“Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II” PSP 3 top of this Christmas

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Platform • PlayStation 3

Rated • T for Violence

Also Available On • Wii, DS, Xbox7 360, iPhone, PC

In the months following Starkiller’s death at the end of “The Force Unleashed,” Darth Vader ventured to the cloning facility on Kamino to resurrect his fallen apprentice. “The Force Unleashed II” begins after months of trial and apparent failure. Once again, you assume the role of Starkiller. Filled with the memories of your former self, you escape Kamino and set out to rescue captured Jedi Master Rahm Kota.

I’m not going to waste time griping about the specifics of the storyline or how it doesn’t exactly fit into the Star Wars canon, because it works well enough for the purpose of the game. Let’s just say that it starts off strong but the ending, particularly if you choose the “light side,” leaves much to be desired.

Gameplay is essentially the same except that you are now able to wield two lightsabers rather than just one. However, unlike in “The Force Unleashed,” you don’t start out as an apprentice but as a full-fledged Jedi with the access to all of the powers that implies. In theory, this is a good idea and while I do enjoy being able to clear six or seven stormtroopers from my path from the get go, it does take some of the challenge out of the game. After an hour or two of being all-powerful, I realized that all the button mashing is rather repetitive and mundane. The last thing I want is to be bored by the power of the Force (or the dark side).