George Lucas might be finished filming the Star Wars saga, but he's far from ending the epic. LucasArts plans on carrying the space opera torch for years to come, launching the immensely popular franchise into the next-generation with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Touting a commitment to quality and innovation, LucasArts asserts that this PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 title will bring Star Wars video games back to grace. While we weren't able to secure hands-on time with the game, we did take a look at some new footage and get new details on this much-anticipated chapter in the space saga.

The Force Unleashed recruits you as an unnamed servant to Darth Vader, who commands you to exterminate the Jedi. Fitting squarely between the events of Episodes III and IV, the game chronicles the Empire's slow slaughter of Jedi master spread across the far reaches of the galaxy. Control bands force you to do Darth Vader's bidding, although your compliance in murder is seemingly unwilling. LucasArts wouldn't comment on how the story will unfold, but did hint at the importance of morality through the course of the game.

As you travel across the galaxy completing missions for your dark master, you'll visit several worlds featured in the films, as well as those obscurely referenced in side novels. Kashyyyk, the lush jungle homeworld of the Wookies will find its way in The Force Unleashed, as will the bizarre fungal planet Felucia. One of the more interesting locales will be Raxis Prime, a planetary junkyard riddled with scrap metal waiting to be toyed with force powers.

You'll navigate through space via the Rogue Shadow, a spaceship that will serve not only as transport but your hub of operations. Similar to how the Millennium Falcon functioned in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, so will the Rogue Shadow in The Force Unleashed.

With a light saber in hand and force powers waiting in the wings you'll confront all manner of enemies as you hunt down the remaining Jedi. Wielding a saber should prove satisfying, but it'll be the force powers that will truly entertain in The Force Unleashed. There are four types of force powers: grip, push, lightning, and repulse. Grip powers allow you to pick up objects or enemies, whereas push enables you to throw these away from you. Much like Emperor Palpatine's electric shock, lightning powers can fry an enemy with a jolt of electricity. Lastly, repulse is a circular blast around your character that knocks enemies back while damaging them.

You can combine powers for greater effect, as a LucasArt representative explained to us. Using push powers, for example, you could throw a light saber at an enemy and impale him with the energy blade. The possibilities are plenty and we're eager to try them out ourselves in the near future. Given the Spring release date, it shouldn't be too long until we can offer up a hands-on report of Force Unleashed.