And I'm still boycotting LucasArts until I get KotOR3.

Hey, it'll work. I held out on Blizzard and I finally got Starcraft 2.

They already did Force powers great in the Dark Forces series.

Players were actually allowed to make legitimate choices in those games. Man, were they classic.

Everything I've played since then pales in comparison.

Thurston McQ wrote:The playback was choppy as fuck.

It may be because all current and ex-SW Fan Club members get the Homing Beacon at once, and I forwarded the link pretty much as soon as I got it.

It may be because LucasArts doesn't have its shit together, and is not smart enough to realize that choppy videos released right before a launch can be a bad thing.

You'd think LucasArts would have something like streaming video pretty sewn up by now... they should benchmark some porn sites.

...

Because I've been told they have pretty good streaming video.

Ipsilon wrote:

Thurston McQ wrote:The playback was choppy as fuck.

It may be because all current and ex-SW Fan Club members get the Homing Beacon at once, and I forwarded the link pretty much as soon as I got it.

It may be because LucasArts doesn't have its shit together, and is not smart enough to realize that choppy videos released right before a launch can be a bad thing.

You'd think LucasArts would have something like streaming video pretty sewn up by now... they should benchmark some porn sites.

...

Because I've been told they have pretty good streaming video.

Maybe those sites you’ve been “told” about are clogging up your computer with spy/adware, slowing everything down. :P

Go to Gametrailers.com to watch videogame trailers the right way (in HD, ‘natch). Most of the game studio websites won’t offer anything other than a tiny embedded video of middling quality.

From what I’ve heard, however, the launch trailer apparently contains blatant spoilers. Like, “I can’t frakking believe they showed all of that in a trailer!” kind of blatant.

So, did anyone else download TFU demo that came out a couple weeks ago? I got it for my PS3 and tried it out. I'll definitely be picking this one up when it releases in a little under two weeks from now. The combat is a lot of fun, especially when you begin combining Force powers with melee attacks. And grabbing Tie Fighters with the Force and hurling them at enemies never gets old.

The graphics are excellent, too, but it's the Euphoria physics engine that really makes the visuals stand out. Seeing a Stormtrooper desperately trying to pull down his buddy as you lift the latter with the Force, only to get pulled up along with him, and feeling that extra weight, is impressive... most impressive.

The only complaints I have about it so far are that The Apprentice sometimes executes a move or chain of moves and gets "caught" in dangerous situations between animations, or at the end of one. For example, even if you stop your momentum after using Force Dash, you might find yourself carried forward off the edge of a platform and plummet to your death. The same could happen after attacking an enemy too close to the edge of a long drop -- even if you don't run forward, the motion of your attacks will propel your character over the side even if you try to compensate. These are minor annoyances, however.

I need to download this demo. Thanks for reminding me.

The demo sucks.

The game is nothing more than simple hack n' slash nonsense.

-------------------------------------------

The only game(s) in which they even came close to getting "the Force" right were the Dark Forces sequels.

Those games were f'ing sweet.

The other games that have tried to utilize the Force, like most everything else Star Wars these days, are a complete waste of time.

Well, suffice it to say that we don't see exactly eye-to-eye on Star Wars but I do agree with you frequently, Hicks. I must disagree here, though. I don't know anything about TFU but I do know I'm playing KotOR I & II for the 3rd time and will play them a 4th hopefully by the end of the year.

The KotOR games are the only works in the entire EU that I consider canon. Let's put it that way.

Master Ulic wrote:So, did anyone else download TFU demo that came out a couple weeks ago? I got it for my PS3 and tried it out. I'll definitely be picking this one up when it releases in a little under two weeks from now. The combat is a lot of fun, especially when you begin combining Force powers with melee attacks. And grabbing Tie Fighters with the Force and hurling them at enemies never gets old.

The graphics are excellent, too, but it's the Euphoria physics engine that really makes the visuals stand out. Seeing a Stormtrooper desperately trying to pull down his buddy as you lift the latter with the Force, only to get pulled up along with him, and feeling that extra weight, is impressive... most impressive.

The only complaints I have about it so far are that The Apprentice sometimes executes a move or chain of moves and gets "caught" in dangerous situations between animations, or at the end of one. For example, even if you stop your momentum after using Force Dash, you might find yourself carried forward off the edge of a platform and plummet to your death. The same could happen after attacking an enemy too close to the edge of a long drop -- even if you don't run forward, the motion of your attacks will propel your character over the side even if you try to compensate. These are minor annoyances, however.

Anyone pick this up yet? I haven't, and I'm wondering if I should.

I watched the X-Play review, (on G4TV), and they only gave it a 2 out of 5. They basically said exactly what you said Ulic, that the gameplay sucked. They loved the story and visuals, but randomly getting carried off the end of a platform to your death killed it for them.

I wonder if the Wii version would be better, (I think they reviewed the Xbox 360 version). The duel mode is supposed to be cool.

Let me know what you guys think. I'm debating whether to get this or Too Human....

I was going to, but I'm waiting. Msun bought it (so I bought Rock Band 2), and I played it at his house, yesterday. I liked it for the most part. The camera's a little wonky, and I was able to keep from falling off of platforms (which is unusual for me). I acknowledge the flaws that Ulic (and everyone else) seems to be pointing out. The thing about it for me... which decides whether I'll buy it or not... is replay value. It seems as though once it's beaten, there's no reason to pick it up again, unless you want to play through again and beat it again.

There's no online play.

There's no cooperative mode... or an alternate (or additional) ending.

There's no multiplayer aspect (which would be cool... but not sure if it's possible with a game like this).

I don't see a reason to play this again after I'm done with it... so for now I'm just going to borrow it from Marc.

Oh. Here's what I do like:

Flinging Stormtroopers (and [SPOILER]Wookies[/SPOILER]).

Well, just using the force, in general.

The story, what little I've seen so far, is interesting. That'll probably keep me playing.

I've been playing it over the past couple of days and like most things Star Wars these days it simply isn't very good.

Has anyone finished this, yet? Does anyone want to talk about it? Some things are irking me... and there are other things that I think are kinda cool.

Ipsilon wrote:Has anyone finished this, yet? Does anyone want to talk about it? Some things are irking me... and there are other things that I think are kinda cool.

Not yet. I'm part way through it. I've gotten to what I imagine is the "twist". In case anyone cares, I'll leave spoiler space before elaborating...


















I just finished the level where you kill Shak Ti and then Vader "kills" you. Then he basically tasks you with starting the Rebellion. So that's kind of cool. I've only started the next level, haven't gotten very far though.

I think its pretty cool if this guy ends up being one of the catalysts of the Rebellion, but that seems to go against the established canon that Bail Organa and Mon Mothma started the Rebellion. But maybe its better explained later in the game. I'll be back after I finish it.


















I really dig this game. Picking up stormtroopers and throwing my lightsaber at them is awesome! My only major gripe so far is the camera. There are many times that I'm fighting someone off screen and don't know why I died. But over all I really like it.

SPOLIERS:

(highlight)

Okay, so I can wrap my brain around the idea that Vader used Starkiller to start the Rebellion in order to create a distraction so that he could overthrow the Emperor. That's actually pretty cool. I guess what I'm having a problem with is the timetable for all of this.

How much time passed between Episode III and IV? 20 years? Let's go out on a limb and say that the prologue-level in the game, where Vader goes to Kashyyyk, is the first thing he does after getting fixed up by Palpatine. So, when Vader finds the kid, he's, what? Five? Maybe?

He seems to age 20 years in the course of the flashback, so are we to believe that the Rebellion started months before the events of Episoe IV? That doesn't sit well with me. How can they gather ships and sympathizers that fast?

Also, msunyata's telling me that the symbol on Starkiller's father's hut on Kashyyyk is why they use that symbol for the Rebel Alliance. I'll have to compare the two, but I thought hat was just the symbol for the Old Republic. Anakin has it on his shoulder-armor in the Clone Wars show.

The spoilery stuff is what I'm confused on. Ulic, if you've played as far as Teek and I have (which is about the same point, actually), I'd really like to hear what you think... you know more about the little details than I do.

This link: http://www.swbooks.co.uk/timeline/rise-empire.htm puts the game at three years before A New Hope, which I guess I can live with.

The game sucks and the story sucks.

Bring the real Star Wars back. PLEASE!

I read something that said Starkiller is 33 at the end of the game, which ends two years before A New Hope. So, Vader had to have found him very early after Sith, at which point he was already 10 or 11.

Otherwise, the math just doesn't work out.

I haven't rented or bought the game yet, Ipsy, so I can't comment on it. I'm too busy with Lost Odyssey and Ninja Gaiden II on the 360 and Dead Space on the PS3 right now. I probably won't get around to TFU until later this year, considering two giant RPGs I've been waiting for are out now (or will soon be out): Fable II and Fallout 3.

CURSE YOU! YOU HAVE TO PLAY GAMES WHEN I DO SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THEM! GRR!



Just kidding. Chime in when you finally get around to it.

For now (to those of use who are playing it), keep spoiler-tagging it.

We're spoiler tagging games, now?

All you get when you beat Punch-Out!! is your character's name in a newspaper. It's pretty lame.

Whoopsie!

I forgot the spoiler tag!

Ipsy, how far have you gotten? I just completed the famous "pull down a Star Destroyer" level.

It was pretty damn cool. If you've gotten that far then you also fought...


















Darth Maul. That was cool. When Proxy said he had a program you had never fought, I guessed it would be Vader, but it was cooler that it was Maul. He royally f-ed me up the first couple times.

I'm on the Death Star level now, so I think I'm pretty close to the end.


















Back to the timeline question, I think that there is no way this takes place 3 years before A New Hope. Just look at Leia in the game. There's no way she's 17, I think she's closer to 14. So that would put it about 6 years before ANH. And Starkiller looked to be about 10 when he was found by Vader, so even if he isn't found until 4 years after Sith, then he would be about 20 in the game, which seems about right. He doesn't look like he's supposed to be in his 30's.

I tried finding an "official" timeline, but came up umpty.

How long did it take you to pull down the Star Destroyer, Teek?

I tried for an hour before I had to stop, lest my controller would've become embedded in the wall.

It's a bad game that isn't worth the time.

Ipsilon wrote:How long did it take you to pull down the Star Destroyer, Teek?

I tried for an hour before I had to stop, lest my controller would've become embedded in the wall.

My first few attempts seemed to take forever, but when I actually succeeded it was pretty quick. I think I took down about 3 waves of TIEs and then brought it down.

Let me know what you think after you get past it.

What do you do to kill the TIEs? I can get all of them but the last two pretty quickly, then it takes for ever to catch that last one, and by then, the Star Destroyer has turned so much, I can barely start pulling it down before another wing comes to say hello.