Released yesterday, there is a new slice of Force unleashed for all of you Star Wars fans out there. The game is a bit....well, not even a bit, it's a HUGE disappointment, boring, uneventful and a wasted opportunity as you can see in my review here. The new DLC follows on from the events in the previously released content from the first game and the story from the second, and sees Darth Vader send a Starkiller clone to the forest moon of Endor to stop a small Rebel force from deactivating the shield generator that protects the Death Star. So.....is the DLC any good? Let's have a look.
What I liked: Firstly, the story is set up well. It's nothing new to fans of the saga, but Vader sending the clone to the planet to stop the rebels kind of works. Endor looks like any other wooded planet in any other game, until you reach the Ewok village and you start to hear the drums beating and music playing. A nice touch. You go to the major areas in the film, such as the shield generator etc. There are a few little Star Wars geek references....such as a speeder bike cut in half as you make you way through the forest (I assume it's meant to be the one that Luke cut in half), and for the price that the DLC comes in at (a measly 80pts), you get achievements and an adventure that will last you around a couple of hours if you chase all the achievements.
What I loathed: Well. Firstly it is just a mission pack. You get no new powers or anything like that. You can unlock a few new outfits etc but that's about it. Some of the game world is stupid to play. At one point you have to make your way over a huge log barricade, and you do this by the means of climbing a huge fallen rock. However, when you get to the end of the rock just about to make a jump the rock tilts see-saw style and drops down. You have to counterbalance the monolithic giant with a huge tree that you bring down with your force powers. Now i'm not one to really dwell on in game physics too much....but to think that a probable 13 stone clone can make a 2,000 tonne rock tip just by his body weight stretches the imagination somewhat. But to be honest the most upsetting thing about the DLC is the story. Set in the "alternative" universe and following on from the DLC established in the first game (specifically the Hoth DLC where Luke gets killed), you battle the rebels in certain parts of the game. One such fight sees you scrap it out with Han and Chewie, and another sees you take on a lightsaber battle with Princess Leia, who has taken over the family Jedi training from the now deceased Luke. Now i'm all one for mixing up the story a bit...and without wanting to spoil too much, but I actually had to shout at the screen with a certain outcome of one of these battles. Suffice it to say things end horribly for the Rebels. Mix up the canon if you want Lucasarts, but for fans such as myself the story and this universe is a little.....weird....maybe desperate.
The verdict?
Well, it does nothing new really. It's nice to kill some Ewoks, and for the price, value wise, you can't go wrong. But apart from a new level and expanding the story it does nothing new. Pretty much like the full game in general. There is another DLC pack available, allowing you to play as other characters such as Han, Lando and Admiral Ackbar. Blowing up Ewoks with "it's a trap" Ackbar may make this DLC essential. And for a combined price of 160pts for the two packs, it's got to be worth having a look.
Rating: 6/10
(Xbox 360 version reviewed. Price 80 MSP. PS3 $1).
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