Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is out now on Nintendo Switch, bringing the 2008 game to 2022. It’s just a straight port of the Wii version, however, and the mixed reception in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Switch reviews speaks to the quality of the port, more so than the entry in the franchise. Many love Starkiller, and rightfully so.
While some games have offered choices between the Light and Dark Side like Knights of the Old Republic, very few have truly pushed the Dark Side like Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Sure, there’s a choice between the Light and Dark Side at the end, but by and large, players will be using the Dark Side and seeking to become a proper Sith Lord throughout the majority of it. There are plenty of Star Wars games in development currently, and hopefully, at least one of them puts players into the shoes of a Sith. This could be the trick to capture Starkiller’s lightning in a bottle. If it did, it would also be smart to take a few cues from Outriders.
It should be noted no such Sith game is known to be in development, as KOTOR Remake focuses more on player choice (though fans could almost certainly play it Sith-like), and Jedi: Fallen Order is not likely to go that way. Jedi: Fallen Order 2 is likely to approach the Force similar to the first game. Jedi or some form of balance are usually the main options, but a Sith game would need to really emphasize the characters right.
Star Wars Sith Games and Healing Issues
Sith are angry, passionate, and powerful. The original Force Unleashed captured this in a lot of ways, such as having Starkiller heal by damaging enemies. The Force Unleashed on the Switch, notably, changes this by having health pick-ups scattered around the field. Enemies can drop these too, but it is not very frequent. Thinking about this, how the original game used this concept and other ports backed away, it would be an interesting and good way to capture a Sith’s powers by introducing a healing mechanic similar to Outriders.
In Outriders, players have to be aggressive; they only heal by attacking. The Pyromancer heals when Marked enemies are killed, the Technomancer heals when dealing damage, the Trickster heals when an enemy is killed at close range, and the Devastator heals through all close-ranged kills. This provides variety and rewards aggressive playstyles, which would do well in a Sith game.
There could certainly be classes in a Star Wars game like this, where certain playstyles could be supported. Perhaps a solid action game could make engaging mechanics out of a Lightsaber’s deflection option, healing the player whenever they damage an enemy by doing so. It could be as simple as healing when dealing damage or specifically through something like Force Lightning. Perhap these could some ability that allows the player to channel the Dark Side, and it's only through this mode they can heal. A build, similar to Outriders' Trickster, could dial the Force Stop ability to 11 and be able to heal through the manipulation of that. There are plenty of options here, to say the least.
But an action RPG from the perspective of the Sith with engaging healing mechanics like Outriders sounds amazing. It would be fascinating to have to play aggressively, charging into battle with little health, a little Force Lightning left, and a trusty lightsaber, and emerging on top thanks to these powerful Sith abilities. It could never happen, but one can dream.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is available on DS, PC PS3, PSP, Switch, Wii, and Xbox 360.