LucasArts will be turning to the Dark Side of the Force with its new Star Wars game, entitled Star Wars: Force Unleashed. The game will be available for the PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, PSP, and DS. Official details of the game and its features can be seen on LucasArts’ official website.
The new game will take place between the events of episodes three and four, when Darth Vader, goes on his quest to eliminate the Jedi Knights, do away with the Emperor, and take over the galaxy as ruler. The gamer plays as Darth Vader’s apprentice, helping Vader execute his dastardly deeds.
George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars movies and universe, is helping to formulate components of the game, including development of some of the game’s characters.
Star Wars: Force Unleashed is a departure from the norm for LucasArts in that the Dark Side will be the dominant factor in the game, instead of the traditional good-over-evil storyline. Last year, LucasArts delved into this anti-hero genre with the release of the Star Wars: Empire at War expansion, Forces of Corruption. Gamers played the side of galactic criminals whose goal was to infiltrate and corrupt the galaxy through smuggling, bribery, and other unlawful means of influence. The expansion sold well and demonstrated that Star Wars fans were not opposed to playing as the bad guys.
LucasArts appears to be moving in a new direction with its video games. As if to emphasize this point, it’s saying that predictable outcomes will be a thing of the past, demonstrated by the alternative endings available in Force Unleashed. And at least in the case of this game, the bad guys win.
