's that good.
Now, I’m not saying that the game doesn't have any flaws. Every game has niggles, and Force Unleashed is no exception. The camera and lock on targeting can be mildly frustrating, but I can't think of anything else that the game falls down on. The lock on targeting, which usually isn't needed anyway, is a little inaccurate - fixing onto enemies behind the guy right in front of you. It's not a huge issue because when you're throwing large rocks or whatever, the game does a good job of making them go in the right direction. The camera is user controllable like in most 3rd person action games, with a single click of the right stick centring it behind the player... but with so much going on, and a few claustrophobic environments; when you're jumping about and trying to avoid incoming fire, it can get a little messy.
The controls have been well thought out, although they are slightly complicated at first. Before you know it you'll be flinging Storm Troopers into groups of others without even thinking about it. The force grip power is not only the most useful but also the most fun. Gripping an enemy and lifting them into the air before throwing and impaling them with your lightsabre is unbelievably badass, ...as is hurling massive rocks at AT-ST's and watching them lose their footing.
Sabre combat is relatively simple, ...with mostly assigned to one button. There are lots of available moves, but it's nothing like Ninja Gaiden or Devil May Cry. It barely even touches God of War or Heavenly Sword... although the availability of force powers makes it just as entertaining.
While most sabre combat is pretty basic, it can be infused with the force for more deadly moves. You can for example course lightning through your blade – briefly making it far more powerful. Throughout the game you collect force points. Killing an enemy with simple sabre attacks will net you a minimal amount, …but kill and enemy with a devastating force combo like say using force grip and push in conjunction to fling hapless storm troopers into one another, or force dash and push to turn yourself into a brutal wrecking ball of momentous energy. The more force points you earn the quicker you level up, and levelling up gains you force tokens. You get three tokens, one for each of the Apprentice’s skill trees. You can upgrade your existing force powers, or unlock new ones in the power tree. Then there’s the talent tree where you can upgrade your attributes; health, force bar etc. Lastly there’s the combo tree which gives your access to new moves.
It’s not a complicated or even in-depth combat system, but it works, and more importantly… it’s fun.
There are no projectile weapons available for use. You have your lightsabre and your powers and that’s it. Not that you need them anyway, …the AI isn’t exactly anything special.
There are elaborate finishing moves which can be triggered when you’ve reduced one of the bigger and more dangerous enemies life bar to nearly zero. They look cool, but one or two just don’t quite sit right, being a little too OTT. But then, …exactly how OTT can you get when taking down an Imperial Walker or mental Rancor???
You can collect different lightsabre crystals which either give a bonus effect – like added electrical damage for example – or simply change the colour of the beam. You can also change into any of the unlocked outfits at ay time during any level… but if you change mid level it restarts you in your new togs at the previous checkpoint. Slightly annoying, but if you don’t want to wander around a humid jungle planet nearly topless then you don’t have to.
The story is pretty good, with what appears to be very minimal retconning. It fills the gap between the 3rd and 4th movies and there are events that transpire throughout the course of the game what will make you see parts of the original trilogy slightly differently. I’d always wondered why Admiral Motti had thought he could be so arrogant towards Vader in A New Hope… and now I know.
The voice-acting is top notch and none of the characters seem out of place. A lot of love and care has gone into this game and it clearly shows. The score in particular is stunning, as expected. The right music kicks in at the right time and It looks and feels like you would expect a Star Wars game to feel.
Overall I’m extremely happy with the final game. The demo was good, but the retail version is just excellent. For Star Wars fans it’s a dream to play… and for those that aren’t that bothered about the series but like action games it’s far better than most available. If you haven’t played the demo then you should, and if you’re a fan of the series then it’s a certifiable must-buy. Granted we’re at that point of the year where every publisher is trying to get their game into gamer’s hands, and gamers only have so much money to spend… but out of the batch of titles I’ve been playing over the past fortnight [Pure, Mercenaries 2, Soul Calibur IV, BIA3 and Force Unleashed) …this is the one that’s really stood out in my mind. Maybe the dark side has clouded my vision… or maybe it’s just a fuck awesome game. Either way, I’m happy with it.
<message edited by Nitro on Oct 13, 2008 08:42>
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