Star Wars™: Jedi Knight™ - Jedi Academy™

Looking at the screen shots and reviews of this game I was a bit weary: The graphics are kinda blocky, the levels seem a bit weird and the voice acting is cheesy. I ended up getting it on a Star Wars week sale for a few euros, not expecting much more than a nostalgic romp through the SW expanded universe. Oh how I was surprised! When you were a child, did you ever play Star Wars with your friends or in your head? Imagining yourselves as different characters or in different roles, traversing the galaxy on your light hearted and not all that well thought out but super awesome adventures? Jedi Academy is what you imagined in your head made into a game! You can read about the missions somewhere else so I'll not go into them here, as the core of the game is in its action, much like in Jedi Outcast, and it's sublime. You get to wield a light saber, dual light sabers or a double bladed light saber as you swish about on your Jedi missions, cutting down, force pushing, strangling and electrocuting the scum and dark jedi of the galaxy. You'll experiene emergent combat scenarios, like when you force push a dark jedi towards an edge while he resists but for a second almost loses his balance on the edge, giving you the opportunity to cut his hand off and make him fall to his death. Or when soldier jeers "Free target practice!" as you run towards him with a light saber in hand, deflect his shot to his throat and make him fall dead on the ground. Or when a rookie dark jedi miscalculates his jump towards you and falls to his death without you having to do a thing about it. Any fun Jedi combat scenario you have imagined in your mind is a possibility in this game, and it has made me smile with joy more times than I can care to count. The enemies can be quite deadly though: More than once a dark jedi has strangled me while his friend instantly gutted me with his saber. You have to be careful and fast, but that just adds to the fun!

Although not nearly on par with dark forces saga, Jedi Knight brings to the table a more profound lightsaber combat system and ... well, that's really it. This is why I give this game no more three star : if you remove the nostalgia glasses.. this game doesn't offer much. Well, that's not even fair : It does offer more than a dozen missions, all set in different planets and with different objectives and gameplay... but most of time there are structural repetitions and the ones that are actually unique don't offer such great experience. Speaking of gameplay, if it is true that the lightsaber combat got more developed, it is also true that most of the actual fighting ( speaking against the bot in the main story) is clanky at best, with some moves completely OP and weird hitboxes that made feel your victories more like the results of luck, more then skill. Maybe the move set was more intended for the Online matches.. buuut I don't think that they are now an option. However, A mention of honor goes to the force powers that are always fun to use. Plus, if in the previous games the weapons still have a significant part and a completely viable option in most of the non-Jedi fights in the gameplay, now they are just... for show, with few ones you'll be actually using and only with certain kind of enemies. Story wise, it's enjoyable enough, but it's not a ''fresh'' or ''innovative'' take on the star wars universe, i's more like a fan service, where there's more interest in just showing old, establish characters then try something new, like the dark forces series ( sorry, I mention a lot the previous installments because technically Jedi Knight is deeply connected to them, if not a direct sequel). However, this doesn't mean the game isn't worth playing : on the contrary, it's perfectly enjoyable, if not somewhat redundant, experience, at least of most of the part of the game, and if you are a Die-hard fan, you can immerse yourself by creating and playing your own Jedi!

For start I must say, I played a pack of other Star Wars themed action games. All of them focused on the cinematic lightsaber fight. Pre-edited moves, combo and chain based movesets, this was all. About the story... either a Jedi or a Sith wanted to change the world. The Jedi Academy was different. It was one of my first Star Wars game I ever played next to Outcast. The Jedi Academy is all about a galactical quest, putting together the clues, and fighting against our old white-armored friends. Unlike the Outcast, this games start with a lightsaber, but on the first missions you can use instead your guns if you want. Either by lightsaber and guns it has that true Star Wars feeling like the first trilogy (IV., V., VI.). The gameplay changed significantly from Outcast. Basically you must learn again even the use of a single saber. There are more option to strike, more to protect yourself, and more to trick your opponents. Now the game has three blade style. The standard single for balanced and tricky style, dual sabers for deffensive and long attack style, and staff for rush-down assault style. You can choose any from them, there are no stronger or better style. But that's not all. The saber is fully controlled by the movement of your character, and the mouse cursor. You can swing your sword in many ways for countering your opponents moves. There are no pre-scripted combos, you must build your own. Of course, you can always use some special katas if you feel yourself cornered The game has a very good multiplayer too. Even with slow net it can be played without any lag. Easily modable for unique gameplay experience, many cool maps can be found anywhere. Gift this awesome game to your friends, and start the never ending saber combat. Or if you prefer, you can use the game as an arena FPS, like the Unreal series.

Oh memories of 2007... I spent so much time in Jedi Academy. I replayed it like 20+ times. There's no game with better lightsaber combat. Graphics got little old (especially character models), but lighstabers are still looking nice. Controlls feel smooth and responsible. You can really 'feel' controll over you character and their movement. I recommend binding force pull and push to mouse wheel, it's comfortable and feels good. And if you got bored you should check a mod called Knights Of the Force.

It was my first game that I have ever played in Star Wars video games series. And nowadays I finally can support the developers of this greatest game. So what I wanted to say. Never be cruel, never be cowardly, don't let dark side to grab you and may the force be with you...