Jedi Knight 2 Review -- By Brian 'linternet' Linton

Publisher: Lucasarts
Developer: Raven Software
Primary Genre: Action/RPG

I admit it. I'm a Star Wars nut! The ability to pull weapons away from my enemies, deflect laser blasts and slice arms off, coupled with a fantastic story told in full motion video made "Jedi Knight" one of my favorite all time FPS games. I was therefore very exited when my copy of Jedi Knight II: Outcast came from EBgames and I tore open the box and hurried to play my first game.

The story opens with the protagonist, Kyle Katarn, playing mercenary with his old partner Jan Ors. Having given up his Jedi ways (read: lame excuse to start you off weak) he finds himself on a mission for the New Republic to an old imperial base and the story unfolds from there. The story is told as the first Jedi Knight expansion pack was, with modeled characters. It’s a captivating story, and the characters are well rendered but they lack the personality that the FMV brought to the first game and the story sequences are too far apart. The Quake III engine combined with solid enemy AI and above average graphics and sound (ie: John Williams’ music) makes the gameplay itself very good. Be warned however, that you’ll have to use the quicksave/load buttons like hotkeys in an RTS game.

Abundant deathtraps, fatal jumps, and generally poor level design can make the game a frustrating experience at times. Zileas nicknamed the game “Reload Knight II” and it’s an accurate description. At times I get the impression that a kid having a bad day sat down with a level editor and made a Star Wars mod for Quake III. The levels are too long, the puzzles are old and tired, there aren’t enough story sequences and you can find yourself walking around in circles for hours because you mistook a button for scenery. Raven software obviously wanted to increase the length and difficulty of the game (the lack of which were complaints about the first one) but their methods tend to increase the frustration rather than the fun (especially in the first few levels, before you can use the Force). I expected much more from them as their prior track record is superb.

If anything takes this game out of mediocrity it’s the Star Wars theme. Being in “A galaxy far, far away” has its advantages. The story is unmistakably Star Wars and there’s simply no substitute for wielding a lightsaber, shooting lightning bolts out of your hands and interacting with the myriad of characters that made Star Wars the classic it is. Once you get your force powers and lightsaber back, it becomes far easier to take out the rooms full of troops that you’ll encounter due to the ability to slow everything down (using Jedi speed) combined with the lightsaber’s blocking ability. You’re given more lightsaber options than you had in the first game and the duels themselves are much improved. My mouse doesn’t quite feel like a cylindrical metallic hilt yet, but it’s getting there. Also the familiar alien characters and story breaks that allow you to interact with characters like Luke Skywalker give an otherwise weak FPS the uniqueness it needs to be a worthwhile game (I was tempted to up the games score by a half grade when I saw Lando). Overall Jedi Knight II’s single player game is an adequate but disappointing experience that is spared coaster status by its technology and theme.