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Must have been "good" back in the day

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 11
Date: May 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game by accident. I thought I was getting Star Wars: Jedi Knight 2 Outcast. Turns out it was Dark Forces 2 (my fault for not reading the description more carefully). Even so, I can't help but be dissapointed.

Jedi Knight Dark Forces 2 is the sequel to Star Wars Dark Forces. It follows the story of Kyle Kataarn. A young Jedi straddling the line between the Light and Dark side of the Force.

I realise that this game is over seven years old. But still when held against games such as Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (which was released the same year) this game looks graphically challenged. The characters are rather stiff and rigid looking and the environments are extremely bland. The gameplay fares no better. It esentially consists of running around blasting and hacking various non-descript bad guys (and later Stormtroopers) with little rhyme or reason. Occasionally there are Boss battles but those are often frustrating. Eventually you are rewarded with different Force powers, none of which seem to work very well. The controls will often have you fumbling to find the right key for the right weapon or Force power. Also, our man Kyle is not exaclty the heartiest hero on video game. He is often easily overwhelmed and collapses in a heap making you restart the level. The level map is not very helpful either.

All in all I have to say that the game's biggest downfall is it's age. It just hasn't held up well over the years. Unless you're a collector or a Star Wars fanatic, it's best to stear clear of this game. It wasn't very fun to say the least. Spend a few extra bucks and either pick up Jedi Knight 2 Outcast or even Jedi Academy. One thing Dark Forces 2 does is let you see just how far technically video games have progressed over the last seven years. Other than that there's not much reason to play this game.

like getting into a "Star Wars" movie

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: September 25, 2003
Author: Amazon User

What's with those amazon.com people - there are reviews for "Jedi Knight: Outcast" in this product listing and for "Jedi Knight" in the Outcast listing. The two are different games (JK was released in '97; Outcast followed in '02). This review is for the older game.

Though it's the older of the two games (and its age is showing, even if you haven't played the new game) JK is still a great and worthwhile game. Actually the second of the Kyle Katarn games (the first was "Dark Forces" from '94) JK was a huge leap over its prequel, and more relatively innovative than the newer JK. Both are shooter-games that have you play freebooting mercenary Kyle Katarn. (Katarn had begun as an imperial commando but was eventually turned against them. Not immediately a rebel ally, Katarn did undertake missions for them). The empire is gone when JK starts, but pockets of lawlessness and imperial power remain. Katarn, still not a member of the alliance, takes time off to hunt down the man who murdered his father. Unfortunately, Katarn learns that the killer is Jerec, an evil Jedi and master of other evil Jedi. Cruising the galaxy in a mother-huge star destroyer, Jerec searches for the legendary "Valley of the Jedi", a burial ground of jedi knights and a repository of their power. Should he locate the Valley and tap its energy, warns a dead jedi, Jerec will become "a supernova of stars". Complicating Katarn's situation is his betrayal at the hands of a greedy droid named AT-88, but he gets past that to link up with his frequent ally, Jan Ors (the lovely Jan Ors), and picks ups the trail of Jerec. As he makes his way through the game, Kyle learns the ways of the Jedi and picks up nifty Jedi powers while he's at it (the powers are sort of like cheats that are brilliantly incorporated into the story). He must also solve problems and navigate various levels (or maps). In another first (and not used again in Outcast) the game allows you to choose which direction you want to go - light side or dark Jedi. The differences are that each side has its own powers, and at least one of the last maps and cut-scenes are different depending on which side you're on. As a Jedi, you also finally (virtually, anyway) get your hands on a lightsaber. Your saber is handy for cutting through things, but mostly you'll need it for the game's "boss levels" when you must confront Jerec's army of evil Jedi. Saber and Jedi powers aside, the game also faithfully models the weapons and other technology of the Star Wars universe, and wraps things up with John Williams great score.

This is an old game - the graphics are not as fluid as in Outcast, the puzzles less imaginative and the enemies not as overwhelming. It's still a worthwhile game because it tries (and goes a long way) to being an interactive "Star Wars" movie. The levels are well designed and arranged in a way that supports the game's tight narrative. Unlike "Dark Forces" or "Outcast", JK's story is simple, which allows the game's maker to tell the hell out of it gamewise rather than simply seek new ways to toss enemies or challenges out at you. Rather than endure an endless series of levels and new foes, you actually feel like you're working to a big finish. The "movie" aspect is sustained with a series of cut-scenes using FMV - video scenes w/actors - rather than just short sequences animated with the graphics engine. (I admit, everybody hated FMV when it was used in the late `90's, but I loved the scenes here. It was the closest I'd gotten to watching a new SW movie until "Phantom Menace" came out and, if the acting isn't Oscar caliber, it certainly beats either of the last two flicks). In short, JK was pretty cutting-edge when it debuted about 6 years ago, but it still rules because its makers put storytelling on par with gameplay. Everybody lambasted this game when it came out for relying on its own proprietary game engine rather than using "QuakeII". I've played both games - while Q2 may have a better engine, JK has the overall better game.

One last warning: rather than jump to the sequel, LA released a companion disk a year later, "Mysteries of the Sith" - a flawed, bit still @ss kicking expansion set featuring Mara Jade. Though LA eventually released a single package with both games, the "Classics" AFAIK only offers JK. I'd check on-line auctions for awhile since both are great games. Until somebody decides to re-map JK/MotS for the Quake-III engine used for Outcast, "Jedi Knight" will reign as the empire of Star Wars games.

Greatest game ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This Game is the game of all games. The follow on games, Outcast and Academy, were pathetic sequels to this greatest game ever designed. For years a few hundred of us played darn near 24/7 on the Zone. The cool Zone, not as it is now. The game is that addictive. Here it is, 10 years later and I am still playing it. Get this game and get on Mirc server Enter The Game, Channel #narshaddaa and you will see just how cool multiplaying this game is. Skill levels have been reached beyond what the game designers could imagine. Every other game feels like slow motion compared to JKDF2.

Classic......ah yes classic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 19, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Reviewer: A gamer from talmage, KS United States
THIS IS NOTHING LIKE JEDI KNIGHT 2 OUTCAST, THIS GAME IS HORRIBLE COMPARED TO "JEDI KNIGHT 2 OUTCAST" THAT'S GOT GREAT GRAPHICS AND PLAYING, I DONT RECOMMEND THIS GAME... -1 word...idiot....I have had this game since it came out and you my friend have a bad taste in games, this had the best multiplayer that you could ask for in a game at its time and still is awsome especially with the new DBZ 4.0 mod that came out for it...graphics have nothing to do with a game and if thats what you think then your one of those people who dont know how to play a game and just turn it on and look at the screen saying "oooh awsome graphics". This game is still rocking for its age and will continue to for eternity.

Disappointment....

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Huh, probably most reviewers won't agree with me on this one, but I found this game extremely boring. I'm a Star Wars fan, so I can appreciate everything w/ a good story, decent visual, etc. I know this game is fairly old, but I still play old games (even ones from the early '90-s), so old graphics really don't disturb me that much. But the storyline should be MUCH better, that DF2's: I never felt any interest in the game, playing it was almost like playing Quake 3 Arena: pointless.

Acting is almost horrible in this one - they should've gone with graphical cut scenes inseat of live actors: acting is actually so bad that it hurts. Most of the B movies have better acting than in this game.

I'd say avoid this game at all costs, unless you're a really big Lucasarts/Star Wars fan. I got the game for a bargain price but still feel fairly dissapointed.

Excellent

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: December 28, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Excellent game, the graphics are a little old, but the important part is the history within the game, and it's a good history, you have guns, laser sabre, force powers, and you can choose at one instance between the dark side and the light side, what else do you want? man it's a must have.

Extream Force Speed!!!1

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: September 14, 2003
Author: Amazon User

There is a lot to be said about this game. It can be played as a First Person Shooter or a 3rd Person Shooter/action game. I prefer the 3rd Person mode myself. Anywhay, the graphics are mud even on the highest resolution. It's a 1997 PC game, so it is sort of excusable. The main game is fun and full of batteling, but the cutscenes are worse then a B-Movie. They are bad as in cheesey as Cheesecake. For its low price this game is extremely good, but at any price I thought it was good. I still haven't finished it yet but I will someday...

Bottom Line: Play if you want to run around with a lightsaber, be on the light/dark side, shoot/slice Bad guys/good guys (if our a dark jedi), and generally have a good time, then play this excellent game.

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