Star Wars The Force Unleashed – Quick Look
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iPhone Gaming is moving forward at warp speed. (Okay, sorry for mixing sci-fi.) When the App Store was first introduced there were immediately some nice games, including Cro-Mag Rally and Moto-Racer. In the months since things have taken a giant leap forward with games such as Spore and Asphalt4. In both cases the graphics are stunning and the game play as sophisticated as you will find on any handheld gaming device. They really show the potential of the iPhone and iPod Touch as a gaming platform.
As a result, I was interested to see the release of the new Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Game last night. I downloaded it and played for a bit and while I am not quite ready to actually review it I have used it long enough to make a few initial observations.
I find it to be a good game but, so far, not a great game. The graphics are good. They are complex and varied and set a nice tone for the game. They are not, however, as crisp as others we have seen, such as Asphalt4. The sound is well done. The “game play” is nothing short of brilliant. The iPhone’s minimalist use of buttons is a potentially huge issue for games. Star Wars the Force Unleashes gets around the limitation through a series of finger movements the game tells you to “draw” on the screen. Each movement corresponds to a different command and prompts a different movement within the game. (Think Palm Graffiti on steroids.) For example, drawing a “u” with an almost closed top recharges your character’s energy and what would have been an “x” in Graffiti is a specific attack move. It not only works but it works rather well.
On the whole, though while I am liking the game I am not LOVING the game. I need to play a bit more to fully explain why but for now, I’ve posted a bunch of screen caps after the jump…
