Star Wars: The Force Unleashed demonstrates the potential of the iPhone as a gaming platform, but it leaves much to be desired in execution. While LucasArts generated much fanfare around the release of the game for various videogame consoles, the mobile version feels like an afterthought, as if someone on the development team heard about the pending debut of the App Store and decided to throw a few people at a quickie game that would make a few bucks simply because it has the name Star Wars attached to it.

The premise involves you taking the role of Darth Vader's secret apprentice. The story is set between Episodes III and IV, and it seems that Vader is already scheming to knock off the Emperor. First, however, he wants you to take care of the Jedi Knights still in hiding. The game mechanics involve swiping your fingers on the screen in certain ways to use the Force to push or pull opponents, choke them, zap them with Force lightning, and so forth. It's a nice way to utilize the iPhone's touch screen, but soon you realize that it's all you can do, and it starts to get tedious. Defeating many enemies requires figuring out things like "Okay, if I pull him closer, then use Force lightning, I can get him out of the way."

Force grip your opponents and toss them to their doom

You can also use your lightsaber to deflect laser shots, which involves watching for a red circle with a triangle pointing in a certain direction and then swiping the screen the same way. It can be difficult to do, though, especially when multiple enemies are shooting at you simultaneously, so you'll quickly learn that it's easier to just use your Force powers, if you're within range.

You can't move your character around the screen, which can be frustrating when you're out of range for Force powers and wish you could get just a little closer. Gameplay consists of watching an animation of your character entering a scene, swiping the screen in certain combinations to defeat your enemies, and then watching an animation of your character exiting the scene. I can understand the need to keep the game on rails, so to speak, as you move through the story, but it's frustrating to not be able to even guide your character around the screen. He has to stand there and take punishment, even if his health is low and there's shelter nearby.

On the plus side, the graphics are nice, and the Star Wars theme is there in all its glory, although the music that plays during the action reminds me of something from the Super Nintendo days. There's no voice acting, but there's plenty of dialogue to read. The story is good, although you might get so bored with the gameplay that you might not care how it ends. I can't blame you.