Play It and Read It

Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 10/1/2008

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

In September 2008, LucasArts released The Force Unleashed video game, developed with the input of Star Wars creator George Lucas and set in the narrative timeline between two feature films, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Episode IV: A New Hope (1977). This role-playing game introduces Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, known as Starkiller, who has been trained to hunt down any Jedi who survived the devastating directive that called for their immediate execution. However, the Force is strong in this young protagonist, and he turns out to be more than just the Sith Lord’s weapon. As he travels across the galaxy to fulfill his mission, he also fights for control of his own destiny. This new chapter in the Star Wars canon incorporates and adds to the saga’s well-imagined mythos and addresses a mostly unexplored period. Teens can check out a preview at the official site.

Star Wars devotees and gamers alike will enjoy two book tie-ins, both of which feature the same title and attention-grabbing cover art as the video game. Scripted by Haden Blackman, the game’s author, Dark Horse Books’ original graphic novel explores Starkiller’s origins, his fraught-with-danger missions, and his struggle to determine just where his loyalties lay. Fiery-hued artwork and non-stop action explode off the pages, as a droid named PROXY narrates the bulk of the plot.

Published in August by Del Rey, Sean Williams’s narrative novel, again based on Blackman’s story, provides a fully fleshed out and fast-paced retelling of the game scenario. Focusing on the dark side of the Force, this offering, which hit #1 on The New York Times Best Sellers List, allows readers to explore the characters’ thoughts and actions in greater depth, clue more deeply into alliances and betrayals, and further contemplate plot intricacies, adding another level of resonance to this newest episode in the Star Wars universe. 

Metal Gear Solid

The critically acclaimed Metal Gear video game series, created by Hideo Kojima and developed and published by Konami, has pretty much defined the standard for stealth-action games in which the player’s goal is to remain undetected. Originally released for the PlayStation in 1998, Metal Gear Solid is nestled among numerous prequels and sequels. The story centers around a retired soldier, codenamed Solid Snake, who is reactivated to take on a difficult mission: infiltrating a nuclear disposal facility to neutralize a terrorist threat and rescue high-level hostages.

Del Rey has published an original paperback tie-in of the same title, authored by Raymond Benson. Filled with combat-operative-style action, genetically modified soldiers, and tough-as-nails terrorists, this spy meets sci fi thriller is fittingly told from Snake’s perspective. The quick pacing, snappy dialogue, and high-tech gadgetry will keep game fans hooked. A Metal Gear Solid motion picture is in the works for 2009.

Tom Clancy’s EndWar

Scheduled for release in November 2008, this real-time tactics game designed by Ubisoft is set in the near future, as three superpowers—the United States, the European Federation, and Russia—struggle to maintain a balance of power. With the U.S. on the verge of completing Freedom Star, a space station from which Marines can be deployed anywhere on earth within 90 minutes, this equilibrium is about to be disrupted…and the resulting battle will be like no other. Teens can sneak peek trailers and plot elements at the official site.

Gamers anxious to put themselves in the commander’s chair can get a jump on the action with David Michaels’s tie-in book, published by Berkley. Shifting its point of view among numerous characters from different nations, this broad-scale novel establishes a realistic stage upon which events can unfold. Brimming with suspense and action, the book embroils readers in a fully realized world of politics, shifting alliances, military action, and personal drama.

Pub Info

BLACKMAN, Haden. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. art by Brian Ching, Bong Dazo, and Wayne Nichols. Dark Horse Books. 2008. Tr pap. $15.95. ISBN 978-1-59307-891-1.

WILLIAMS, Sean. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Del Rey. 2008. Tr $26.00. ISBN 978-0-345-49902-8.

BENSON, Raymond. Metal Gear Solid. Del Rey. 2008. pap. $12.95. ISBN 978-0-345-50328-2.