Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

In this action-adventure from LucasArts, you play Starkiller, Darth Vader's secret apprentice. Between Star Wars Episodes III and IV, he travels across the galaxy to track down surviving Jedi. The story tests his loyalty.

The focus is on a lightsaber, exaggerated Force powers and fixed missions. The platform versions differ considerably in some cases in controls, technology and additional content.

The first console versions appeared in September 2008. Alongside the HD versions supervised by LucasArts, standalone versions were made for Wii, PS2, PSP and Nintendo DS. On PC, the Ultimate Sith Edition is sold, which Steam dates to November 3, 2009.

On April 20, 2022, Aspyr released the Wii-based version on Nintendo Switch. This is neither a port of the PC Ultimate Sith Edition nor a new game. The Xbox 360 version can run on newer Xbox consoles via backward compatibility, without being a native release there.

Historical native versions exist for Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, Nintendo DS and iOS, and later also for PC. Switch received its own version in 2022. The versions differ in technology, controls, level design and additional modes.

On Nintendo Switch, Aspyr uses the Wii version as a template, with optional Joy-Con motion controls and a local duel mode. The PC version is called Ultimate Sith Edition and includes different additional content. A native Xbox Series X|S or PS5 port cannot be inferred from the mere backward compatibility of older games.

Starkiller combines fast lightsaber attacks with Force Grip, Force Push and other abilities. He can move enemies and parts of the environment with supernatural powers. Lucasfilm names Havok, Digital Molecular Matter and Euphoria as the technical foundations for enemy and object reactions.

The story is a single-player campaign. Wii and Switch also offer a local duel mode, in which two people face each other with a choice of 27 characters. This is not an online mode and not a co-op campaign.

The PC package Ultimate Sith Edition includes the original campaign and three additional missions that take up alternative events from the classic Star Wars trilogy: the Jedi Temple, Tatooine and Hoth. The Hoth chapter was a new addition to this edition.

This bonus content is not part of the Switch port. Aspyr explicitly confirms that its basis is the Wii version. Buyers should therefore not expect identical content on all platforms.

For the Ultimate Sith Edition, Steam originally lists a Core 2 Duo at 2.4 GHz or Athlon X2 5200+, 2 GB RAM, DirectX 9.0c with a Shader 2.0-compatible graphics card with 256 MB of graphics memory, and 30 GB of free storage space. The recommended specs are a Core 2 Duo at 2.8 GHz and a GeForce 9800 GT-class graphics card with 512 MB.

These specifications are historical and do not guarantee trouble-free performance on modern computers. According to the store, the older Steam Mac version is not compatible with macOS Catalina and newer versions. The GOG release is listed as a DRM-free Windows version.

The Wii/Switch line has its own 1-vs-1 duel mode with 27 selectable characters. On Nintendo Switch, Joy-Con motion controls are optional, and the Pro Controller is also supported. Aspyr confirms German text and full German voice acting for the Switch version; the PC Ultimate Sith Edition also offers German for the interface, audio and subtitles.