Harnessing the controller-free power of Kinect for Xbox 360, Kinect Star Wars allows fans to physically experience training as a Jedi, using the Force and battling with a lightsaber. Players can live out the ultimate Star Wars fantasy, no controller required.

A short time ago, at an E3 not so far away, Microsoft unveiled the prototype for their Kinect sensor. Once the initial outcry from core gamers had begun to subside (sort of), we were left to dwell upon the sheer potential of this latest Xbox peripheral.

I was raised on Star Wars. The movies, the games, the expanded universe novels, you name it. And through all that time I never could quite understand why, when imbued with the powers of the Force that some turned to evil. That is until I played Kinect Star Wars .

Light saber use is cool and instinctive; Rancor Rampage lets you be Godzilla for a day; Yes; the dancing is actually rather enjoyable

Lacking the coolest force powers; Graphics look like a Wii game; Some gameplay modes get old pretty fast

For Star Wars fans already incensed by execrable prequels, muscle-bound merchandise and Jedi Masters flogging mobile phones on televisions and billboards across the land, the collection of mini games comprising Kinect Star Wars is unlikely to rescue the franchise's dignity.

It sounded like a sure-fire recipe for success, but Kinect Star Wars is ultimately a failure. We're not against a motion-controlled Star Wars game, but any future attempts will have to be far more polished than what's being offered here.

' We've all been there. That moment of clarity as you see a lightsaber effortlessly slice through a stormtrooper for the first time and think, yes, this is it, this is what I've been searching for, my whole reason for being. I want to be a Jedi.

Dance mode's silly choreography and music are comical fun; It's gratifying to stomp around as a Rancor

Lightsaber duels are slow to the point of monotony; Storyline is derivative of the original trilogy; All the fun is sapped out of using the Force

Yes, it's good.

+ Good mix of content; + Driving assists open Pod-Racing to all.

- Duels of Fate issue with Force powers; - Limited progression for some mini-games

Kinect Star Wars is another in a long list of Kinect titles that just doesn't cut it. Its unresponsive controls, lack of depth and short-lived gaming experiences do little to cater for any audience.

In concept alone, Kinect Star Wars seems to have been designed to create a perfect storm of nerdrage. It's a collection of casual motion-controlled mini-games, to start with, the sort of cheesy shallow product that has been proven to drive self-professed "hardcore" gamers into steaming tantrums of...

Kinect Star Wars has been in the works for a long time. When Microsoft first demonstrated the Kinect motion-sensing system in June 2010, it showed off the Star Wars game as a work in progress. The game made another appearance in a live demo at E3 in June 2011.

If any game forces you to get off the couch, this one is it; Playing Kinect Star Wars for hours at a time is physically taxing; I recorded a few thousand steps on my counter after playing for a couple of hours.

The heart of the game is swinging a lightsaber; If you are right-handed, you use your left hand to wield The Force, picking up enemies and tossing them aside; You swing at enemies with your right hand; You can also kick enemies or jump up in the air.