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Video: new Star Wars: Force Unleashed details
Star Wars games are a difficult breed. The franchise has spawned shooters, side-scrolling action games, arcade games, RPGs, and even chess. The games range from good (KOTOR, Super Star Wars) to decent (Battlefront) to mediocre or just plain awful (Revenge of the Sith). One thing that's pretty clear though, there hasn't really been a good Star Wars action game since the Super NES days (unless you count LEGO Star Wars). LucasArts looks to change all that with Star Wars: Force Unleashed. A new video showcasing the game's characters and the technology used to create them has just been released, and it gives a behind-the-scenes look at the game that bridges the gap between Episode III and Episode IV. If LucasArts has put as much work into the gameplay as they have into the characters and storyline, we may be in luck. A word of warning though, Force Unleashed does feature a plucky comic sidekick. Other than the grim possibilities that might present, things are looking up.
Finally, the Star Wars lightsaber game for the Wii
Ever since the Wii came out, people have been wondering when there would be a Star Wars game for the system that lets you wield your Wii-mote like a lightsaber. Well, the wait is nearly over you malevolent gamers. LucasArts announced recently that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will bring the dichotomy of lightsaber-wielding, arm-lopping, head-chopping violence to the cuddly and playful Wii.It's not known yet how the Wii-mote will integrate into the game, which takes place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, but let's hope it's some actual gameplay and not a "shake your lightsaber up and down really fast!" minigame that's been tacked on. Apparently you'll be able to go head-to-head on the Wii, but that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be with lightsabers. Although if it does ... whoa mama. Let the flailing being.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed coming to the Wii
If it's one thing that everyone has been dying for since the unveiling of the Wiimote, it's a genuine Star Wars experience. You know, with the Wiimote acting as a lightsaber, allowing us all to be the Star Wars Kid in the privacy of our own living rooms. Well, maybe Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is just what the doctor ordered.Releasing in spring, the game will allow players to wield the Wiimote as a lightsaber and use the nunchuk to activate Force powers. The Wii version will be developed by Krome Studios and feature a Wii-exclusive duel mode, where friends can go head-to-head.[Via Codename Revolution]
Star Wars Battlefront uses comic-style cinemas
The Star Wars Battlefront blog was recently updated with a video, revealing something your PSP Fanboy writers have known for some time: the cinema sequences in the game are drawn in comic form, akin to the style used in the Metal Gear Solid digital comics. "We knew that our storytelling method would have to be pretty simple, as we didn't have the time or budget for any sort of full-on FMV," Mike Rosser admits.The cinemas look sharp on the small screen, and with voice acting, they certainly feel adequately cinematic. We've been playing the game for the past few weeks, and although we can't reveal too much, we advise you to stay tuned for our impressions.
Luke Skywalker's lightsaber heading into space
According to recent news out of NASA, the next time the Discovery crew take their ship into orbit, the "force" will be with them -- because they're taking Luke Skywalker's lightsaber along for the ride. That's right, for the film's 30th anniversary, the original lightsaber prop from the first Star Wars film is taking a ride into actual space... but that's not all. Apparently, Chewbacca will be on hand to pass the saber to officials from the Houston Space Center, and then together with Jango and Boba Fett, he will help push a plane back on the tarmac (for reasons unknown to us). But wait, there's more. When the Discovery lands in Houston returns after its space travels, the crew will be greeted by a group of Stormtroopers and other "Star Wars notables," including the much-loved R2-D2, who will then deliver the lightsaber to a waiting line of Hummers. Afterwards, there will be a party at the Mos Eisley Cantina, where Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes will play a set of their greatest hits.[Via Slashdot]
Video updates on Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron
The Star Wars Battlefront blog on IGN has been updated nearly daily, with more and more videos slowly being released. The game keeps on looking better with each iteration, and we're particularly impressed of this video of Asajj Ventress. Why? The glow of the lightsabers is strangely alluring, with its vividly pulsating aura. Stay tuned for even more on Renegade Squadron. Until then, see more videos after the break.
IG-88 on display in Star Wars Battlefront
Mike Rosser has once again updated the Star Wars Battlefront blog with new footage of his "new favorite hero character." Robot bounty hunter (the best kind of bounty hunter) IG-88 is loaded with some awesome weaponry, which is on display in this latest vid. "In BF:RS, we've kitted him out with dual blaster rifles, a flamethrower and cluster grenades. And he's pretty deadly, as he should be! I'm also pleased that we managed to work IG-88 into the storyline, so expect some face-offs!"
Basically, Star Wars has a better framerate
The basics of the upcoming PSP-exclusive Battlefront are explained in this new IGN video. We're impressed by some of the gameplay choices, such as the intelligently designed lock-on system. The longer you hold the lock-on button, the better your aim will be. While the gameplay looks to be shaping up nicely, we're glad to say that it appears the graphics are also getting better. The framerate has become far more stable -- it looks like the game is actually playable! There's still more time left for development, but we're glad to see the game make such significant strides over the past few weeks.[Thanks, Don!]
Carbonite Freeze Gun joins new weapons in Renegade Squadron
Han Solo better watch out! The upcoming Star Wars Battlefront game has a number of brand new weapons, one of them being the awesome new Carbonite Freeze Gun. The weapon will stop any character, no matter how fast, dead in its tracks. In addition, there's a new, mean rifle called the Orbital Strike. On the IGN blog for the game, Mike reveals that his favorite strategy for the game involves using the new weapons in tandem: "My personal favourite tactic is to freeze someone, then tag them with an Orbital Strike beacon -- the victim can see the strike building up, but is powerless to evade it. It's a bit tricky to pull off, so it's not the most efficient tactic, but it sure is satisfying! "There's a number of other weapons to check out. In fact, all of the weapons are showcased on his blog entry. (Spoiler alert?)
Renegade Squadron framerate improving, says game dev
The latest PSP rendition of Star Wars Battlefront, subtitled Renegade Squadron, recently came under fire for its framerate and lack of graphical optimization. However, lead designer Mark Rosser is convinced that they'll be able to silence the critics, in a rant posted on the game's official IGN blog.The framerate, he attributes, was shaky due to an older build of the game. It has since been optimized and now delivers a steady rate. As for the graphics, Rosser stuck a comparison shot of Battlefront II and Renegade Squadron side-by-side and the difference is obvious. The new title has a far more impressive draw distance and much smoother character models. However, the smoothing seems to have erased a lot of texture detail on the characters. It does look like an improvement, but we want to see the improvements in motion! Hopefully, the talented team at Rebellion will make good on their word.[Thanks, Don!]
Lego Star Wars: Complete Saga gameplay demo
A new gameplay trailer for Lego Star Wars: Complete Saga has emerged on the net. In said trailer, we're shown all of the wonderful waggle that is sure to cause many a wrist to ache once the game releases. Maybe it's just us, but using the Force to assemble blocks looks kind of annoying. Using the lightsaber looks fun, though.Check out the video past the post break.
Star Wars Battlefront may use 333MHz
If there's one upcoming game on PSP that needs every ounce of power the system can produce, it's Star Wars Battlefront. The upcoming online multiplayer game is ambitious, even by console standards. But, so far we've been underwhelmed by its lackluster graphics and sluggish framerate. The slow performance of the game could be a hindrance to actual gameplay, which is worrisome.In a E3 interview with Gamespot, it appears that a Lucasarts representative confirmed use of PSP's full 333MHz capabilities. (Watch video at the 7 minute mark.) "Well, we're teaming up with Sony, so absolutely it's going to take advantage of that."But ... did he appear not to fully understand what he was talking about? Watch for yourself, and you'll see his somewhat shaky response. We hope Star Wars Battlefront will take advantage of everything the PSP can do -- it certainly needs it.[Thanks, Don!]
Star Wars Battlefront to make playable debut at Comic Con
Sony made a big deal about Star Wars Battlefront at this year's E3. So much so, that they had a Chewbacca announce a special Star Wars-branded PSP Lite. We still have serious reservations about the game -- it still seems much too ambitious for our system to handle. Well, will we be proved wrong? (Hopefully!)Renegade Squadron will be playable at this year's Comic-Con in San Diego, from July 26th-29th. We're still recovering from post-E3 shock, and won't be able to make it to the event ... but maybe some of our readers can? If you're able to play the game for us, please send us a tip so that we can get your impressions.Now, check out some brand new screenshots of the game, fresh from E3:%Gallery-5012%
Reimagined Sixaxis pictured on Force Unleashed site [update]
An off-axis Sixaxis has been spotted on the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Yahoo Games page, adding a new set piece to the tired rumor that the PlayStation 3 controller is up for a redesign, which may or may not include rumble support. As pictured, a revision could possibly follow the offset analogue stick alignment currently used by Microsoft for Xbox 360 gamepads (and also by Nintendo for Gamecube). Of course, this crude Photoshop job is hardly confirmation of that design choice, as clearly the creator has simply swapped the d-pad and left stick (notice the indented d-pad outline behind the repositioned analogue control). Did the page-maker pull from a shoddy Google Images source or what?Update: Remember Charlie Tang's redesign from our January 2006 contest...?Update 2: Sony PR director Dave Karraker calls it a "bad artist rendering" that's in the process of being corrected. [Via GameDaily][Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Breakfast Topic: Is WoW science fiction?
Yesterday we talked about similarities between World of Warcraft and other fantasy franchises. Commenting on that post, Baluki noted that "Warcraft is also somewhat unique in mixing some sci-fi elements into its fantasy universe." But not everyone thinks that's a good thing: back around the time that Burning Crusade previews were coming out, the draenei and the naaru caused quite a bit of stir among lore fans who felt that "space pallies" and "interdimensional ships" like Tempest Keep were going too far.One poster to the forums linked to this screenshot and said, "When did this turn into a friggin space game... Draenei, Exodar... hell this battleground feels more like UT Facing Worlds map than an RPG..." Drysc replied: "I believe you may be creating your own idea of what Warcraft is and has been, while it's been anything but a traditional medieval fantasy setting. The lore and history is full of interstellar travel and themes one may consider 'sci-fi'. There are warp gates that link various worlds together, planets blowing up, space traveling demons who enslave entire planets, inter dimensional ships, time travel, etc. "You say '[this] feels more like UT Facing Worlds map than an RPG... ', when RPG simply stands for Roleplaying Game. Warcraft has and always will be beyond a singular tolkienesque world, and I think those who know and understand the lore and history are more apt to recognize and accept how the story is progressing as 'clearly Warcraft'."What do you think? Are the "sci-fi" elements minimal enough that WoW still doesn't count as "science fiction" or even "science fantasy?" Or do World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade launch the lore off the Tolkienenque fantasy homeworld and into the anomalous nebulae of Stargate, Alien, or even Transformers? Personally, I think WoW gets the balance right -- I'm happy to see some creative mixing of different themes that breaks the traditional fantasy molds. I'd like to see more sci-fi elements in future expansions too, though I doubt that's likely. WTB more WoW Lightsabers!
Video: Show your dark side in Force Unleashed
One of yesterday's more riveting trailers that showed the most potential has got to be the gem embedded above. The trailer is none other than Star Wars: Force Unleashed and man does the opening cinematic make our geeky side go a flutter. And from the looks of things, you'll not only be able to play as Darth Vader's apprentice, but you'll also get to use the force to wreak havoc. Give the trailer a watch and fantasize about the many ways you'll be able to unleash the force.
Joystiq impressions: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
[Update: added the video trailer]Ever want to be Darth Vader's secret apprentice and learn the intricacies of the Dark Side of the Force? If you can wait until an undetermined date sometime in 2008, then you'll get your wish. Lucasarts gave us a sneak peek at what this will be like in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.The story is set in between Episodes III (Revenge of the Sith) and IV (A New Hope), and your character is tasked with the dirty job of mopping up all of the remaining Jedi around the universe. Nothing rubs out those dirty Jedi stains like the Dark Side, now available in a convenient gel form.%Gallery-1662%
Joystiq impressions: LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Six episodes, one disc. LucasArts is combining its hit LEGO Star Wars games into one package, and to rope in fans of the series who already picked it up, they've added new content -- levels, characters, features and modes. The House that George Built showed off some of the new improvements of LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga this week at the E3 summit. We first saw the PlayStation 3 build of the game, with improved visuals and great lighting techniques. Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 will have drop-in online co-op, much like their current offline co-op mode. So now your South African BFF can be invited to join you halfway through the Battle of Hoth. Unique to the PS3 version are motion controls using the Sixaxis pad. We were shown one space battle scene over a Star Destroy where the controls were used to maneuver a TIE Defender. Given the graphical details, we actually forgot for a moment that this was a LEGO game.
LucasArts has Wii lightsabers, expect games this fall
LucasArts' Jim Ward at yesterday's Hollywood & Games Summit panel said they have internal prototypes of lightsaber games using the Wiimote and that "there'll be some stuff out this fall -- it's going to be a lot of fun." Now, before we blow our collective geek minds, the only thing we are aware of at this point is Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga. Although that's nice, it's not really the Wiimote game we're looking for. That doesn't mean something isn't going to be revealed in two weeks at E3, and boy are people being tight-lipped about what's going on, but the conservative side of us thinks that the Lego Star Wars product is what Ward was referring to -- we so hope we're wrong.Even if Ward was referring to the Lego game as the "stuff" for this fall, we're hoping to see some lighsaber Wiimote titles announced at Min-E3, or at least get a try at these "internal prototypes." If it works even slightly better than Red Steel we'll be more than happy. If it works really well, we'll keep a shot of insulin handy from the immaculately conceived sugar rush of joy that will occur. Two weeks till we have some lightsaber Wiimote answers.
An elegant announcement for a more civilized age
This is yet another confirmation of what every gamer has been waiting for since the first time we saw the Wii controller. At the Hollywood & Games Summit, panel moderator N'Gai Croal asked LucasArts president Jim Ward about the possibility of a Wii lightsaber game. Ward's response was very encouraging. "We're all over that, and internally we have already played a lightsaber game on the Wii. It's a lot of fun, and we'll get there." He went on to say that "some stuff" would be out this fall. Start practicing your blind Force-guided waggling now.[Via NeoGAF]
