Star Wars - The Force Unleased II (PS3)

So err....where's the rest of it?

What do you mean that's it? It's only been a few hours! I've only sat down and played you twice! You're trying to tell me that every time you showed one of those fancy cut-scenes that was a level? But they're all set in only 4 different places! 8 levels?! You have to be kidding me!

very short, this cameo will be!

See, I gave the Force Unleashed II a chance. I avoided the 1st after it was panned mercilessly. I thought I owed it to the franchise to give this one a go and judge it for myself. I've always loved the Star Wars games and this looked like a more flash, consoley Jedi Knight to me. I was just beginning to realise it wasn't anywhere near that good when it ended. The most irritating thing was how it ended. After button smashing your way through a couple of hours of mindless fighting you're finally presented with a choice. Great, thought I.
When games offer you some choices there usually about to branch out in different and interesting ways! I thought even this basic choice was about to open the game up into new avenues. Turns out it was just going to decide which ending sequence I saw. What a let down!

press X repeatedly now.

I'd like to say that the little on offer here was good, but I can't even say that. From the get go it's all fast paced, action packed button mashing with little or no regard for anything else. The occasional different enemy is thrown at you to keep you from completely switching off, but these only force you to switch the buttons you were smashing for a different set, with the same outcome. And they throw in an occasional big enemy which you hack away at and then follow the button prompts on screen to do away with in exactly the same way every time. It's utterly tedious and too easy by half. Rinse & repeat, throw in a handful of boss fights (and I mean only a small handful) and this game is over before you know it.

As far as storyline goes, I could barely register one. I know I've not played the first but it doesn't seem I missed much. So you, the main character, as Vader's apprentice (again) go rogue (again) after being unable to deal with flash backs from the previous game. You then for some reason go and try to save an old General of the Rebels whose also a Jedi and who is for some reason in captivity. Then it's on to saving your old love interest. Then it's the end credits.

I really can't get over how disappointing this game really is. It could have been a fairly successful game but it cuts itself short before it even gets going. I'm clutching at straws to explain how the developers could release a game as short as this and claim it's value for money.

3/10