Star Wars: The Force Unleashed [X360]

WATCH FORCE UNLEASHED WEBDOC 3 DOWNLOAD FORCE UNLEASHED WEBDOC 3

Set for release on six platforms - the 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, DS and PSP - The Force Unleashed is all about being a badass Jedi. That means using powers like Force Push and Force Grip to toss stormtroopers around like dolls, electrifying objects and enemies with Force Lightning, or even cutting to the chase by slicing and dicing with your trusty lightsaber. If they did it in one of the movies, you'll be able to do it here.

That includes zipping through the air using a dash move and effortlessly blocking laser blasts with your lightsaber. You'll find depth in the form of upgrading both your Force abilities and standard talents like base damage and overall health. To that end, two different lightsaber styles thankfully keep the button-mashing to a minimum. A new combo system lets you combine powers to create devastating attacks. You might light up a bad guy with a torrent of lightning, then use Force Push to hurl him at others as an electrified cannonball. A quick sprint move infused with some force can turn you into a lethal battering ram. The more creative you can get, the more damage you can deal.

And trust us when we say you've never seen damage handled like this before. For The Force Unleashed, LucasArts crafted the most realistic interactive version of Star Wars to date. Using a combination of Havok physics, NaturalMotion's Euphoria tech and Pixelux's Digital Molecular Matter (DMM) engine, the development team has built a stunning simulation the likes of which has never been seen before in a video game.

Here's how it works. The underlying action is powered by Havok, which most gamers have experienced in one form or another as the cool, ragdoll physics in action games. Havok applies to most environmental objects like barrels or crates - but enemies, however, can be infused with Euphoria, a procedural animation technology that adds extra realism. Enemies will generate their own animations based on what's happening to them at any given time. That might mean grabbing on to a railing to avoid being jerked into the air, or trying to right themselves while dangling upside down. It's a little like instinct; no one action is pre-determined by the developers.

Then there's DMM, which imbues materials and substances with lifelike properties. In most video games, destructible objects break apart in very specific ways - they're essentially programmed to fall apart when struck enough times by the player. But with DMM, a wooden door will splinter differently if you hit it in different places and with different amounts of force, while a metal wall will merely buckle and bend. Things work the way they should rather than the way the designers purposely intended. For a more complete explanation, we again urge you to watch that webdoc, because it's awesome.

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