Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Bundle

aka: Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Dark Forces II
Moby ID: 4360

Windows version

A great value for a great game and expansion.

The Good
Both JK and MOTS are included in this collection. The graphics are not great but serve the purpose of the game beautifully. The GAMEPLAY is SUPERB in Jedi Knight. This is because the player controls are so exacting and responsive that you can jump or use force speed with precision movements. Need to get out of a bad situation? No problem as you can move as rapidly as necessary. Your weapons work very well as you don't have to reload your weapons, when your weapon ammo runs out you simply switch automatically to another weapon. Weapon and movement controls are so well implemented that you can literally fight through armies of stormies and survive. Force powers are actually useful, unlike Jedi Academy, and can result in even more powerful maneuvers. Player controls are much more responsive to your input than newer FPS games like Elite Force, Call of Duty or Jedi Academy. Lightsaber anyone? The jedi weapon may not look like the movies but is great at killing stormies.

The story is what sets this game apart from its '97 competitors. The FMV cutscenes are nothing to brag about but suit the story well. You really feel as if you are Kyle Katarn and go from one challenge to another. Its a great feeling to win over incredible odds. In this game everyone is trying to kill you. To be so outnumbered and win is a true thrill, one that this game gives you right from start to finish. As you progress through the game it gets darker and grittier. It gets nasty at level 14 and the drama is really Star Wars-like. Level 14 through to the end are exciting and increasingly complex, cutscenes don't get better than this.

Sound and music in this game are top-notch and make up for the old graphics engine.

Level architecture is superbly done and really help set the mood for the levels. Few games recreate such detailed environments with such great atmosphere.

AI is what you can expect from a game from '97 but the dark jedi are really good at saber fights. The dark jedi are incredibly believable and with the stirring FMV cutscenes make for very worthy villains unlike newer FPS games. Stormies wielding rocket launchers or concussion weapons will use them as clubs if fighting in close quarters. In MOTS the enemy stormtroopers even punch you when you force pull their blasters.

The Bad
Graphics-ouch. They serve the game well but fall short of what gamers expect from even those older games. Those pedestrians really look awful, especially the ones with the pointy hair and rectangle bottoms. It's very tempting to kill them but that brings you closer to the dark side, which makes the game less satisfying if you like being the good guy.

The Bottom Line
Learning the way of the Force and wielding the lightsaber makes this game a true innovator in the FPS game genre.

Again gameplay and story are the best features of this game and make it a must for any Star Wars fan or FPS gamer.

I give this game a mark of 100%.

by bb bb (25) on September 12, 2005

Back to Reviews