In my lifetime as a gamer, I have found it incredibly difficult to find Star Wars games that were up to par. That’s not to say they aren’t out there, but anyone who has spent any time playing such a beloved franchise like Star Wars in video game form will probably agree with me. Luckily, when I have come across a Star Wars game that is any good they usually exceed all of my expectations or come pretty darn close to doing so. That was certainly the case for Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast.

    Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast features the return of the former Jedi turned New Republic mercenary, Kyle Katarn. Kyle Katarn is no stranger to Star Wars games, and several of the better games in the franchise had Katarn as it’s protagonist. Luckily, I have these games in my own personal collection and will all eventually get their own separate review right here on Ethos Reviews.

    Anyway, Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast takes place several years after the events that took place in the Valley of the Jedi. Kyle Katarn, and his mercenary partner/love interest Jan Ors are on route to their next assignment for the New Republic. They are going to investigate what is supposed to be an abandoned Imperial outpost on the planet Kejim, unfortunately when they arrive Kejim is still crawling with Imperials. It is there, they find the Imperial Remnant have been doing some sort of experiment with crystals that are very much like those found inside a Jedi’s lightsaber. Being that Kyle Katarn cut himself off from the force after nearly falling to the dark side, he isn’t overly interested getting involved in anymore “force business.” But being the mercenary that he is, he and Jan follow the crystal’s back to their source on the mining planet Artus Prime. It is here Kyle and Jan are confronted by two Dark Jedi named Dessan, who is a brutish raptor-like man lizard, and his apprentice Tavion. Jan is captured by the new Sith, and after a brief confrontation between Dessan and Kyle, Katarn is easily beaten. Dessan orders Tavion to kill Jan. With Kyle knowing he doesn’t stand a chance against Dessan and Tavion in his current state, he has no choice but to return to the Valley of the Jedi, the place where he chose to sever his ties to the force, and regain his lost powers. It is here where this tale of revenge really begins. I won’t go into much more detail on the events that take place in the main plot of Jedi Outcast, but it is easily one of the most mature and well developed stories ever put into a Star Wars game.

    In terms of game play, Jedi Knight: Jedi Outcast is very diverse. It is a mix of both standard First Person shooter, and Third Person styles. This combo has a lot of depth to it, although admittedly it doesn’t start off that way. The first few levels of the game, game play is very basic. The main perspective in use during these levels is the First person mode, as players will use a variety of weapons like the Bryar Blaster pistol, the Imperial E-11 Blaster Rifle, a Wookie crossbow, and thermal detonators among other things. There is nothing wrong with the weaponry itself, or even the game mechanics. The problem is how the first few levels are laid out. The are essential the same thing over, and over again. Kyle Katarn shoots up wave after wave of storm troopers, which have an impressive AI system that makes the troopers run in fear, try to flank Kyle, or numerous other features that add realism to the game. But, players are also forced to complete variations of the same key puzzles to unlock doors and gain access to new areas. This really isn’t bad, its just basic. After a while it can get a little old, but if you stick with the game through these few brief levels of averageness, you will be rewarded.

    This game doesn’t truly begin to shine until Kyle Katarn regains his force powers and lightsaber. This is where for the majority of the time the Third person perspective takes over, and game play becomes addictively epic. Now I know Jedi Outcast isn’t the first Star Wars games to feature the use of force powers and the lightsaber, but in my opinion this is one of the first games to pull it off successfully enough to allow the player the feeling of actually being a Jedi. Once the lightsaber and base force powers are acquired, the scope of the game changes simply because the challenge of non-Jedi enemies goes down. The game itself isn’t any easier, its because Kyle has become more powerful. In no time you’ll be taking down countless storm troopers with the lightsaber, or in later levels force lighting with out even taking damage. The force is truly a powerful ally. Possibly the most addictive aspect of the force/lightsaber combo, is when facing off against Dark Jedi. While fighting an enemy who can also wield the force, your edge against your opponent begins to level out. This results in some pretty outstanding lightsaber battles, that feel equal to those found in the movies. When fighting with the lightsaber, players have full control of attacks and swing direction. This allows for pin point control, so with a little practice you can become very proficient with the lightsaber. This proves useful when bringing your skills online in the multiplayer mode.

    For its time, Jedi Outcast’s multiplayer mode was just as addictive as its single player mode. Players could take their skills online to face off against others in a variety of game styles, which all felt true to the Star Wars brand. Being this game was released in 2002, many people no longer compete online. That’s not to say there isn’t those still playing it, I’m sure there are, but from what I could tell the variety in players is no longer there. Luckily, there is modes where you can go up against bots. True this isn’t the same as going against another player, but if you just want to get in some lightsaber action, this is a pretty nice feature to have.

    Anyone looking to get this game, its well worth the investment. It is available for PC, Nintendo Gamecube, and the Microsoft Xbox. Although it is a worthy purchase on any platform, in my experience is was pulled off the best on PC. Those of you who do want it for the PC, a word of warning for anyone running Windows 7 or Vista. Jedi Outcast might not run properly with Windows 7 or Vista. By switching the program to run windows compatibility mode XP, any errors you might run into will be resolved.

    Since I first got my hands on this game, I’ve found myself returning to it time and time again. Sure its not entirely perfect, but its better than the vast majority of other Star Wars games on the market. I could be very tacky and end this review with a comment like “the force is strong with this one”…but, ah what the heck. You get the idea.

Written by RB

Over and Out

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