Will Tuttle, Editor in Chief: Like a lot of people I know, I was disappointed by 2008's Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. It certainly had some fun elements, but overall, it felt exactly like what it was: a building-block game intended to launch a new franchise. Ryan, I know you didn't play the first game because of the negative stuff you heard. Does The Force Unleashed II look like the badass Star Wars game we really wanted all along? More importantly, did you walk away from the demo wanting to play it?
Ryan Scott, Executive Editor: It's hard to say. I saw a very brief vertical slice of TFU2's introductory level, which centers on series protagonist Starkiller's frantic escape from an Imperial cloning facility. The action that I witnessed looked cool, yes. The lightsaber combat struck me as very Star Wars-y, sure. And I definitely want to play it -- I just hope it isn't the screw-up that I've always heard the first TFU was.
Will Tuttle: So what's the deal with the story? I don't want to spoil anything for those people who are considering playing the first game before TFU2 comes out, but the player-controlled Starkiller makes a pretty major decision that I hoped would be reflected in the sequel, just like your actions in Mass Effect had consequences in Mass Effect 2.
Ryan Scott: Well, in short, TFU2's story seems to present a mystery as to whether or not Starkiller -- the Starkiller you play in TFU2, that is -- is a clone of the real deal. Story mastermind/executive producer Haden Blackman (who wrote the stories for both games) was on-hand to talk me through the demo, but he was purposely vague about the circumstances of Starkiller's current predicament. It's a secret to everybody!
Will Tuttle: OK, as long as I'm not the only one in the dark. Let's talk Force Powers. I love 'em, and while I thought they were fun to use in TFU, there were some issues when it came to locking on to the object I wanted to throw. I also never really felt like the ultimate badass (even pulling down that star destroyer felt like a chore), so I hope they have some cool stuff planned for the sequel. Did you get to see any of them in action?
Ryan Scott: They trotted out a new Jedi Mind Trick power that can turn the target on his allies, and eventually fashion targets into walking time bombs that explode with Force power. The game also features a "Force Fury" meter that, once filled, basically amps your Force abilities up pretty excessively, wreaking havoc left and right and ruining everyone's day. Starkiller sure is an angry dude -- he even carries two lightsabers this time, in that crazy upside-down gangster-grip that makes us all wonder when he going to accidentally slice his own head off.
Will Tuttle: I like the sound of Force Fury; hopefully, it finally gives players the thrill of being an uber-badass Jedi. Did they mention anything about the targeting system for the Force powers? A lot of people (myself included) saw ample room for improvement.
Ryan Scott: They didn't say anything about it, though I didn't note any difficulties on the part of the person demoing the game. Hard to say overall, since I didn't actually get to play. What was wrong with the first game's targeting?
Will Tuttle: It worked, but the camera sometimes forced you to try to target something that was off-screen. And when you had something ready to throw, half the time you ended up throwing it at the wrong enemy! Anyway, it sounds like the only way to find out if it's better is to play it. So, do you think you'll give this one a shot? Did it make you want to go back and spend a few hours playing through the first game?
Ryan Scott: I've always found TFU's story incredibly cool, on par with Shadows of the Empire in terms of what it achieves for Star Wars' Expanded Universe. I'm probably going to give the first game a spin and see if I can stomach it, and I'll certainly give TFU2 a shot. I just wish I could get my hands on it, already.
Will Tuttle: Wait, wait, wait... so you know the first game's whole story, even though you didn't play it? Did you read up on it out of curiosity?
Ryan Scott: Yeah -- I do that sometimes with certain games that I wind up skipping (see also: Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy). Yeah, I'm that guy.
