Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II

With precious few of those quality gameplay moments and a plot that limps along in need of focus, unfortunately Force Unleashed 2 ultimately fails to live up to the interest of its broken but far more compelling predecessor.

A good sequel with superior controls, some new features, a steady pace and a lot more action compared to the first game. With its short playing time of roughly five hours it fails to create as much atmosphere as The Force Unleashed 1 though and there are still some technical issues, e.g. the mediocre collision detection. Overall The Force Unleashed 2 will satisfy both Star Wars-Fans and those who enjoyed the first game.

To summarise if you liked the first game then you'll love the second. Whilst the game is extremely short (having me finish it in a single sitting), quite repetitive in places and the mere eight challenges do little to add the much desired replay value, it's a blast whilst it lasts.

While the last game impressed with the variety of enemies, TFUII takes a "less is more" approach, reducing the variety but upping the intelligence. The result is a frequently challenging (if disappointingly linear) journey to some truly epic boss battles.

The Force Unleased II is a good game. However, I would be hesitant to call it a good Star Wars game. The original Force Unleashed did a good job building on Star Wars' mythos in a way that was interesting but non-intrusive. It presented a simple story that featured plenty of thematic elements seen in both the original and prequel trilogy. However, the follow-up just doesn't capture the original's spirit, and that is what ultimately holds this title back from being something great.

A shadow of its former self. The graceful gameplay offers a higher level of excitement, but the plot and characterization - two large components from which I expect great things from any Star Wars journey - makes this experience one of 2010's biggest disappointments. [Nov 2010, p.92]

But ultimately The Force Unleashed II is let down most by the short campaign mode which most people will be able to plough through in around 5 hours with time added for a couple of unlockable Challenges thrown in.

Unleashed II is a decent enough effort and will please fans of the series, but the expectations were far higher.

The graphics, audio and voice-overs are great and the gameplay got a few improvements. It looks like a good game, but the game does end halfway through the story and the gameplay can be too easy and repetitive. The game is also way to short. With a few hours you've completed the game.

Star Wars the Force Unleashed II makes up for most of its predecessor flaws, and delivers some terrific action sequences. It's a shame though that the story is simply non existent and the whole adventure lasts some 5 hours. It really seems like the developers can't make this saga right, leaves us waiting for a new hope.

"Quotation Forthcoming"

There were high expectations for this game, however it is inferior to the first one, shorter, more monotonous, not replayable and with a really forgetable story.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II can't get quite past its predecessor in terms of gameplay, atmosphere, plot and combat. No freedom for exploration is granted, the story is pretty lame, and so we're still waiting for a great Star Wars game.

Star Wars zealots should enjoy it - especially the Yoda cameo - but sequel we hoped for, this is not. A shame, it is.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II is up against all new competition in 2010 and although some of the new stuff is cool, it just doesn't take the necessary steps. Sorry, SW fans.

It's disappointing that The Force Unleashed 2 not only fails to tell an interesting yarn, but also somehow manages to make the cool combat mechanics feel relatively pedestrian by failing to have enough variation in combat, or enough outside of combat to break up the pacing.

It is, we have to say, something that feels quite rushed, chopped down or half-hearted. [Issue#199, p.78]

Clocking in at a paltry five hours to complete on 'hard', The Force Unleashed II feels shorter than an Ewok's genitals. Length hang-ups aside, Lucasarts has tightened up almost everything iffy about the original game, but they also managed to drop a hydro-spanner into the parts that were working fine to begin with. For example, TFU had a stellar, award-winning Star Wars plot – this sequel's storyline comes dangerously close to breaking established canon and, like Jabba's Sarlacc, it sucks you in, only to take you absolutely nowhere. [January 2011 p74]

Any fan of the Star Wars brand will probably enjoy the 6 hours campaign, but if you're not among them you surely won't be able to ignore the game's technical flaws and inconsistent gameplay. Better luck next time, Jedi wannabes.

A major disappointment. We got a rush job with a game that is way too easy, repetitive and frustrating at the same time. Star Wars fans might enjoy the act, but wait until the price dropped.

A linear brawl that's over in less than six hours. [Christmas 2010]

It's not a bad game by a long stretch - just a game that's over in a flash and almost entirely devoid of any memorable moments.

Force Unleashed II isn't a bad game, far from it actually. But its very short adventure, lack of polish, and imprecise gameplay prevent it from being anything more than a cheap steam-venting endeavor. Despite some nice ideas (usually borrowed from the killer apps of the genre, but poorly implemented). From a fan service standpoint, though, it clearly works with customizable light sabers, a ton of alternative badass-looking costumes for Starkiller, and additional challenges to have players compete over the internet.

When the final Stormtrooper is slain, only one word comes to mind that describes Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II: disappointing.

With The Force Unleashed II, LucasArts has made notable improvements regarding visuals and combat. However, the story is so short and lackluster, you'll quickly wonder why you're playing.

Few franchise titles in recent memory have failed to deliver on their inherent promise in so spectacular a fashion. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II is a scant, uninspired action adventure which never properly captures the magic of that galaxy far, far away.

At only four to five hours, The Force Unleashed II is hardly worth recommending to anyone. Even diehard Star Wars fans will find it hard to spend $60 on a game that is worse than its predecessor in nearly every aspect, including the one that matters the most, the story.

Though occasionally enjoyable, this Force-powered sequel is a mere apprentice to its superior predecessor.

A title that isn't all that great and doesn't make a hell of lot of sense.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II unfortunately did not become what many people hoped. The graphics are beautiful, but in almost all other areas the game fails to impress.

I'm not a Star Wars fan, but I've had fun with several of the games before. The Force Unleashed II just isn't entertaining, though; as soon as you're able to start having fun with it, it pulls out an obnoxious boss fight or another uninspired level on you. I can't honestly recommend this to anyone but the most obsessive, completist fan of the series, and even he's probably going to have to justify this to his friends.

The Force Unleashed II lacks all the story from the original, and is way to short for a fully priced game. This is a rental at best.

While technically superior to the first game, this sequel is a lot less interesting than its older brother. After an interesting first part, the game becomes a faceless repetition of the same actions: fight with enemies, and then some more. Frustratingly imperfect.

While the original Force Unleashed managed to surprise us with something that was more stimulating then the tech demo we feared and nicely introduced a new plotline, the sequel fails at virtually everything it attempts. The plot feels like a cheap way to extend the series and never delivers any twists, while the game itself is mediocre at the very best of times. A hugely disappointing experience that even the most ardent Star Wars fan will have a tough time enjoying.

"Quotation Forthcoming"

The Force Unleashed was a great concept and a better narrative let down by a handful of mechanical faults and poor design decisions. A sequel was always on the cards but unfortunately what we're presented with fails to meet the high expectations expected of the license.

Whilst this sequel may improve some of the technical aspects of The Force Unleashed, the all important narrative is non-existent.

What you get here will take you no time at all to complete, and it's hard to feel like there's not a sizeable amount of content missing from this particular game.

To top it off, an experienced player can get through the game in five hours, and there isn't much in terms of replay value. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II is a poorly executed, thoughtless game that is best to be avoided.