-NON SPOILER SEGMENT-
What was the point of this? The previous game wrapped up fine. I didn't have any questions. Why was this necessary? I didn't even love the first game. The Force Unleashed II makes the original look spectacular. This game left me with so many questions. I'm guessing they were planning a third game. Where did that go? In hindsight they certainly had time to at least work on a third game.
In short, this game was pointless. There weren't too many new designs, but the new ones weren't bad, the gameplay was great, the locations were okay and the graphics were nice. Unfortunately, this doesn't save the game. It certainly doesn't. This game is seriously lacking in the story department.
I'm not going to get too deep in this segment- I'll just provide the premise. Starkiller is back. Why? Why couldn't he stay dead? Starkiller was a loose end, and thus he died. He can't be running around in the Star Wars universe. Why bring him back? They would've had to either kill him off or let him live. Having him die twice would feel quite weird. Letting him live would be even weirder. Imagine Starkiller alive, with the Rebellion during the films. That would be fairly odd.
The plot moves at hyperspeed. You cut enemies up, and the transition from mission to mission is incredibly jarring. The characters simply run into situations without consideration or thought. There is no scene where Juno and Galen are in their ship considering how to execute their mission. There is no scene showing the inner workings of the Alliance. There is one scene where General Kota is just like "We're attacking Kamino!", and the fleet just goes along with it. They don't take the time for a plan. They just jump to lightspeed.
This game has little story worth. Having played it I'd like to pretend it isn't canon (In it's respective timeline.). It just makes a mess of things. You can pretend it doesn't exist, or you can try to explain it. I prefer the former. Besides the fact that Starkiller is back from the dead there are some other serious loose ends. Obviously, I won't spoil them here. Basically this game leaves off with MAJOR cliffhangers, and they remain unresolved to this day.
All in all I thought this game was mildly insulting, story-wise. The gameplay is great. The game is a lot of fun. If that's all you want, I'd recommend it. It must be noted, the game is incredibly short. I'd say it's about six hours. The game technically has nine levels, while three of these "levels" are just boss fights. Most of the niceness in this game comes from the gameplay. If that's what you're looking for, then great. The story offers little- you're better off watching the cutscenes on YouTube.
With all this said, I'd give it a 3.5/10. I'm not sure if I would've bought it in hindsight. The tie-in graphic novel, however, is quite worth a read. Far better story than the game.
-SPOILER SEGMENT-
Boy, that cliffhanger. What were they thinking? Honestly, seeing Vader in shackles was an incredible visual, but it shouldn't have happened- not in the main canon! Having Vader captured is a huge blow to his character. It's stuff like this that gives the EU a bad name. Also Juno coming back to life. [eyeroll] Wouldn't she be in serious pain upon regaining consciousness? Nah, just embraces the kiss. So cheesey.
I did like the mission aboard the Salvation. Gave me flashbacks to Ghost Ship Recon. The Terror Troopers were actually fun enemies. The Terror Walker was an annoying boss, but then again, most bosses in this series are incredibly annoying. Just having the privilege to control the camera is a blessing.
I don't think Boba Fett was all that necessary in the context of the game. They could have just had the Imperials abduct Cpt. Eclipse themselves, but nah, gotta have those OT characters! Why must everything be so ridiculously connected?
Cato Nemoidia wasn't terrible. It just wasn't that memorable either. The Gorog was just a bigger Rancor really. The visual where the Gorog literally crushes the Rancor was rather shocking, so credit for that. It was rather hilarious how bottomless the planet was. I'm pretty sure they were falling for over a minute. Baron Tarko was absolutely forgettable. A: He brings shame to the Baron title famously held by Soontir Fel. B: His name sounds way too much like 'Tarkin'. If anything, his death was slightly funny ('Funny' in a very loose sense).
I'm pretty sure Starkiller's "clone" is actually the original, or at least contains the original's spirit. Otherwise they wouldn't have put so much emphasis on whether or not he was the real Galen. I'm not going to get into the science of cloning a force user. The instances of the phenomena are a bit contradictory.
The Acolytes and Saber Guards were pretty bad. What happened to Shadow Guards? They managed to be fairly tough enemies. Both of the new force-using Imperials are incredibly weak. I also don't understand the purpose of splitting force-users from saber-users. Shadow Guards managed to use both powers and their sabers. From a story standpoint, what is the purpose of a "Saber Guard"? Can't normal guardsmen wield sabers? They sure do in the previous game! The Sith Acolytes aren't bad. They look slightly cool, honestly. They aren't ever given an explanation inside or outside the game, unfortunately. The real problem is that they seem to be unarmed. Did the Empire cut its annual Lightsaber budget? These people need their sabers!
One thing that stood out were the Galen clones. When they emerged from their vats they were fully clothed and wielding lightsabers. What? How does this work? Do they grow their own clothes? What about the Lightsabers? Apparently in the Empire unborn, defective clones are more privileged than active duty Sith Acolytes. What the heck?!?
Imperial War Droids were an interesting touch. It must be asked, though: Why couldn't we have Purge Troopers, again? Whatever. The War Droids were fun. The Carbonite effect was also cool. To be a tad bit nitpicky, they look a bit too Terminator-esque. Still a cool design, though.
Riot Troopers seemed incredibly unnecessary. Why would a trooper need a whole new armor set, just to wield an electrostaff? Isn't stormtrooper armor designed for riots? Why is a variant needed? Jumptroopers were back, which was cool. Unfortunately the AI was much more annoying, so fighting them was a chore.
Swatting Imperials got repetitive, and fast. In the first game you fought a massive variety of enemies. In this game you fight the same enemies as you are spoon-fed new ones. If this game lacks anything (Besides story) it's variety.
If you want to experience the EPIC journey of (Possible) clone, Galen Marek, I'd recommend watching it on YouTube. If you want to play the game for any reason, though, get it on sale. Full price definitely isn't worth it.
