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A classic game that needs a reasonably fast PC

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: September 01, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I've only just finished playing the Single-Player missions about five minutes ago, but I thought it'd be reasonable to review it anyway. A lot of people remember the first Jedi Knight with a lot of affection. It was the very first game in which players could actually become a Jedi and use a lightsaber. The single-player storyline was quite good, although I personally thought the filmed cutscenes were a bit weak.

It's been quite a few years since we've seen a Star Wars single-player game, so I was surprised and delighted when I heard that Raven Software would be developing a sequel to Jedi Knight, entitled Jedi Outcast. So is it worth buying? It depends - Jedi Outcast has exactly the same pros and cons as the original game did. So if you loved certain aspects of the original and hated others, you'll find yourself reacting the same way here.

To start with - the bad points. If the jumping puzzles and mazelike levels really annoyed you the first time around, things aren't going to get any better the second time around. The worst part is during the levels in Nar Shadaa, which are often set above vast bottomless chasms. Some puzzles require exquisite timing and luck, in particular a level in Nar Shadaa which requires you to leap onto a moving hovercar and then dodge a trash compactor.

In addition, in the first five levels of the game you don't have either a lightsaber or any force powers. You're only equipped with run-of-the-mill weapons. The level design in these first five levels isn't all that great either. I suspect that Raven Software created these first five levels as a homage to the original Dark Forces PC Game - if so, it was a poor choice.

The other important point to mention is that you WILL need a fast PC in order to play and enjoy this game. I have an AMD Athlon 2000+ XP, with 512MB PC2100 DDR RAM and a 64MB GEForce4 TI4200 Videocard. It's quite a powerful system, and I can run the game at 1024x768 at the highest detail levels, without a single frame-rate slowdown. I would NOT recommend running this game on anything less than a Pentium III/AMD Thunderbird 1.2 GHz PC. The big payoff is that the graphics are jaw-droppingly awesome. Again, the Cloud City levels are a beautiful example of this - you really will believe that you're in a Star Wars movie.

Now, the good points, which more than outweigh the bad. It takes about two hours or less to play through these first five levels. The level design also improves considerably, with the Cloud City levels being my personal favourite. You also finally get access to your force powers, and then your lightsaber. The "tutorial" mission on level 6 demonstrates just how much the force powers have improved over the original Jedi Knight. The old abilities are all here but given a brand new twist.

For instance, in the original, the only really useful power was Force Pull, which you could use to pull weapons from enemies hands. This time, you have both Force Push and Force Pull, and both are quite dangerous. Force Push can be used to actually knockdown enemies from a distance, while Force Pull can be used to physically drag enemies towards you. As you progress through the game, your Force Powers will increase. At full power, Force Push can be used to fling an entire platoon of Stormtroopers into a chasm, which is a truly awesome sight to behold.

The other great aspect about this game is undoubtedly the Lightsaber combat. Obviously, the original Jedi Knight's lightsaber combat was based on the first three films, and it mostly consisted of frenetically waving your lightsaber around. Jedi Outcast's lightsaber combat was based on the newer films, which means that using your lightsaber involves more than just repeatedly pressing the fire button on your keyboard.

Put it this way - anyone who's watched the Phantom Menace will remember the truly awesome fight between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul. They will also remember the combat moves they were able to execute, which included somersaulting off walls. Well, know you will also be able to execute the same moves, and it looks and feels absolutely awesome. One of my own favourite moments came during a Cloud City level, when I was locked in combat with a Dark Jedi and a hapless stormtrooper. I actually managed to kill both the other Jedi and the Stormtrooper at the same time - and the game actually went into slow motion replay to show me the death scene. Coolness.

With both Jedi Outcast and Elite Force, Raven Software have proven that they are a high-quality Development Company, who are quite successful at bringing legendary big-screen adventures to the PC. I believe that Raven Software were probably the best (and most likely only) company that could've pulled this off. This game is a classic, and I would certainly not hestitate to recommend this game, providing the person in question has a reasonably fast PC.

Good and fun most of the time but not great.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: May 02, 2002
Author: Amazon User

With out a doubt this is the most fun and immersive FPS since Half-Life. While that might sound ground-breaking, it isn't. It feels more like 80% of what it might have been, and that would have made it an instant classic.

Most of the action is a blast. A favorite part of mine was later in the game you enter an open courtyard in Cloud City. With out warning a pair of Dark Jedi attack. The following battle is a frenzy of crackling lightsabers and clashing Force powers. Yet moments like this take time getting there.
For the first few missions you wonder around looking for the right button to hit while fighting a seemingly infinite army of Stormtroopers. It is strange that a game still makes button flipping a major game play aspect. Nor is your destination always clear, some levels are a maze at times. On top of that you do a lot of jumping. A lot, after awhile it reminded me of Frogger. It is here that the flaws of the game are the most obvious. The AI is not stupid but not clever either. Some of the graphics are very good, like the character models, lighting, shadows and weapon effects. However much of the textures are lower resolution and bland. There is only a sky box, no sky effects making the outdoor areas life-less. Oddly absent is the detailed mapping that the Quake3 engine is known for. Yet once you are strong with the force it is a blast-a-second to throw Stormtroopers off a cliff, choke Imperial Officers to death and cut down Dark Jedi. It never gets old to fry, blast, blow up and vaporize hordes of bad guys right out of the movies.

I was surprised to find an interesting plot in the game. In a nutshell it is another attempt by a crazy Dark Jedi and an Imperial faction to overthrow the Republic. However there were some plot points that I did not expect and made it worth following along. More than that the voice acting was better than most computer games. It was entertaining to listen to the dialog as each charactor hade a perfectly matching voice.

While the voice acting was well done, the music needed some polishing. The classic Star Wars score is over used. It is used in every single Star Wars game to date, would it hurt to come up with something new?

The single player is entertaining but I found the mutiplayer to be less thrilling. Some will find it awsome, but in games with out force powers or limited power it boils down to the same old run'n gun. A little less conformity and more innovation would have made it worth while in my opinion. MP is also played out on the MSN Zone, also in my opinion a hassel.

Over all it is still the best Star Wars game to come out since the previous Jedi Knight. It is a cool game and one of the best to come in a while. Yet the uninspired MP and sometimes irritating level design weaken what could have been amazing game.

The most "finished" Star Wars Game to date

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: April 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Those of you who follow the gaming scene will note that Star Wars games of recent times have been, well.. very much lacking. Jedi Knight II changes all of that.

The single player experience in this game is exceptional. Although some of the textures are a bit blocky, the world that the game designers have created truly make you feel like you're in the Star Wars universe.

Now, some people have commented the the graphics are subpar. Jedi Knight II uses the "aging" Quake 3 engine. Sure, other games that have adapted this engine to their games do seem to have higher quality graphics than Jedi Knight II (Medal of Honor comes to mind immediately). However, I can assure you that the gameplay more than makes up for the lack of ground breaking imagery. Moreover, these are the largest Quake3-engine based levels I've seen.

Some of the game's many cutscenes are prerendered. More often than not, though, the story advances using in-engine cutscenes. I've read some of the other reviews on this page that poo-poo this design choice. For me, the scenes are fantastic. High detailed models, almost flawless and well detailed animation, good voice acting, great lighting effects all make the in-engine cutscenes a joy to watch.

Gameplay-wise this game is a breath of fresh air for a first person shooter. With the myriad of force powers at your desposal, you'll feel like you're playing out a scene in a movie each time you enter a room full of Imperial Storm Troopers or scummy Rodians (Greedos).

The Jedi Speed Force Power is of special note. Those who have played Max Payne know of bullet time - a game mechanic that slows the gaming world down and allows you to take better aim and to react the enemies before they can react to you. Jedi Knight II takes this to the next level. Using the "Speed" force power can increase the speed of your character 2 fold. Suddenly a room full of 10 storm troopers becomes a privilege instead of a chore. Opening the door, rushing in, and disarming them (literally) is a gaming treat that nobody should miss. The task at hand moves from "surviving this encounter" to "try to get all ten before the first one hits the ground"

This is a definite contender for FPS of the year, and possibly game of the year depending on how Neverwinter Nights and Dungeon Siege live up to expectations.

Almost as good as Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: May 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

It has better gfx, better light saber interaction, expanded story line, but no movie cut scenes, not as much platforming, and no tumbling ship stages. :(

Still yet, a million times better than Academy!

ANOTHER SATISFIED CUSTOMER...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 14
Date: May 23, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I am not being biased when I say this game rocks although I have been a first-person shooter fan since Wolfenstein 3D first came out. This game is awesome. The feeling I got when I first played it was the same feel back in 1995 when I first played Dark Forces on my 486dx2 66mhz machine. I especially like how you build up your Force powers as the game progresses. It's a rewarding experience when you get through the Jedi training and obtain your lightsaber. By default though, the game is not set to chop off arms, legs, heads, thighs, and torsos, which was a dissappointment. But, after turning on cheats (i only set it on for this purpose) and setting the g_SaberRealisticCombat to 50 (setting is from 0-99, by default it's 0), I was laughing out loud when seeing the storm trooper get his head and hand chopped off for the first time. The only con I experienced with this game is that I experienced a bit of choppiness at first. I'm running a 1.5ghz, 512mb PC800, with a Geforce 4 ti 4400 and I was still seeing some choppy lines on my monitor with the refresh rate set to 120hz. The problem was due to something called "vsync". This was changed by entering r_swapinterval 1 into the console and running the vid_restart command. After that, the choppiness went away. This game is sweeet! If you're a fan of Star Wars games then this game is one you should definitely own. Lucas Arts has came through with a very fine production for it's gamer fans finally. ... Peace.

Excellent Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: April 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I give this game my whole hearted recommendation. Looking through the reviews already posted I just wanted to comment on some of the marks against the game.

1) I think the graphics are far from pedestrian. Sure they arn't Return to Castle Wolfenstein but there still Quake 3 based which makes them among the best looking on the market. The Storm Trooper model is one of the most convincing looking 3D models I've ever seen (take a look at the reflections on the glossy white armor if you don't believe me.)

2) This game is puzzle laden so if you don't want much in terms of cerebral demand for the single-player this isn't for you. However I thought the puzzles were all logical and was never stuck for much more than five minutes. Usually a bit of back tracking and paying a little closer attention to your environment will keep you from getting stuck.

On to my own thoughts:

Pros:

This game has the best melee combat of any shooter ever. The saber fighting is suprisingly deep with controls similar to the various rolls and shoot-dodges from Max Payne. What swing you do depends on three factors: 1) position of your enemy 2) movement key pressed and 3) fighting stance (you start out with a medium stance then earn a quick but weak stance and finally a powerful but slow stance). Combine this with the acrobatics of your force powers and once you get the lightsaber you won't want to use anything else.

A.I. is excellent. Storm Troopers arn't supposed to be this damn smart, there easily as smart as the Half-Life Marine. These buggers will make use of cover and attempt to out flank you. If there Officer or Section-Leader is killed they won't be nearly as organized or as willing to fight. Also at various times throughout the game you'll fight with some A.I. buddies (e.g. Jan Ors, Lando Calrissian, Luke Skywalker.) These buddies are a far cry from Half-Life's Barney. They never get stuck on terrain, fight smartly and the bad guys never seem to just target either you or your partner.

Finally single-player level design is excellent and multi- is varied and a lot of fun.

Cons:

The only major strike against this game is it starts out rather generically. In the first 5 levels you don't have your force powers or your lightsaber so the combat is not remarkably different from any other shooter. In addition the puzzle design is also pretty generic (find computer code; enter computer code to extend bridge, lower forcefield and unlock door beyond bridge and forcefield.) However once you get past this initial hump the game becomes one of the best shooters I've ever played.

Get this game and if you haven't played the rest of the series get the tin-box version which includes Dark Forces and Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II.

excellent, but...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: April 06, 2002
Author: Amazon User

this game has instantly become a personal favorite. the graphics are good and the game play is even better. initially the game is little more than a first person shooter, however this quickly changes once you re-obtain your force status. throughout the course of the game you learn new force abilities and your old ones increase. for individuals who enjoyed the first two games in this series this is a must buy. however, i have to admit that i found the story line a little ridiculous, but that it is bareable. my only real complaint is the constant need to jump from place to place. this game reminds me of a much improved 3D version of pitfall at times. however, these irritating sections of the game are easily ignored once you have suffered through them. finally, the highlight of the game comes in the higher levels when you can abuse storm troopers with your force powers. tossing a hoard of angry imperials across a room with a casual flick of the wrist is a blast. also, the light saber battles with dark jedi are great. i would highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys the star wars genre (i have to admit i am not a hugh fan) or enjoys a good game.

Bigtime

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: May 15, 2002
Author: Amazon User

The funnest game since half-life!! First levels are fun, but you are just waiting to get through them to get to the lightsaber. Great sound, Fabulous Graphics, Gameplay is awesome whether your a Star Wars fan or not. The lightsaber fights are unbelievable to say the least!! Just a great game hands down!! game of the year candidate for sure!!! However you need a high powered system to run the game!! I have a beefed up system, so I had no problems, and I was blown away with how bigtime and addictive the game gets as it goes on. A nice graphics card is key, if not you might be disapointed at the lag time. Multiplayer is well done too!!! The duels, to the James Bond type free for all makes the game last for a long time even if you beat it!! Get yourself a present and buy this game ASAP!!!

An adventure worthy of the Star Wars name

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: June 10, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Twenty-four years ago, George Lucas created an empire (no pun intended) that still stands today. One of the mediums that have taken advantage of this empire is the software industry. LucasArts is the main beneficiary producing both good (Jedi Knight/Dark Forces series) and the bad (Masters of the Teras Kia?).

Luckily Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast is on the good side of things. Outcast, developed by Raven and utilizing the Quake III engine, stands out as an interactive and unique first and third person Star Wars adventure. You play as Kyle Katern, who in earlier games in the series was between the light and dark side of the force. Now with excellent visuals, level design, and acrobatics, Kyle does so much more...but better also.

Despite a great story, animations, and little details, some things irk me about this game. First enemy AI isn't too good. Either that or stormtroopers can't hear in those helmets. You could be a couple feet behind them with your lightsaber roaring and they don't even know your there. Then, sometimes they start firing at you and run away. Going for help? No, they pick a random spot and kneel down to shoot again. Second are the first few tedious levels. I was pumped when I first started playing, firing switches and mowing down Imperials. But then later I became bored and everything felt tedious. Nonetheless, later levels make up for this.

Let's run this down:

PROS:
-Sound
-Game engine
-Story
-Star Wars "feel"
-level design

-Visuals
-Details

CONS:
-Enemy AI
-A few tedious levels
-Semi-slow loading time

If you are a Star Wars fan, such as myself, you should have this game allready. If not, consider it and you won't be sad.

Now I know what itýs like to be a Jedi

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

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a Jedi -- A light saber-wielding, laser blast-deflecting, fast-running, high-jumping, mind-tricking, acrobat of mayhem? "Jedi Outcast" is the closest thing that you will get to finding out. This isn't really a "first-person shooter", it's a "first-person Jedi" game. It's very unique, and it has a little something for everyone. If you are not turned off by the insane difficulty of this game, then you will probably enjoy it no matter what kind of game you usually like.

First off, if you are a big Star Wars fan, then you will start to like this game right away. It's true to the movies in just about every way. It starts off like a Star Wars movie, with the rolling text that introduces the storyline. You will recognize the laser blast and the light saber sounds from the movies, and most definitely the music. (I just wish that they could have gotten Mark Hamil to voice act Luke Skywalker.)

The light saber tactics and force powers are what make this game special. I love running into a room full of storm troopers with light saber unsheathed, and flipping around, and hacking them before they know what hits them. The "Force Speed" power lets you temporarily slow down the rest of the world (ala "Max Payne"). "Force Push" knocks a group of baddies onto their rumps so that you can rush in and take care of them before they get back on their feet. You can also push them off of high ledges into deep, gaping holes of death (lots of those in this game). "Force Pull" pulls their weapons out of their hands. If you want, you can pull the weapons from everyone's hand and then throw your light saber like a boomerang and cut them down. It's such a blast cutting Stormtroopers and Imperials to pieces with your immense Jedi powers. It never gets old.

There are a ton of good puzzles in this game. This game has more good puzzles than most "puzzle games". I was very pleasantly surprised by this. Lots of them are fairly easy, but there are some very tough ones in there as well. You really have to exercise your brain to get through this game. I had to use a walkthrough posted on the internet several times. There are a lot of secret areas in the game as well and a lot of little buttons and stuff to push. If you are someone who likes to go exploring around big 3-D maps, then you will enjoy exploring the Jedi Outcast world.

I must say, though, I didn't like the controls for this game very much. Kyle can't jump and pull himself up onto a surface (ala "Thief"), and he skids to a stop like his shoes are covered in grease. This makes the numerous "jump puzzles" in the game annoying. I found myself overrunning doors and computer consoles a lot of the time too, and taking a couple of seconds to properly position myself to get through a doorway. The light saber controls weren't very good either, especially when it comes to dueling. The light saber duels aren't what they are hyped up to be. They look and sound cool, they flash by at lightning speed, and it's next to impossible to tell what is going on. The enemy has no health meter, and Kyle (your protagonist) doesn't auto-face the enemy. The opponent usually flies and jumps around like Yoda in "Attack of the Clones". It's very hard to tell what you are doing right, and what you are doing wrong. I never used the special light saber moves in the game. Instead, I found that the best way to win light saber battles was to use "force speed" and furiously click the "Attack" button. There are improvements to be made here.

The biggest downer in this game is the insane difficulty level. And I mean INSANE, even on the second easiest setting. I rarely played this game for more than five minutes without dying and having to reload my saved game. The game lacks flow because of it. There are snipers in this game that hit you from half a mile away if you pop your head out for only half a second. There are lot of areas in the game where you have to complete 8 nearly impossible tasks in a row within 10 seconds, or you die. I used the cheats to get past one of these after trying about 25 times. This is the first game that I have ever cheated to finish a game. I died about 15 times before finally vanquishing one big boss with a light saber. I don't think that a game should be a piece of cake, but on a lower difficulty setting, you shouldn't be wearing out the "quick save" and "quick reload" keys on your computer either. Some people might like it that way. It just depends upon your personal preference.

The good parts of this game override the shortcomings by a long shot. Go out there and buy it, and wait like me for the next sequel.

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