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 Jedi
Knight 2: Jedi Outcast
Raven Software
LucasArts
Action
PC
The original Dark Forces stormed the PC back in 1996 as a standard
FPS action title in the same style that Doom and Quake got us
gripped to the new genre. As a rebel soldier you wandered through
various Imperial installations killing Stormtroopers and
Gamorreans and anything else that you could with that standard
E-11 rifle.
 When
the sequel to Dark Forces, Jedi Knight came out in 1997 it was
absolutely amazing. The original Dark Forces was a hit, but this
story was not even a sequel it was the beginning of a great saga
starring Kyle Katarn, a mercenary with a past that leads him
towards the ways of the force. Jedi Knight was possibly one of the
greatest action games of all time. With an open ended plot and an
incredibly diverse combination of weapons, lightsaber and force
combat, Jedi Knight was amazing.
Jedi Outcast, lives up to the benchmark that its prequel set if
not surpassing it on some levels. Now eight years after the Battle
of Endor, Kyle Katarn and Jan Orrs continue to work odd jobs for
the New Republic. Kyle has since given his lightsaber to Luke
Skywalker in hopes of leading a life away from being a Jedi. While
on a mission given to them by Mon Mothma, the pair stumble upon
Remnant activity involving an outer rim planet that is mining
strange crystals after being hostilely taken over by Imperial
Remnant forces. As Kyle investigates and frees the prisoners of
Artus, Jan is captured by a strange Jedi by the name of Desaan.
Desaan defeats Kyle easily and forces Kyle to return to The Valley
of the Jedi and reactivate his force abilities.
 As
the story unfolds, Kyle gradually regains his force abilities.
Every ability from speed, to push to even the mind trick and the
Emperor's lightning, Kyle has access to. When the lightsaber is
gained, it becomes a weapon that Kyle becomes nearly invincible
with it. Able to block projectile blasts and even throw at
unsuspecting soldiers, lightsaber combat is fun to watch and
incredible to execute. Combined with a very versatile list of
Force powers, combat could never be sweeter. But throw in a
incredible arsenal of weapons from the standard E-11 rifle to a
repeating rifle and of course, thermal detonators, and even the
standard FPS game can be improved upon.
The story driven single player with decent AI is great, especially
when you fight the Reborn Jedi forces. But the fun doesn't stop
there. Multiplayer is a blast as well, complete with simple
deathmatch style games where a person with a Flechette canon can
wreak almost as much havoc as a seasoned Jedi can. But one of the
best features of multiplayer is the ability to challenge anybody
to a one on one duel.
 Graphically,
Jedi Outcast is amazing. The character movements are top notch,
with the possible exception of lip movements during scripted cut
scenes. But combat between Jedi is amazing and fun to watch as
multi-colored blades flash across the screen in a blaze of glory.
The environs are equally beautiful and there's quite a variety of
places that Kyle ventures to. From an Imperial base, to the
jungles on Yavin and even the majesty of Bespin, each one has a
distinct style and all are beautiful.
Typical of LucasArts, the sound is great and authentic to the
films. Blaster sounds, explosions, the voices of the Stormtroopers
and even Billy Dee Williams create a great atmosphere. The
soundtrack picks up when you're in combat, and quiets down when
you're sneaking around. Though I wish it had a more original
soundtrack rather than using the pieces that John Williams
composed so long ago.
I've played this game for almost a week straight and have not
gotten tired of it. The single player is absolutely amazing and
earns a ten on its own, the multiplayer is another great facet to
it and the technical praise that this title gets make this worthy
of my seal of approval.
Final Verdict: 10/10
Jedi
Outcast
Raven Software
LucasArts |
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