The Art and Making of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed [Paperback]

Haden Blackman (Author), Brett Rector (Author), Hayden Christensen (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: Star Wars | Publication Date: August 19, 2008

The Star Wars saga continues! The Force Unleashed: Art of the Game chronicles the four-year development of the anxiously awaited, action-packed video game (releasing April 2008) developed by LucasArts from conception to completion. The book reveals innovative game design concept and images, three-dimensional renders, and behind-the-scenes photos. The Force Unleashed game casts players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The expansive story, created under direction from George Lucas, is set during the unexplored era between Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The game re-imagines the scope and scale of the Force by taking full advantage of new technologies that will be seen and experienced for the first time, such as Digital Molecular Matter (DMM) by Pixelux Entertainment and euphoria by NaturalMotion Ltd., paired with the powerful Havok Physics (TM) system. These new technologies create gameplay only possible on the new generation of consiles. DMM incorporates the physical properties of objects in the environment so that every element reacts exactly as it should--wood breaks like wood, glass shatters like glass, Felucian plants bend in their unique way, and more. Meanwhile, as a revolutionary behavioral-simulation engine, euphoria enables interactive characters to move, act, and even think like actual human beings, adapting their behavior and resulting in a different response every single time. Well before its release, The Force Unleashed game is already buzzing on blogs and gamer websites, at gamer conferences, and among Star Wars fans. LucasArts is fully backing the promotion of the game to the tens of millions of Star Wars fans around the world.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Haden Blackman is the project leader for The Force Unleashed game. He is the author of The Field Guide to North American Monsters and Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels. He has also worked extensively within the Star Wars universe on a variety of video games and comic book projects, including Dark Horse Comics' Jango Fett: Open Seasons, LucasArts' Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided, and The Ruins of Dantooine, the first novel based on Star Wars galaxies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Insight Editions (August 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933784253
• ISBN-13: 978-1933784250
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #823,889 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Choked Full With Art and Insights, September 16, 2008

By 

Parka (Singapore) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Art and Making of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Paperback)

Length:: 0:37 Mins

The Art and Making of Star Wars Force Unleashed brings you behind the scenes into the game development process, while staying close to artists' drawing boards.

This book is choked full with breathtaking concept art, character designs, diary entries and screenshots from the game. It features over 300 pieces of art work in 168 pages. On two pages are pasted paper pockets, with each containing 5 character cards.

If you've owned the "art of" series for the Star Wars movies, expect the same high quality environment paintings. But this one goes up one notch with beautiful page layouts. It's the art magazine type of layout, so the every page design is essentially art in itself. Great effort from the book designers.

The 6 chapters in the book explains the game creation process in depth. That's from the development of a concept, to the pitch and approval stage, next to character studies, then environment and finally the technology behind.

There are lots of nitty gritty details that you won't read on Internet interviews. The authors bring you to the cutting floor and let you read all about the discarded ideas.

After reading the book, you'll literally feel like you've worked with these people (most probably as an intern).

For Star Wars fans, you have no reasons not to get this book. For people interested in concept design and animation, this book has lots of insight for you. This book is a great source of inspiration.

Be careful of the binding though. The part where the cover meets page 1 seems like they will come apart in the future. Easily fixed by pasting some clear tape to fix the problem before it develops.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If the game is as good as this book, we're all in for a treat., August 20, 2008

By 

K. Dolen (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art and Making of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Paperback)

I recently watched The Clones Wars and thought it was average; it felt more like an homage, than the real deal. And although I enjoyed the prequels, my faith in "a galaxy far, far away" had slowly waned until I got this book. The imagery is stunning and true to form; it looks and feels like a perfect "bridge" between Ep 3 & 4.

Clearly is takes on a new realm in the Star Wars universe - "the force unleashed" but the designers give reasons why we have never seen someone of this power before; all conveyed through hundreds of amazing, beautifully presented images.

From concept to completion, this book tells the story of every facet of the games development including original titles and designs. In honesty, there was only one design (a single page) that I thought looked too far left of center. Other than that, this book is one of the finest "making of" books I have bought in years.

For any Star Wars fan - or someone interested in the tireless amount of effort that goes into making a game - this book is a must.

Hope this helps...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Behind the Scenes, August 25, 2008

By 

J. Mendoza (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Art and Making of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Paperback)

It's very interesting to read just how much time and effort goes into making a game, specially one within the Star Wars Universe. From all the different story concepts, to deciding on the timeline of the game, to which characters would make an appearance.

The artwork is nothing short of amazing, with all the different concepts for the Jedi characters, to the look of the Apprentice, to the characters that were not included in the game.

The book of course details the finished game as well, discussing in length the plot of the finished game, so if you don't want to be spoiled then wait until the game comes out to read it.