The Force Unleashed: How to Get the Alternate Ending

09/15/08

As you read in our Star Wars: The Force Unleashed review, the game's story provides exactly the level of detail and intrigue we were hoping for in the prequels but never got. The game's narrative is really quite good, and its position as official Star Wars canon really fills in some serious holes. There is a bit of a non-canon Easter Egg, though, and it's a doozy.

----SPOILERS AHEAD----

When players beat the game, their last boss battle consists first of Vader, then of Emperor Palpatine. Xbox 360 owners will see that the Achievement for defeating both of them earns them the "Light Side" Achievement. If you want the Dark Side Achievement, or if you just want to see the last cinematic in the game, here's how:

Positioned as an alternate ending, this cinematic takes place if players don't go after the Emperor when prompted, but instead jump down off the platform and attack Vader once again (using all that "hatred" and "vengeance" to complete your transition to the Dark Side...). Vader was not truly defeated at the end of the preceding battle; he was just knocked unconscious, basically. But, if you jump down to his location, you can take him on for a second battle (in which he's not wearing his helmet!).

Vader is more difficult this time around, but he's definitely beatable. Once you kill him, a cut scene starts in which Palpatine expresses his pride for the Apprentice striking down "a weakened Sith" and makes the Apprentice his second-in-command. However, it's not all happy, flowery bunny stuff; the Apprentice is so torn up after the battle that he appears more like a droid than a human -- even moreso than Vader.

This alternate ending isn't nearly as rewarding as the official canonized one, but it's an intriguing thing to see, and it's required viewing for all Xbox 360 owners who want to nab all 1,000 Achievement Points.

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