Game News - Star Wars: Force Unleashed details spilled by Nokia

Game News - Star Wars: Force Unleashed details spilled by Nokia

While working at the new and shiny N-Gage platform, Nokia had the chance to speak with Haden Blackman, Project Lead, LucasArts, and Henri Roth, Creative Director of Universomo, the development studio tasked with creating the mobile version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

The interview is from December last year but it's still a very interesting read, especially because of the details about a mobile version of the game. Enjoy!

N-Gage.com: In Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, the player takes on the role of an apprentice to Darth Vader. Why is he called just 'the secret apprentice'? Is his actual name revealed during the game?
Blackman: He’s a “secret apprentice” because Darth Vader is training him in complete isolation to one day help him overthrow the Emperor. No one can know that the Apprentice exists -- if the Emperor discovered his existence, he would kill both Vader and the Apprentice. What is the Secret Apprentice's mission? What is he trying to do?
Blackman: Early on, the Apprentice is aiding Vader on his quest to purge the galaxy of the remaining Jedi. But, he’s really being trained to one day stand beside Vader against the Emperor. However, the story goes through several twists and turns, so the Apprentice’s goals at the end of the game are not necessarily the same as they are at the beginning. What is Emperor Palpatine's Order 66 and how does that affect the game?
Blackman: Order 66 was the order Palpatine issued to wipe out the Jedi in Episode III. Since that time, the Jedi have been on the run or in hiding. It’s part of Darth Vader’s job to hunt down any of these survivors. Who are some of his supporting characters and what roles do they play in the game?
Blackman: Darth Vader and the Emperor both play major roles in the game. Vader is your mentor early on, providing you with missions and training. The Emperor is this ever-present threat: will he discover you or not? We also introduce some new characters: the Apprentice is joined on his missions by a skilled and beautiful pilot named Juno Eclipse and his droid sidekick, PROXY, who can use advanced hologram technology to become other characters. Both of these characters remain with the Apprentice throughout the story. Princess Leia, Bail Organa, and other characters from the Star Wars canon also make appearances in key roles. How does the player interact with Darth Vader?
Blackman: Initially, the player will be receiving his missions from Vader. It’s the Apprentice’s hope that he can prove himself skilled enough to stand side-by-side with Vader agains the Emperor and ultimately help Vader rule the galaxy.
FORCE UNLEASHED MOBILE QUESTIONS What Force Powers does the Secret Apprentice possess? Can they be combined or modified through the course of the game?
Roth: There is a wide choice of dark and light side Force Powers. The player can learn five offensive and four defensive Force powers in all. The Force Powers range from Force Grip to Forge Lightning and from Force Heal to Force Protect. New Force Powers are learned chapter by chapter and old Force Powers grow in effect and in range. This is The Force Unleashed so expect to be able to throw space ships and rip structures apart in the final levels. What locations in the Star Wars universe will the player visit during the game?
Roth: The game will feature at least the following locations: Episode III's Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk, the floral Felucia, plus an Imperial TIE fighter construction facility. Who helped put the story together? How did you keep it authentic to the Star Wars universe?
Roth: The mobile game story is based on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed console game storyline that has been developed by LucasArts under the direction of George Lucas. Of course we also happily had many opportunities to see all of the movies again... What kind of game is The Force Unleashed? Will the N-Gage version be real-time or turn-based?
Roth: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is played in real-time. The game is a story-driven action game much in the vein of shooter games. There is also the occasional puzzle thrown in to add to the sense of adventure. What does the pattern of nine sky blue dots that we see on all the screen shots signify?
Roth: That is the CellWeaver™ grid and mobile control system used to reflect the pattern that the player has woven with the mobile keypad. The Universomo CellWeaver™ mobile control system enables the use of complex moves without forcing the player to learn long key sequences by heart. The player simply memorizes a visual pattern which can be reproduced, or “woven”, with the mobile phone’s keypad. All of the patterns can be reproduced and represented on the 3 by 3 grid that corresponds to the keypad of the mobile phone. Is the game real-time or turn-based on N-Gage?
Roth: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is played in real-time. The game is a story-driven action game much in the vein of shooter games. There is also the occasional puzzle thrown in to add to the sense of adventure. When will it be coming out for N-Gage?
Roth: To be announced later :)SOURCE

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