Set in the dark times between the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Rebellion, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game explores the aftermath of Order 66 and the continued evolution of Darth Vader. The son of a fallen Jedi is abducted by Vader to be his secret apprentice. As a young adult, the apprentice must choose his destiny: Join Lord Vader and wipe out the remaining Jedi, or become a noble Jedi and bring hope to the galaxy!
Hasbro
has a knack for switching around methods of
release and release dates for their highly
sought after The
Force Unleashed action
figures. If you recall, the very first wave
of figures based on this video game got the
boot in 2007 and was released in a second wave
of 2008 figures (and the game STILL wasn’t
released at that time either). Remember
the GameStop
exclusive TAC Stormtrooper
Commander?
Even that debacle
proved and
reinforced the fact that
toys based on The
Force Unleashed were going
to be treated like red-haired stepchildren throughout their longevity
in the toy line. So
after the major success of the basic figure
wave and TARGET store exclusive Battle Packs like 2008's TAC Attack
On Kashyyyk and
the TAC Battle
Rancor (With Felucian Rider), Hasbro thought
it would be wise to create another basic figure
wave on this very exciting video game. The
plans didn’t
hold water for long
and a wave based on The
Force Unleashed were canned
(save for the beautiful 2010 LC Shaak
Ti (BD61) figure who had her
own exclusivity so
to speak).
The great news is that Hasbro saved them to
be released in two Toys R Us exclusive Star
Wars: The Force Unleashed Figure Pack sets.
The final products are certainly well worth
their wait and the
figures have given us some of the best action
figures from this lustrous Star Wars source. And
since it is our opinion that Hasbro has wised
up to jacking up
the prices of their exclusives and have discovered
that even collectors aren’t
paying steep prices any more, they were released
to fans at a very modest $29.99 each. What’s
more (for historical purposes only), when these
five-packs were released, Toys R Us was running
an incredible buy one get one 50% off which
brought the cost per figure down to a remarkable
$4.50 per figure. If you recall, the last time
we saw prices this low was about 1995. Even
if you spent a little under $60 before tax,
these two sets are a great value too. We expect
brisk and strong sell
through with these sets, so we don’t
recommend waiting too long to pick them up.
We do however encourage Hasbro to release future
TFU figures as basic figures. These are figures
that all stores should have received because
they are that good.
So,
what’s
in the box? What’s
in the box?! You will find a plethora of goodness
in each set. (Since
this review focuses on set 1
of 2 we will concentrate on
those figures.) It
appears that these two packs are more based
on the graphic novel than the video game. But honestly,
who really cares? The entire The
Force Unleashed multimedia
event is engaging at every level,
isn’t
it? Imperial
EVO Trooper is
a striking new repaint of the 2008 TAC Imperial
EVO Trooper (08
09) figure now
in a dark yellow camouflaged pattern.
The figure looks fantastic and it is nice to
see this figure with some color on him. Of
particular note, his large cannon
has been cast in
all black
for this release. While it is an easy way for
Hasbro to cut corners, we have to admit the
gun looks great as is. Juno
Eclipse is
a retool of 2008’s
TAC Juno
Eclipse (08 15) figure. She looks
a lot more unkempt for this release, but there
is a new sexiness about her with her shirt
open. The paint job is not perfect on this
figure as there is a lot of bleeding in parts
that should have crisp and
clean lines. But
the final product passes the most stringent
eye and she has a great center of gravity and
can stand unaided. The
star of the set is Galen
Marek as
he appears on the planet Raxus Prime. Galen
is an all-new figure and he simply puts to
shame the versions of him that appeared in
2008’s
TAC Vader’s
Secret Apprentice Evolutions set.
The scarf that covers most of his face is so
well done and it gives Galen Marek an expression
that makes us feel
uneasy in our guts. His metal forearms are
amazing and fit him perfectly well. He is extremely
flexible and can be posed in a variety of ways.
We bet that he will be the reason many of you
purchase this set. Another star in this set
is Rahm
Kota’s
Militia Elite.
Another all-new figure, he is clearly inspired
from the amazing artwork of Ralph McQuarrie.
In fact, he seems like he would feel more at
home in a painting of
the Yavin Rebel base done by McQuarrie than
in The
Force Unleashed somewhere.
If we didn’t
know better, we would have assumed that this
was the next concept art figure. Complete
with a ribbed chestplate and ultra cool helmet
with visor and awesome symbols, he is without
a doubt an exciting
addition to you’re The Force
Unleashed collection.
Perhaps
the most puzzling figure in the set is the Shadow
Stormtrooper. As
we haven’t
played the game, we aren’t
sure of the reason this Stormtrooper is crystal
clear or
whether this is a cheesy effect Hasbro is trying
to create for this character. Also
of note, Hasbro showed that this figure was
to come with a removable helmet, but the final
version does not. There are accents of baby
blue on the armor and while the figure is certainly
bizarre, it does look pretty cool. The
figure's roots date back to 2004 VOTC Stormtrooper, but is technically a rework of the 2006 TSC Shadow Stormtrooper Star Wars Shop exclusive figure. This is a pretty decent
figure, so you know this is a great base figure
on which to build other Stormtrooper action
figures. As a set, you essentially get one
repaint, one rework, one retool and two all-new
figures. But since all five are “new” in
one way or another,
this is certainly a set that brings a lot to
the table. One
thing that we are particularly fond of with
this set is the overall great paint jobs on
the figures. We didn’t
need to rummage through a half a dozen sets
to ensure that eyeballs were painted on straight,
or that the colors didn’t
bleed onto area they should have bled. No,
every figure is painted excellently and we
are so thrilled that the creators at Hasbro
have taken the time to ensure paint operations
were finely tuned for these releases. And it
appears many of you out there feel the same
way. Ever
since they hit the shelves at Toys R Us, they
have immediately sold. So we bet that future
shipments are forthcoming. We do not however
encourage you to gamble and pick up these sets
as you find them. It is simply amazing how
quickly we are getting action figures from The
Force Unleashed video
game.
And it also appears that interest in this time
period between Episode III and Episode IV is
becoming more and more popular. With another
video game on the horizon, we expect to see a
lot more
of The
Force Unleashed pops into
our collections in the near future. This is
certainly fine by us because Hasbro has absolutely
given us something to
smile about with these Toys R Us exclusives.
Let’s
just hope the next batch of figures sees a
much broader release. The
Force Unleashed is
a game that definitely deserves more opportunity than
it gets.
Collector Notes
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Figure Pack (1 of 2)
Assortment Number: 97911/97910
UPC: 653569482529
Retail: $24.99 USD
Market Value: Click here to check the latest prices based on listings.
Imperial EVO Trooper
Trained to survive the galaxy's most treacherous weather conditions, EVO troopers have enhanced armor that withstands extreme heat, acid rivers and lightning. Their FA-3 fléchette launchers fire shards of metal capable of hitting multiple targets.
Status: Imperial EVO Trooper is a rework of 2008's TAC Imperial EVO Trooper (08 09) figure.
Articulation Count: 22 points (14 areas of articulation)
Articulation Details: ball-socket head (1), ball-jointed left shoulder (2), ball-jointed right shoulder (2), ball-jointed left elbow (2), ball-jointed right elbow (2), swivel left wrist (1), swivel right wrist (1), swivel waist (1), swivel left hip (1), swivel right hip (1), ball-jointed left knee (2), ball-jointed right knee (2), ball-jointed left ankle (2), ball-jointed right ankle (2)
Accessory Count: 4
Accessory Details: survival backpack, BlasTech T-21 light repeating blaster rifle, 2 DC-17 blasters
Date Stamp: 2008
Juno Eclipse
Juno Eclipse is the Imperial captain of the Rogue Shadow. She is appointed by Darth Vader to pilot his apprentice throughout the galaxy. Haunted by a tragic past, Eclipse serves the Empire loyally while secretly yearning for a new life.
Status: Juno Eclipse is a retool of 2008's TAC Juno Eclipse (08 15) figure. This time the figure has a new torso and waist. The figure has also been repainted.
Articulation Count: 22 points (14 areas of articulation)
Articulation Details: ball-socket head (1), ball-jointed left shoulder (2), ball-jointed right shoulder (2), ball-jointed left elbow (2), ball-jointed right elbow (2), swivel left wrist (1), swivel right wrist (1), swivel waist (1), swivel left hip (1), swivel right hip (1), ball-jointed left knee (2), ball-jointed right knee (2), ball-jointed left ankle (2), ball-jointed right ankle (2)
Accessory Count: 2
Accessory Details: BlasTech E-11 blaster, removable Imperial cap
Date Stamp: 2008
Galen Marek
Galen Marek is the secret apprentice of Darth Vader and the son of Jedi. He is taken by the Sith Lord during the Great Jedi Purge and given the codename Starkiller. Vader trains him in the ways of the Force and promises to reward him with great power.
Status: Galen Marek is a kit-bashed figure utilizing the body of the Secret Apprentice figure from 2008's TAC Vader's Secret Apprentice Evolutions set. This time the figure comes with new calves, arms, and head. The figure also has a newly sculpted wrappings.
Articulation Count: 22 points (14 areas of articulation)
Articulation Details: ball-socket head (1), ball-jointed left shoulder (2), ball-jointed right shoulder (2), ball-jointed left elbow (2), ball-jointed right shoulder (2), swivel left wrist (1), swivel right wrist (1), swivel waist (1), swivel left hip (1), swivel right wrist (1), ball-jointed left knee (2), ball-jointed right knee (2), ball-jointed left ankle (2), ball-jointed right ankle (2)
Accessory Count: 2
Accessory Details: lightsaber, removable plastic molded shawl
Date Stamp: 2008
Rahm Kota's Militia Elite
Distrusting clone troopers, Jedi General Rahm Kota builds his own militia of soldiers, mercenaries and even Separatist prisoners-of-war. Along with the general, the militia troopers survive the Clone Wars and launch attackes on the Empire.
Status: Rahm Kota's Militia Elite is an all-new figure.
Articulation Count: 18 points (12 areas of articulation)
Articulation Details: ball-socket head (1), ball-jointed left shoulder (2), ball-jointed right shoulder (2), ball-jointed left elbow (2), ball-jointed right elbow (2), swivel left wrist (1), swivel right wrist (1), swivel waist (1), swivel left hip (1), swivel right hip (1), ball-jointed left knee (2), ball-jointed right knee (2)
Accessory Count: 5
Accessory Details: gatling gun, removable helmet, backpack, 2 removable shoulder armor parts
Date Stamp: 2009
Shadow Stormtrooper
These Imperial shock troopers receive advanced training in stealth tactics and combat techniques. They truly are shadows, blending in with such skill that their targets never know that these covert spies were ever present.
Status: Shadow Stormtrooper is a rework of 2006's TSC Shadow Stormtrooper Star Wars Shop exclusive figure. This time the figure has been cast in clear plastic to represent the phasing qualities of the armor that can be seen in The Force Unleashed.
Articulation Count: 23 points (14 areas of articulation)
Articulation Details: ball-socket head (1), ball-jointed left shoulder (2), ball-jointed right shoulder (2), ball-jointed left elbow (2), ball-jointed right elbow (2), swivel left wrist (1), swivel right wrist (1), ball-jointed torso (2), swivel left hip (1), swivel right hip (1), ball-jointed left knee (2), ball-jointed right knee (2), ball-jointed left ankle (2), ball-jointed right ankle (2)
Accessory Count: 1
Accessory Details: BlasTech E-11 blaster
Date Stamp: 2005