Lucas Arts turned up the heat during this year's E3 by unleashing the latest trailer of the next highly anticipated Force-using, butt-whooping, lightsaber wielding game in the Star Wars franchise. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is, by the looks of it, going to be the most epic title released in that line to date.

Set in the time between Episodes III and IV, players take control of Darth Vader's secret apprentice and are let loose on the universe to wreak havoc with the force. Utilizing the Digital Molecular Matter (DMM) developed by Pixelux Entertainment and NaturalMotion Ltd.'s euphoria technology, this game promises some of the most realistic physics and biological responses found within a game.

With beautifully rendered and intricately detailed animations, an epic storyline approved by George Lucas himself, and some of the most realistic environmental details this side of Naboo, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will surely bring out the Sith in you. Watch the trailers and give in to the call of the dark side.

 

If it isn't apparent from the pre-vis video that was released months ago, LucasArts wanted emphasize "kicking ass" with the Force in their game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

But how does the man behind the force, George Lucas take to all this Force-ass-kicking? Well, Star Wars: Force Unleashed project lead, Hayden Blackman informed the press at the Game Developers Conference 2007 that when he put together a "pre-viz" video (we're assuming that it's similar to the one released to the press) that showed off the interactivity and the force related physics in the game to Mr. Lucas, it was one of the most frightening moments of his life. He explains:

Here we were showing the guy who created the force where we wanted to go with the games. ...He turned to us and said, "That's great, that's exactly what you need to do for games, go make that game." And I was terrified because we didn't have the technology to implement this into a game yet.

Over at LucasArts, they define the term "next-gen gameplay" by its focus on simulation-based gameplay as opposed to hard-coded scripted events. Over at LucasArts, while they still have to "hard code" certain aspects of next-gen gameplay, it is the exception rather than the norm.

Given that the concept they gave Lucas got the approval but they didn't have the tech yet. And LucasArts wanted to do less hard-coding, and focus more on simulation. It's no surprise that they're putting their eggs in the much touted Digital Molecular Matter physics, Euphoria, and Havok engine basket.

Will those engines make LucasArts' Star Wars: The Force Unleashed match up to the pre viz that Blackman showed Lucas? Well, given that there isn't a narrow enough release window yet, we'll just have to hope and pray for a demo or something so we'd have something to chew on.

Activision reveals a first look at Star Wars: The Force Unleashed to IGN and we're happy to share the meaty details to be had, after having been fed snippets about this latest Star Wars title. As we all know by now, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed time line happens between Star Wars Episode III and IV, with Darth Vader now training an apprentice he plots to use to destroy the Emperor. The player takes on the role of this said apprentice.

The project leader of The Force Unleashed, Hayden Blackman claims that the team has to work closely with George Lucas, to keep up with the image of the game as "the next big thing". To keep up with the theme of The Force Unleashed, Blackman explains:

The experience is all about 'The Force unleashed'. What does this mean? It's not just about using Force Push to knock over a Stormtrooper or a couple of droids. It's about hitting that Stormtrooper like he's been hit by a cannonball - sending him backwards and thrashing through columns and breaking glass and denting metal.

More about Star Wars: Force Unleashed after the jump!

So far, Star Wars: Force Unleashed (PS3, Xbox 360, with PSP and NDS development outsourced) is looking good, based on reader reactions here and elsewhere. For Star Wars fans who've been looking for good licensed games, thank goodness.

In their official website, LucasArts devs have been maintaining a devblog that gives us a peek into the mind of one who Is Connected With The Force (a.k.a. George Lucas), who influences the direction of anything with Star Wars as its title.

Lately the dev team has been either pushing for the inter-trilogy storyline thing - the entire Episode III-Episode IV arc, and George couldn't be any happier. Nowhere is this more true than when LucasArts sat down with Lucas to talk about Force Unleashed, wrote Assistant Producer Brett Rector. It was George, he said, who pushed for "a brand new protagonist", who would eventually become Darth Vader's bada** secret apprentice.

Yes, the Force is perhaps strong in Lucas and his apprentices, because among other protagonist ideas that didn't make the cut were a gadget-wielding mercenary (would've smacked of Star Wars: Lethal Alliance, in our opinion), and, we quote, "a superheroic Wookie." Now, don't get us wrong: Chewbacca is bada** and all (and can rip our arms off, so have mercy, Chewie), but imagining him in Superman underwear really caused a funny disturbance in the Force here.

Jay of TheForce.Net gives us the lowdown on the details revealed in a Game Informer feature regarding details surrounding LucasArts' upcoming Star Wars: Force Unleashed.

First off, the various platforms the game is made for and who will be responsible for each version. You guys already probably know a lot about the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game, so we'll skip to the rest.

Krome Studios will be responsible for the PSP and PS2 version of the game, while n-Space will be handling the DS version. As for the Wii, well, a version for Nty's console is not likely. And if there will be a Wii version, it won't be what fans expect. A LucasArts representative says, "Even if that version does happen, it probably wouldn't be "the lightsaber game" that gamers have eagerly been awaiting."

Get the rest of the article after the Jump!

Given we're going to be waiting a little longer to get our hands on Half-Life 2: Episode Two, it should give this news bit time to sink in. We have just picked up word (by way of EGM) that Valve announced a name change to Half-Life 2. Henceforth, Half-Life 2: Episode Two shall be dubbed as Half-Life 2:Orange.

We don't have any details on why Valve decided to go Kojima (then again Episode Two was so George Lucas) in the naming, save that orange is a heavily used color on the Half-Life logo, Freeman's hazard suit, and Cheetos stains on many a gamer's fingers.

Whatever the case, we will just have to wait for confirmation on this turn of events, and see if Valve really decided to for a more citrus moniker for this long-awaited sequel.

Legendary action hero Indiana Jones is making a return to the spotlight in the upcoming Indiana Jones game for the Xbox 360 and PS3. The game, which carries a working title of Indiana Jones 2007, is an epic, original story set in 1939, and is the first from LucasArts with direction from George Lucas himself.

Indiana Jones 2007 features the revolutionary new euphoria technology from NaturalMotion, which delivers never-before-seen life-like action and awareness to every character in real time - so you'll never see the same thing twice.

Combine that with LucasArts' completely interactive Hot Set environments, which makes every setting in Indiana Jones 2007 open-ended and completely destructible in a way that only next-generation consoles can deliver, and you have a title that could finally make up for Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade: The Action Game.

For a taste of what's to come, click on the download link below to download the Indiana Jones 2007 trailer shown at the Leipzig Games Convention. Also check out the new piece of Indy art above. Enjoy, folks.

Download: [Indiana Jones 2007 Leipzig Trailer]