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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition Game Cover
71%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, optimization
73% User Score Based on 6,863 reviews
Critic Score 60%Based on 1 reviews

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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition Game Cover

About

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition is a single player hack and slash game with fantasy and science fiction themes. It was developed by LucasArts and was released on December 15, 2009. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

In "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed," Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" becomes playable in the time period between "Episode III" and "Episode IV." Unleash powerful Force abilities and combos on enemies while exploring familiar and new planets in the Star Wars galaxy. Fulfill Darth Vader's orders and defeat Jedi Masters to complete your mission.

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73%
Audience ScoreBased on 6,863 reviews
story1k positive mentions
stability303 negative mentions

  • Engaging story that expands the Star Wars lore, featuring Starkiller as a compelling protagonist.
  • Satisfying combat mechanics that allow players to unleash powerful Force abilities and perform dynamic lightsaber combos.
  • Nostalgic experience for fans, with memorable moments and iconic characters from the Star Wars universe.
  • Poorly optimized PC port with issues such as a 30 FPS cap, audio glitches, and frequent crashes.
  • Clunky controls and frustrating gameplay mechanics, including unresponsive targeting and stun-locking enemies.
  • Repetitive level design and some tedious boss fights that detract from the overall experience.
  • story
    2,566 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed" is generally praised for its engaging narrative that explores the origins of the Rebel Alliance and the character of Starkiller, Darth Vader's secret apprentice. While some players appreciate the emotional depth and connections between characters, others criticize the plot for being predictable and filled with clichés, as well as for its disjointed pacing and lack of character development. Despite these criticisms, many fans find the story compelling enough to warrant playing through the game, especially for those invested in the Star Wars universe.

    • “The story is surprisingly emotional and fits nicely into the Star Wars universe.”
    • “The story is engaging as ever, even if the concept is ridiculous; they knew they had fun with it.”
    • “The core story follows Starkiller’s journey from Sith assassin to unlikely hero, with strong performances and engaging cutscenes that add depth to the Star Wars universe.”
    • “The story is a mess; it jumps around and doesn't let its more interesting elements get developed. There are so many plot points and developments that come out of nowhere, especially the romance between Starkiller and Juno.”
    • “The story is about as predictable as it gets, filled with clichés and poor plot development. Additionally, as I played, there were multiple points where it felt like huge chunks of plot development were missing.”
    • “The whole narrative feels less like a coherent story and more like a checklist of 'important' moments the developers wanted to hit, without the necessary connective tissue to make you care about any of it.”
  • gameplay
    1,077 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its fun and engaging mechanics that allow for creative use of force powers and lightsaber combat. However, numerous criticisms highlight issues such as clunky controls, repetitive gameplay, frustrating boss fights, and technical problems, particularly in the PC port. While the game offers an exhilarating power fantasy, its execution often falls short of modern standards, leading to a frustrating experience for some players.

    • “The gameplay at its best can be exhilarating - throwing enemies through the air, using creative combos to decimate armies, flashy QTEs at the end of bosses, and manipulating the environment to use it as a weapon is just as fun now as it was when I was a kid.”
    • “The gameplay is fun and satisfying while the story is kind of forgettable.”
    • “The gameplay is enjoyable and the story is good enough.”
    • “It has very clunky gameplay, the vanilla version is stuck at 30 fps and 1080p, so you have to do a lot of modding to get it to modern standards on current PCs, numerous graphical glitches, weird pop-ins, sound design is in the dumps and the story kinda breaks the universe.”
    • “There are unskippable cutscenes that frequently interrupt gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay at its worst, however, is some of the most frustrating action combat I've ever played.”
  • graphics
    728 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed" are often described as dated but still visually appealing for a game released in 2008. While many players appreciate the game's artistic design and detail, they also note significant issues such as a lack of graphical options, a locked frame rate of 30 fps, and various graphical glitches that detract from the experience. Overall, the visuals are considered good for their time, but they do not hold up well against modern standards, leading to mixed feelings among players regarding the game's graphical fidelity.

    • “The graphics felt unbelievably real and crisp back in 2010.”
    • “The graphics are amazing for a game that came out in 2009.”
    • “The graphics are good for its time and the gameplay is better than most Jedi games.”
    • “The game is unacceptably clunky, the graphics are not very good and the camera is terrible.”
    • “The graphics are starting to show their age but still hold up, especially when compared to the earlier Jedi Knight games.”
    • “The graphics have aged poorly, and the game is locked at 30 fps with no options for customization.”
  • stability
    307 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of this game has been widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players noted that the PC port is particularly problematic, often requiring extensive modding to improve performance, which can lead to further instability. Overall, while some find enjoyment in the game, the overwhelming consensus is that its technical issues make it a frustrating experience.

    • “Still holds up now and even runs great on the Steam Deck.”
    • “Runs great on the Deck.”
    • “Runs great on my laptop.”
    • “The game is a buggy mess where barely anything makes sense!”
    • “Great story but this might be the worst PC port of all time, janky and annoying and filled with glitches and bugs that straight up make the game unplayable in certain levels.”
    • “This game is not very fun and it's more and more buggy as you progress (lack of sound in many levels!).”
  • music
    211 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is a mix of iconic Star Wars tracks by John Williams and original compositions, which generally enhances the experience and captures the franchise's essence. However, many players report significant audio issues, including music cutting out during gameplay, poor mixing that drowns out dialogue, and sound effects failing to play, which detracts from the overall immersion. While the soundtrack is praised for its emotional impact and fitting atmosphere, the technical problems associated with the audio have led to frustration among users.

    • “The music is largely a mix of classic Star Wars tracks from John Williams, but mixed in with it are original tracks designed for the game itself, all of which are flawlessly interwoven with the score in the background.”
    • “The music is every bit as grand, emotional, and thrilling as you'd hope; it's pure Star Wars spectacle, and easily one of the game's strengths.”
    • “The soundtrack is an amalgamation of musical scores from the original Star Wars saga and original compositions from Mark Griskey and Jesse Harlin.”
    • “The audio is poorly mixed; sometimes the music drowns out the dialogue.”
    • “Sometimes the music overtakes the entire mix and you can’t hear any characters, while other times sound effects will cut out.”
    • “Large sections of these levels simply don't have any music at all, which absolutely kills the pacing and emotional weight the game is supposed to be building toward.”
  • optimization
    129 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with many users reporting severe performance issues, including a locked 30fps, frequent stuttering, and crashes. The PC port is described as poorly optimized for keyboard and mouse controls, leading to a frustrating experience, while players recommend using a controller for better gameplay. Overall, the game's technical shortcomings overshadow its enjoyable elements, making it difficult to recommend for PC users without significant modding efforts.

    • “You can unlock 60fps via modding, but the game isn’t particularly stable performance-wise and it leads to glitches with the physics.”
    • “This game is so terribly optimized on PC that it is a pain in the ass to play.”
    • “My only complaint is that this port isn't very well optimized, and I highly recommend checking the game's community hub for mod options to patch the game.”
    • “The game is so poorly optimized and unstable it makes playing later levels a slog.”
    • “This game is not optimized at all to be played on a computer/PC, this game is filled with impossibly hard bosses and even harder segments.”
    • “It's a shame the game is locked to only 30fps; the optimization could be a lot better as well but still one of my favorite Star Wars games of all time.”
  • grinding
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and frustrating, with many players noting that combat encounters, particularly boss fights, often feel repetitive and drawn out. Poor level design, clunky mechanics, and unresponsive controls contribute to a sense of monotony, making the gameplay feel like a chore rather than an engaging experience. Overall, while some moments are enjoyable, the grinding elements detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Unfortunately, the level design and poor checkpoint placement make it feel more tedious than it should, and this, combined with the technical shortcomings, ultimately brings the game down.”
    • “The game is frustrating when it doesn't work, and tedious when it does. I'm happy with it playing through the first time, but probably never again.”
    • “The centerpiece of the game, what should make you feel like the ultimate badass force-user, bringing down the star destroyer on Raxus Prime, is the most tedious and frustrating event in the game, which is just a straight-up shame!”
  • replayability
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the multiple difficulty levels, unlockable costumes, and hidden collectibles that encourage revisiting the game. However, some reviewers note that the linear story and repetitive cutscenes diminish the overall replay value, making it less appealing for multiple playthroughs. Overall, while there are elements that enhance replayability, opinions vary widely, with some players finding it highly replayable and others feeling it lacks depth for repeated play.

    • “The game has 2 endings (light and dark) with lots of replayability in the form of secrets, outfits, and other unlockables that are hidden throughout the game for all of you collectors out there.”
    • “The game offers significant replay value, thanks to its multiple difficulty levels and the ability to unlock new abilities and costumes.”
    • “In terms of gameplay, however, the game is extremely entertaining, and thanks to the game's commendable difficulty curve, from apprentice to Sith Master (the last one has to be unlocked), the game sports an absolute ton of replayability, from alternative endings, to new lightsaber colors, to new unlockable costumes and entirely new characters, the game is one of those gems which has you coming back for more!”
    • “Right now I'd say the replay value isn't high once you've been through as the story stays the same and it's only getting more difficult to get through all the enemies.”
    • “The replay value is nil; the game does in fact have two different endings, but both of them are equally dissatisfying.”
    • “No replay value to speak of, but good enough to play once.”
  • humor
    56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is largely derived from its chaotic physics and over-the-top mechanics, leading to hilarious moments such as enemies flying off cliffs or being thrown into explosive barrels. Players appreciate the blend of intentional and unintentional comedy, with many finding joy in the absurdity of the gameplay, despite some frustrations with controls and AI. Overall, the game is characterized by a charmingly silly tone that enhances the experience, making it enjoyable for those who embrace its comedic elements.

    • “This game is fun as hell and hilarious with the physics.”
    • “The physics engine seems to have a wicked sense of humor, sending enemies flying off cliffs or getting impaled on conveniently placed spikes.”
    • “Hilarious things you can do to your foes, from dropping an Ugnaught into an active carbonite bath, to slowly pressing a Jawa against a laser fence, to throwing a stormtrooper through a window and into a stream of flaming railgun exhaust.”
  • atmosphere
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in "The Force Unleashed" is widely praised for its immersive and darker take on the Star Wars universe, enhanced by improved graphics, sound design, and level variety. Players appreciate the strong thematic elements and unique environments, although some criticize repetitive level design and occasional audio issues that detract from the experience. Overall, the game successfully captures the essence of Star Wars, making it a standout feature despite its gameplay flaws.

    • “The force unleashed is an original and atmospheric game that makes you truly feel the force while showing a darker, alternate vision of the Star Wars universe.”
    • “The atmosphere, the sounds, and the music put me right into it.”
    • “This is one of those games where it's the atmosphere that wins it for me.”
    • “The game failed to summon the Star Wars atmosphere, which I really love.”
    • “Not to mention the sound problems this game has; sometimes music for a level will outright disappear, creating this awkward atmosphere of you just beating people with your glowing stick while they shoot at you.”
    • “Level one is fairly bland, with the same grey 'inside a space station' look that appears in every piece of Star Wars media to exist, but from there you’re off to a toxic junkyard planet with bits of metal and debris clogging up the atmosphere.”
  • emotional
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding the story to be heartfelt and engaging, evoking strong feelings of connection and nostalgia, particularly through its music and character moments. However, many criticize the lack of emotional depth and rushed character relationships, leading to a disjointed narrative that fails to deliver on its dramatic potential. Overall, while some moments resonate deeply, the game's mechanics and technical issues detract from the emotional experience for many players.

    • “The story is surprisingly emotional and fits nicely into the Star Wars universe.”
    • “Truly an emotional story full of betrayal and heartbreak that really connects you with the characters.”
    • “Backed up by great art and music, you can easily feel what the characters feel and get emotionally involved in the story.”
    • “The story was boring, the voice acting was terrible, and the graphics felt dated even for its release time.”
    • “I didn't feel any emotional connection to the characters; they were flat and uninteresting.”
    • “The attempts at emotional moments fell flat and felt forced, leaving me disengaged.”
  • character development
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising the depth of Starkiller's journey and the engaging storytelling, while others criticize the lack of substantial growth and meaningful interactions, particularly in the newer version where character dialogue has been significantly reduced. While the character designs and aesthetics are often highlighted as strong points, many feel that the gameplay focuses too heavily on combat at the expense of deeper character exploration. Overall, the game offers an intriguing narrative but falls short in delivering a robust character development experience.

    • “The character development is noteworthy, and I found myself genuinely invested in Starkiller's journey.”
    • “The story is also a masterclass on character development, interpersonal dynamics, writing, and voice acting.”
    • “Great game for any Star Wars fans to experience with interesting character developments, important background stories that are linked to the movie series, and an overall fun game for non-Star Wars fans.”
    • “There’s almost no character development; most of the game is just fighting enemies, with just a few cutscenes setting the background for the tasks to be done.”
    • “A significant portion of all character development (however minor it was) has been cut too. For example, when you meet Kazdan Paratus in the earlier version, he made it clear why he was there, his declining mental state, and had much more to say, while in this version his dialogue was reduced to maybe three lines, making him little more than another faceless nothing to kill.”
    • “Unfortunately, it's really low on character development; you can tell everything you need to know about a character simply from looking at them.”
  • monetization
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many users labeling it a "lazy cash grab" that relies on nostalgia while incorporating intrusive microtransactions that can significantly impact gameplay. Players express frustration over the reliance on in-game purchases, which detracts from the overall experience, and some even suggest that the game feels like a poorly executed port designed primarily for profit. However, a few users appreciate the absence of microtransactions in certain aspects, highlighting a desire for more games to adopt a fairer monetization model.

    • “Microtransactions that do not interfere with gameplay.”
    • “Nice outfits and cosmetic customization that are unlocked, not purchased via microtransactions.”
    • “No microtransactions, thank you!”
    • “Loved this game as a kid, and would love an actual update of this game that can run without having to go into the game files yourself to fix what should have been fixed by the so-called 'developers.' It's a lazy cash grab that is meant to profit on nostalgia alone, and I fell for it.”
    • “Microtransactions that significantly affect the gameplay.”
    • “Maybe it's just a bad port, but I don't remember the original console release getting a lot of bad reviews, so I'm going to assume it's just a quick port for a cash grab.”
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10h Median play time
19h Average play time
8-15h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 25 analyzed playthroughs
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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition is a hack and slash game with fantasy and science fiction themes.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows, PlayStation 3 and others.

On average players spend around 19 hours playing Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition was released on December 15, 2009.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition was developed by LucasArts.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition is a single player game.

Similar games include Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Alice Madness Returns, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and others.