Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

 Switch
Metascore
65

Mixed or average reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. Gaming Age
    May 5, 2022
    83
    It’s still a fun game that probably gets overlooked since it wasn’t one of the highlights of its generation, and if you go in expecting an enjoyable (if slightly dated) game, you’ll be pretty happy with it.
  2. Pure Nintendo
    May 5, 2022
    80
    Star Wars: The Force Unleashed may be an older game, but it’s still fun to play and Star Wars fans who haven’t previously enjoyed this title should give it a go. The engaging story and excellent voice work help bring it to life, despite the slightly dated graphics and relatively simple gameplay.
  3. Gaming Nexus
    Apr 20, 2022
    80
    Star Wars: The Force Unleashed can take you back to 2008, with all the good and mediocrity that comes with it. Do you need to play this if you like Star Wars? I think so. It’s a story that feels right at home with the original trilogy, some plot is good, some goofy, it’s certainly Star Wars. Some shortcomings like basic level design, targeting, and boss mini games. But using your force lightning to attack clone troops is satisfying. Not a perfect game, but darn near close to a perfect Star Wars game.
  5. NintendoWorldReport
    Apr 20, 2022
    75
    The Force Unleashed is a heavily flawed though still enjoyable experience from an era where Star Wars was trying to find its next identity. It tells an interesting story, even if its ultimate effect on Anakin’s perceived story arc means it's better left outside of modern canon. While its gameplay is linear, and repetitive, I can’t argue with the satisfaction of pulling down a section of the environment and using it to take out a whole group of stormtroopers at once. It by no means weaves its story into the greater universe with the expertise of something like Shadows of the Empire, but it almost certainly served as a gateway into better things like Jedi Fallen Order. As for this particular version, Krome Studios and Aspyr deserve immense praise for their efforts to preserve this oft-forgotten version. Outside of the missing bonus levels from the PSP version, this is the definitive version of this release. This is by no means a masterpiece, but it is an excellent version of a fairly good game.
  6. GamingTrend
    Apr 20, 2022
    75
    Star Wars: The Force Unleashed still provides a highly entertaining experience despite its few issues, and the Switch port does a great job of bringing the stellar title to newer audiences.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 14 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 14
  3. Negative: 2 out of 14
  1. Nintenderek
    Apr 23, 2022
    9
    If you played the original Wii version of the Force Unleashed, this is a fine port. The Switch Joy Cons don't work as well at motion controlIf you played the original Wii version of the Force Unleashed, this is a fine port. The Switch Joy Cons don't work as well at motion control as the Wii controllers did, but they do have an optional button layout if you'd rather play without motion controls.

    If you did not play the Force Unleashed on Wii but have played the game before, this is in my humble opinion, the best version of the game. The motion controls do add a lot to the game if you are into them, and if you are not there are still button controls as an option. There's also a multiplayer duel mode, which isn't anything too impressive but can be fun for a good fifteen or twenty minutes with friends to see who can put out more force lighting than the other.

    If you have never played the Force Unleashed at all before, I strongly recommend this game. It is my favorite Star Wars game. You get to play as a Sith with a strong emphasis on force abilities. You also get to use the lightsaber and it is important to the game, but the focus is clearly the force abilities. Force lighting, force choking, force levitation, it's all here and it feels very good. The story is good for the time period it originally released, although hasn't aged incredibly well. The game is also quite short by today's standards. However, none of that really matters as the focus is the gameplay and if you are a fan of hack and slash style games, you'll probably absolutely love this. The game is exactly what you'd expect out of a game of that time period and if you weren't gaming in that time period, you might not particularly enjoy this. However, if you are into late PS2/Gamecube/Xbox or early PS3/Wii/360 type games and didn't get a chance to check this out the first time around, I strongly recommend it!    … Full Review »
  2. Jadanens
    Oct 11, 2022
    7
    it is entertaining enough for me to call it a decent game. its ported well and I liked the story of the game as well.
  3. Jt0429
    May 3, 2022
    6
    Good-
    Enjoyable, mindless combat. Using the lightsaber combined with the force abilities is really fun. Decent amount of content for the    Good-
    Enjoyable, mindless combat. Using the lightsaber combined with the force abilities is really fun. Decent amount of content for the price. The story is entertaining.

    Bad-
    Combat, while fun, is repetitive. Level design is bland. Motion controls are frustrating. The port feels very conservative.

    Thoughts-
    . Whether or not this is worth a purchase depends on how big of a Star Wars fans you are- or perhaps even how big of a The Force Unleashed fan you are. If you have a hankering for a single player hack-and-slash title where you can rip through enemies as a bulldozing Sith lord, there’s plenty of fun to be had here, and the base experience, combined with its collectibles and the Duel Mode, make the $20 price tag feel pretty reasonable. If, however, you’re looking for a more ambitious upgrade, or if you’re looking for a more fleshed-out game with more thought put into its combat and level design, The Force Unleashed will probably leave you disappointed. Purely on a personal level, it’s a solid if unremarkable port of a game I have a lot of nostalgia for.    … Full Review »
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