Star Wars: Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast

The Good
I can't help but say how happy I am that Raven developed JO. They really have captured the Star Wars style perfectly, like no other title has since the last in this series, Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II. The characters, themes, artwork. Everything fits in with the world we have all come to enjoy for so many years now.

The lightsaber takes up most of my time, for obvious reasons. It's amazing to watch Kyle swing it around and see the sparks fly when it deflects blaster fire or marks the walls and floors. Combat itself against the many Sith in the game isn't all that difficult to master. You'll soon find yourself, like me, trying to re-create scenes from the movies with mates on the multiplayer maps.

Speaking of which, although the single player campaign is very rewarding, including a strong storyline which this series has become well known for, it's the multiplayer modes that gets the most attention. Raven has built upon their past titles (Soldier of Fortune, Elite Forces, etc.) to develop a wide range of play modes such as the usual deathmatch, team deathmatch and capture the flag. But what makes them more unique then other 1st person shooter is the use of the lightsaber to develop some amazing duels and battles. Sure, playing sniper with the Wookiee bowcaster is fun, but nothing is as good as playing 12 people in a rounded room, jumping around like Obi-Wan and Darth Maul in TPM !!

Did I mention that JO has plenty of options for the mod world? It really increases the lastability of the product when they ship development tools or at least allow for new maps and characters to easily be added to the existing software. Raven has done this here, so expect plenty of great ideas to roll in from the many mod makers out there.

The Bad
There isn't much to dislike about JO. Yeah, the cut-scenes may not be perfect, and at times the lightsaber cuts its way through Kyle, but they are very minor bugs that do not disturb the gameplay in any way.

I suppose some added new music here and there would have been nice, but you can't have everything.

The Bottom Line
Always two there are, no more, no less. A master and an apprentice. Welcome Raven with open arms, and hope that they stick around longer than Darth Maul. A classic title that returns the Star Wars PC community to high ground. Let's hope EPII does the same for the movie world.

The Good
The best part of the game is definitely the light saber and the force powers. They are implemented much better than in the first game. By the last part you will pretty much forget about all the guns and just have fun finding new ways to take out the enemy. My favorite was the force jumping high and then force pulling the troopers up in the air. The game does a great job of making you feel like a Jedi Knight. The movement and third person camera is allot like Heretic 2 and makes controlling your character when using the light saber very easy.

The Bad
The two problems I had with the game was some of the level design(mainly the first few), and some of the puzzles. Without the force powers and light saber the game plays like a standard shooter in the first part with some average at best levels that you can wander around for awhile. I don't mind non-linear design but when your planted in a big level with no idea where to go and are forced to just guess where the panel or key you need is. It can get annoying at times. There were a few puzzles that were very annoying. In particular one with a moving pipe that can be almost impossible to figure out unless your in the right place at the right time.

The Bottom Line
Overall a very good shooter set in the Star Wars universe that enhances the standard gameplay with a very good implementation of the light saber and force powers. Some poor level design and annoying puzzles, but still a definite buy for any SW or FPS shooter fan.

The Good
First of all, the sound is right out of the movies. Storm troopers talk to each other and officers give orders. Lightsaber combat has improved immensely from the slash and dodge of Jedi Knight. With three unique styles of lightsaber combat and light and dark force powers, the gameplay is the greatest. The graphics are incredible and the Force powers are actually useful. Unlike the previous game, Force lightning is not merely a little spark that comes out of Kyle's hand, but just like in the Return of the Jedi. The other powers are also much improved. It also features a fun 2 player deathmatch mode in case you think you should tell your friends their lack of faith is disturbing. Finally, Lando sounds the same as int he movies.(He even says the classic " It's not my fault !!")

The Bad
The game is to short. You could probably beat htis game in 10 hours. Also, the controls are slightly confusing. You use the "R" key to attack\shoot. Luke Skywalker is in this game, but his voice is awful, not even sounding similar to the original. They also sometimes make him look like he has a sunburn on his face.

The Bottom Line
Despite the small problems, this is a must-have for star wars fans and casual gamers alike.