Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo vs Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo is a game from Lucasfilm Games (2000) while Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is an action-adventure game from Lucasfilm Games (2008).
Quick answer: Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo has the higher Metacritic, 84 to 61.
Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
What each one is
Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo is filed under . In contrast, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed under Action-Adventure.
Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo is an arcade-style action game co-developed by Factor 5 and LucasArts. It is a spiritual successor to Star Wars: Rogue Squadron released two years earlier. Despite the similarities between the two games, the development team designed a new game engine for Battle for Naboo and included land- and water-based combat in addition to aerial combat. The player can control various air, land, and water vehicles; each offers a unique armament arrangement, as well as varying degrees of speed and maneuverability. Bonus power-ups that improve these crafts' weapons or durability are hidden in different levels throughout the game. The player's performance is checked against four medal benchmarks after the completion of each level. Acquiring these medals promotes the player's rank and helps unlock hidden content.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a 2008 action-adventure game developed and published by LucasArts, and part of The Force Unleashed multimedia project. It was initially developed for the PS2, PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 consoles and on iOS, second-generation N-Gage, NDS, PSP, and Java-equipped mobile phone handhelds. The game was released in North America on September 16, 2008, in Australia and Southeast Asia on September 17, and in Europe on September 19. LucasArts released downloadable content for the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles. An Ultimate Sith Edition of the game, containing both new and previously released downloadable content, was released in November 2009, and later ported to Mac OS X and Windows. An enhanced remaster of the Wii version, developed by Aspyr, was released for the Nintendo Switch on April 20, 2022.
Story, characters and reception
Plot
Setting Battle for Naboo takes place in the fictional Star Wars galaxy. The overarching conflict is an escalating battle between the Trade Federation and the people of Naboo . All 15 missions occur during the events depicted in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace . (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Many reviews compared Battle for Naboo to Star Wars: Rogue Squadron . GamePro remarked that the games share the same "exciting aerial combat, sturdy controls, and ... absorbing story line", and IGN s Fran Mirabella III wrote, " Battle for Naboo proves to be a worthy follow up to Rogue by improving on nearly everything that held it back from perfection. (Wikipedia)
Plot
Shortly into the Galactic Empire 's rule, Imperial spies locate a Jedi survivor of the Great Purge named Kento Marek on Kashyyyk . Darth Vader arrives as the planet is invaded and eliminates any Wookiee resistance between him and the fugitive Jedi. Reaching Kento's home, Vader easily defeats him in a lightsaber duel but senses someone far more powerful nearby. (Wikipedia)
Characters
Sam Witwer provides Starkiller's voice and likeness. Sam Witwer as Galen Marek / Starkiller — The forbidden child of a Jedi, Starkiller was adopted by his father's killer, Darth Vader, who, aware of his strong connection to the Force , raised him to be his secret apprentice. Once his training is complete, Starkiller is dispatched by his master to kill several prominent Jedi who survived the Great Jedi Purge . (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception 1. 738 million unit sales of The Force Unleashed across all platforms made it the third best-selling game globally in the third quarter of 2008; as of July 2009, it had sold six million copies. The Force Unleashed was both the fastest-selling Star Wars game and LucasArts' fastest-selling game. (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo | Star Wars: The Force Unleashed | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | — | — |
| Steam rating | — | — |
| Critic aggregate | 84/100 | 61/100 |
| Price | Unknown | Unknown |
| Install size | — | — |
| Steam Deck | Untested | Untested |
| Released | 2000 | 2008 |
| Developer | Lucasfilm Games | Lucasfilm Games |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo vs Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Star Wars Episode I: Battle for NabooGameStar Wars: The Force UnleashedAction-adventure gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Star Wars Episode I: Battle for NabooNo descriptive tagsStar Wars: The Force UnleashedNo descriptive tagsThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo ✓Metacritic 84Star Wars: The Force UnleashedMetacritic 61Metacritic's critic aggregate, from the game's Wikipedia reception where it was never on Steam.
Price
Star Wars Episode I: Battle for NabooUnknownStar Wars: The Force UnleashedUnknownRead live from Steam and subject to change.
Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo takes 1 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The better reviewed of the two: Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo (Metacritic 84)
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
If you like one, also try
Common questions
How different are Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed in scope?
Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo lists little scope data. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed lists little scope data.
Is Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo or Star Wars: The Force Unleashed better?
Neither carries enough reviews for us to score it reliably, so we do not call a winner. The table above shows what each does have.
Which is cheaper, Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo or Star Wars: The Force Unleashed?
One or both do not have a current listed price, so a straight comparison is not possible. See the table above.
Should I get Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo or Star Wars: The Force Unleashed?
Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo has the higher Metacritic, 84 to 61. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
All comparisonsHow we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.