The first half hour you spend in the company of The Force Unleashed is likely to be, for many people, just what's required of a Star Wars game. Kicking off with you playing a mighty, powerful Darth Vader, you hack and slash your way through the game, using the wonderfully-implemented Force to move objects around at will and hurl enemies off their feet. Bliss doesn't begin to describe it.

This Darth Vader segment, however, is short-lived, as you quickly move into the shoes of an apprentice with a lot less power. Skills and powers are then built up as the game moves on and you upgrade your combat ability. It's still something of a tease: after all, you've been treated to slashing through a level with all the power the game can bestow upon you and it's a bit frustrating that it's so savagely ripped away so quickly. You won't get it back for some time, too.

It does have an effect on the entertainment value of the game, as what follows is less fun that the opening skirmish. It still has its moments, though, and there's a lot of fun to be had in utilising the Force. The in-game physics here are bang-on and you'll find yourself simply having fun with the environment around you while you wait for more foes to come and tackle you.

It helps that the control system is as well implemented as it is: The Force Unleashed isn't a tricky game to get to grips with, and the game gives you enough power to indulge even the most destructive and vindictive of personalities.

But there are some further problems beneath the undeniable gloss. Few Star Wars games have given you the wealth of power that The Force Unleashed allows you to build up, but then it introduces elements that don't fit into Star Wars lore to combat that. What's the point of mastering the Force if the enemy troops learn to defend against it? Surely it's the power that defines the films, and not really something to be meddled with?

But then The Force Unleashed keeps having to compensate for the fact that, at heart, it's quite an easy game, so it often throws pretty much everything it can at you to keep the challenge up. This can be gleefully good fun, but it does ultimately feel like a compensatory gesture to cloak the low difficulty level.

With a narrative that fits between films three and four, the game is underpinned by a storyline that's so much more than the usual nonsense throwaway rubbish that sits under Star Wars games. And the action at its finest is vintage Star Wars and very good videogaming.

But with a heavy heart, you'll ultimately have to admit that, like an early partner, it's a game that you'll enjoy spending some time with, have some good memories of, but soon move on to pastures new and something you'll love a whole lot more.

Verdict
Certainly worth a bash, The Force Unleashed is one of the most ambitious Star Wars games we've seen. But it's some way off the best.

Company: LucasArts

Tags: darth vader star wars star wars computer and video games lego games science fiction recreation video games