phungus's Full Review: Sean Williams and W. Haden Blackman - Star Wars: T...
If you read The Force Unleashed while keeping in mind that it is the novelization of a video game, then you will see it as such. Otherwise, you'll probably be a little disappointed at this action-packed romp that reads just like a basic video game story. Not only does it suffer from prequel-itis, but it is full of too many one-liners lifted from the Star Wars movies.
This book tells the story of a guy named Starkiller who was Darth Vader's own apprentice, and how Starkiller played a huge part in helping to start the Rebellion. When Vader sends him on a mission to kill one of the last known remaining Jedis, this sets off a series of events that begin the downfall of the Empire. Starkiller finds some good in himself, and with the help of some others he helps to get the Rebellion off the ground. A couple of familiar characters make appearances along the way, but most of the people in this are new.
I thought the Starkiller character was way too powerful in this book, just as he is in the video game. He can make an entire room full of things go flying through the air, plus he performs Force feats of strength that make Yoda look like a wimp. While that does make for a neat video game, it goes a little too far out of bounds for what the typical Force user, dark side or not, can do. Heroic characters are better when they are a little flawed, even if they are coming from the dark side of the Force.
This story reads just like a video game in that it is set up with a series of encounters that end with some kind of boss fight. You can practically see how the game would be played (I've only played a demo, so far) while reading this. I guess if you are having a hard time getting through the game, or just don't like it, you could read this book to at least understand how the story plays out. I understand that they are basically the same.
The video game of the same name had a lot of hype surround it before being released not too long ago. Since then, I've found a lot of gamers played it through and moved on. It's a throwaway game without much lasting appeal that employs a few neat gimmicks and a somewhat interesting storyline. This book is basically the same way in that it is over as quickly as it begins, and it leaves you feeling a bit unsatisfied. With large text and only a little over 300 pages, it barely even registers as a full length novel.
Ultimately, I think a lot of my problems with The Force Unleashed stem from the fact that I usually don't care for prequels. These books do fill in gaps in the Star Wars canon, but at the same time you already know where most of them are going to end. I think that takes too much of the fun out of it, especially when you are reading about characters that you know won't make it into future stories, otherwise you would have heard of them before.
Based on the latest blockbuster video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, created under the direction of George Lucas, this official tie-in novel is ...More at Buy.com
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2010 Shopping.com, Inc.