Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 trailer goes live

By Ryan Fleming October 8, 2010

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Even if the game ends up being terrible, you have to hand it to LucasArts — they know how to cut a trailer. Hopefully that won’t be an issue, because what we have seen looks fairly awesome. The newest look at the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II shows off a bit of gameplay mixed with the storyline, and if it can fix the minor flaws that plagued the first one, this could be the surprise hit of the year. And yes, it might seem odd to consider a Star Wars game as a surprise hit, but sandwiched between Halo: Reach and Call of Duty: Black Ops, The Force Unleashed II has its work cut out for it if it wants to loosen the figurative purse strings of gamers.

The game picks up roughly seven months after the events of its 2008 predecessor, and about one year before the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Once again you step into the role of Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, Starkiller. Starkiller believes that he is a clone and soon escapes Vader’s grasp to discover who and what he really is. To lure him out of hiding, Vader hires Bobba Fett to find Juno Eclipse, Starkiller’s love interest.

We originally saw some of the gameplay in action back at E3, but it was still in an early stage of development. The game should be done, or very close to it by now, so the advertising push should begin any day now. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II comes out for the PC, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 on October 26.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…

Gaming

The best trailers from The Game Awards 2022: Judas, Death Stranding 2, and more

A partially destroyed robot sits in Judas' reveal trailer.

The Game Awards 2022 was full of awesome reveals, and many of them had amazing trailers that we're still eager to rewatch after the show. From clever music choices to flashy visuals to stunning cast reveals, these seven trailers stuck out above the rest. If you don't experience anything else from The Game Awards 2022, make sure you still check out these trailers for Replaced, Judas, Death Stranding 2, and more.
Replaced
REPLACED - World Premiere Trailer | The Game Awards 2022
The best trailer of The Game Awards 2022's Opening Act pre-show was Replaced, an indie darling that made a strong first impression with a trailer at Xbox's E3 2022 showcase. This indie game stands out because of its utterly beautiful pixel art that looks just as good, if not even better, than HD-2D games like Live A Live. Even outside of Replaced's inherent style, this is just a well-paced trailer that slowly builds up the game's atmosphere before a song needle drop that compliments the trailer showcasing the game's action and platforming. Heading into 2023, Replaced is an indie that should definitely be on your radar.
Hades II
Hades II - Reveal Trailer
The first trailer of The Game Awards 2022's main show wasn't too shabby either. Starting with some fantastic animation made by Studio Grackle, it slowly becomes clear that this is an action-packed follow-up to one of the best game's ever made. The animation on its own would've been good enough to whet fans' appetites, but Supergiant Games also decided to show quite a bit of gameplay in the reveal trailer, affirming that Hades II will have the same smooth and satisfying combat as its predecessor.
Judas
Judas Official Reveal Trailer | Game Awards 2022
We finally got a look at BioShock creator Ken Levine's first project in almost a decade at The Game Awards 2022, and its reveal trailer didn't disappoint. We're introduced to the main character Judas and the eccentric cast of characters they'll have to form alliances with pretty quickly, and we then get a look at the creepy sci-fi setting and gameplay that's certainly reminiscent of BioShock. While this trailer doesn't reveal much more about the game, we can't wait to see what Ken Levin has in store for us with Judas.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Official Reveal Trailer
There's nothing else quite like a good Star Wars trailer, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's The Game Awards 2022 trailer hits all the right notes. It not only sets the stage for a story that will be a little more intense than Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order but introduces us to new characters like mercenary Bode Akuna and awesome gameplay mechanics like dual-wielding lightsabers, riding animals, and freezing time with the Force. Ending it on a March 17 release date confirmation also proved that this great-looking game is coming much sooner than viewers may have thought.
Death Stranding 2
DEATH STRANDING 2（Working Title）- TGA 2022 Teaser Trailer
Hideo Kojima is a master of releasing trailers that don't really tell players much about the game but still get the viewer very hyped. Most of the original Death Stranding's trailers were masterpieces, and Death Stranding 2's reveal trailer lives up to that quality. We see some cultists, then Lea Sedouyx playing with and then fleeing an attack with an actual baby. She fails, and we then flash to a corrupted BB tank, the game's logo, and then a conversation between her and Norman Reedus' Sam Porter Bridges. After the cast and credits of the trailer, we then get a look at Troy Baker's character, who seems to be the cultist villain of the game, as well as tentacles emerging in a BB tank. As always with new Kojima games, we're utterly intrigued.
Crime Boss: Rockay City
Crime Boss: Rockay City Announcement Trailer [ESRB 4K]
Crime Boss: Rockay City's reveal trailer was memorable because of how it unveiled this first-person heist game's star-studded cast. After a quick intro introducing us to Rockay City, we get looks at Michael Madsen as Travis Baker, Kim Basinger as Casey, Damion Poitier as Nasara, Danny Trejo as The Dragon, Danny Glover as Gloves, Michael Rooker as Touchdown, Vanilla Ice as Hielo, and Chuck Norris in this smoothly edited trailer. Crime Boss: Rockay City certainly leaves a strong first impression; let's see if the gameplay lives up to that.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON – Reveal Trailer
Following Geoff Keighley's introduction to this trailer, it seemed like this trailer was for a new FromSoftware game, but we couldn't be sure. The post-apocalyptic sci-fi landscapes don't look like anything the developer has made recently. Slowly, it becomes clear that it's a new Armored Core game as the game's tagline "Feed the fire. Let the last cinders burn" and PlatinumGames logo show up. The Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon announcement trailer climaxes with some awesome mecha action, getting us very hyped for FromSoftware's first project post-Elden Ring.

Gaming

Why Cameron Monaghan wanted a ‘darker’ Cal Kestis in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Cal stands beneath the clouds in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor key art.

When we first met Cal Kestis in 2019’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, he was just a young Padawan. A redheaded kid draped in an unflattering poncho, Cal would grow into a full-blown Jedi by the end of the game. It was a classic Star Wars arc in video game form, but one that left players wanting more. It’s great that we got to see that growth, but who could resist the idea of a sequel where his newly awakened powers would be fully unleashed?
Cameron Monaghan, who reprises his role as Cal in next year’s Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, had that same itch. The Gotham and Shameless star was already thinking about where Cal could go next before Fallen Order was even out. Monaghan’s ambitions weren’t focused so much on what kinds of cool lightsaber tricks Cal could pick up between games, but rather how to bring more complexity to one of Star Wars’ newest Jedis.

“In the first game, he had a naivete and a wide-eyed nature that I love about Cal,” Monaghan tells Digital Trends. “But I think tha,t situationally, if you’re in such a desperate place for so many years and fighting and being a soldier and a tool for resistance, at some point, it’s going to start to change the way you see the world around you.”
I sat down with Cameron Monaghan ahead of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s grand reveal at this year’s Game Awards. The actor explained how Cal has changed in the five-year time skip between games and shared fresh details on the sequel’s new companion character, Bode Akuna. Monaghan explained the balancing act that comes with trying to stay focused on a character’s personal journey when working within a much larger, expanded universe -- and he offered some praise for Andor too.
Back before a sequel was greenlit, when you were waiting to see if Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order would get one, what did you want to do with Cal Kestis if you got a second run with him?
When we were making the first game, we had inklings that we would maybe want to do more with it if it was successful. I’ll never forget when we had the wrap party for the first game and Stig Asmussen, the head of Respawn, was like, “What do you want to do?” I had this crazy moment where I was like, “Wow, I really wish I was more prepared for this!’”
But I was able to give a broad strokes answer: I wanted to see Cal a number of years on from the first game and see him mature and have a different outlook. A more complex, darker, more challenged character. In the first game, he had a naivete and a wide-eyed nature that I love about Cal. But I think that, situationally, if you’re in such a desperate place for so many years and fighting and being a soldier and a tool for resistance, at some point, it’s going to start to change the way you see the world around you. I wanted to explore what that looked like for Cal.
He’s been through some stuff, and I think over the last two years, we’ve all been through some stuff, man!

Gaming

First Star Wars Jedi: Survivor trailer features dual-lightsaber combat, open-world teases

Cal Kestis with BD-1 droid on his shoulder.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is launching on March 17, 2023, for Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and PC. The action-adventure game received an impressive trailer during The Game Awards that showed off several new features and teased some potential open-world aspects.
Survivor takes place five years after 2019’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, continuing the adventures of Cal Kestis and his droid pal BD-1. Cal is no longer a young Padawan and is now a full-blown Jedi. The much larger scope of the game seems to reflect that change.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Official Reveal Trailer
Combat is notably evolved in the trailer, as Cal can now freely use a dual-lightsaber stance in battle. Later, we see him enter “cross guard” stance as he takes down droids with heavy, two-handed slashes. EA tells Digital Trends that the goal of the sequel is to give players more agency when it comes to their playstyle.
Traversal plays a large role in the clip too. In addition to swinging around via grappling points, Cal is seen mounted on animals. He’s shown riding the back of a four-legged creature and using a winged one like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s glider. The clip seems to imply that the game’s planets might be more open-ended than Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’s, as one shot shows Cal peering out over a gigantic vista. EA notes that the sequel is still largely a Metroidvania-inspired title where Cal gets new abilities over time.
Cal has a new human companion this time named Bode Akuna. In one clip, we see Bode flipping over Cal’s back to attack an enemy with a combo move.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was built with current-generation consoles in mind, with ray tracing being a major focus. It appears to be a graphically impressive showcase that features more dynamic lighting and flashy lightsaber effects. The adventure won’t launch on PS4 or Xbox One, but it’ll be available for PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on March 17, 2023.