FutureFive New Zealand - Consumer technology news & reviews from the future
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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Sun, 1st Apr 2007
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Our feature cover this month is Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Thanks to our friends at Softprint, GC was invited to an exclusive sneak peek at the up and coming Star Wars game, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. And judging by the content we've seen so far, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is going to be spectacular!

Star Wars fans all over the world should be rejoicing right about now. The epic story of Star Wars supposedly ended with the final chapter in the movie saga, coming full circle with the release of Revenge of the Sith. Although there are spin-offs in several different mediums including graphic novels and books, the games created from the Star Wars galaxy haven't pushed the boundaries the way that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed undoubtedly will. And that's primarily due to the spectacular story line, new and exciting character creation and state of the art technology that LucasArts have utilised.

SW:TFU will deliver to Star Wars fans and gamers alike the type of game play experience they haven't had an opportunity to explore thus far. Underneath the breath-taking aesthetics of the game lives the technology that will be driving the game's success. LucasArts aim to push the gaming experience one step beyond anything that has been done before in the Star Wars universe. And the type of technology that is needed to create this experience is literally, quite mind-blowing.

Referred to as ‘DMM' technology or ‘Digital Molecular Matter', DMM will provide gamers with a singular, personal experience every time they play; everything from falling over and being shot at to climbing onto a ledge will be a completely unique experience. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will be a game built on simulation technology and will be a collaborative work with partners ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) and Pixelex Entertainment. George Lucas has also played an instrumental part in the creation of the game from concept level right through to character creation, which should excite fans.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is set in the 18 year period between episodes III and IV. The focus of the game is on Darth Vader's apprentice which is the character you play. SW:TFU will reveal new and interesting characters, plots twists and also open- ended storylines that will allow for different plots to develop from within the game. As Darth Vader's apprentice you have joined the war against the Jedi who are now fleeing from the Imperial forces. Playing a character that utilises the dark side of the force will be extremely exciting and has never been approached before. The idea of the ‘Force Unleashed' is literally allowing gamers to play a character who can harness the dark side of the force and unleash hell upon the defeated and downtrodden Jedi Knights. It doesn't get much better than this! Here is a snap shot of some of the features expected in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed:

•  New vehicles such as Rogue Shadow - your Personal Starship •  Four Force Powers:  Grip, Lightning, Push, Repulse •  A strong supporting cast of characters including: • An Imperial Pilot named ‘Juno' • Your personal loyal droid •  Shaak-Ti •  Force Acolytes •  Felucians

The game will also feature an expansion on previous worlds in the Star Wars galaxy and the introduction of new worlds to explore

•  Kashyyk(The Wookie Homeworld) •  Haroon (Crystal Moon – new world) •  Raxus Prime (Junk Planet featured in the Clone Wars) •  The Tie Fighter Construction Facility

Players will be able to improve their Force powers and unlock new ones as they progress through the game. There will be a significant emphasis on combat and the use of combinations utilising both light sabers and Force powers.

Allowing gamers to unleash their will on opponents will bring the essence of the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed game to life. Giving players the ability and freedom to manipulate not only opponents or enemies in the game but their environment and surroundings will enable them to experience the true nature of the dark side of the Force.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is set for a November 2007 release in New Zealand and we'll be sure to keep everyone up to date on any developments. In the meantime, be sure to check out the official website for the game here: www.lucasarts.com/games/theforceunleashed/