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 | The Force Unleashed |
So, The Force Unleashed is coming out soon(summer 2008), and there have been a couple of videos out ( http://www.lucasarts.com/games/theforceunleashed/?#/documentaries/), and all the videos have been about the tech and the insane force powers that you get. There has been a little bit about the story as well, but all the videos have been missing one essential component.
Gameplay.
Obviously, having insane force powers would be cool, and I'm all for a game that isn't just a retelling of the movies. But you can't kill people with just force powers. There are a couple of reasons behind this.
1) If you get all these incredible powers from the beginning of the game, the game will either be amazingly easy or amazingly unrealistic. And by unrealistic, I mean that everyone else would have to have these powers as well. If the game is too easy, it won't sell very well. This is because most people like to play challenging games. So you won't have them from the beginning.
2) If you don't have the powers from the beginning, there has to be a way to get them. That means that there have to be other ways to kill people. The most obvious way would be to fight with the lightsaber. But they haven't shown anything of the lightsaber combat.
3) They also haven't shown how you get new skills. I personally wasn't a fan of the way Episode III did leveling up. In case you didn't play that, you basically got points for every enemy you kill, and then you put those points into random talents. The only problem is to get all of the skills leveled up, you literally had to play perfectly. Also, there were only 3 levels of skills. I would prefer to have something more like most RPGs, where every enemy you kill gives you the same amount of experience, regardless of how you killed it. Another thing that would work was that the enemies that you kill give you money, and you use the money to buy skills, like Ninja Gaiden.
4) I'm also worried about the level design. I'm worried that the game will be very linear, with no choices in paths. If there was any game that I want them to emulate and use as an example, it would be Ninja Gaiden. If you've ever played it, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If there was any game I don't want them to emulate, it is Star Wars: Episode III.
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http://blogs.starwars.com/darksider93/9 |
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usetheforce19
MasterMonkey13
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date Posted: Feb 12, 2008 7:56 PM
I see your concerns, and these are valid. To be perfectly honest, the Episode III game wasn't good. Although awesome in the graphic and Force powers, it was too easy, the levels were simple, and you had to play step by step. I hope that they adopt more of a KOTOR style to the gameplay but keep the combat like that of Episode III and the Battlefronts.
The one thing is, that with all of the hype leading up to the release, I'm afraid that it won't meet the tremendous expectations. But then again, I may be wrong...
MTFBWY! God bless!
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Green Am I
Mudhole? Slimy?! My blog this is!
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date Posted: Feb 12, 2008 11:56 PM
I agree with MM13, those are some valid points. I would like to see more of the lightsaber (you're just not a Jedi or Sith without one), and they haven't really said much at all about the level structure or anything. But hopefully time will reveal more, and they're just focusing on reporting the main element of the game for now, which is the Force.
And in defense of the RotS game... while its single player wasn't too good, it had a fantastic multiplayer versus mode. Great duels!
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usetheforce19
MasterMonkey13
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date Posted: Feb 13, 2008 5:49 AM
while its single player wasn't too good, it had a fantastic multiplayer versus mode. Great duels!
Very true. In fact, that's almost the only part I play on the game. My brother and I have had some epic duels. I am almost unbeatable with Mace Windu and he is great with Cin Drallig.
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Son Of Skywalker15
Son Of Skywalker's Datapad Of Thoughts and Opinions
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date Posted: Feb 13, 2008 6:19 AM
We must remember that TFU isn't an RPG like Kotor; it's a third-person shooter, probably most similar to JO & JA.
If you watch some trailers you'll see that the force is really your primary weapon, not your lightsaber. The SA has a very unique saber form, which is why we probably don't see it much in the trailers, but it is there.
I think it can meet the expectations, especially with the trailers of the tech and such.
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comanderbly
That's Impossible. Even for a Computer.
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date Posted: Feb 13, 2008 6:22 AM
I agree with your concerns, but I am very optimistic about this game. There are a lot of great examples for LA to look at for this game. Also given all the effort put in the technology and the time that they have taken to get the game out I think its going to be great!
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Green Am I
Mudhole? Slimy?! My blog this is!
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date Posted: Feb 13, 2008 12:29 PM
We must remember that TFU isn't an RPG like Kotor; it's a third-person shooter, probably most similar to JO & JA.
Yes, definitely. I'd hate to see a bunch of RPG elements get shoved in.
Very true. In fact, that's almost the only part I play on the game. My brother and I have had some epic duels. I am almost unbeatable with Mace Windu and he is great with Cin Drallig.
I agree with you completely, down to the details. I'm nearly invincible as Windu as well, and my brother and I have also had many exciting battles on it. In my opinion, it's the closest a game has gotten to playing as a Jedi so far.
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DarthBroccoli
Search your feelings, you know it to be true.
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date Posted: Feb 13, 2008 3:36 PM
it's a third-person shooter
Shooter? I thought it was an action/adventure game.
If you watch some trailers you'll see that the force is really your primary weapon, not your lightsaber.
I understand that, but what I'm saying is that this will either make the game ridiculously easy or amazingly frustrating. If you have all these great powers, how can normal stormtroopers be expects to pose a challenge. And if they are a challenge, its going to be really frustrating just trying to kill them with underpowered force techniques and no interesting lightsaber combat. I really think that they need to have some sort of fighting system, with combos and other such hallmarks of the genre.
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DarthBroccoli
Search your feelings, you know it to be true.
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date Posted: Feb 13, 2008 3:46 PM
cont.
they haven't really said much at all about the level structure or anything.
That is one of my main concerns, because without strong level design, it won't matter how fun the combat is or how good the graphics are. I would really like to see something that is less linear than previous action/adventure games, with more choices to make.
We must remember that TFU isn't an RPG like Kotor; it's a third-person shooter, probably most similar to JO & JA.
I wasn't actually comparing it to KotOR, although MM13 was. I think what he is saying, and what I am saying, is that we want Episode III-style combat, but with the skills and leveling parts taken from KotOR.
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DarthBroccoli
Search your feelings, you know it to be true.
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date Posted: Feb 13, 2008 3:51 PM
cont.
As for it being similar to Jedi Knight or Jedi Academy, there are a couple of key differences that I can already see.
1) It isn't in first-person.
2) As far as I can tell from the trailers, the Secret Apprentice doesn't carry a gun.
Also given all the effort put in the technology and the time that they have taken to get the game out I think its going to be great!
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DarthBroccoli
Search your feelings, you know it to be true.
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date Posted: Feb 13, 2008 3:56 PM
cont.
I think it can meet the expectations, especially with the trailers of the tech and such.
I'm not really worried about the technology. Some of the stuff really is revolutionary, like DMM, Euphoria, and their motion capture technology for cutscenes. However, all these things are geared toward making a more real and believable experience, not a more fun one. However the game turns out, I think all these new technologies are going to be scooped up by every other company in the market, because they truly do enhance the story.
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DarthBroccoli
Search your feelings, you know it to be true.
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date Posted: Feb 13, 2008 4:00 PM
cont.
One thing they could do to improve my estimation of the gameplay is use the DMM to enhance the gameplay. Let's say that in a level on Felucia, you have an objective to destroy 4 generators supplying power to the droid army. It would be a waste of opportunity to simply travel in a straight line, on a pre-set path, from generator to generator. Instead, perhaps you would start at your shuttle, and instead of going straight to a generator, you could cut a path through the DMM-powered giant plants on Felucia and go to the less-defended backside. Gameplay like that would make for a truly epic Star Wars experience.
Wow. I could pretty much post my comments as a new blog. Oh well.
Thanks for all your comments!
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Green Am I
Mudhole? Slimy?! My blog this is!
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date Posted: Feb 13, 2008 4:25 PM
I understand that, but what I'm saying is that this will either make the game ridiculously easy or amazingly frustrating. If you have all these great powers, how can normal stormtroopers be expects to pose a challenge. And if they are a challenge, its going to be really frustrating just trying to kill them with underpowered force techniques and no interesting lightsaber combat.
I'm willing to bet that there's at least a decent amount of saber combat in the game. And also, there will be more challenging foes such as rancors (or is the plural rancor?) and Jedi. The stromtroopers might just be grunts... simple enemies that are fun to take out, but can put you in danger when in large numbers.
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Green Am I
Mudhole? Slimy?! My blog this is!
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date Posted: Feb 13, 2008 4:26 PM
And about the gameplay. Sometimes great technology can (to a point) create fun gameplay. I could see myself playing around with Euphoria for hours on end. It will at least help the gameplay a whole lot even if it doesn't give it enough substance to stand on its own.
Anyways, very good blog post. Personally, I've just recently become really excited about this game, so my hype isn't incredibly high, but it's interesting to talk about the points that don't look so great.
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usetheforce19
MasterMonkey13
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date Posted: Feb 14, 2008 7:46 PM
I think what he is saying, and what I am saying, is that we want Episode III-style combat, but with the skills and leveling parts taken from KotOR.
Exactly.
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