Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Mysteries of the Sith

The Good
Mysteries of the Sith (MOTS) is an interesting add-on to Jedi Knight. You play first as Kyle Katarn, the hero from the first game, and after 4 levels, you start playing as Mara Jade, a character introduced in "Heir to the Empire" by Timothey Zahn (note to readers - Read the Book!)

Graphics are about the same as they were in Jedi Knight, with a few face-lifts in various areas. In the second level, you pick up a great little scope for your blaster rifle. I WISH that the scope was available in the original Jedi Knight! There is a certain satisfaction of being able to kill a Stormtrooper from a large distance with one shot. Holocams are another addition. Similar to the camera system in Duke Nukem 3D, you character can access the camera systems and see what other places of the level look like and for tactical reasons as well. Cutscenes are done using the ingame engine, not actors as in the original. Although a bit hokey, it does the job well.

The control is exactly as it was in Jedi Knight, along with with sound and gameplay

The Bad
It's hard. I mean, tear-out-your-hair-until-you're-bald hard. Lots of puzzles involving timing, and speed is a big factor. Be prepared to spend a lot of time going through a level to complete it (especially of level 3 ;)

The Bottom Line
Since it's basically an expansion to Jedi Knight, the chances that you'll like it if you HAVE Jedi Knight are pretty solid. Then again, if you didn't like Jedi Knight in the first place, would you buy the expasion? :)

But seriously, for those who have played through Jedi Knight, and are thirsting for more, MOTS is for you.

The Good
Take the average JK review, and stick it in here. The levels are pretty much the same in ingenuity, playability, and engagement. The new weapons are nifty, but nothing really world-changing. That's probably why it's just an add-on and not a sequel. But what really stands out is the multiplayer capability of MotS. I played it extensively on the MSN Gaming Zone. There are so many different aspects and areas of the game which make multiplayer games continually engaging. Like using the force? Try playing a Full Force game, or just a simple Jedi Personality game. But first you have to choose what powers you want. Like big guns? Play Soldiers. Sniping? Then you have Scouts. It makes many great "arenas" of skill which players can aspire to. Sadly, the MotS heyday on the Zone has passed, and the sun is setting.

The Bad
It's Jedi Knight. The "Greatest Game of All Time". What's not to like?

The Bottom Line
More JK excellence.

The Good
It's Star Wars. The new weapons are cool. (Especially the stormtrooper rifle scope!!!!). Some new force powers like far sight and chain lightning to name a few are a solid addition to the arensal of force powers.

The Bad
One of the new weapons is one of the most horrible weapons I have ever seen. It is the corbonite ray (or something like that). It is this dinky gun that shoots a stream of gas 2 inches. If you keep the gas hitting an enemy, he will eventually be frozen in carbonite. The award for the worst force power goes to ........... force saber throw. It goes so slow, that you will likely be shot by the time it hits an enemy and it takes up a ton of force energy. Finally, the same old awful lightsaber moves are back. One last thing, the story stinks. After going through the most agonizingly difficult game, your are "treated" to an awful cutscene. The cutscenes are game engine quality, so don't except anything great.

The Bottom Line
If you liked Jedi Knight, you should get this.