As expected. LucasArts is potentially one of the worst publishers/developers around now, which is deeply saddening after the masterpieces of the Jedi Knight games, SWRC and KotOR.
This TFU stuff is sub-par. Looks like this one is really bad:
http://kotaku.com/5672245/review-star-wars-the-force-unleashed-ii)
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/26/star-wars-the-force-unleashed-2-review/)
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/113/1130400p1.html)
Most reviews echo the same thoughts in those...and I agree. TFU was a horrid game, and I expected this to blow. The demo was absolutely unimpressive.
And LucasArts continually blowing off PC gamers does not earn them any points.
- PR-0927
Yeah,i have to agree,ive read some other reviews and thay have been just bad,the video review over at gametrailers was shocking! Im still playing the pc version and its very repeitative,and lucasarts calls this game their "Empire strikes back" of the force unleashed. I can also say its too console for my tastes but thats lucasarts focus now, the consoles.
This really is a sad state of affairs. This is the first time I haven't pre-ordered anything with Star Wars slapped on it. It's hasn't sparked any enthusiasm in me at all.
People have constantly told LucasArts what they want - more Kotor, Jedi Knight and Commando titles. Perhaps with a new President and the loss of the team responsible for this apparent abomination, we may get that, although I'm not hopeful.
If The Force Unleashed is the best LucasArts has to offer beyond MMOs, then I'm done with them.
LA can do better than that!
...let us test the games and send feedback, then you'll know what we're really looking for. I'm still getting TFU2 'cause I got an Amazon gift card to spend :)
Off the top of my head, it seems like every good or decent SW title that was released post 2000 have one thing in common: they weren't developed by LucasArts. Jedi Knight 2 was made by Raven, KotOR by BioWare, the Battlefront series by Pandemic, Rogue Squadron by Factor 5, Empire at War by Petroglyph and the LEGO games by Traveller's Tales.
As far as I'm concerned, I think a game's quality is inversely proportional to LA's involvement. They should just stop trying and focus on licensing SW to companies who can actually develop games.
I have to wonder if a lot of this isn't due to people's expectations being high, like they were when the first game came out. For me, I never expected a spectacular story, just really fun gameplay, which I feel I got. For that reason, I was never disappointed by The Force Unleashed, and I have a feeling the sequel will be the same.
Granted, LucasArts did hype up the projects quite a bit, especially the first one, which was marketed as the "next major chapter in the Star Wars saga." But hey, that's what rakes in the money. After a while, you just need to learn how the game is played and roll with the punches.
After playing the demo, I'm not surprised at the poor reviews. It seems most of the effort when to visuals and not improving the depth of gameplay. And it sounds like the story deserves to be stricken from canon.
The Force Unleashed made a lot of money. Lucasarts sold over 1.5 million units in the first five days of its release. So it's no surprise they churned out another comparable sequel title in a relatively short span of time.
Source:
http://www.1up.com/news/star-wars-force-unleashed-breaks)
Well, this stinks...but unfortunately, bad reviews weren't entirely represented....TFU 1 was good, even if the story needed work, it still went well. But with the relative quick make of TFU2 and the predictability of the plot....oy, I wish they took more time.
Still, I'll probably end up purchasing it anyways just to check it out and satisfy my craving for smashing stormtroopers into things...
Wow, I just realized the game came out today! Of course my PC is nowhere near able to play this game yet, so by the time I would check it out, it'll be in the bargain bin. Pity though, but my expectations were pretty low considering the first game (and it's lack of multiplayer and dumbed down lightsaber combat, according to all reports).
I'm glad we've got a PC version (finally releasing the first game on the PC was a nice step towards trying to win back some PC fans, but they've got a ways to go with us), but still, it sounds like it's not all it could have been. Sounds like the best part of the game is playing around with the "Force" physics in it.
Holy crap, Kurgan, I haven't seen you around in a while. I remember playing JA on your server. Good times!
But yeah, it's just a let down. TONS of bugs. Really over-simplified combat, nothing more than button-mashing.
The worst part isn't that the game sucks - it's that the graphics engine and physics engine downright rock, and are sadly paired with such a horrible game. The potential! There could be some seriously amazing and innovative video games, but LucasArts is no longer capable of doing such a thing. Gah! Opportunities!
- PR-0927
But yeah, it's just a let down. TONS of bugs. Really over-simplified combat, nothing more than button-mashing.
Further to what I mentioned earlier, it wouldn't surprise me if this was the real reason why Blackman left and LA let the development team go - We all know LucasArts has had more than its share of shocking games, but perhaps this was one game too far for a team that had worked on most of them.
The worst part isn't that the game sucks - it's that the graphics engine and physics engine downright rock, and are sadly paired with such a horrible game. The potential! There could be some seriously amazing and innovative video games, but LucasArts is no longer capable of doing such a thing. Gah! Opportunities!
- PR-0927
Star Wars has never lacked excellent visual direction with its games - It's just very sad that the developers seem to spent more time working out what would look cool as opposed to ensuring a stable and enjoyable release.
I've no doubt that this will still sell by the truck load, however much I'd like this to fail hard to shake LA out of their complacency.
Although I harbor feelings of incompetence towards nearly all video game "journalist" firms, it's still rather unsurprising that TFU2 is yet another waste of time-money. LucasArts used to be a decent publisher and developer, but both aspects are seemingly incompetent, apathetic, and careless. I'd really love LA to sack their entire team and outsource all projects to respectable third-party developers (with not many strings attached), but that seems improbable given LucasArts' stubbornness.
Maybe - just maybe - TFU2 will make them realize that they need to start making games that the fans want rather than all of this frills-'n-gimmick-laden marketing ploys like TFU, Clone Wars, and TOR. Maybe we'll get a new X-Wing/TIE Fighter, or JK4. Or not.
I don't understand how we can keep going backwards like this.
Jedi Outcast (and JA) had great lightsaber combat complete with different styles, combos and the ability to control the path of your saber. It had effective force powers that were fun without being so over the top you were unstoppable. TFU has one saber swing button that you just mash. I'd even argue that the RotS game has a better lightsaber implementation that TFU does.
Where is this supposed need to oversimplify things coming from?
Can you imagine just remaking JK or JO with TFU visuals?
Well, I thought I would be the last one to ever say TFU II is horrible, 'cuz I loved TFU 1 and the demo for TFU II. In fact, I had such high expectations for TFU II that I pre-ordered it--the collector's edition, no less--making it the first game I have ever pre-ordered.
This game is terrible.
I never understood why everyone hated the plot for TFU I. I found it enjoyable, and no worse than many other Star Wars stories. The plot for TFU II...umm...well, let's put it this way. When I was about, oh, twelve and started writing, I quickly learned that characters needed reasons for pretty much everything they did. It seems that the person who wrote TFU II managed to miss learning that very simple principle. I can think of five stupid plot points in the game after about one second.
Also, this game ruined Starkiller. I loved Galen in the first game, but in this one, I ended up throwing him off cliffs repeatedly by the end of the game just to watch him fall.
Hrm. I may just make an entire thread about the deficiencies of the game.
Here's to hoping that a) they make TFU III so Lucasarts can almost make up for this terrible excuse of a game and b) that they actually make TFU III good...which will be difficult 'cuz it has to finish the mess left of the story at the end of TFU II.
Oh dear God no. We don't need a TFU III. That would be an absolute retrenchment from...everything they've accomplished in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
What we need is a new JK game or a new SWRC game. SWBF III could be good, but seeing as how SWBF II was a step-down in quality from SWBF (and was much more console-ized/arcade-ized), I would expect SWBF III to suck too.
LucasArts needs to either return to their former glory, or just cease to exist. I'm not expecting the former.
- PR-0927
Jedi Outcast (and JA) had great lightsaber combat complete with different styles, combos and the ability to control the path of your saber. It had effective force powers that were fun without being so over the top you were unstoppable. TFU has one saber swing button that you just mash.
JO and JA are not hack and slash games.
It is unfortunately to see such reviews, but alas I had little interest in TFU 2. Lucasarts is in trouble, I do plan to play TFU 2 someday. When it is in the bargain bins. I thought TFU 1 was decent but way to short to support a full price purchase. It seems TFU 2 is shorter. I don't understand why Lucasarts didn't put more effort into the game.
wow....im soooo confused now, i was all hyped up about buying the collectors edition this weekend. but now im not so sure, is there any point in getting it anymore. Judging from what you guys have said...yeehhh no.... :( so dissapointed
hmph... I hope all you guys who still believe hayden did a great a great job on both titles finally reached realization... For god's sake, there was no creativity involved.
For instance, the final blow to the gorog where starkiller charges himself like a bullet... anyone over here who played "x-men origins wolverine" will notice the final blow was copied from the scene where wolverine kills the sentinel in the same manner, except it was a head shot... here its a stomach shot... Seriously though, i've never seen this much denial, if it sucks, just accept it, its not like you're violating the sacred code...
secondly, cutscenes were beautiful, but pathetic acting... Kota and juno's. You fell in love with someone, kissed them once, person died, you see that person 7 months later and the best you can do is smile... I mean what about expressions like shock, disbelief??? Thank god meegan kicked the whole dev team out.. Julio Torres should be sacked as well.. He scripted the terrible ending for that hoth DLC in TFU 1.. Maybe TFU 3 might actually become what it was intended to be then... Oh ya, did any of you notice, the stormtrooper's don't catch stuff anymore while you move them about in grip mode.. Infact i don't think there's euphoria at all in this game...
I swear LA's down. Whatever the income from this TFU2 when it hits shelves (if stores will have them), it's going to hurt.
I did watch a few of the pre-release interviews with members of the TFU2 project on YouTube. One thing stood out as I watched them talk...
None of them really tried their hardest to improve things. They just re-hashed the familiar, improved the graphics, added a few new twists, and...
Somehow expect this game to be an instant best-seller for months?
I've concluded LA's out of touch with their target customers. I propose outsourcing all the SW projects to companies that will make a serious effort to make them fun and mesmerizing. KOTOR1 and 2 were great, and I still enjoy SWBF2 once in a while.
LA, show us your decision: meet our demands or go out of business.
[/QUOTE] I did watch a few of the pre-release interviews with members of the TFU2 project on YouTube. One thing stood out as I watched them talk...[/QUOTE]
Hayden blackman's nose was getting bigger and bigger... All jokes aside you could actually notice how less enthusiastic he was about TFU 2... Could've been due to tensions at Lucasarts. If you didn't notice, i suggest you check out the youtube footage of the first game(interviews, webdocs anything). You'll actually see him blurting out stuff and grinning like a douche there...
Secondly i 'd love to thrash the crap out of that other dev who did the demo at gamescom 2010(germany) He kept saying brand new force powers... WTF you put mindtrick and some ****ty force sense that shows you your next goal and you call that "Brand new force powers???" Also i once posted earlier about how some guy from LA tweeted that he had fun "CHOKING" stormtroopers as guybrush.. DId any of you get force choke??? THese guys resort to misinterpretation to sell their products..
It really amazes me how LucasArts goes to such extremes to seemingly intentionally piss off their fans. At this point, it seems unbelievable that they would be so clueless as to give us **** like this, thinking we want it, when we've been yelling at them for years to make a new Jedi Knight, Republic Commando, or single-player Knights of the Old Republic. We haven't had a great Star Wars game since 05-06. Here we are coming up on the end of 2010, and this is the best they can give us?
The first game was mildly enjoyable for one playthrough, but it's been sitting on my shelf completely untouched for well over a year and a half now (I've played Dark Forces 2 more recently than that game). I figured I'd give this one a rental or maybe get a used copy for $20 6-12 months down the road, but after the bland demo and the depressing reviews, I'm not going anywhere near this game.
JO and JA are not hack and slash games.
This. They were so much more... they ARE so much more. Many people still play them.
And I agree with PR-0927. I think TFU outstayed it's welcome.
Again, I wonder if a lot of this isn't due to people's expectations being unreasonable, if only slightly. I mean, considering the premise of the story, did anyone seriously not think it wouldn't be cheesy? And given that, isn't it possible to simply enjoy the game for being fun to play, not because it's got a great story? That's the mentality I had when going into it anyway.
Granted, I've only had time to play the first level, so we'll see. You all could well be correct. But, having read both the novel and the graphic novel, I already know how the story will progress and how both endings - dark and light - unfold, so I know what's coming. That said, I still say we do indeed need a TFU3 considering how the light side (canonical) ending goes.
Darth Vader has been captured by the Rebel Alliance! You have to resolve that. If not, I guess the story could be wrapped up in another novel or comic, but it just wouldn't be the same. I don't want another Knights of the Old Republic dilemma.
To mirror other views that LA aren't listening to there "fan base", you know "some people loved SWG until the CU/NGE, and some people Loved KotOR, so what we've done is mixed them together, and decided that the aforementioned titles will live on as this hybrid, the end"... Thats not the answer, some people like Marmite on there bread some people like Jam, doesn't mean I wont Vomit if you gave me a Marmite & jam sandwich.
Same with this, "We'd love another JK LA!" "Yea, well we wanna take Star Wars in a new direction and make the year preceding ANH seem like the future, plus were gonna make some overpowered Gary Stu and make him a God among Jedi, and the game will have very little substance"... "he he, dont all ask for my autograph at once"... k...
Not saying that I'm not looking forward to tOR and TFU II, its just I'd prefer JK and KotOR.
Darth Vader has been captured by the Rebel Alliance! You have to resolve that. If not, I guess the story could be wrapped up in another novel or comic, but it just wouldn't be the same. I don't want another Knights of the Old Republic dilemma.
WTF?
I would say 'I hope whoever came up with that cluster**** of an ending gets fired', but we already know that's happened.
JO and JA are not hack and slash games.I know that. My point is that once upon a time game play was moving forwards and expanding on what came previously. JO was stronger gameplay-wise than JK. K2 had more options than K1. X-Wing Alliance provided a broader scope than X-Wing.
TFU series is a step backwards in scope from what came before. It really feels largely like a tech demo. I mean in JO you had to learn how to use moves and the styles effectively. In X-Wing you had to manage your shields, engines, and weapon power. KOTOR you could jump into battle or work from the shadows. Players learned to be effective in different ways. With TFUII it has been watered down to saber for this enemy, force lightning for this enemy... Or worse "Press Y now!"
Personally, if they are going to make me press a button to watching a cutscene, I'd rather press the play button and watch the cinematic trailers.
Again, I wonder if a lot of this isn't due to people's expectations being unreasonable, if only slightly. I mean, considering the premise of the story, did anyone seriously not think it wouldn't be cheesy? And given that, isn't it possible to simply enjoy the game for being fun to play, not because it's got a great story? That's the mentality I had when going into it anyway.
Absolutely not unreasonable expectations. If a company hypes a game this much, it better be epic.
And no, it's not possible to enjoy this game, because the story isn't the only thing that blows. It's just disgustingly bad in gameplay. It's BORING as hell.
- PR-0927
Graphics and gameplay were amazing. The details of the landscape were some of the best I have seen.
I think every dev that is not doing a MP should at least have a 10 hr story. I could care less about challenges. Surely they could have added a couple of hrs to the story and dropped the challenges. Save the challenges for DLC. $80 for a 5-6hr story and a thumbdrive is a rip off. Steel case rocks though
I wish Lucas arts and the big dog Lucas would stop making everything into a love story. Its just so cheesy from this story to the dreaded last movie where they made Vader to be a sissy. There is a war going on and all Starkiller can think about is getting his pecker wet. I thought Jedi had mind control. I guess Starkiller didn't.
Graphics and gameplay were amazing. The details of the landscape were some of the best I have seen.
I think every dev that is not doing a MP should at least have a 10 hr story. I could care less about challenges. Surely they could have added a couple of hrs to the story and dropped the challenges. Save the challenges for DLC. $80 for a 5-6hr story and a thumbdrive is a rip off. Steel case rocks though
I wish Lucas arts and the big dog Lucas would stop making everything into a love story. Its just so cheesy from this story to the dreaded last movie where they made Vader to be a sissy. There is a war going on and all Starkiller can think about is getting his pecker wet. I thought Jedi had mind control. I guess Starkiller didn't.
LOL troll. Or noob. First post, and it's of all things, in favor of a pile of dog ****.
- PR-0927
Not trying to get in another argument with PR-0927, hopefully I resolved that in the other thread, but I just wanna say that I enjoyed the story to TFU1 and also enjoyed the story for TFU2. Sure, they're over-the-top and perhaps a little too much considering it does take place a year before ANH, I really did enjoy both stories, and I think they should really reconsider and make a TFUIII so that they can try and somewhat make up for what it lacked(to those who complained)and really close up the story.
Yes, yes, I know what you all are thinking. "Screw that the game sucks/the story sucks/haden blackman sucks/julio torres sucks." But think of it, maybe, just maybe, after they get TFUIII done and out of the way, the people who enjoy those games will have their wish, and then maybe when they're not worrying about TFU anymore(and by that time TOR will be out probably), they can think about coming back to the oldies but goodies.
Once TFU is complete, like I said hopefully after they make a TFUIII, they can't just rely on Clone Wars games for the rest of their days, they would have no choice but to choose a series to bring back to life.
EDIT: Just a question, kind of off-topic, but can we all agree that the soundtrack for TFU2 was pretty good?
Music was good, yeah. TFU III likely won't happen, with the news I read. Hopefully it won't.
Over-the-top stories are much more sane than TFU II's. I want good stories! None of this DragonBallZ-esque Force powers meets a storyline hemorrhage of Twilight meets Howard the Duck.
- PR-0927
I want TFUIII so that the story can be properly closed because the cliffhanger TFUII left is bigger than KotOR2's by a lot. Sure, K2 left behind a cliffhanger that left us waiting for a K3 but it wasn't done so deliberately like TFUII's was.
It's just like "Okay, TFUII, Vader gets captured, Starkiller and Juno are still alive...GAPPPPPP...then ANH, Vader's choking Captain Antilles(right?) asking where the rebel base is or whatever, so Vader's fine, and Starkiller and Juno must be dead...but how?"
That gap should be filled and filled well, that is, if Juilo Torres or Haden Blackman don't wanna tied to their beds and beaten with soap-filled socks like Full Metal Jacket.
I'll be waiting to for TFU II to fall to below $20 before I think about picking it up. Just like I'm now thinking about getting around to picking up TFU I. The last two Star Wars games I enjoyed was JO and JA. The Star Wars universe has gone downhill the last 5 years. I also don't care about the Clone Wars animated crap.
IThat gap should be filled and filled well, that is, if Juilo Torres or Haden Blackman don't wanna tied to their beds and beaten with soap-filled socks like Full Metal Jacket.
I genuinely don't think that anyone will care enough about such a ****ty story and game series to harass these folks.
- PR-0927
TFUII caused me to register an account.
I thought I should add my two cents, in case LA keeps tabs on community feedback (I'm posting this on the official forums too).
I want to make a clarification - as far as I'm concerned, TFUII is not a HORRIBLE piece of content to play. In fact, having spent $80 on it (collector's), I've tried to make the best of it, because of the money I spent.
There have been some interesting set pieces (although few and far between, which makes me cry a little inside considering how short the game is).
The fight vs. the Gorog & Freefalling were the highlights.
But that's pretty much it - I guess dual wielding is satisfying, although it is cosmetic only.
However, notice I said content earlier - it would've made a great expansion or budget release to complement the first game.
I don't care what the story is, LA. I don't care if you fired your entire team.
You hype a game like this, you expect your fan base to purchase your products, then you HIRE A NEW COMPETENT STAFF to finish it.
Thing is, somewhere, LA's quality inspectors said this was okay to shove on us. Somewhere, someone said gave the greenlight to market this as a full fledged game (complete with collector's edition).
I looked past a lot of flaws for TFUI - because it had inspiration (at least I thought so).
TFUII seems more like a quick money grab.
& For that, LA - I'm never buying one of your games new, if at all. Even if they're fantastic. I've tried to make the best of my $80 - but it leaves a very bitter taste in my mouth.
Especially considering I've been burned before - I thought Kotor II was shovelware too - I've never purchased another Obsidian product since.
My opinion? Shutter LucasArts. It's dead.
In fact, having spent $80 on it (collector's), I've tried to make the best of it, because of the money I spent.
I used to do that with other games in the past. If I bought a game and it is not what I expected, I would learn to like the game just to make me feel better about the money I've spent on it. In the end, it works.
I tried so hard to think this was a really good game. The documentaries, I have watched several. The trailers, I gawked at. I spent 80 freaking dollars on the Collector's Edition, and waited several months for it to come out in pre order! And what came of it? A game I beat in less than six hours, a customized flash drive of an cartoon Starkiller's body that won't even work on my Xbox! Maulkiller looked cool but then I realized that it was just Starkiller painted black and white with some horns strapped to his head. The story told me nothing, it was simply fan service, Deak Starkiller was interesting but even that served no purpose beyond those videos, of which there should've been more of. And now everytime I walk past it and look at it, regret wells up inside of me. This is truly not a worthy game to buy, especially not for 80 bucks! If I had known better, and my Lucasarts fanboy attitude hadn't beaten my sense of reason and logic, I would've known that it's more of a 'rent and take back in one day' type game. Those are 80 dollars that I cannot get back.
That is all I have to say on the matter. Just needed to get that out there.
Get KOTOR II on PC, then go to KOTOR mods.com. I swear to god, if you get all the free downloads of the stuff they cut from KOTOR II, I swear to god you will realize KOTOR II, if finished, is indeed a superior game to the first. Why they didn't just leave this crap in to begin with is questionable. But I did love KOTOR II.
As for TFU II though, they hyped it up to be this awesome game and it wasn't! Nothing was cut from it! Nothing good anyway, and it just made me angry that I wasted almost 100 dollars for a game that wasn't worth it.
Finally got the game, and my quick summary review (haven't even finished the game)
The game now is a decent pc conversion, TFU 1 was shamefull in this department.
The graphics seem a bit better and more polished.
DMM still is overkill and just for show. You can bend the door shatter glass and so what? doesn't change anything in the way the game plays.
Euphoria is bit better with the AI doing some dodging stuff thrown at them in a cool way, but they still throw themselves without necessity sometimes and really aren't a threat to kill you, i've barely looked at my health bar after 2 levels (on normal difficulty)
Lightsaber strikes "flow", string together, a lot better now, it seems they took into consideration the fact that you are fighting enemys with a considerable advantage in numbers and now you can, hit one, then hit the one to the left, then move on to another etc... a lot more naturally, which is the biggest gameplay improvement i see.
Haven't seem the whole story, but it doesn't give me a lot to care about so far, the protagonist himself doesn't care...
Other than that it's more of the same, same rinse and repeat gameplay, clear the room go to next one...
DMM still is overkill and just for show. You can bend the door shatter glass and so what? doesn't change anything in the way the game plays.
It gives realism. It's the same as a game with great graphics, it doesn't affect the gameplay, and it's just for show. I don't see where's the problem with the game having DMM.
Yeah, is there any downloadable stuff for it?
It gives realism. It's the same as a game with great graphics, it doesn't affect the gameplay, and it's just for show. I don't see where's the problem with the game having DMM.
The thing is, they put doors specially designed for that, to show, "look that's DMM!!!", everywhere else... it doesn't exist, totally useless technology IMO.
And the ironic part is, the doors could've been much more easily done using ordinary animation and would've looked just as good. It's a neat gimmick, but it doesn't affect the actual gameplay in any way.
And the ironic part is, the doors could've been much more easily done using ordinary animation and would've looked just as good. It's a neat gimmick, but it doesn't affect the actual gameplay in any way.
My point exactly, the game would be exactly the same without it.
Then again, this isn't the first game to go out of it's way to show it's new tech.
The thing is, they put doors specially designed for that, to show, "look that's DMM!!!", everywhere else... it doesn't exist, totally useless technology IMO.
They can't use DMM everywhere. I can't talk about TFUII, but in TFU it was an interesting feature, and there were many objects that were affected by DMM. I don't recall one door that wasn't affected by DMM. Don't know why they changed this in the second one...
And then again, the DMM is not suppose to affect the gameplay. It's videogame eye-candy, just like good graphics. What's the surprise?
There were plenty of non-DMM doors even in TFU1. And in that game it actually did affect gameplay - remember the wooden sniper nests on Kashyyyk? Or the carbonite hoses that you could rip out and spray imperials with?
remember the wooden sniper nests on Kashyyyk?
Those had DMM.