The Force Unleashed for Wii gets exclusive content
by Ross Miller 
{ Jan 28th 2008 at 5:30PM }
According to Krome Studios' Ed Tucker (via CVG), "On the Wii we have places where the story veers off and we go and explore something, take the game in a different direction, like the Jedi Temple level." Krome is handling the Wii, PSP and PS2 versions of the title. No mention of exclusive content PS3 and Xbox 360 owners might have.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
doc j @ Jan 28th 2008 5:40PM
Wow. This game is hitting a lot of platforms. No DS love?
mnk @ Jan 28th 2008 5:51PM
Yep. DS and PSP, too. Basically, every current platform (including the PS2) except the PC.
Ross Miller @ Jan 28th 2008 5:50PM
The DS version is being done by n-Space, and I forget who, but someone is working on the ngage version (according to the not-so-reliable Wikipedia, but God I hope it's true!).
Lone Starr @ Jan 28th 2008 5:40PM
"No mention of exclusive content PS3 and Xbox 360 owners might have."
You answered your own question.
"[The Wii] is unlikely to enjoy the full potential of three physics engines."
Don't kill me. I love my Wii too (D2).
*ducks*
jsn @ Jan 28th 2008 7:18PM
naturally the Wii version is going to be the dumpy, lifeless version, but you'll be able to half-assedly swing your lightsaber 'like for realz!!' and that will be good enough for a million units sold.... the gimmick rolls on...
Fatass of Kickassness @ Jan 28th 2008 8:17PM
Jan, I know you're not the type to look into things (blind hatred and assumptions are much more your style) but thus far the Wii version is actually looking like a decent, if not good purchase next to its HD counterparts. We'll just have to wait and see.
rv @ Jan 28th 2008 8:24PM
No 3 physics engine- not interested. Quality over quantity. If the 3 levels suck what's the point?
Fatass of Kickassness @ Jan 28th 2008 8:26PM
Whos to say they suck simply due to missing engines? Hands ons with the game suggest the opposite.
UltimateQ @ Jan 28th 2008 11:16PM
Its ok. the PC version will smoke the others. Until they announce there will be no PC version.
Geist @ Jan 29th 2008 2:17AM
PC version is always better, barring half-assed ports.
kbomb1upc @ Jan 29th 2008 10:06AM
@Fatass of Kickassness
I'm not a man to assume things but the game was built for the three engines from day one. And without them it’s just an average game.
Jeff @ Jan 28th 2008 5:41PM
There's no way this version is going to be anything similar to the ps3 or 360 versions anyway. Wholly different games in my eyes.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Jan 28th 2008 5:44PM
Depending on your perspective, the Wii version is the one to own.
Motion controlled Light Saber AND force powers? Holy crap. The only version with multiplayer, double holy crap. Extra levels not in the 360 or PS3? Triple holy crap.
That said, missing out on the realistic particle physics and AI will be disappointing.
RoboChamp @ Jan 28th 2008 5:48PM
I wouldn't get too excited... The controls may be gesture based, which would be a waste...
Raikage (Wii FC 5508 0487 4434 0992) @ Jan 29th 2008 12:59AM
The extra content will probably be a crapy racing level.
That's not sarcasm either. I might rent it but I'll for sure try the 360 version.
XanthouS @ Jan 28th 2008 5:45PM
Additional content seems like a good way to make up for hardware restraints.
I'll be playing this on my PS3 over my Wii, though. I'll sacrifice game length for quality any day (Assassin's Creed is a prime example).
LiK @ Jan 28th 2008 5:48PM
Good news: Additional content.
Bad news: Uglier graphics.
Batzarro @ Jan 28th 2008 5:48PM
Your gonna be able to find Voldo and kill him!
Daniel D @ Jan 28th 2008 5:52PM
lol the wii is easily going to be the worst version to own
Trev @ Jan 28th 2008 6:02PM
Harsh, but I kind of agree.
When you're force throwing bodies and debris at some unsuspecting sand people, the "OH SHI--!" comes from the object interactions and physics. Stuff snapping apart and limbs flailing. I don't think the acting of shoving a nunchuck forward is going to replace the excessive carnage.
But, as someone above mentioned, the games are probably going to be very different and just end up sharing a title anyway, so eh. The Wii version just isn't for me.
religiousjedi @ Jan 28th 2008 6:02PM
I find your lack of faith disturbing...
:l
Daniel D @ Jan 28th 2008 6:28PM
Don't get me wrong extra content is great and all that but well as people say the Wii was never meant to be in the same league as the PS3 or Xbox and I have no doubt it will show....
Mr Khan @ Jan 28th 2008 7:06PM
And it won't show on the PS2/PSP version?
glass soldier @ Jan 28th 2008 7:06PM
wheres the proof fanboy, wheres the proof?
RTFalconer @ Jan 28th 2008 6:01PM
Has anyone official confirmed the Wii will lack the three physics engines? I know it is being handled by different people, but everything I have read seems to say that the Wii version will have extra content, nothing about what is lost in translation other than graphics. The most I have heard on the subject is speculation...
Microdot @ Jan 28th 2008 6:33PM
according to their interview in game informer, the wii/ps2/etc versions will be completely different games, and will lack the physics engines (all of them) the 360/ps3 versions will have. its in this months issue.
JLTorrente @ Jan 28th 2008 6:39PM
From the article:
Also in the preview, Tucker talks about how the studio overcame the technical limitations of the console. "The likes of Euphoria and DMM are groundbreaking and we couldn't copy them.
"What we did was try to look at the concept and idea behind it and get as close as we could. The ragdolls in the Wii version are robust, they look really good."
RTFalconer @ Jan 28th 2008 6:47PM
Thanks guys, after reading the line in the post that said- "[Wii version] is unlikely to enjoy the full potential of three physics engines", I assumed with the word choice of "unlikely" they meant there still wasn't much info about it...Guess that goes to prove the saying about assuming things...
Nessuno @ Jan 28th 2008 6:09PM
I'd like to go on record saying that "physics engines" are overrated and over-hyped gimmicks.
Gameplay matters; physics engines don't.
Daniel @ Jan 28th 2008 6:16PM
One could argue that physics engines fundamentally affect gameplay for various reasons.
joeyg @ Jan 28th 2008 6:17PM
physics engines just make the game more realistic, which adds to the enjoyment, which = gameplay....
Leobebes @ Jan 28th 2008 6:19PM
That's it Lucasarts, did you hear that physics engines don't matter! Throw away all those years and money of R&D developing your touted havoc engine! We don't want no stinkin' fancy gaming techniques that continue to evolve the industry which we most cherish.
Cyro @ Jan 28th 2008 6:58PM
what?
jsn @ Jan 28th 2008 7:22PM
and you say that in reference to a console that is itself, nothing more than a gimmick... ironic..
samfish @ Jan 28th 2008 9:54PM
Physics engines, just like attach ratios, ARE completely over hyped, misunderstood fanboy bullshit.
NO ONE, not even PC gamers, gave a shit about such things until MS and Sony started yammering endlessly about them around 2005 or so.
They hardly do anything other than create moderately more realistic effects, which do about as much to add to the "immersion" of a game as motion controls do.
Stop buying into fanboy propaganda, girls.
Autopsy15 @ Jan 28th 2008 11:25PM
@ Nessuno + samfish
You must be stupid or something.
A physics engine is what makes boxes fly when you hit them, and smash to pieces when you hit them harder. It's what makes a guy flop to the ground when you blow his brains across the floor. It's what makes your car in Burnout do sweet flips and smash other cars into buildings. It's what makes you fucking JUMP.
Why the hell would you think physics engines aren't important?
d-pad @ Jan 29th 2008 12:56AM
Samfish, I'm sorry, but that truly was a retarded thing to say.
Geist @ Jan 29th 2008 2:21AM
I agree with Samfish. Wow, boxes break apart when you hit them. I sure want that over some gameplay.
Physics are pretty to look at, yes. But after I've seen the twentieth body fly 'realistically' through the air (which I have yet to see), I start looking for something better. Half-Life 2 is the only game that I've seen use physics in a way affecting gameplay, and even then, it's like "Oh good, another see-saw puzzle. Joy."
Whenever I think of the physics in this game, I just think of using force push over and over again, then getting kind of bored.
Leobebes @ Jan 28th 2008 6:17PM
Have a great time trying to decipher who is Darth Vader and what is a black trash can Wii owners!
/I keed
aristokrat @ Jan 28th 2008 7:08PM
You just need a 50" 1080p screen so you can tell the difference in the 4 giant pixels! =P
Though in all seriousness, I'm surprised how good some Wii games can look when you have fancy upscaling equipment with fancy upscaling algorithms. I just wish I didn't have to have a tiny black border around everything.
Co @ Jan 28th 2008 10:43PM
leobebes i literally lawl'd reading your comment. +1 for u sir.
justnotthatpunk @ Feb 7th 2008 6:59PM
Best comment ever!!!1111!! LOLZ!
Edog Lost @ Jan 28th 2008 6:27PM
Wii additional content -> Waggle
CONFIRMED
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Jan 28th 2008 6:44PM
There's been a couple of write ups on recent wii builds. There's a link to one on VGChartz thats very positive.
Here it is
http://wii.gamespy.com/wii/star-wars-the-force-unleashed/847629p1.html
Pulled from: http://www.vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=15433
Basically, this game is going to all kinds of awesome, on ANY platform.
"Although every version of The Force Unleashed will follow the story of Darth Vader's Jedi-whupping apprentice, each version of the game will also have unique features and gameplay design. LucasArts stressed this heavily, but it also showed in the gameplay: these are not ports. There is one team on the HD versions, one studio on the PSP, PS2, and Wii versions, and one studio on the DS versions.
She May Not Look Like Much...
After showing off the eye-blistering power of the HD-gen versions of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, LucasArts surprised us by jumping right into a Wii demonstration. What surprised us was that it looked to be just as compelling. We're not signing off on the high-gloss features of the HD-gen versions, such as the Digital Molecular Matter and Euphoria technologies, or the high-def visuals. But after seeing the Jedi temple exploration, a level not present on the HD-gen versions of the game, we are just as excited for the Wii version as we are for the HD-gen versions. This is, we think, a first.
One of the first things shown off for the Wii was the use of the Wii Remote as the lightsaber control, via motion-sensing. Since this isn't a dueling game but a "kicking ass with the Force" game, the controls aren't too complex. The lightsaber is just one Force-driven piece of ass-kickery. Watching the Secret Apprentice whup on the Stormtroopers and Royal Shadow Guard (we think -- not totally certain on that guy!) who were stationed to defend the ruins of the Jedi temple in the wake of Order 66, we saw very soft motions in any direction easily translated into fluid, cool-looking lightsaber attacks. We think that we're going to be very pleased with the final version of the Wii lightsaber controls.
Beyond that, the game looks much more comfortable with its own gameplay than the HD-gen version. Without the need to invent their own technological wheels, the current-gen (and yeah, that includes the Wii) team seems to be able to focus on gameplay. The encounters between the Apprentice and the Stormtroopers in the tight corridors of the Temple and its wide-open spaces were fantastic clashes, with crumbling stonework and collapsible walls making sure that Force powers got as many chances to look cool as possible. But the real cherry of this demo was the Jedi trial.
The trial manifested as a duel / boss fight versus Darth Desolous, an evil-looking alien garbed in red and black. His fighting style uses a massive black lightsaber-blocking shield, combined with his own lightsaber and Force attacks. As a Jedi trial, he's presumably a vision quest used to help tame the Dark Side. Of course, you can instead learn the melee-enhancing Dark Rage power if you defeat him here. The boss fights will lock you into an alternative "arena" camera, enhancing the overall presentation of fights. You'll also be able to "Force lock" and "saber lock," representing climactic moments when two combatants send Force power arcing at each other at the same moment, or when they find themselves fighting saber-to-saber. These moments will require rotating the Remote or nunchuk just so, following on-screen instructions, until you or your enemy seize the initiative and can punch forward, buying a momentary advantage.
The big exclusive feature for the Wii version, other than awesome sword-fighting controls, is duel mode. Duel mode lets you take your choice of character (Mara Jade was confirmed, presumably to sooth furious fans in the wake of recent expanded universe events) and your choice of level, and battle it out in a no-holds-barred two-player battle. We saw Kashyyk and Genosis confirmed as battle venues, as well as Hoth. The mode looks pretty simplistic, to be honest, but fun. With confined spaces to fight in that promise plenty of obstacles (like rebel soldiers shooting from the edges in the TIE hangar level) and ready Force ammo (like a destructible TIE fighter in the same level), duel mode should be low-key fun.
But She's Got It Where It Counts
We're pretty excited to see what LucasArts has planned for The Force Unleashed on current-gen. Most publishers and developers can't push wholly unique versions of games for alternate platforms, instead just down-scaling an existing HD-gen title for current-gen and handhelds and calling it a day. With this version of The Force Unleashed covering all the content of the other titles (as detailed in our 360 preview), as well as adding unique areas to explore that reveal a bit more of the Secret Apprentice's past and even a unique multiplayer offering, we think we're going to be a bit spoiled when it comes to The Force Unleashed on the Wii. And we could use being spoiled now and again. "
aristokrat @ Jan 28th 2008 7:13PM
Man, if only Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony would get together and make one unified GamerScore, that would be totally sweet. But I have to admit, when games are multi-platform like this, Xbox's achievements always force my hand (it's just too fun competing with friends for gamer points). Call me an achievement-whore, but it's a great concept.
Cr33pingParanoia @ Jan 28th 2008 7:13PM
It really pisses me off that most game developers are just treating the Wii like a PS2 with motion control. It's not as powerful as the 360 or PS3, but it's still much more technically capable than last generation's systems.
That said, I think if LucasArts treats it right, the Wii version of The Force Unleashed still has the potential to be very good. I'll wait for reviews to decide which version to get.
Russ @ Jan 28th 2008 7:28PM
Wait for the reviews? Now why on earth would you do that when you can just belittle the version of your choice on this thread?
Batzarro @ Jan 28th 2008 7:27PM
SHA-HAHAHAHAhahahahaha...wait, you serious?
KayRazy Ken Kutaragi @ Jan 28th 2008 7:55PM
Let me spell it out for you. Let us say the GameCube and the PS2 are A ball, that would make the Wii double AA ball. The 360 is a bad ML team. And the PS3, the Yankees, Boston, Detroit, Cleveland...basically any of the best teams.
The Wii is to a golf-cart as the PS3 is to an Indy-car.
Waggle on I say, waggle on.
Face it My sytem is the best.
Praise be to Me.
Mal F4cti0n @ Jan 28th 2008 8:27PM
True, its sucks and it probably won't change. Developing specifically for the Wii would require a game developed for one system, and third party developers wouldn't want to count on losing money if the software sales for the "only Nintendo games are successful" console don't allow them to recoup the development costs.
One version for the 360 and the PS3 (which have similar power) and one version for the Wii and PS2 (which have similar power). I am sure that the resolution and frame rate will be much better on the Wii version.