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Running up the walls......enough said.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 82 / 88
Date: April 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User

First a small gripe: I truly wish LucasArts would release more Star Wars games like "Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast". Due to the lack of recent releases, I fear they've sold out to console game systems like Dreamcast and Playstation. My hope is they will return to the PC market and start churning out more games like this, which, well, kicked the Tabasco sauce out of any console Star Wars game in recent memory.

Simply put, the game is awesome. It's the first Star Wars game where the lightsaber is truly the most powerful weapon, provided its mixed with a few good force powers. Without a doubt the original JK and "Mysteries of the Sith" are both five star games, but the lightsabers were weak at best and downright useless at worst, except for the few times you had to use them to defeat other saber wielding opponents. I mean, in the original JK you had to face your enemy dead on to block a projectile. You couldn't throw your saber, couldn't jump three feet without pushing two buttons at once, and the moves you had.....slash, slash, buck-up, slash. That's pretty much it. In "Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast" you utilize more of the Episode I fighting style. In other words, you're flying all over the place (flipping, rolling, jumping 30 yards sideways, running up the walls) and not just standing there hoping your enemy will come close enough to hit. By the end of the game you have some truly impression abilities. You can throw your saber at will, throw your enemies at will, and jump 40 feet in the air at will. The gameplay is the best I've seen in a long time - great replay value.

I know some reviewers have complained about the difficulty level, and they're absolutely correct to complain. Even on easy the game is anything but. It's not just difficult puzzles or levels, either. Some places are difficult to get past just because of the enemies. On top of that the game does have it's fair share of frustrating puzzles. To solve these you can either buy the strategy guide (I wouldn't suggest spending the money, unless you want multiplayer tips) or search for an online walkthrough. There are plenty of them out there. That's what I did on more than one occasion, and that alleviated some of the frustration. Still, it took me two weeks to beat, playing on average an hour a day. The difficulty makes it fun, though, in a way, since the game's not over before you've even taken the shrink wrap off the box.

All in all, a must for fans of the original JK and first-person shooters in general. A definite Game of the Year contender.

Wonderful game, but frequently EXTREMELY frustrating....

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 35 / 42
Date: March 31, 2002
Author: Amazon User

First off, I must say that this is easily the best LucasArts game I've encountered, and playing in the Star Wars universe with superb graphics and a wonderful game engine is a joy. A lot of work was clearly put into the visual aspects of the game in particular, and I'd normally give it 5 stars for being one of the best first-person-shooters I've encountered, especially when using lightsabers and various aspects of the Force as a Jedi (push, speed, mind-tricks, etc.) are taken into account.

However, this is easily the most unnecessarily frustrating game I've played to date, and I don't think it was tested thoroughly. The amount of time spent backtracking through areas previously explored to find some box that wasn't shot enough times or some hidden button to press to affect something far later in gameplay is maddening. I can't tell you the number of times I've spent extreme periods of time to "find" something (or had to look through a "walkthrough") in order to progress, consistently saying "how the heck was I supposed to figure THAT out". Most games (e.g., Return to Castle Wolfenstein or Serious Sam: Second Encounter) will "shut off" areas no longer relevant, or keep crucial buttons and things somewhat near to where they relate. This one frequently doesn't do that.

This game is a must-play, especially if you're a Star Wars fan or someone who enjoys superb graphics work. It's lost two stars in my book for the unusually high frustration factor though, and I'd warn anyone playing it they're VERY likely to need to find an internet game-guide/walkthrough unless they like spending hours figuring things out by prolonged trial-and-error. If you have patience to spare, Jedi Outcast is a strong recommendation.

The Force is Strong with This One

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 26 / 30
Date: April 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

First the initial parameters:

1. I am a huge fan of JK1 (so this review may be biased)
2. Running on GeForce2Go Dell laptop
3. Running Windows XP

Pros:

1. Runs right out of the box on my GeForce2Go laptop.
2. The game's graphics- especially the environments are wonderful. Very immersive vistas. I could almost feel the wind.
3. Force powers are much better than original JK1 by deepening its impact. E.g 1st stage of lightsaber throw is simple throw in direction of view. 2nd stage is a steerable lightsaber. 3rd stage of throw is autohoming lightsaber. As you mature in your Force abilities you will be able to do better things with them, not just more of the same as in JK1.
4. Lightsaber fighting system is the most advanced of any so far (compared to JK1, Jedi Power Battles, Phantom Menace, Obiwan). 3 types of fighting styles- from quick and weak to slow and powerful. You learn these during the course of the game (or you can use them immediately in multiplayer mode.)
5. Level designs are excellent. Very 3 dimensional interconnected spaces- providing more than 1 order to solve a problem.
6. Haven't gone thru the whole game yet, but plot line seems pretty compeling.
7. At 1280x1024 frame rates are very high.

Cons:
1. Initial part of the game is a not very different from a standard Quake or Elite Force game, but level designs in JK2 are better.

2. The incessant jumping and puzzle solving starts to get a little dull, if not annoying. The scene with the stompers in Galaxy Quest comes to mind a lot: "why would anyone put these in a starship?!?!"

You want a worthy adversary? I'll GIVE you a worthy adversary...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 16
Date: January 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Kyle Katarn was once a Jedi Knight. He once helped the fledgling New Republic in its strugle against the Empire. Until Drommund Kaas, when he confronted the darkness in himself, and gave in to it. So he gave up his lightsaber to Luke Skywalker, swearing never to touch the Force again. He went back to working as a New Republic mercenary alongside Jan Ors, the only other person in the galaxy who knew the location of the fabled Valley of the Jedi, and the incalculable power it contained. He might have lived the rest of his life that way, with only his blaster, his wits, and Jan, the woman he loved, to count on.

Until they took one mission that ended all that.

They met Desann, a powerful Dark Jedi, and his apprentice Tavion. They, along with Admiral Galak Fyyar, an Imperial scientist, are trying to find a way to artificially infuse the Force into living subjects, to mass-produce their own army of Dark Jedi. Needless to say, they succeed...and it's all Kyle's fault. So what's a former Jedi to do?

Simple. Take back your Force abilities, reclaim your lightsaber, and go hunting.

This game did a great job of improving on the combat and Force powers of the original JEDI KNIGHT. Your Force abilities are taken directly from the movies, with none of the showy powers you saw in the original. You end up with eight in all; four neutral, two light, and two dark, but they're selected for you automatically. You can't upgrade them as freely as you could before. The lightsaber combat is vastly improved; they used motion-capture to animate Kyle and his enemies, and it shows. Even the lightsabers themselves look better, like they were taken directly from the movies.

The enemies are just what you'd want in a STAR WARS game. They basically fall into three categories; Imperials, bounty hunters, and the Reborn. The Imperials range from stormtroopers (killing them NEVER gets old), officers, droids, and engineers. The bounty hunters are from four different races; Rodians, Grans, Trandoshans, and Weequay, and they're pretty much interchangable. But the Reborn...oh boy, are THEY a challenge.

The Reborn are the result of Admiral Fyyar's experiements in artificially stimulating midichlorian production. They're all Dark Jedi, and they're all insane from the process. You'll want to pay attention to what color they're wearing when you fight them; orange and blue aren't so bad, green is tougher, but red and black? Be ready for a FIGHT. And that's not even counting the Shadowtroopers...

The 'boss' enemies are nicely varied as well. Reelo Baruk, the criminal connection, is nothing. Admiral Fyyar, with his shielded power armor, is like a walking tank. Tavion and Desann are VERY crafty; those two are the toughest enemies in the game.

Fortunately, you won't be completely alone. Jan Ors fights alongside you briefly, as do Republic soldiers and fellow Jedi Knights. Raven Software even had the brilliant idea of bringing in Lando Calrissian (voiced by Billy Dee Williams HIMSELF!) and Luke Skywalker to back you up. In fact, fighting alongside Luke is one of the game's high points; the two of you are squaring off against both stormtroopers and Reborn in one area. My only complaint is that it was over WAY too soon.

The locales are just as eclectic as you'd expect from a STAR WARS game, or movie, for that matter. You go from an abandoned Imperial listening post, to a crystal mine under Imperial control, to Nar Shaddaa, Bespin, an asteroid base, an Imperial Star Destroyer, even Yavin 4, home of the Jedi Academy itself. And every location find new ways to challenge you, no matter what powers or weapons you have at the time.

But once again, it's the story that pulls you in more than anything else. The continuing story of what happens to the New Republic after the movies is compelling enough -- I think we all wonder what happened after RETURN OF THE JEDI -- but framing it around the events of Kyle Katarn's life puts YOU right there in the middle of it all. Kyle's a fascinating character, make no mistake -- kind of like a hybrid of Luke and Han Solo -- but YOU'RE the one directing the action. YOU'RE slugging it out with stormtroopers. YOU'RE slinging a lightsaber against Dark Jedi.

YOU'RE a Jedi Knight.

And that's the best selling point I can think of.

The Saga Continues

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 27 / 40
Date: July 11, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Kyle Katarn quickly became my favorite character in the gaming world. In "Dark Forces", the first of the series, you really only begin to learn the basic brute skills of fighting. You also learn several mind skills, not powers, but necessary exercises to prepare you for the coming hazards in the next challenge. "Dark forces II: Jedi Knight", brought in a new level of graphics and a whole bunch of new worlds to explore. Jedi force powers make dog meat out of the villains. A new darkness arises, and Kyle Katarn destroys one Dark Jedi at a time, until he finally bring's a new balance to the force. Also you learn the tragic and mystical nature of Kyle's past. In "Mysteries of the Syth", you meet a new character named Mara Jade, Kyle Katarns Apprentice in training. What seperates this game from the others in skill, is the awesome long-distance sniper scope attatched to your quick fire storm pistol...
This new addition to the series, Outcast, will develope Kyle's skills. With Familiar, and new world's and the ability to ride the line, using both light and dark skills, it will no doubt be a blast from the old briar pistol. But, will the graphics surpass Alice? I personally shout out the challenge to the design crew. (The five stars were given only in hope!) It was reported at several websites that the critical viewers were stunned with the new graphics that they saw at Lucas Art's game display expo. They say it stole the show, even though there were higher anticipated games on display. It's a great sign. ~SAOS~

Still the best Star Wars game out there

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 13
Date: March 09, 2005
Author: Amazon User

To date, I've played almost all of the Star Wars games released- starting way, way back at the black & white DOS game where your primary (and only) goal is to center your crosshairs on a weaving TIE fighter and blow it up with a push of the fire button. I'm a former flight sim fanatic (not so much now, due to the sad state of the genre), a current RPG fanatic, and I absolutely detest FPS games. This is largely due to the fact I get splattered whenever I join a deathmatch, but is also because these games generally lack even a remote semblance of a storyline and characterization.

Having said that, and keeping in mind that I've also played the excellent X-Wing, TIE Fighter, X vs. TIE, X-Wing Alliance, Knights of the Old Republic, &c (I could go on for quite a while with this) one must add extra weight to the fact that I really like Jedi Outcast. And yes, I am aware that it's a shooter. So the big question, of course, is why?

First and foremost, this FPS actually has a plot and characters. Not only that, but it has GOOD plot and characters- so much so that they have actually been inducted into Star Wars canon.* This is an honor no other Star Wars game has yet been able to claim. In fact, the storyline is so good that you will hardly notice that you're not really seeing any new kinds of enemies (stormtroopers and other Imperial slime are still the general fare).

The sound and look is superbly done. Voice acting is top notch, and instead of having full motion video cutscenes with horrible dubbing (as in the first Jedi Knight) they've used the game engine to fill in the blanks. And yes, it actually looks quite good- even compared to current games. Great attention to detail is a key factor in the presentation- when you walk into a cantina, you'll hear the familiar music from the Mos Eisley Cantina in Episode IV. The locations are varied and magnificent, with some taken from the movies (e.g. Cloud City on Bespin) and others from the expanded universe (e.g. Nar Shaddaa).

Now, though I'm a lousy FPS player, I still know enough to say that the weapons are very cool. There's the standard rocket launcher, sniper rifle, close-range grease gun, and default pistol. All have very unique looks and effects, and strengths and weaknesses. Most have an alternate fire mode, which can add interesting functionality (e.g. laser tripwires on mines).

And then, of course, we have the lightsaber and the Force. I cannot overstate how cool these are, and it's impossible to really describe it here. All I can say is that you've really got to play it, and that if you get good with both, two things will happen: you won't use your guns anymore, and you'll really feel like a Jedi master.

The level design is excellent, with puzzles that make you feel smart when you figure them out, but also don't take a total genius to solve. As with the other Jedi Knight, there are secret areas that hold extra power-ups that can seriously aid in your cause. There's also many interesting objectives that require unique interaction with the environment. For example, you'll at one point have the chance to commandeer an AT-ST and run amok through the jungles of Yavin 4, blowing up stormtroopers as you go. How cool is that?

Though I don't use multiplayer mode often (yes, I like this game, but I still get wasted in deathmatches) I have seen enough of it to say that it's comparable to any other FPS out there. There's no vehicles in multiplay, but who needs those when you have the Force? You can challenge others to one-on-one saber duels, play Star Wars-imbued variants of familiar games like capture the flag, and snipe honorlessly at passing Jedi from a balcony.

Given its long, excellent campaign and flawless presentation, Jedi Outcast comes with the highest recommendation. Even if you're not a Star Wars fan, its compelling story and great arsenal of weapons will appeal to the FPS fanatic. Jedi Outcast is also one heck of a deal now, and still looks great despite its age. Go, and may the Force be with you!

*Specifically, Kyle Katarn is universally recognized as the guy who stole the plans for the first Death Star.

Better than the prequels themselves

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 24
Date: December 20, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Whats this? LucasArts releasing an excellent Star Wars game? Why yes it is! A great action-adventure game!

Jedi Outcast takes place about 10ish years after Return of the Jedi. Kyle is a ex-jedi, a mercinary who travels the universe trying to make a living doing jobs for the New Republic. One day, he is sent, along with his partner Jan Ors to a moon where it is believed that leftover imperials are hiding out. There he will discover a secret that will change his life forever.

Jedi Outcast begins as a 1rst person shooter, with Kyle (your charachter, duh) running around imperial bases for the first 5 levels shooting countless imperial stormtroopers with his trusty blaster rifle. This is the games only bad point. For the first 5 levels you have no lightsaber, only a few weapons and no force powers. Unlike most video games, the first few levels of Jedi Outcast do a fairly poor job of sucking you into the game. There are almost no really exciting moments for the first 5 levels (With the exception of your first encounter with the games super cool bad guy at the end of level 5). Just non stop shooting and a few really difficult puzzles. After you get your lightsaber however, things really start to take off and they dont stop.

The gameplay in Jedi outcast is virtually perfect, jumping is easily accomplished, shooting with weapons is easy to do, and most important, the lightsaber controls are flawless. Its easy to pick up how to do complex moves with a bare minimum of practice.

The highlight of Jedi outcast is of course the lightsaber combat. After getting all the fighting styles (Fast, medium, strong) and mastering them, you will be a virtually unstopable fighting machine, redifining the term "Jedi Master" with little effort and some skill, you can hack off arms, hands, heads, torsos, legs and feet. If lightsaber combat isint your thing, you can always use the amazingly sweet force powers. Hate a certian stormtrooper? Activate force speed and zoom behind him, pick him up in force grip and toss him off a catwalk to his death. All within a few seconds. Later in the game, you get to fight alongside allies, such as, believe it or not, Lando Calrissian (cool, Billy De Williams nailed the voice acting) and even Luke skywalker! (Sadly this part is only for about a minute). You will need all the help you can get, taking on literally thousands of stormtroopers (One thing about the stormtroopers, for the first time ever, you actually feel sorry for them when you carve them up or toss them off a ledge to thier deaths), Rodians, weequays, frustratingly annoying Grans, Dark Jedi soldiers, and the games super cool main villian,(who sounds like James Earl Jones in a way). Another cool feature of Jedi Outcast is the voice acting. Along with the excellent sound effects, you might find yourself sneaking through an air vent and hear a stormtrooper talking about how hard it is to see out of this (Bad word) helmet. Or another time, you might hear one telling a friend that he took on 2 jedi at once and how easy they are to beat, seconds before you come in and tear them to shreds.

Replay value for Jedi Outcast is literally off the charts. Since thier is very little scripting among the bad guys, they fight differently every time, making it super fun to go through a level dozens of times. Although I dont have internet connection, multiplayer is a really fun time, even with the Bots. One of my favorite parts of the game is the cheats. You get your standard god mode, all weapons, all force powers, etc. But a new addition is the ability to spawn NPCs(NonPlayerCharachters) into the game. Want to see if you can take on 50 stormtroopers, 20 reborns, or 10 of the main villian? Its possible. Want to spawn 10 landos and 30 lukes to help you through a level? How about spawning an army of jedi and watch them hack through enimies as they follow you through a level?

Overall, Jedi outcast is a very well done game. It starts off slow at first, but it almost never lets down.

The good:
Superb graphics and gameplay
fun cheat codes (Especially the NPC spawn)
Excelent level design (for the most part)
good story
wickidly cool main bad guy
Extremly cool lightsaber combat
More fun than a barrel of Womp Rats

The bad:
You actually feel sorry for the stormtroopers as you slice them to pices
some frustrating puzzles
the game is boring untill you get your lightsaber

The bad:

The grans
the stuck point on level 2 (hint, shoot something explosive through something)

Summary: It starts off slow, but once it starts, it dosent let up. A absoloute must buy

Rejoice: Being a Jedi is Cool

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 17 / 23
Date: June 04, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Although I'm not a nutcase Star Wars fan that attends every convention and dresses up like a Wookie, I am nevertheless a fan of Lucas' brilliant saga. I enjoy the movies, and when Jedi Knight 2 was released, I eagerly picked up a copy for my PC. And if you're a fan of Star Wars and you like the idea of becoming a Jedi, then I urge you to pick this one up.

Although the first couple of levels are a little boring, the locales are very Star Wars-ish, and killing tons of stormtroopers has never been more fun. Quests of the puzzle-variety are abundant in the first few levels, but once Kyle Katarn (the hero you control) meets up with Luke Skywalker and arms himself with his trusty lightsaber, the game really takes off. An intuitive mouse-control attack makes the saber flow like a true Jedi, and rooms of intergalactic bounty hunters are soon cut to shreds with powerful jumping attacks, backslashes, and somersaults that sever limbs beautifully. Plus, Kyle can now wield the Force with cruel proficiency. Abilities like Force Pull and Push can mean instant death for Imperials standing high atop a catwalk, and the crackling smell of death in Force Lightning is a sight to behold as you lash out before slicing a Jedi Reborn in two. As Vader says, "All too easy."

The graphics are incredible, but know this: Without a powerful PC, this game may not run as smooth as you like. Of course, turning down a lot of the eye-candy will help, but for those of you with a chunky graphics card and a smokin' system are in for some real dazzling effects and landscapes. Gorgeous visuals shape the universe, from Cloud City to the seedy cantinas. Cut-scenes are handled nicely, with decent voice acting and some good-looking rendering effects.

As for the sound, get ready to be immersed in blaster fire frenzy. Thanks to a recent patch, JKII allows owners of Audigy soundcards to crank up the effects with EAX sound, which really adds a tremendous amount of realism to the game. Stormtroopers chat while guarding that all-too-important outpost, and you'll be able to recognize where the blaster fire is coming from, thanks to fully recognized 5.1 support. The familiar whirr of the lightsaber is enough to warrant purchase of this one!

And also know this: The game ain't easy. On numerous occasions, you'll find yourself surrounded by dozens of enemies, all firing away with their trusty sidearms or tossing some nice thermal detonators your way. Needless to say, you've got to have pretty quick trigger fingers yourself to avoid countless reloads.

For the entire package, Jedi Knight II is a game that should not be missed, especially for fans of first-person shooters or the Star Wars saga. Wielding a lightsaber has never been more fun, and when you enter the multiplayer world that JKII has to offer, you can test your skills against thousands of Jedi in a one-on-one arena.

In terms of action, graphics, sound, and overall fun, JKII does not disappoint. Although it takes a little while to get into, once you do, you'll be sad to see it end.

The closest you can get to being an actual Jedi Knight...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 11
Date: April 15, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Star Wars Jedi Knight II (JK2) is the long-awaited sequel for what many consider one of the best Star Wars games ever brought to a PC. The game begins with the same character in the original game who is now a mercenary that has decided to give up the force. As the levels progress, your character becomes entangled in a web of Jedi conspiracies and once again picks up his lightsaber to battle the bad guys.

One difference between this and the original game is that all force powers are available for your character. In the first game, you choose your destiny and which side of the force you want to pursue as some powers are only available with evil Jedis and vice versa for good Jedis. In JK2, all Jedi powers shown in the movies are available to your character which probably doesnýt keep with the Star Wars storyline but makes for a more enjoyable game.

The graphics and sound in JK2 are on par with the times but not spectacular. One of the biggest disappointments to me were the small movies in-between levels which I felt had poor graphics especially when compared to the first game which had real life actors play the parts. One element many first person shooter (FPS) fans pay attention to is the AI of computer controlled opponents. JK2ýs AI is decent but nothing special. The Jedi opponents are rather stupid but still fun to play against, and the game does a good job of making the Jedis smarter and stronger as the game goes on. Sometimes the game allows you to sneak up on Stormtroopers and other enemies but overall the enemies donýt have much personality.

Itýs hard to give JK2 a fair review because I love the movies and get a kick out of any game that allows me to wield a lightsaber. All things being equal, itýs one of the better FPS games available at the moment but probably not the best. You will enjoy your time with this game but it probably wonýt be your all-time favorite.

ACTION FANS ý 5 STARS ý Regardless of how much you enjoy the Star Wars universe, this is a quality FPS and will eat up time. That being said, gamers will probably cherish JK2 more if they love watching the Star Wars movies. Because the game uses force powers in addition to weapons, it would be wise to own a mouse with several buttons and a scroller if youýd like to avoid pressing a lot of keys.

STRATEGY FANS ý 2 STARS ý Some of the press releases for JK2 stated that more strategy would be required for the sequel. The strategies though aren't really antyhing more though than typical FPS puzzles: push the right buttons, find secret areas, match the right keys, etc. Strict strategy lovers probably wonýt find much in JK2.

ADVENTURE/RPG FANS ý 3 STARS ý There are some elements of an RPG in JK2 as your force powers progressively increase and the storyline is entertaining. Itýs still a FPS game though and if you donýt enjoy these types of games, you probably shouldnýt give it a try unless you are a Star Wars fan.

X FACTOR ý A HISTORY OF POOR STAR WARS PC GAMES - 5 STARS ý There have been a few quality PC games based on Star Wars like the X-Wing series and the original JK. Unfortunately, they were released several years ago. Jedi Knight II is probably the first PC game in some time to capture the magic of the famous films it is based on. Nothing beats a game that lets you control a fighting Jedi to the sound of John Williamsý classic score.

BUGS ý 4 STARS ý Relatively bug free. I experienced a few crashes, mostly in the multi-player mode but not enough to take away from my enjoyment of the game.

REPLAY VALUE ý 4 STARS ý If you compare Jedi Knight II to other PC games, it has great replay value, mainly because itýs a FPS game which usually entails a fun online multiplayer mode and a healthy community of gamers ready to make custom files for the game. Because of a large Star Wars fan following, Jedi Knight II already has an impressive amount of MODs, skins and other custom files available for download on the web at various fan sites. Also, JK2 uses the Quake engine which many gamers are familiar with so the game promises to have a healthy amount of custom maps released in the near future even without an official editor. One problem I had with JK2ýs multiplayer mode was that the maps for multi-player arenýt as fun as other games Iýve played. Deathmatches and capture the flag are classic styles of play for FPS games (both are in JK2) but they have gotten boring as more games are released with objective maps. To me, deathmatches donýt stand up to objective maps (maps that have specific goals each team much complete before the game is over) for replay value. Probably the most enjoyable type of game included in JK2 is the duel match. On these maps, players battle each other one-on-one and the winner remains to face the next person in line. It can be tedious waiting for your chance to play but they are the perfect types of matches for a game like JK2 that relies on lightsabers. The maps are fun, the weapons and force powers make for enjoyable hours regardless of which type of game is played, but to me, something is missing in JK2ýs multiplayer. Judging by the amount of MODs and other files already released by gamers in JK2ýs first month of release, there should be plenty of free extras available for download in the near future which will keep the game enjoyable.

Great sequel to Jedi Knight

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 15 / 21
Date: January 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Jedi Outcast is the latest in the series of Star Wars 1st-person shooter games starring Kyle Katarn. Outcast picks up years after Katarn's climactic victory over the dark Jedi Lord Jerec at the Valey of the Jedi at the end of "Jedi Knight" (or JK). Still working alongside the lovely Jan Ors, Kyle serves the "New Republic', sweeping the galaxy of the "Remnant" - isolated pockets of Imperials. Fearing the lure of the dark side of the Force, Katarn abandoned his jedi powers, surrendering his lightsaber to Luke Skywalker. When a routine mission to infiltrate a Remnant stronghold reveals the Remnant's interest in the Jedi Valley, Kyle and Jan soon find themselves facing new armies of Dark Jedi led by the mysterious Galak Fyyar, and a rogue Jedi named Desann. The new game will have Katarn visit locations memorable to SW fans - including Cloud City from "Empire" and the Jedi Academy, located in the old "hidden" rebel base on Yavin-4 strikingly faithful to the very first movie. Though a lapsed Jedi in the first few missions, Katarn is forced to return to the force, reacquiring his old Jedi powers and a few new ones. Unfortunately, there's an army of evil Jedi called "reborn" who aren't above fighting dirty - in large numbers or even in lightsaber-resistant armor. You've got the old weapons and a few new ones as well (which can be a hassle - I get killed often just trying to get to my blaster, and getting past thermal grenades, trip-mines, rocket launchers, etc..; you even have to cycle through weapons that you've run out of ammo for.) To assist or advise him, Kyle will turn to his good friends, Lando Calrissian and Luke Skywalker.

Outcast is obviously a more intense and graphically attractive game than JK, but it's not quite the leap past that game that JK was over the original Dark Forces.

Animation is much smoother - making for spectacular lightsaber duels (also, the new power of "saber-throw" adds to the excitement). Even on medium difficulty, the game is much harder than JK - the puzzles far less intuitive, the opposition seldom less than virtually-overwhelming and the coordination required is much more demanding - suffice it to say that this is a game in which precise use of "force-jump" will determine whether you'll finish a level in a night or a week. Though using the same "Quake III Arena" game-engine that made "Star Trek: Elite Force" (EF) a hit, Outcast has better graphics and solidly deals with one of the biggest complaints against EF - length (I finished EF in about a week; Outcast required something like a month). Outcast also requires more intelligent gameplay than the Trek game which seldom went beyond frag-fests (shoot all the bad guys you can find) and otherwise simplistic problem solving (navigate a maze, throw the switch on any control panel, and run for the exit). In Outcast you'll have to learn to decide between fighting and sneaking using "Jedi Mind Trick. You'll also have to worry about those around you - allies, jedi-trainees and even the occasional droid. (in some spots, you'll even be able to drive droids around like R/C cars, handy for operating in areas made hazardous by toxic waste or too-many stormtroopers.) AI is improved over Trek:EF, with fast-moving troopers confounding the side-step/strafe maneuver that worked so well in that other game. Even the sound is improved: while the authenticity of the sound effects and John Williams's score made JK the game to beat in '97, clever game-coding actually ties music selections to the level of action in the game.

So why is this game - a clear improvement over a Trek game from 2000 - not a clear winner over an even older SW game? Outcast's flaws break down to the unimaginative and unoriginal story and often uninspired level-design. The plot - hardcore remnants of the Empire teaming up with dark jedis - wasn't all that original when Tim Zahn used it in his novels (and that was nearly ten years ago!). As for the levels - most of them are unstructured and not very well thought out, lacking JK's sense of a clear and achievable goals. The mission goals are also far too simplistic (you are told straight out to explore remnant bases and ships and destroy remnant forces) - about what you'd expect from 3rd-party software you'll download on the internet. The first two levels are entirely unnecessary, and the game doesn't begin to come alive until the tail-end of level three. Also, the game leans too heavily on how well you coordinate things you can do easily in real life (like jumping or climbing), severely testing your resolve to stay out of "cheat mode".

Performance: I ran this game with no problems on my P4 2Ghz 512mb system, using a GeForce3 card and WinXP. Be aware that not all OpenGL cards are supported (I had to ditch my old Savage4 card). I also relied heavily on Belkin's Nostromo N.50 speedpad.

In short, though not quite a stellar leap over "Jedi Knight", "Jedi Outcast" is still impressive, most impressive.

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