Kotaku
While many of GDC's industry attendees were excited to hear about LucasArts' technology pipeline and day to day methods of operations, we sat in with the hopes of getting a sneak peek of the game. And after listening to an interesting anecdote (The Force Unleashed could have been replaced by the self-explanatory game Wookiee Warrior had Lucas not ripped the idea), LucasArts did show us several minutes of restricted-photography real-time gameplay...along with a few early concept videos that were fairly amusing.
The gameplay started in a Tie Fighter hanger, our male protagonist looking down at the cleanly-textured room. Everything is understated, save for the size. It's so massive that I found myself mentally categorizing other games that had indoor environments with ceilings that reach 150+ feet in the air.
And it reminds you that force powers are truly the intended focus of the game. Because while our male protagonist was indeed holding a lightsaber, he opted not to use it all that often. Sure, part of the gameplay decision was for our benefit, but when levels employ so much vertical space, sometimes propogated with Tie Fighters floating by (ready to be plucked out of the air), the saber feels so tedious.
We watched as the jedi made short work of the Storm Troopers (effortlessly lifting them and ran into the spaceship's hallways (also some of the largest we've seen). The blast doors were satisfyingly bent open ala The Force and then new troopers got the taste of some lightsaber.
Then something really bothered us. We noticed that when the troopers died, green orbs popped out like we've seen in God of War. While we're sure these orbs are intended to fill the force meter, their fantasy-based nature really sucked us away from the hyperrealism of gorgeous floating Storm Troopers, grabbing on to any near object in attempt to save life and limb.
Even on the large projected screen, the game looked very nice. We can only imagine it scaled down to a more manageable, non-jumbotron size. Unfortunately, there was one pretty cool image that you'll never see.
In an early concept video, designers rendered a mock battle between a jedi and a rancor (large humanoid monster). After battling for about a minute, the monster swallows the jedi.
Needless to say, this didn't end well. The monster was struck with a lightsaber ulcer so bad that its body exploded. And despite a packed hall of hoots and hollers in response, the content was too spicy for the ESRB to designate a "T for Teen" rating.
And it makes us wonder how long it will be until we're choosing between uncensored version of games and their "radio" edits.
Comments
and just like movies and buy the uncensored versions exclusively because who doesnt wanna watch a lightsabre caused ulcer turn into exploding monster.
While cool looking, the storyline and just how crazy they are making the force out to be is really killing my interest for the game.
Well, Star Wars has always been a "pg" affair unless you count the adult movie tie-ins.
Give us a Mature Force Unleashed please! Remember how Alien Vs. Predator was PG-13? It totally sucked!
Meh, you could always do the g_saberrealisticcombat 1 or whatever the command was.
This is weaksauce.
ORBS? Fucking ORBS? Screw this.
I was expecting that there would have to be some sort of collecting after deaths and stuff, so no real biggie.
Quite dissapointing to find content cut in the hope of 'sanitising' it. You'd think that ripping apart monsters from the inside would get you a hell of a lot of sales.
when gamestop stops making people pull out id to buy a game, thats when, we'll stop seeing so damned many "T" games
@JudgementOfCrom: LOL!
tell me you aren't serious
I understand the want for a T rating, but I was really hoping they'd accept an M. Oh well, my yearning for this game hasn't dipped one bit. Although I am kind of annoyed with orb collecting from corpses.
Interesting comment about "radio edits". There's nothing stopping an M rated title from having an in-game menu option to disable mature content (I've seen several games do this already), but since that complicates the content rating process they just stick the highest applicable rating on the box anyway.
It'd be interesting if they released an extra SKU for M-rated games that have mature content filters. Or, if they really wanted to try going the distance, have the parental controls on the console determine what level of mature content is available in a game regardless of the content rating on its box. Put Gears of War in a 360 that is limited to T-rated content and it automatically plays in the T-rated content mode, and on the outside of the box there would be badges for both M and T content ratings. "Teen content mode available" or something.
Of course, parental controls are only useful if people actually know they exist. Console makers should put an attention-grabbing information booklet/flier/whatever to inform parents about parental controls in the packaging of their consoles, instead of just burying a couple of paragraphs about the subject deep within the owner's manual.
@thejakeman: probably disagrees with you: So, the reason that there are so many "T"-rated games is because we have to show IDs at GameStop? I really don't think so. It's more of a design / production decision that allows the games to see a much wider audience than a "M"-rated game would.
"And it makes us wonder how long it will be until we're choosing between uncensored version of games and their "radio" edits."
Come to Germany and you'll find out that you can already choose between the two. :P
Delicious orbs of midichlorians :P
@Mark Wilson:
It's so massive that I found myself mentally categorizing other games that had indoor environments with ceilings that reach 150+ feet in the air.
I think you want to say "cataloging" there instead, as in making a catalog of the small number of other games that meet this threshold? Its pretty clear your meaning, just figured I'd point it out if you wish to correct it.
I'm still pretty excited about this game, but I too don't understand the push for a T rating, because I think the bulk of sales for this game will be for people over 16 anyway, but perhaps LucasArts has Demographic research I'm not privvy to ;)
Also I agree energy orbs are rather lame, can't we just have a constant-recharge mechanic for health-force powers instead, with charge bonuses for combos or really cool environment kills?
My love for Star Wars will probably push me to get this game no matter what. I'll just end up getting the PSP version.
@Toasticus: Just to be clear, Gears doesn't actually do that. I was hypothesizing.
@Spoony Bard: StarBallz?
I think you mean WOOKIEE WARRIOR. Di'kutla chakaar!
@JudgementOfCrom: I'm with Judgement. No Star Wars game should have orbs floating around enemies. A meter to display your force reserves or maybe your concentration to unleash a force attack would have been better, but orbs. This is definantly a game that will be skipped.
@Toasticus: Yeah but if they did that it'd make SENSE. Oh and they'd have to put effort and money into something. Two big No-Nos for M$.
"And after listening to an interesting anecdote (The Force Unleashed could have been replaced by the self-explanatory game Wookie Warrior had Lucas not ripped the idea),"
Was this sentence almost illegible to anyone else?
The story tie in may make little sense, and they may be comically exaggerating Force powers, but I honestly don't care. This game has a helluva lot of potential.
Instead of Orbs they should have made something in the way of an essence. you know semi translucent shade of red or green. Something like hey your force gets stronger as you collect essence to charge your jedi force.
@Toasticus: @Thassodar: Yeah, that 'Mature Content' filter on Gears I believe just takes the blood splatter off the sreen when various things happen..
Could do more, I don't know, I've never really used it lol.
@JerrD74: hopes his license issues get fixed soon: I think it cuts out the profanity of the voiceovers, too. So you'd probably only hear a third of the dialogue. ;)
I've never owned a Star Wars game, they're never really been my cup of tea, but this game looks like it's going to be the first in my collection. Plus, I keep hearing about this "Luke, I'm your father" moment and I want to be able to play this game for that moment. I don't want any anybody spoiling that moment for me. This game looks great.
Is not orbs, is milicrlorians... heeee.. michocronias?.. micrononinas.. matecruniasn, milllicloririans, midichlorians, mortiferrians... you know, ORBS.
@BunnyPopEmcee: You never played a Star Wars game? not even KOTOR or Lego Star Wars or Battlefront? O_O
@BunnyPopEmcee: That's because aside from Lego Star Wars there hasn't been a movie-era (ie: not KOTOR) Star Wars game worth owning (yes I'm counting Rogue Squadron) since Dark Forces II (which was all kinds of awesome).
They pissed all over the X-Wing/TIE Fighter franchise (although 'Alliance' was decent) and then things totally went south for a few years with woeful strategy titles like Rebellion and the only-slightly-less-bad RTS games.
Here's hoping they can pull this one off!
@The Instructor:
Not really. There's no such thing as a "Wookie Warrior".
Wookies are a slave species raised and skinned by Wookiees for their wig making industry.
Thoughts:
Proof-reading is your friend. While informative, that article was one of the worst written pieces I've ever read. Don't get me wrong, I'm no "Captain, my Captain." But, shit! Proof-read that crap before you post.
And, the Rancor was the large, brown, ill-tempered critter from Return of the Jedi. Upon viewing said creature, "humanoid" doesn't really come to mind.
OK. I'm finished bitching.
J
I can't wait for this game, I'm so excited as a Star Wars nut, but the ESRB officialy sux now, jedi vs rancor not T for teen? give me a fucking break...
...
*slams door
...
Stop trying to make Star Wars some ultraviolent thing that its NOT. It doesn't belong to you. It belongs to Lucas. And Lucas likes as many people as possible to enjoy his space-opera. All of the movies but one have been PG. All of the games have been T for Teen. There is no censorship here.
Now go play No More Heroes if you want your ultraviolent light saber thirst satiated.
Let's see Lucasarts kick it up a notch and give this an "M" rating. Severed limbs and cadavers, Lightsaber beheadings, Force pushing torsos through sharp objects, and let us not forget the classic force choking and crushing of adam's apples. Ahh...Mortal Kombat be DAMNED!!!
Come'on ! Lucas just LIKE MONEY !!! fast money if possible... It doesn't care of his universe: He didn't care for the second trilogy, and he still don't care now providing us with hyped shit where apprentice act like gods or Comic's superhero....
So Lucasarts, sitting on one of the premier film licences in gaming, wanted to make a next-gen Starwars game...and the idea that they came up with was Wookie Warrior? Yikes. Glad that George vetoed that idea.
The game we're getting sounds great though.
Cutting out content? what's next taking porn away from my grandma and taking cigarette's out of my children's mouths? WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO??? I hate censors....
T rated rancor battles aren't cool.
Thanks for telling us what a rancor is by the way. How could we forget that?
As long as Greedo shoots first, and Jabba the Hut drops the dancer into the pit for no good reason, I will be ecstatic. Also, some Muppet songs would be great.
I've gotta agree with the anti-orb people. While I'll probably end up getting this game anyway, the orbs will definitely kill some of the Star Wars-feel it's supposed to have.
FLoating orbs? Does sound like God of War and as a throwback, Onimusha 1. Hope this doesn't suck.
It's all laser fire and laser swords, there wouldn't be any blood even with severed limbs (I don't care what happened in that cantina).
A violent Star Wars game where you actually see the lightsabers BURNING PEOPLE? Say it aint so!
THIS GAME IS GONNA PWN!!!! (except for those damn orbs)
people and animals are always getting chopped up in the movies so what the HELL????????? GIVE ME EXpLODING RANCOR STOMACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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