Gameplay may be lacking, but the story makes up for it... and is the better prequel over movies (Episodes I through III)
In fact, the story and events of this game make a better prequel than the new movie trilogy do. At least in my opinion. You are Darth Vader's secret apprentice, raised and trained in the dark ways of the Force to hunt the remaining Jedi and to be used in Vader's quest for power. Along the way, you will encounter some familiar locations and characters from both movie trilogies. But these events take place just months before those of Episode IV, so are more relevant to the original movies. You get to participate in the destruction of the few remaining Jedi, while those opposed to the emperor create the Rebel Alliance from scratch.
Gameplay is very linear with only one branching storyline at the very end. Of course, you can be as evil as you want by slaying innocent bystanders and droids in a few locations, or not. But you are able to replay any location over as many times as you want, with the exception of the prelude chapter. Add to that four levels of difficulty and some achievements that can only be obtained by multiple playthroughs, and there is some replay value here.
One thing to note; you are powerful when you start off, and only gain more power from there. This isn't the typical game where you start off as a level 1 noob with a blaster and next to no powers. On the very first level you are tossing Stormtroopers around like toys, blasting doors open with sheer Force, and grabbing TIE Fighters out of the air! It is very fun and satisfying to have this much power! As you progress through the game, you learn additional abilities and make your existing powers stronger using an RPG-lite skill tool.
This leads to the game's flaws. While the story and characters are strong, the gameplay is not up to the same level of refinement. Controls are somewhat imprecise, and you may find yourself taking damage from multiple foes while your falling animation doesn't allow you to defend or counter. Button presses don't always seem to register, and there is just a general vagueness to the controls that may make the game frustrating, particularly at the higher difficulty levels.
Boss and mini-boss battles are concluded with quick-time button-press events. There are enough where those who hate these whack-a-button games may shy away, but not too many as to make the game overloaded with them. And they are somewhat forgiving. If you fail at a button press, you will be given another shot at it with little to no penalty. These quick-time events allow for a much more cinematic finale to each fight, which could not be done strictly with player control. Speaking of cinematic, there are several moments in the game with excellent cinematic. Envision fighting atop a tower with TIE Fighters swooping in at you while you try to pull a Star Destroyer out of the sky! Or a final series of battles at the end which are reminiscent of the best fights from the movies.
The graphics are satisfactory and everything looks just like it should in the Star Wars universe. Sound effects are spot on, and could have been ripped right from the movies. And of course the music is key to a fully immersive experience, and does not disappoint. New music created for the game fits perfectly with the original score composed by John Williams and works well with the moods and situations in the game. Voice acting is well done, with a truly remarkable sound-alike for Darth Vader.
Overall, The Force Unleashed is a great game, despite its flaws. The campaign can be finished in about 8 hours, which could have been longer to flesh out the wonderful story and characters. The gameplay is a bit of a letdown, but still has plenty of fun moments when you are able to wreak havoc all around you with the power of the Force. And the story makes for a far better prequel to A New Hope than the widely despised Episodes I, II and III. A must-play for true Star Wars fans.