Every four or five years, video games change. It's called the next-gen. For every new "technologial terror" that hardware developers come up with, games start to look better, sound better, give you more things to do, and (hopefully) play better. Here in 2006, the next-gen is upon us, with such games as Oblivion already out, and Gears of War very nearly upon us. We also have Metal Gear Solid 4 and [i}Resident Evil 5 to look forward to. However, just recently, another next-gen game entered the fray, and since this is a monthly feature dedicated to Star Wars gaming, you probably know which game I'm about to mention.
Now some have called this "game" (more on that later) Star Wars: Force Unleashed, but as of right now, it is still unnamed. All we really know is that it is supposed to be coming out next year, probably for 360 and PS3, and it will take place sometime between Episode III and Episode IV. This was the game that was rumored to star Darth Vader, but the game's developers have said that while he will be in the game, you will not play as him.
This artwork, of a very menacing Darth Vader, shows that he will have some sort of a role in this adventure
While you may not be able to play as Lord Vader, the short video that has found its way around the web shows two seemingly playable Jedi; a male, and a female. In the minute long video, we see the female Jedi fighting on a planet that looks a lot like the Episode II world of Kamino, where they made all the clones. She uses abilities like the Force Push to defeat a few Stormtroopers. We then see her surrounded by troopers. She gets out of this by stabbing her lightsaber into the ground, causing an explosion of energy that takes out the poor men in white armor. They never had a chance…
The video then moves on to the male Jedi, and is obviously CG during his scenes. However, hopefully this video is a CG target of what they hope the final product will look like. Anyway, while the female Jedi didn't give the troopers much of a chance, the male Jedi is much more ruthless. He uses the Force to levitate the troopers, then hits them with a bunch of Force Lightning. He then picks up another enemy, and Force smashes him into the ground…and against the side of what looks to be a destroyed airship. What happens next is sensational, and will be very satisfying if LucasArts can pull it off in-game. He takes what is left of the Stormtrooper, and a few pieces of the shattered ship, and uses them to take down an incoming TIE Fighter. Maybe I used the term, "Jedi" a little too soon…
Would a true Jedi really use Force Lightning? Maybe this guy is feeling a little Sithy..
While the moves these Jedi used in the video certainly looked cool, it will be interesting to see how LucasArts implements them into the game. For example, in the game based on Episode III, doing force moves made you look like you knew what you were doing. In the end, just hacking and slashing with your lightsaber was just as efficient, and a lot easier. Will LucasArts be able to make these attacks efficient, and easy to pull off in the middle of a fight?
For now, it's still way too early to think about that kind of stuff. LucasArts hasn't even said that this footage is from a game. Instead, they have said that this is a "model of what they hope future Star Wars games will become in the next-gen". Still, if done right, this could be an excellent way for the Star Wars gaming franchise to enter the next-gen. Let's hope whatever they decide to do does the franchise justice.
In other Star Wars gaming news, the demo for the PC version of Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy has been released. I got to play it, and I must say, it looks and plays even better than last year's original did, with all of the humor still attached. For more info, check out our preview here. You can find the demo for download right here. Also, be sure to check back next month for our review. And remember- The Force, whether in slick next-gen graphics, or in blocky Lego's…is still alive…