Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II for PlayStation 3 Reviews by Gamers

"The Force Unleashed II" improves over the original in several ways. The controls for combat are a bit tighter. The targeting, while still not perfect, is improved. Graphics, both in gameplay and cutscenes, are better rendered. Leveling up your force powers is easier, and one added power, the Jedi mind trick, is quite fun to use. Plus, you get TWO lightsabers instead of one, enabling you to mix and match weapons for added bonuses ( for example, you can have a blue blade to aid your Focus, giving you extra command over your Force powers, and a green one to aid in regenerating health, or a red one to incinerate your foes). The added weapons and powers make combat for the most part fun, though some may find it repetitive. What does get a little old are the finishing moves- you tend to see the same animations throughout the entire game. And yet with the improvements, I still rate the game the same as the first one. Why? Because for every step forward TFUII takes, it also takes one back. The story this time is not as involving (think of the drop between "Empire" and "Jedi"), but it still satisfies. The platforming towards the end becomes more of a chore than fun, and the final battle goes on way too long. There's also not as much variety in locations this time- there are only 5 stages compared to the original's 9, and the game can be completed in under 6 hours. This makes it a rental for most, though die hard Star Wars fans who need to have all things Star Wars may opt to buy. Still, if you enjoyed the first game, you'll want to play this one, and maybe wait until the inevitable price drop to purchase. The ending sets up TFUIII, so expect to see that if sales are good, as I expect they will be. Hopefully, the third time will be the charm, and we'll get the epic Star Wars adventure fans deserve.