Star Wars: The Force Unleashed | Switch Review

I absolutely adore Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. I have, no exaggeration, probably beaten the game over thirty times. It was such a favorite of mine when it came out, that I was compelled to play it again and again. I had never played the Wii version, however, instead opting for the HD version present on PS3 and Xbox 360. Aspyr Media has graced us with the opportunity to play that Wii version, on modern hardware, with the recent rerelease to Nintendo Switch.

Search Your Feelings

For those unaware, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was a big deal when it originally came out. It was designed to bridge the gap between Episodes III and IV of the Star Wars saga, with the script even being overseen by George Lucas. You play the role of Starkiller (played to perfection by dreamy delight Sam Witwer), Darth Vader’s secret apprentice. Starkiller is tasked with eliminating Jedi who have survived Order 66, along with any and all witnesses, whether they be friend or foe. Vader hopes these missions will make Starkiller strong enough to help him take down the Emperor.

It’s a dark time in the galaxy, and it goes to some pretty dark places. The story itself has a lot of twists and turns, and ends up setting things into motion so perfectly you’ll end up being pretty annoyed that it wasn’t allowed to remain canon. A lot of ground is covered in the game’s 7-10 hours, and many characters are encountered. Yet somehow the plot is seamlessly woven into the existing timeline, which is an impressive feat indeed.

No, There is Another

As with most of Aspyr’s offerings, this is more of a straight port than a full remastering or remake. The game looks better than it did before, certainly, but much as with Star Wars Episode I: Racer, it’s not going to trick you into thinking it’s anything other than the old version running on modern hardware. I actually appreciate the hell out of this. What Aspyr has been doing is essential in the world of games preservation. It makes total sense that the largest brand on the planet should have its history with video games available everywhere, in as many formats as possible. Though it is certainly appreciated that the motion control QTE’s were modernized to have the Joy-Con as an icon instead of a Wiimote.

The crux of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a whole lot of action. You can swing a lightsaber (though not in the iconic backwards way Starkiller normally does), shoot lightning, grab objects and enemies with the Force, and a whole lot more. This version of the game doesn’t allow for a lot of combinations and experimentations with those powers. In the 360/PS3 version, you could channel lightning through your lightsaber, for instance. None of those sorts of combinations are present here, though there’s nonetheless a cheap thrill in using the Force to operate a turret as you swing a lightsaber.

You May Fire When Ready

Unfortunately that cheap thrill wears off pretty quickly. This version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed lacks two technologies that gave the HD versions so much life. Euphoria was an animation system integrated into AI making them behave in believable ways. For instance, if you’re dragging around a Stormtrooper in the air, he might grab onto a door frame for dear life. Maybe you shove him near a ledge. That AI enemy could procedurally generate an animation grabbing onto the cliff, pull himself up, grab his blaster back up, and get back into the fight. It gave the enemies a lot of life and kept the many waves of enemies fresh. This version is also missing DMM, which was a technology for destroying environments. Wood would splinter, metal would dent, etc. These missing robs the game of a lot of its charm. It turns combat into a lifeless affair, and I found myself running past most conflicts by the end.

It’s made up for somewhat with additional content. Some of the levels now feature side plots, such as a bounty hunting group on Raxus Prime. The levels themselves are much shorter than the HD version, so I suppose this was an attempt at a compromise. There’s also a Jedi Temple series of levels where Starkiller learns more about his past. It’s fun returning to the same environment to see a little bit more of it, and it comes with its own series of boss battles. This was one aspect of the Wii version I did find myself enjoying, but maybe that’s because there was nothing in the PS3/360 version to compare it against.

A Presence I’ve Not Felt Since…

Unfortunately, boss battles are significantly dumbed down here in the Wii version. The PS3/360 versions had insane, over-the-top fights with lots of lightsaber clashing and Force power disruptions. You could often feel the sheer power of Starkiller and his Jedi prey as the environment broke and bent around them. These fights played out like a shonen action anime, and needless to say they were pretty awesome. While this version does have some ludicrous moments during QTE’s that’ll bring a smile to your face, the fights themselves are dull. For nearly every fight, I simply waggled my Joy-Con and occasionally shot out some lightning, and down went my opponent in only thirty seconds or so. It felt like going through the motions.

Understand, again, that this is all from the perspective of a die hard Star Wars: The Force Unleashed fan. While this version isn’t bad per se, it is so mediocre compared to the PS3/360 counterpart that I would feel bad if anyone experienced this iconic piece of Star Wars for the first time like this. This isn’t the way Force Unleashed was meant to be experienced. I applaud Aspyr Media for their part in bringing this game to modern audiences, and for mercifully letting players opt out motion controls for standard ones, but the underlying game is still its watered-down Wii self. Here’s to hoping the true Force Unleashed can grace digital storefronts soon.

 

This review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed provided by Sandbox Strategies for coverage purposes. It is also available on Xbox and PC via Steam and GOG.