The Star Wars films have spawned more video games than any other franchise, but none have been quite like the latest entry, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. The dark and violent previews for the game have shown a different kind of Star Wars than we’re used to.
“It’s a lot more mature in terms of the story and what you do,” explains Full Sail graduate David Rhodes, who’s working at LucasArts as a Character Technical Director on the game. “It’s a step outside of the main story, and fills in a lot of gaps that nobody knew about before.”
As a Character TD, David has been closely involved with the artists and modelers as they build a game that will take players further in the bleak direction seen at the end of Episode III. With a foot firmly planted on the dark side, the game puts you in the role of an apprentice of Darth Vader in the years between the two Star Wars trilogies. Your mission: destroy the last remaining Jedi littered across the galaxy.
“The secret apprentice has got some internal issues too, so it all makes for a really interesting story,” he offers. “It is kind of gritty, but I think it’s a really good turn in tone for Star Wars, because we have to find new ways of keeping this story entertaining to fans.”
The game’s combat system also reflects this shift, giving players a number of aggressive Force effects to wield. Abilities like telekinesis, lightning, and other powers are employed to level enemies. One of the most powerful cinematics we’ve seen shows the apprentice bringing down a massive Star Destroyer just with his Force powers.
“You can make combination attacks with the Force, and choose multiple different ways to destroy something,” David explains. “You’ll also be using the Force to change your environments, and even use them as a weapon. And with some of the technology we’re using, they’ll react realistically in terms of physics.”
The team at LucasArts is also pushing the level of realism with the animation and rigging technology employed in The Force Unleashed. This includes layering the characters and monsters with lifelike clothing – something David had worked with at his previous gig at Rhythm and Hues Studios, where he worked on such effects-driven films as Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Golden Compass.
“This game is getting closer to movies but it’s all done in real time,” David explains. “It’s one more thing to bring people in and make it all seem more realistic. It makes you more entranced by the things around you, and you have this virtual world with characters that look and feel real.”
The capabilities of today’s hardware have pushed the possibilities of the medium to a point where artists like George Lucas are able to use video games to expand upon their films. David explained that the Star Wars creator has taken an active role onThe Force Unleashed, with the technology offering him the freedom to give rabid fans an experience they couldn’t get in theaters.
“George Lucas has headed up our story because he’s really pushed for telling stories through video games,” David shares. “The graphics are getting so close to movie quality it’s like an interactive storytelling medium, and we can deliver elements of the movies that people have always wanted to play.”
Working with the team at LucasArts on the latest Star Wars game has been inspiring for David, with the storyline and technology expanding the possibilities of what we can expect from a Star Wars game. And as involved as he’s been on the project, he’s just as excited as us to see the game hit shelves this summer – if only as a fan of the series.
“I’m a Star Wars geek and played most every game based on it, so to actually be working on one is just amazing,” he shares. “It’s kind of funny because I actually try to distance myself a little from my work to make sure there’s still some surprises when I finally get to play the game! I don’t know the whole story, so I’m excited to play through it and see what sorts of secrets are revealed!”
