Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II is a sequel that picks up right where the first one left off, despite the questions surrounding the fate of Starkiller. As the story picks up, Darth Vader hovers over his Jedi apprentice as he makes a crucial decision deciding the fate of Juno, his love interest from the first film. It turns out that Juno is just a robot clone, and Vader has no choice but to do away with Starkiller – another failed clone in his long line of attempts. However, this one fights back and mounts an incredible escape, an event that kicks off the sequel in a big way. Like the original that came out a couple of years ago, The Force Unleashed II gives you the power of the Jedi at your fingertips. You can perform all sorts of unbelievable moves, including Jedi mind tricks (forcing your opponents to off themselves), lightsaber attacks (including throws), Force lightning and push attacks. Using a combination of these will dispatch enemies in a number of ways, and the ability to activate Jedi Fury makes your effectiveness even better, as you leave behind a trail of beheaded Stormtroopers.
However, there are a couple of sore spots that simply can’t be forgotten, no matter how many “Jedi mind wipes” you try to use on us. First off, the enemy variety’s not so hot this time around. You’ll face the same class of Stormtroopers, AT-ST’s, walkers, royal guards constantly, with very little change-up outside the boss encounters. And even they don’t pose much of a challenge. (The final one in particular is a bit of a yawner, even though it should’ve been an epic showdown.) We did like the huge creature in the shackles, though. The freefall battle with him is just one of many memorable moments in the game. We will give credit to LucasArts for stepping up its game in the graphic department. The environments in Force Unleashed II are not only massive, but they’re articulately designed. From the murky swamps of Dagobah to the battle inside the trap-laden Imperial stronghold, there’s a number of sights that you’ll definitely want to take in. Plus, the way enemies crumple at your feet is simply terrific, especially when you grab a TIE Fighter and smash it into the shape of a metallic basketball. There are occasional camera issues, but they don’t get in the way of your Jedi action that often.
The audio also impresses. There’s some quality voice acting here, even though James Earl Jones doesn’t voice Darth Vader. (He’s got a good sound-alike in place, though.) The music is vintage John Williams, though it tends to repeat once in a while. Hey, no matter, some of the best Star Wars stuff is here. And the sound effects? Perfect. A lightsaber has never sounded so good. While The Force Unleashed II will keep you busy with a five-hour campaign, a few Jedi challenges, unlockable outfits and lightsaber tweaks, there’s really not much else here. We expected a little more bang for the buck when it came to this sequel, something around the same length of time that it took to finish the original. That’s the main thing holding us back from recommending this latest Star Wars game for purchase.
That said, this game is still a superb weekend rental for the Xbox 360. While The Force Unleashed II doesn’t push new boundaries in enemy confrontations or replay value, it’s still a fun weekend romp, with plenty of enemies to kill and a great cliffhanger ending to wash it all down with. Let’s just hope that the next chapter in the saga uses more development Force.
