Video game review: 'Force Unleased' too short but still worth buying

"STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED," for the Nintendo Wii, by LucasArts, rated "T" for Teen, score: 7 (out of 10)

THE REVIEW

Game play: "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed," has been one of the most-anticipated games in some time, especially for die-hard "Star Wars" fans. However, it's a bit of a disappointment. Not because you get to wield the Wii-mote kind of like a lightsaber or use the force to obliterate your enemies, but because there isn't enough of it.

The story takes place between Episode III and Episode IV of the "Star Wars" movie franchise, with Darth Vader's secret apprentice undergoing training to become a dark lord of the Sith. It's an interesting, but too brief, storyline. Using the force is a lot of fun, but the game is over almost as quickly as it begins. The game's duel mode lets you battle your friends.

The game has a number of combos to unleash various force powers and you quickly figure out which ones are your favorites. As you move throughout the game, you unlock costumes, lightsaber hilts and crystals to change colors.

Graphics: The graphics are OK. A lot of effort went into creating the visually stunning game sets, but the animation and character rendering is sometimes a little choppy.

Audio: It just doesn't get any better than the "Star Wars" theme and the ever-classic sound of a lightsaber. Oh, and is that James Earl Jones' voice as Darth Vader?

WRAP UP

Parent's take: It's rated "T" for violence, and there's plenty of it. You lay waste to Cloud City and several other planets, destroying everything in sight.

Final word: Definitely worth buying, but don't expect to be playing it forever.

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