Although we’ve been reporting a lot lately on the parade of popular franchises making their way to Nintendo for the first time, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are still receiving the bulk of new next-gen content.  One of the most exciting rumors from E3 2006 was a Star Wars title that demanded the player don the infamous mask of Darth Vader, progressing throughout the villain’s rocky history.  While the title has clearly progressed in the last 10 months or so, the focus has changed.

Although even now nothing about the game appears set in stone, its present title is Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.  While gamers were first very excited to hear that they would be choking incompetent captains with the Force and taking the wheel of the Death Star, the goal of the Unleashed may instead be geared towards fans of another famous character.  Although early reports implied that players would be controlling the man in black, recent details about the game dictate that “players will get a chance to work for Darth Vader himself, as the man’s new apprentice…[and] hunt down the last of the Jedi.”

While news that players may not be taking control of Darth is certainly disappointing, other fans will be ecstatic to take on a Boba Fett-like role and simply interact with Vader. 

Regardless of the story, proven LucasArts designers are behind the game’s creation.  That alone is encouraging, considering the fun-factor of previous Star Wars titles from the company, including Dark Forces, Tie Fighter, and X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter. 

At this time, if the leaked YouTube video is to be believed, the game will be a third-person action/shooter, in a mish-mash of Knights of the Old Republic and Star Wars: Battlefield.  No release date has been set.