After waiting through a media blitz of tie-in comic books, action figures, board games and even a reference book, loyal Star Wars gamers are finally able to play The Force Unleashed, LucasArts' latest console title.

But pent-up enthusiasm on the part of loyal fans does not translate to a great game. Reviewers have cut through the hype and are labeling the game mediocre at best, pointing to flaws in game play and a glitchy, unstable retail version.

A number of publications, including Gamespot, IGN, and Electronic Gaming Monthly, all highlighted an underwhelming gameplay experience, with Gamespot going as far as calling some of the sequences “inept.” Other problems including a frustrating control scheme, repetitive level design, and a dim-witted AI mar the game's otherwise immersive storyline. Overall, Metacritic rates the game’s aggregated review score at 70/100. If this were a classroom, The Force Unleashed would get a C-.

Labeling a LucasArts’ game midrange would have been unthinkable ten or fifteen years ago, when much of the firm's work was considered the best in the industry. In its heyday, LucasArts games like Dark Forces, Secret of Monkey Island, Grim Fandango and Tie Fighter were often featured on many reviewers’ top-ten lists and enjoyed years of play from hardcore gamers. LucasArts was also one of the rare production companies to buck the trend of terrible movie tie-in games. Instead, Star Wars titles wove together innovative features, solid storyline, and beautiful visuals to create some of the first gaming masterpieces tied to a movie franchise.

Now LucasArts seems to have fallen into a franchise lull. Games no longer capture the imagination and wonder that earlier titles like Sam & Max and Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight. The company has other problems as well: 80 percent of its production was laid off at the beginning of the summer and the company is outsourcing much of its creative and programming overseas.

LucasArts has not announced any new upcoming Star Wars titles but undoubtedly there will be more. Let’s hope next time LucasArts will be able to rekindle some of the magic and imagination of past years.

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