Review: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (2010)

'What you have seen, follow it you must.'

★★★½

I was a big fan of the first game and its novelization. With the second game, I wasn't as enthusiastic, although I still enjoyed it. When I finally picked up the novelization of "The Force Unleashed II (2010)," I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

Sean Williams takes Haden Blackman's story and fleshes it out more than the game developers did. The problem with the game, especially with the flagship port (PC, PS3, and Xbox 360), was the lack of character development and the rushed storyline. Many things were left unresolved due to the story's hurried pace. For example, the game never explains what General Kota was doing on Cato Neimoidia, nor does it explain how Starkiller and Kota found the Rebel Alliance fleet, among other things.

Unlike the first game, the second game fails to develop its characters. However, the novelization provides more context, depth, and sympathy for these characters we've grown to love from the first game and its novelization. For example, in the game (specifically, the flagship port), Kota and Starkiller are constantly screaming at each other about Starkiller's feelings of being "lost." In the novelization, however, Kota and Starkiller do not scream at each other as much, aside from the infamous scene where Starkiller wants a place to meditate. Instead, Kota and Starkiller work together and plan without resorting to shouting matches.

Other characters also receive development. Juno Eclipse, PROXY, and even Leia Organa are given more depth. We get to see what kind of leader Juno is, as she described in the previous story. I love her relationship with Leia Organa. Both are around the same age and can build off each other, despite Leia's reluctance to go against her father's wishes. As for PROXY, he feels "lost" without his primary programming but later realizes that he doesn't need it because his presence is more important than his primary programming.

Some other minor details in this novel include a "prologue" story leading up to the events at the start of the main story, such as Kota's "disappearance" on Cato Neimoidia, Juno's suspension, the failed capture of Tarkin, and Admiral Ackbar's recruitment to the Rebel Alliance. Also, Dagobah is more fleshed out here, unlike in the flagship port of the game, which consists of just three minutes of jumping over rocks looking for hidden items.

As I mentioned, the game doesn't tell the full story. This novel thankfully fleshes out the story more, and I'm fully aware of how overlooked this novel is because of the game's poor reputation. Without considering the game's shortcomings, this novel is pretty good.