For the past few nights I've been playing Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and I gotta say, I'm really enjoying it. Folks around here have varying opinions on it, and I've overheard no small amount of griping about various aspects of the game. Perhaps I've steeled myself against these known frustrations, or perhaps I'm just giddy about my new 40" Samsung LCD, but I sure am having a grand old time.

My favorite part, far and away, is grabbing fools and flinging them about. I spent way too long on the tutorial just so I could get the hang of throwing an object directly down onto a storm trooper's head. Picking up multiple confused, panicky enemies is hilarious. Hitting an enemy with a boulder from 100 yards away is immensely satisfying, and should be an achievement titled "From DOOOWWWNNN-TOOWWWWNNN!", because that's what I exclaim every time I do it. I particularly love the sniper troopers. Their laser sight defines the exact vector of their demise. How terribly helpful!

The other fantastic moment that springs to mind happened last night as I infiltrated an Imperial base. I knocked a trooper away from his standing turret, but the gun remained upright on its tripod. The trooper got up and ran back to his precious gun, and when I tried to force lightning him, I missed and electrified the turret instead. When the intrepid trooper put his Imperial-issue gloves on it, he got hella zapped and died. And then I laughed and laughed.

Good times.