Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

 PlayStation 3
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 321 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 167 out of 321
  2. Mixed: 98 out of 321
  3. Negative: 56 out of 321
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  1. Treeroy
    Dec 30, 2012
    6
    Not incredible, but not bad fun. The force powers you are given are really great, and you can use them in really cool ways - from throwing a stormtrooper into a fire, to bringing an Imperial Star Destroyer down to the ground. The graphics are decent, and the voice acting is above average. The boss fights make you think on your feet, but do end up being repetitive, much like the rest of theNot incredible, but not bad fun. The force powers you are given are really great, and you can use them in really cool ways - from throwing a stormtrooper into a fire, to bringing an Imperial Star Destroyer down to the ground. The graphics are decent, and the voice acting is above average. The boss fights make you think on your feet, but do end up being repetitive, much like the rest of the game. The story is not great - there are too many twists and turns for my liking, many of which are predictable - but the way it is played out more than makes up for it. There are a great number of interesting locations, characters, and the cutscenes are fairly good too. And although the game is too short, I found there to be a reasonable value of replayability, thanks to a well-made collectibles system, which allows you to get things like a black lightsaber.
    Ultimately, it's an adequate game, and the combat is built well enough to make it last.    … Expand
  2. BaronMonaco
    Nov 27, 2014
    5
    Great story that fills the gap between the two trilogy, graphics were good for the time, the force powers are a blast to use and really makes you feel like a Jedi BUT all that is hidden behind awful light saber fights with a lot of camera issues, hit box that makes no sense, and boss fights that are boring instead of epic.
    It's really a shame, except for melee combats, the game could have    Great story that fills the gap between the two trilogy, graphics were good for the time, the force powers are a blast to use and really makes you feel like a Jedi BUT all that is hidden behind awful light saber fights with a lot of camera issues, hit box that makes no sense, and boss fights that are boring instead of epic.
    It's really a shame, except for melee combats, the game could have been a hit, but at the end it will leave you a lot of regrets instead.
    That's why i'm giving it a 5 for the mix feelings between the fun of throwing and electrifying stormtroopers and the pain in the *** of boss fights (also the game is not very long and the difficulty is pretty low even with the camera playing tricks on you).
    PS: If like me you found the ultimate sith edition raise the mark to 6 for the extra hours and remake of the original trilogy.    … Expand
  3. rickyl.
    Oct 13, 2008
    7
    The game was very fun with all the cool force powers. When I first got it, it took me only 2 or 3 days to complete the Force Unleashed. The game was very short and it also had frustrating parts. In a part you have to take down a star destroyer, it took me a long time to figure out. Over all its a pretty good game.
  4. hardkor33
    Aug 2, 2013
    7
    Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 7/10...................................................................................................................
  5. KevinS
    Sep 20, 2008
    7
    Targeting is a little tough to get used to. Controls (especially for picking up and throwing objects) aren't quite as smooth as they could be. But a great story makes up for all that.
  6. JohannesFulcher
    Feb 5, 2009
    5
    Impressive graphics, but not far above the bar for most 360 games. The storyline was predictable and didn't add much insight or dimension to the Star Wars saga.

    The gameplay was a HUGE disappointment. The player does little more than knock stormtroopers and aliens around along with the occasional Simon-esque boss fight (such as a Rancor and AT-ST. Wheeeee.....). I'm glad    Impressive graphics, but not far above the bar for most 360 games. The storyline was predictable and didn't add much insight or dimension to the Star Wars saga.

    The gameplay was a HUGE disappointment. The player does little more than knock stormtroopers and aliens around along with the occasional Simon-esque boss fight (such as a Rancor and AT-ST. Wheeeee.....).

    I'm glad I only rented it. With all the money and talent at LucasArts, they could've done better.
    Knocking the stuffing out of the sanctimonious Shaak Ti was worth the price of a rental, though.
    TBM    … Expand
  7. pettwo
    Sep 13, 2008
    6
    Frustratingly difficult, mushy controls, and annoying enemies make this game mediocre where it should have been amazing.
  8. MikeW.
    Sep 20, 2008
    5
    A great story is defused by weak and inconsistent game play. Depending on the level it is either a pretty good game or a mind numbing wreck, and sadly there is more of the latter. Somehow they take the awesome idea of ripping a star destroyer out of the sky and turn it into boring, tedious, garbage.
  9. DavyT.
    Sep 30, 2008
    7
    Maybe not the new Star Wars game we were waiting for, but The Force Unleashed does deliver fun gameplay for a couple of hours.
  10. thetruth
    Sep 10, 2008
    7
    Demo exp. only! Controls are on point, no clunkyness here. Graphics are typical, nothing astounding.Camera angles are very nice. There were really no complaints but there wasnt anything that made me want it right then. I can only see this being a big hit for the hardcore fans.
  11. MarkW.
    Sep 17, 2008
    6
    Wow this game had so much potential. With the great story and the insane force powers are ruined because of a horible control scheme. Also i dont understand why when you hit people with a lightsaber they still live. What the hell is that. Give me the jedi knight series over this game any day.
  12. GUARDIAN
    Sep 21, 2008
    7
    Being an avid star wars fan, i was keen to pre-order this one, but for some reason decided against it. Now im glad i kept it as a rental only. The biggest issue with TFU was the hype i think, when at the end of the day its a little overated. Having enjoyed the game overall being a huge fan, i found the controls VERY average, the story / cutscenes were great but certain bugs & glitches Being an avid star wars fan, i was keen to pre-order this one, but for some reason decided against it. Now im glad i kept it as a rental only. The biggest issue with TFU was the hype i think, when at the end of the day its a little overated. Having enjoyed the game overall being a huge fan, i found the controls VERY average, the story / cutscenes were great but certain bugs & glitches extremely annoying. Eg-- SPOILER ALERT-- whilst bringing down the imperial cruiser for 15-20mins i was launched by a tie fighter blast to the outside edge of the screen and could not walk back into the area of play. This happened twice, so therefore became frustrating at the best of times having been frozen on the edge of the screen for 5 mins before somehow dying?? Overall a great rental & an ok first outing on PS3, I'm giving it a seven based on the story & cutscenes alone, as an actioner it did bore me just a little. sorry .… Expand
  13. Chris
    Sep 20, 2008
    5
    This game had so much to work with. Every element from the force powers to the customization of lightsaber, to the enemies made this game very promising. But it was so very broken. Most of the bossfights were hard solely because of how ham handed Starkiller was, and if the camera acted any poorer the game would be unplayable. I enjoyed this game, but I know that I could have enjoyed it so This game had so much to work with. Every element from the force powers to the customization of lightsaber, to the enemies made this game very promising. But it was so very broken. Most of the bossfights were hard solely because of how ham handed Starkiller was, and if the camera acted any poorer the game would be unplayable. I enjoyed this game, but I know that I could have enjoyed it so much more. Thanks for living down to expectations for mediocrity again Lucas.… Expand
  14. TylerC.
    Sep 23, 2008
    7
    Excellent game if you love the Star Wars series, like I do. I wanted to buy this game when i heard it was coming at 6 months ago. I picked it up the day t came out and played it right when i got home. But to tell you the truth the game was okay. This game has the graphics to be a excellent game. The stary is also very interesting, but the ONLY thing that holds this game back, is the Excellent game if you love the Star Wars series, like I do. I wanted to buy this game when i heard it was coming at 6 months ago. I picked it up the day t came out and played it right when i got home. But to tell you the truth the game was okay. This game has the graphics to be a excellent game. The stary is also very interesting, but the ONLY thing that holds this game back, is the control scheme and the gameplay is very frustrating at times. It's especially frustrating when trying to pick up objects. Game Is good but need multiplayer.… Expand
  15. AdrianF.
    Sep 26, 2008
    6
    Playable, awesome story... let down by shoddy controls, swarm enemies... bad responsiveness... hell, everything about the interface sucked. The only redeemer is the story... wasn't even graphically astounding.
  16. ArkonBlade
    Apr 14, 2013
    5
    Looks good voice acting is solid and story is ok. Other then that every thing els goes down the crapper. The game play is just a mess. Platforming this game just can not do well at all. The combat is clunky as all hell. The diffuculty jumps all over the place from easy to wtf why is this so hard all of a sudden. fighting the second boss is the best example its like you have to be a realLooks good voice acting is solid and story is ok. Other then that every thing els goes down the crapper. The game play is just a mess. Platforming this game just can not do well at all. The combat is clunky as all hell. The diffuculty jumps all over the place from easy to wtf why is this so hard all of a sudden. fighting the second boss is the best example its like you have to be a real life jedi to beat that Way to much QTE infact there should be NONE. I'm sick and tired of QTE in games. The game could have been some thing great or atleast some thing good but its just sub standard mush.… Expand
  17. Creativita
    Dec 18, 2010
    7
    With a satisfying game-play experience and a great plot, Star Wars the Force Unleashed is an enjoyable and very addictive game. Though I am not a huge fan of charging into battle and swinging your light saber or weapon around at various enemies over and over again but this is a matter of opinion. For those who do, this is a great game. It contains some incredibly frustrating areas,With a satisfying game-play experience and a great plot, Star Wars the Force Unleashed is an enjoyable and very addictive game. Though I am not a huge fan of charging into battle and swinging your light saber or weapon around at various enemies over and over again but this is a matter of opinion. For those who do, this is a great game. It contains some incredibly frustrating areas, technical difficulties and limited freedom but it is overall a reasonable game.… Expand
  18. Ggdograa
    Jun 15, 2011
    5
    An excellent idea letdown by terrible controls, cluttered combos and confusing and repetitive gameplay. There is a lot of good things to see here, for instance it features a captivating story that feels like it's pulled right off the big screen and there are brief moments when you do feel like a legitimate sith badass, but it's ultimately too frustrating to be worthy of anything other thanAn excellent idea letdown by terrible controls, cluttered combos and confusing and repetitive gameplay. There is a lot of good things to see here, for instance it features a captivating story that feels like it's pulled right off the big screen and there are brief moments when you do feel like a legitimate sith badass, but it's ultimately too frustrating to be worthy of anything other than bargain bins.… Expand
  19. ThatCriticalJew
    Jan 9, 2012
    5
    Oy ge valt! I remember when this game was so overhyped. Hell, they didn't even finish the game before they released it. It's one of the most glitchy experiences I have ever put up with. Though it does have few redemptions like a good story, and a good concept with the gameplay and game design, but it mainly suffers from it's bad hit detection that leaves you asking "when will this guyOy ge valt! I remember when this game was so overhyped. Hell, they didn't even finish the game before they released it. It's one of the most glitchy experiences I have ever put up with. Though it does have few redemptions like a good story, and a good concept with the gameplay and game design, but it mainly suffers from it's bad hit detection that leaves you asking "when will this guy just die already?"

    My advice (and I can't believe I'm saying this either, but....): Buy the Wii version!    … Expand
  20. Fizhy0
    May 16, 2012
    5
    The story was great, the interface was very annoying. The character will choose whether or not he actually does what you tell him to. Several glitches are present, I had to quit and restart the level 5 times throughout the game. It is also a very short game. Also, starts off really slow so don't judge it based off the first couple levels. Overall, decent, but annoying with the glitches.
  21. randomne
    Jul 3, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So yeah I got this game. I was pretty excited even though there were mostly average reviews for the game. So after playing through I must say I am quite pleased with the game. Yeah the combat wasn't great and all that but I liked the story and the filling in of gaps and stuff in the story. I mean who doesn't want to use crazy force powers and blow the **** out of trees. A much better game than the pirated copy of Lorry simulator 2012 which I downloaded while on the toilet. Son yeah being a sith only lasts for a bit and I was disappointed when he became good and that but pulling a super star destroyer out of the sky is pretty fun. But I find PROXY a bit strange. You really don't want to go near that guy. But yeah after spamming the square button throughout the entire game and occasionally jumping or forcing and other stuff which I don't quite remember with the pasties eating Elephants and stuff... the combats boring. Thats it really. Oh and always kill Darth Vader at the end.… Expand
  22. thepatient613
    Feb 16, 2016
    5
    How can a Star Wars game such as this get boring? I mean how hard to you have to try to make a game that everybody wants and fail miserably on so many levels? Was it that complicated to make a game that wasn't so repetitive? At some point someone must've said, "hey let's just stop working on the game, fix the bugs and release it to the public".
  23. SuperkenGaming
    Jan 30, 2017
    7
    Star Wars The Force Unleashed
    More Like Star of Wars
    This game is basically God of War set in the star wars world but with none of the variety… You start the Game as Darth Vader and its perfect.. You’re walking slowly just destroying everyone and everything in sight… It’s a great way to introduce the fighting mechanics and I didn’t want it to end... honestly if all 6 and a half hours    Star Wars The Force Unleashed
    More Like Star of Wars
    This game is basically God of War set in the star wars world but with none of the variety…
    You start the Game as Darth Vader and its perfect..
    You’re walking slowly just destroying everyone and everything in sight…
    It’s a great way to introduce the fighting mechanics and I didn’t want it to end...
    honestly if all 6 and a half hours of this game was the prologue… it would be pretty close to a 10/10 experience…
    unfortunately it isn’t..
    Sadly you play the game as Darth Vader’s Apprentice after something happens that I’m not gonna say... I don’t want to spoil it…
    The Story here is actually really enjoyable, easy to follow along with and I wanted to see it to its end…
    But you play through the 9 missions in total killing the Jedi among other characters…
    And again this is god of war with light sabers…
    As you progress through the levels slicing enemies and finding new light sabers so you aren’t stuck with sith red... you’re leveling up for skill points to spend in the 3 different skill trees…
    You’re completing tasks in these linear levels using the force where you have to pull items out of their sockets for the most part or zap them with lightning… using the force to grab and pull doesn’t really feel all too intuitive or responsive though…
    many frustrating moments trying to bend doors and grab onto items to fling them through the air…
    And at the end of each mission you take on a boss…
    Every boss is really about jumping out of the way and slashing them more times than they slash you.. And they all end in a god of war style quick time event….
    it’s cool meeting all of these star wars characters and visiting the different worlds…
    But beyond the prologue... the game feels generic…
    You visit no place interesting..
    so level progressing trying to build yourself up to the Vader status you started as is just no fun…
    you feel more like running through to the end rather than spending the time fighting enemies wanting to get stronger because it is so boringly designed…
    You never truly reach the god status the games beginning teases you with either which was so satisfying and fun even at the slow pace Vader was moving at…
    This games graphics are insane though considering it came out in 2008…
    Usually early ps3 and 360 games are hard on my eyes…
    But this game could easily be passed off as a late gen ps3 game or a downloadable game on the ps4..
    I was genuinely impressed...
    I just wish they put these graphics towards making interesting levels and environments to explore…
    Overall Star Wars The Force Unleashed is a decently fun game with an interesting story…
    Just not varied enough with its gameplay or level design to call it a must play for anyone not already a star wars fan..
    But if you are a fan even a little and you do play... you won’t be disappointed.. at least not extremely disappointed...
    I give Star Wars The Force Unleashed
    a 7/10    … Expand
  24. PeterAlexander
    May 29, 2018
    7
    The Force Unleashed tells one of the most immersive stories in the Star Wars universe. While the game is quite glitchy at times, there is a lot of satisfaction to be had from the gameplay and the exploring of new worlds.
  25. Daniel0918
    Jan 25, 2016
    6
    The game is extremely monotonous. The only difference between the first and last levels is that you have to beat 2 "big" enemy or 20 and that's all. The game looks good and the moves look cool but only for a small period of time. After that it's just slashing enemy after enemy and even the movies can't save it.
  26. Ishi123
    May 15, 2017
    7
    Not a bad single player story Star Wars game. Could be better, but as a start to a franchise, it certainly isn't terribly offensive.

    The Force Unleashed aims to make you feel the real power of The Force, and the gameplay revolves around this. It wants you to feel what a truly powerful Force user can do. You can pick up enemies and toss them around the room, fry multiple enemies at a    Not a bad single player story Star Wars game. Could be better, but as a start to a franchise, it certainly isn't terribly offensive.

    The Force Unleashed aims to make you feel the real power of The Force, and the gameplay revolves around this. It wants you to feel what a truly powerful Force user can do. You can pick up enemies and toss them around the room, fry multiple enemies at a time with Force lightning, throw things at people, carve up your enemies up close with your lightsaber, Force push them so hard they splatter onto the wall, and going all the way up to lifting up an AT-ST and crushing it; anything goes. As far as Force powers go, this game is the definitive Jedi experience, letting you feel like a powerhouse as you carve through Rebels and Stormtroopers with ease.

    The story revolves around Starkiller, Darth Vader's secret apprentice whom he had taken from his Jedi father as a child. Raised up in the ways of the dark side of the Force, you are sent on a mission to assassinate the few remaining Jedi in hiding in the hopes that one day you will be strong enough to help Vader overthrow the Emperor, because the Sith are nothing if not backstabbing cheaters. The story takes place between Episodes 3 and 4, and the story ties into the 4th episode in a pretty major way. It's non-canonical now, so it doesn't really matter, but I thought it wasn't a terrible way to tie into the main franchise, but at the same time I don't really lament Disney's declaration to make it non-canonical. It's not so integral as to negatively affect any of the films with its absence. The story itself is pretty well presented, and it had a healthy length and ended in a way that satisfied me.

    As said before, the ultimate selling point is to "unleash the Force" on everything and everyone. The powers and skills you can get really do make you feel like the unstoppable powerhouse a Force user of Starkiller's caliber ought to be. This is a man who can tear a Star Destroyer from the sky. It's pretty fun to cut down legions of troopers with a flurry of lightsaber slashes before pushing another squad off a cliff and just walk away like a cool guy. However, the gameplay does suffer quite a bit. Against normal grunts, it's easy enough to tear them apart, but against more advanced enemies, the game will lag behind your inputs. The controls overall are unresponsive and laggy, and you're going to be blaming a lot of deaths on the controls simply not doing what you want them to do. Combat against tougher enemies becomes tedious and slow and clunky. This isn't Devil May Cry levels of hack and slash, that's for sure. Bosses are terribly designed, as well. Every single one of them is programmed to instantly counter any lightsaber strike you try to land on them. NONE of the bosses can be defeated with plain blade on blade combat, except for perhaps the first one. It's so annoying to have a boss immediately counter your saber strike flawlessly every single time you get anywhere close, and the game basically forces you to use your powers to kill everything. Maybe I want to do some stylish blade work, game, why am I being punished for using my only close-range option? Even outside that, the bosses are terribly designed, and a lot of them will stunlock you and throw you all over the place and are just a pain in the ass to fight. The bosses in general are not fun at all to fight, and some special grunts are the same way. With how clunky and unresponsive the controls are, it gets to be a real pain to fight a lot of enemies.

    Overall, I play the game not for its story or anything. I play it sometimes because it's cathartic as hell to cut Stormtroopers into pieces and throw boulders at AT-STs and to throw Jawas up into the stratosphere. Using the Force has never been quite as fun, and if refined with tighter controls and better designed enemies, the game could've been a serious contender in the hack-and-slash genre. It's the first game of the series, so as it is, it's at least a decent start. It's just too bad that its sequel had to drop the ball so hard, spoiler alert.    … Expand
  27. okayokay
    Oct 10, 2018
    7
    rrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaadddddddddddiiiiiiiiiiicccccccccccaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllll
  28. hector_bcn98
    Nov 10, 2022
    7
    Si el objetivo era hacer sentir al jugador como un Jedi (o un Sith), cumplieron con éxito. Una pena la duración y poca rejugabilidad del mismo. Rendimiento bastante malo.
  29. The_D4RknesS
    Sep 29, 2022
    7
    I never liked star wars but I played this game completely just because of the EUPHORIA physics used in GTA 4 and also for the destruction of the scenery
  30. atyoukha
    Aug 12, 2022
    7
    The game's idea and concept are great. But the execution not so much. I enjoyed the powers and the choice of being good or bad. I just did not like how linear the game was and how predictable.
  31. JrDouble
    Dec 7, 2022
    6
    This one was a real slog to get through. Poor controls and gameplay really held this game back. I'm glad I finished it, but it is mediocre and a disappointment overall.
  32. Jaidenbrkl1
    Apr 19, 2023
    5
    To my surprise, Force Unleashed is actually a game that has aged surprisingly well with great gameplay, an intriguing story, fun mechanics, and overall, it is one of most underrated Star Wars games of all time.

Awards & Rankings

78
#78 Best PS3 Game of 2008
13
#13 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2008
14
#14 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 47 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 47
  3. Negative: 2 out of 47
  1. Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)
    70
    At the end of the day, this remains a Star Wars game - and an essential one thanks to its compelling story and, to be fair, engaging gameplay. [Oct 2008, p.74]
  2. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    56
    An ambitious--yet ultimately dissatisfying--effort. [Oct 2008, p.82]
  3. IGN
    73
    Uninspired level design and some tedious enemy battles mar an experience that gives you power over the Force like we've never really seen before. While it's far from perfect, Star Wars fans will find that it's worth playing through simply for its story and the ability to use the Force in fairly awesome ways.
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