Was It Really That Bad: The Force Unleashed

Written by: Adam "ManKorn" Korenman, CC2K Video Games Editor

A Long Time Ago…

I think a lot of the hate pointed toward TFU comes from the sequel, which is frankly ludicrous. They doubled down on everything, including how many lightsabers Galen wields. 

Now, yes, the story was a pile of crap that didn’t make a lick of sense, but it was still heads and shoulders above the prequels. This was a tale of redemption, of an emissary of darkness rising into the light. It was not the best written, but it was impeccably acted by a talented group of Hollywood stars. Sam Witwer, in the lead role, captured the transformation of a young man into the hero he was meant to be. The Being Human star added much needed depth to the character, showing emotional growth and the pain of consequences. Galen could have been a one-note hero, but Witwer’s visceral performance fleshed out the anti-hero in a great way. 

The Force Unleashed 2 focused on a strange story about clones and capturing Darth Vader and fell apart dramatically in the third act. While it was a fun way to burn a few hours, it lacked all the punch and intrigue of the original game. The fight with Vader in TFU was intense and bone chilling, with each strike dodged a victory in and of itself. In the sequel, the big man went down like he was paid for the dive. 

So why am I pushing so hard to bring this series back if it turfed so hard on its last outing?