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. infraRecon
    May 30, 2023
    9
    UN LIMITED POWER BZZZZZZFTTZTZZTTVFT, Ok this was my first ever Star Wars game, it was actually the game that got me into Star Wars, I was young, I saw the game in an Incredible Connection Store and It piqued my Interest, At the time I will admit I was not 16 to play this game, but my Mom bought it for me because she loved me, and probably wanted to see me happy when I asked to have it.UN LIMITED POWER BZZZZZZFTTZTZZTTVFT, Ok this was my first ever Star Wars game, it was actually the game that got me into Star Wars, I was young, I saw the game in an Incredible Connection Store and It piqued my Interest, At the time I will admit I was not 16 to play this game, but my Mom bought it for me because she loved me, and probably wanted to see me happy when I asked to have it.

    So She bought the game, I went home I put the Disk in, the logos rolled and I was already having such an amazing time. Then I played the First level and my gosh, Darth Vader is one OP character, then you play the rest of the game with its combined soundtrack and you just fall in love with how open and closed some levels could be, the force powers and the destruction you can cause, Starkiller is an awesome character.

    All of this in a compelling story, nice Hack and Slash arcade combat, really amazing set pieces and cool boss fights and finishers. This was a Quality game from start to finish which actually took risks in the Already established story of Star Wars.

    This is a game that needs a Remake, to fix and improve what this game set out to do, don't get me wrong It did everything that it could, but I feel that it can expand on what the PS2 version had compared to the PS3 version. This game however is one of the golden boy games of LucasArts, who already were ahead of the curve in gaming back then.

    So why Do you Irate this game so Highly then, It's not because of Nostalgia, Take a seat young Skywalker, Look at the game we have today in the Starwars Universe, we have 1 3rd person action adventure game done by respawn, that's it, No Battlefront I & II don't count, no, Mobile games don't count, I am talking about recent star wars games that have pushed the boundaries of Cinematography, gameplay, Mechanics, We only have one.

    And that to me is a bad thing, If it wasn't because of cancellations and Creative differences between Studios and Publishers and Disney in general, we would have more than 3 Titles that have their own unique style, setting and use of the 3rd Person genre. This is why I rate it so Highly, it's because it did something that not even publishers today would do, just have High octane fun with the Star Wars Universe.

    My man Starkiller is over here taking down Star Destroyers with the force while Rey in the films can't even get her Identity right, Where the Star Wars Universe is is weird and upsetting, And I don't like it.
    Overall this game is cool, play it enjoy it, Electrocute enemies to the point of satisfaction if you have to, but most of all have fun.    … Expand
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. kylocosplay
    Oct 11, 2022
    8
    Uno de los mejores juegos que ha habido de star wars, sientes al máximo el poder del lado oscuro derrotando ejércitos haciendo uso de la fuerza y de la espada láser, una historia que te llevará a muchos planetas con diferentes enemigos y distintas formas de jugar, juego que debes tener si o si si eres fan de Star Wars.
  6. 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
  7. 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.
  8. zach_grech
    May 5, 2022
    8
    My favourite Star Wars game for the time being. Combat system is really great and extremely fun. The story is also great and tells a deep and personal tale of a man who doesn't belong to either side of the force. Levels are good for the most part. The levels however are reused with new locations to explore however they aren't as good as the first time.
  9. TSNintendogamer
    Apr 15, 2022
    8
    I love the game, the gameplay, the story(although it doesn't seem too connected with the original trilogy), and the worlds. The only thing I didn't like was the reaction commends. I mean yeah the beating the boss is more epic that way but with actually doing it, it's a pain. It kind of helped me be entertained through the bullying I got at the start of high school.
  10. martinho_99
    Mar 12, 2022
    8
    For me one of the most underrated games in history with breathtaking moments, it would absolutely deserve a proper remake.
  11. dasse666
    Jan 24, 2022
    10
    Best Star wars game on PS3 hands down. Amazing story and gameplay. Bonus that graphics is top notch.
  12. piuscorvus
    Aug 1, 2021
    2
    This game is so boring and pointless. It has some nice things such as usage of force to take and throw random things around you and use it agains your enemies but... in this game you just go and continuously fight enemies that jump on you. If you are only into smashing something all the time this would be a game for you.
  13. clanky9
    Mar 16, 2021
    9
    my favorite star wars videogame but since its not cannon i cant give it 10/10.
  14. agusss
    Jun 26, 2020
    10
    Sin dudas, no hay mejor juego de Star Wars que este, sin ser personaje de la saga, Starkiller nos encanto a la mayoria de los fans, ademas de que el juego tiene TODO.
  15. mrgreentoad
    Jan 13, 2020
    10
    After playing Fallen Order recently I felt the need for some more Star Wars action. I just played this as well as Force Unleashed 2 on my PS3. This is a very cool game and still graphically impressive! Although not as graphically impressive as its sequel, it is a far superior game! It is a decent length for s single player game unlike its sequel. I can only assume that the developersAfter playing Fallen Order recently I felt the need for some more Star Wars action. I just played this as well as Force Unleashed 2 on my PS3. This is a very cool game and still graphically impressive! Although not as graphically impressive as its sequel, it is a far superior game! It is a decent length for s single player game unlike its sequel. I can only assume that the developers had some serious constraints with the FU2. For a game from 2008, i very much enjoyed the Force Unleashed & began to feel like a badass after leveling up my Force powers! If you don't mind playing a slightly dated game & need more Star Wars gaming action in your life, you might want to try this game out! The junk planet Raxxus Prime in the game was my favorite location! It’s been years since I’ve played this game & was pleased to find it still enjoyable! :)… Expand
  16. lolek400
    Jul 13, 2019
    10
    This is one of the best star wars games ever made. The story and gameplay are still fun today you need to play this game.
  17. Cody1999
    May 12, 2019
    9
    by far the best star wars game to date, while it is about 10 years the game fully immerses you in the starwars universe, while short the game has tons of challenges and secrets that keep you playing for days, recommend without a doubt
  18. okayokay
    Oct 10, 2018
    7
    rrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaadddddddddddiiiiiiiiiiicccccccccccaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllll
  19. 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.
  20. destinyfan1
    May 5, 2018
    8
    Star wars:the force unleashed is one of these mediocre accepted games that i actually liked
    The story and combat was decent, you could use the force in many ways ,which made the game varieted
    In 2008 these graphics were pretty good The characters where good ,and the cutscenes where good aswell But the game was short and did not stand out in nothing It was just a great star wars game    Star wars:the force unleashed is one of these mediocre accepted games that i actually liked
    The story and combat was decent, you could use the force in many ways ,which made the game varieted
    In 2008 these graphics were pretty good
    The characters where good ,and the cutscenes where good aswell
    But the game was short and did not stand out in nothing
    It was just a great star wars game for the fun, but it was far from a masterpiece    … Expand
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. SeaChell25
    Jan 24, 2017
    2
    Lets`s say a game can get 3 points each on gameplay, graphics and overall feel plus one for excellence, this game would get 3 at best. The game is old, but i`ve played a lot of old games and most of them still shine when it comes to features, they are manufactured in a way that makes them indistinguishable, because they know they have to compete to stay relevant. Dynasty Warriors isLets`s say a game can get 3 points each on gameplay, graphics and overall feel plus one for excellence, this game would get 3 at best. The game is old, but i`ve played a lot of old games and most of them still shine when it comes to features, they are manufactured in a way that makes them indistinguishable, because they know they have to compete to stay relevant. Dynasty Warriors is relevant, so is God Of War. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is NOT relevant, it does not compete with games, because it is selling you, poor sucker, a soundtrack and nothing more. A collage of sounds. If you can enjoy buying a soundtrack as a game that is screaming and spitting in your face, YOU CAN NOT. Because they are two different items, idiot.

    It IS a star wars game some of us might know from the PS1, this game however is a fraudand by that i mean, don`t underestimate a fraud as a crime. This game is truly a crime and noone should put up with this. The features that were hyped in certain technical exibitions and special trailers are cut and condensed beyond repair. It feels like a game that was too buggy so they had do minimize everything. EVERYTHING. There is nothing cool left, and the bare bones that are left, are weak as hell.

    Some of the textures have to be the ugliest thing i`ve ever seen on "this" generation (PS3). The character models are horrible and repetitive. The 3D depth in this game is so weak you cant even make the next jump. I truly hope i can make a difference with this review in convincing you not to buy this, because making money is all lucas arts seemed to care about.

    Animations are suprisingly weak considering the fact that an entire, new physics model was somehow incorporated in this programm. How can bugs coexist ? If im supposed to respect this as a gamer, i should`ve bought all the porn i was streaming, or maybe "IBM and the Holocaust: 9783549071304"

    Graphics 1 out of 3.

    Gameplay.
    The controls dont work. I dont know what ideology a studio producing art or games or whatever has to believe in to conside a game like this ready to sell. If gaming would be an opera, this mafia front organization has managed to sell millions of people a bad print of a chagall painting.

    There is a certain type of idea that traumatizes everyone that even comes in contact with it, and lucas arts idea of a control scheme should have stayed where the rest of the game allready is, that would be out of context. The upgrades are worth mentioning and form an adhesive substance combined with the hyped physics and of course battery acid, haunting you like a drunk underage girl might haunt the phantasies of a pedophile.

    Only MY fantasy was to have fun with a game... and having fun playing is having fun living. See where my Problem is lucas arts ? Chris Hanson might have as much problems catching predators as i`ve using force push, basicly the only feature (of course still not even close to anything in the trailers, not even like i`m being treated with sympathy as a customer).It`s like entire features of this euphoria enginge have been sealed off from the public.

    Gameplay 2 out of 3, subtract one if you are not a robot, its a **** pie!!!, who wants to taste the chocolate ?

    Overall feel. Nuff said. the hight of antisemtitism, this game is. Add one,if you are not a robot. Im truly angry and i dont respect any ! different opinion as one uttered by a sane human being. If i see one of the people involved in this, i might actually bash them in the face. I mean who cares.    … Expand
  24. 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".
  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. tsakiym
    May 21, 2015
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I do not have to say anything. But i need to write one hundred and fifty characters. i think my score can describe it.................................… Expand
  27. 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
  28. IAMGEOFFREY
    Sep 6, 2014
    8
    This game is great! Certainly much better than the second game.. The campaign is big, the Plot is awesome, The graphics still cant be denied, and the Ending was good! I really enjoyed playing this game.
  29. GregRog
    Aug 8, 2014
    10
    Brilliant storyline, lots of upgradable powers and unlockable strikes and combos and even different outfits to choose from don't ever let you get bored with the game. I have beaten it twice with joy, and I highly reccomend it not only to Star Wars fans, but also to skilled gamers who want to test their agility.
  30. mewkid1234
    Nov 7, 2013
    3
    The game itself is basically hilariously stupid. I mean...there is fun with throwing people off the stage and making them hit each other. The gameplay and story alike are frickin' stupid. Constantly dying like there's no point. The controls have me beat...the camera sometimes is shaky, but it's still a bad game.
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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

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
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