JEDI KNIGHT II: JEDI OUTCAST
Developer: Raven
Publisher: LucasArts
Game Type: First/Third Person Shooter
Similar To: Quake

Date: 4/24/2002
By: Rice

Note: Screenshots courtesy of... a variety of sites.

    A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far away, a sequel to the original Jedi Knight was announced to be under production for the PC. It was going to be titled Star Wars: Obi-Wan, and it was going to follow the story line of how a young padawan grew up to be a promising Jedi Knight, up to and including some events of Episode I. It was going to bring back the awesome feeling of playing a Jedi, with powerful forces at your command and the ultra cool light sabre.

    But somewhere along the line of the development process, LucasArts pulled the plug on the PC version and converted it to an Xbox only title. The collective PC gaming community groaned at this travesty. "The Xbox?!? WHY!??! The Dark Forces legacy deserves to continue on the PC!" Just when matters couldn't get more bleak, Raven steps in and announces the development of Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. They promised this game was going to be the true sequel to Jedi Knight. It will feature the return of Dark Forces hero Kyle Katarn years after the events in JK. It will also feature id's Quake III engine. To this news, the collective PC gaming community yelled, "Hip, hip, hooray!"

The sabre is mightier than the blaster.

    Okay, so I really don't know what the heck the collective PC gaming community really thinks. What I do know is that Jedi Knight was the only Star Wars game where you could play the role of an all powerful Jedi. Titles like X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter and Rogue Squadron are undoubtly fun, but nothing captures the essence of George Lucas's universe like being able to choke a Stormtrooper and fling him off an endless abyss. Jedi Outcast has a lot to live up to, but when Raven's at the helm, you know good things will come out the end of the assembly line.

    Of all the id's licensees, none has been as prolific as Raven. They've made no less than seven games (eight if you count the upcoming Soldier of Fortune II) using all flavors of John Carmack's fabulous engines, dating back to the original Heretic powered by the classic DOOM. Each one has been a hit in its own right. Who says quality and quantity are mutually exclusive? Ugh... that just brought back memories of my probability class. Anyways, being able to use 3rd party engines allows developers to focus on gameplay and content rather than coding an engine from scratch. It's a philosophy that has helped carve them a name for itself in the industry. These days, people come to anticipate Raven productions. For example, I couldn't care less about the Star Trek universe, but I had a heap of fun playing Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force because Raven did a good job making it. It's exactly like anticipating albums from your favorite music artist.

Back off, fiends!

    So all of that really has nothing much to do with Jedi Outcast. I just feel Raven's a lot lesser known than say, Valve, who has released only one heck of an overrated game in Half-Life. Don't get me wrong, I loved Half-Life, but man, it ain't the second coming like most people are making it out to be. My new pet peeve is hearing reviewers rave about something as being "best since Half-Life!" I mean c'mon, the bar of excellence has been raised umpteen times since then. Get over that stupid game already. And what has Valve been doing since? Working on Team Fortress 2, supposedly. TF2's probably the second most hyped & delayed game behind Duke Nukem Forever. Seriously, if a game is going to take 3-4 years for you to make, you might as well kiss profit goodbye.

    Alright, I better shut up before I drift further and further away from the topic at hand here. Man, I can't believe I wasted so much time just ranting. Somebody slap me the next time I do this.

    Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast's storyline picks up after Kyle Katarn's adventures in the first JK, where he fought to avenge the death of his father, a former Jedi Knight. I must admit I never flipped that game. It was so hard! I've entertained thoughts of going back with a game guide in hand, but I doubt that's ever going to happen. I don't even know if I can even find my old copy of the game. Anyways, his quest brought him all the way to the legendary Valley of the Jedi where he struck down a Dark Jedi named Jarec. After that, Kyle relinquished control of his light sabre to Luke Skywalker because he found himself too tempted by the dark side. Over the years, he allowed his force wielding skills to erode as he resumed his role as a mercenary for the Republic.

Crap. This is going to hurt.

    This is where JKII's story picks up. Somehow, Kyle will have to regain both the desire and the skill to pick up the art of the Jedi again. And herein lies the only bad thing I have to say about this game. There is way too much slack in the beginning before you get to fiddle with forces and light sabres again. For a two or three hours, a stupid little putt putt blaster and a highly erratic Imperial rifle will be the main weapons of choice for you. You'll be forced to wade through uninspiring puzzles and a lot of find key/open door scenarios, and it's a serious drag to the gameplay. You just want to start kicking some Stormtrooper ass Jedi style, but instead, you have to jump through a bunch of typical FPS hoops. I understand that it's an integral part of developing the storyline, but I think they could've shortened it overall.

    With the sole complaint out of the way, I can begin ranting on how awesome the rest of Jedi Outcast is. The first level where the real fun begins is when you depart for the Jedi Academy on Yavin. Something's gone wrong, and you're pissed off. No pathetic gun can compare to the power of a light sabre and the Force. You seek out Luke and get back to your roots. Now the game really begins.

Stormtroopers wear paper armor.

    At first, you're only equipped with the most elementary of all force powers, such as push, pull, and speed. Jump is automatic, by the way, which differs from the original where you had to trigger it. Your light sabre skills also start off pretty sketchy, especially in the blocking department. You'll be able to repel most standard blaster fire, but it'll be a while before you can stand up against Imperial Heavy Repeaters. As you progress through the stages, you'll find yourself acquiring new forces at your disposal, including the deliciously evil Force Grip made infamous by Darth Vader.

    Not only do you expand your arsenal, your skill at executing them will also increase. For example, in the beginning you can only Force Pull one enemy at a time, but at rank 3, you can Force Pull nearly an entire semi-circle range as well as yank their weapons out of their hands. Each of these powers are clearly listed in your mission briefing screens. Old skool Jedi Knight players may be disappointed to find that you can no longer choose your destiny, so to speak, where you apply points to any kind of power or upgrade you want, and consequently choose your path down the dark or light side. This time, you're well balanced in both light and dark forces.

Holy crap, that stings.

    One of the best things Raven implemented in the game that enhanced the entire Star Wars feel of it is the excellent 3D animations. When you grip a Stormtrooper, he will claw at his throat for the invisible force and wiggle helplessly in place. When you Force Push a charging entourage of bounty hunters, they'll fling backwards as if they hit a brick wall at full stride. Best of all are the light sabers. When you whip them out, they sizzle and fizz like the white hot blades of death they are. When you're walking along the wall with it out, it'll create a temporary scar along where it touched. I can't count the number of times I scrawled my name on walls everywhere with it. And when you duel with an evil Jedi, your character slash and parry like the intense choreographed battles in Episode I. Sometimes, you and your enemy will lock sabres and you'd have to frantically tap your fire key to overpower him. It creates a hardcore adrenaline rush, to be sure. I downloaded a demo of the old Jedi Knight for comparison and noticed how much its graphics and animation pales in comparison to Jedi Outcast's.

    The levels are all likewise excellent, as they all invoke memories of locations we've all seen in the movies. You start off sneaking around Imperial bases but soon zoom off to exotic yet familiar locations such as the murky cloud city of Bespin, the swamp infested Yavin, and the tightrope sidewalks of Nar Shadaa. The game's all about recreating the intricate Star Wars atmosphere. The elevators swoosh up and down in futuristic fashion, and the Stormtroopers talk in radio-static voices. You get to meet Lando Calrissian, and there's even one sequence where you fight side by side with none other than Luke Skywalker himself. It's these things that make Jedi Outcast, a quality FPS in its own right, rise above and beyond for any Star Wars fan because it makes you feel like you're an active part of the storied universe.

Eat Force Lightning!

    Jedi Outcast also comes bundled with a multiplayer component that includes deathmatch and Capture the Flag. I dabbled with a little of both, and they were both quite fun... especially in levels where a nice hearty Force Push can send your opponents flying down an endless abyss. In addition, there are several other modes like Capture the Ysalamiri, or Jedi Duel, which I'll let you guys read up or experience on your own, since I haven't found the time to do so myself. Anyway, multiplayer is quite fun, and because it's obviously the only title where you're allowed to use the light saber and the Force, it has its own niche against the Counter-Strike and Quake/Unreal fiends.

    But in all honesty, the meat of JKII is without a doubt its rollicking single player campaign. While the storyline lacks the drama and depth of its predecessor, it's far more action packed and immersive. I can talk until I turn blue, or rather, type until my fingers fall off, but until you actually experience a heart pounding battle against two light saber wielding Jedi's as they slowly circle around you, or fling a group of Stormtroopers off a ledge like a pesky insect, no words or pictures can do the amount of exhileration or power you feel justice. If you consider yourself even a mild Star Wars fan, there is no excuse to not own this game.

Light saber battles are fast and intense like the ones from Star Wars: Episode I.

Final Grade: A-
Summary: Star Wars fans, bump the grade up to an A. Fans of Star Wars AND FPS's, bump the grade up to an A+. Jedi Outcast blends a perfect mix of saber dueling and force powers. This is the best Star Wars action game ever made.

Gratuitous Screenshots:

If I were a Jedi, I'd be so tempted by the Dark Side...

Mwahahahahaha!