Gaming Target - Xbox: Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast

Written by Nick Doukas on August 27, 2002

First Impressions: A Jedi's strength flows from The ForceЕ

There's a scene near the end of Episode II that is the culmination of everything fanboys have been dreaming about for the past 25 years. As Obi Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala fight for their lives in the Arena on Geonosis, Mace Windu and a contingent of Jedi warriors arrives to rescue the trio. After a few words to Count Dooku, the former Jedi Master and leader of the Separatist movement, the Jedi spring into action. Throughout the arena, Lightsabers are ignited and the Jedi charge into the fray, amidst a whirling of sabers, blood and battle-droids. Good stuff to be sure, and this November Star Wars fans (or at least those who are Xbox or Gamecube owners) will get the chance to feel like a real Jedi Knight with Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast from publisher LucasArts. PC gamers have been enjoying this gem for months, and now Xbox owners will get a crack at the game that perfectly captures all the finer points of lightsaber combat.

I remember picking up the original Dark Forces for my PC a week before I actually had my computer (it was on order). I was so psyched for a Star Wars FPS that I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Throughout the Dark Forces and Jedi Knight games one thing has remained certain: an accurate and thoroughly wonderful presentation of the Star Wars universe and it's unique and exotic weaponry, as well as a common protagonist: Kyle Katarn, a mercenary who eventually found the Jedi Knight within in Dark Forces II. After the temptation of the Dark Side haunted his last outing, Kyle wants nothing to do with the Jedi ways, as he advises Mon Mothma: УNext time you have a mission dealing with The Force, leave me out of it Ц Skywalker is your on-call Jedi.Ф Though as luck would have it, the story of Jedi Outcast will draw Kyle into a fierce struggle with the last remnants of the Empire, as he attempts to stop them from producing an army of Force wielding cybernetic troopers.

As Jedi Outcast opens, Kyle receives an assignment from Mon Mothma: several transmissions, encrypted with an older Imperial code, have been intercepted by the New Republic and tracked to the planet of Kejim, where the remains of an Imperial listening post lay abandoned. Go check it out. At this point you'll embark on an adventure spanning the Star Wars galaxy as you tackle 24 missions full of blaster fire and lightsaber battles. You'll visit such locales as Yavin and Bespin (home to Cloud City), as well as a mining facility on Artus. Nar Shaddaa and the smuggler's moon will be featured as well. Be prepared to face an army of bounty hunters, storm-troopers and other exotic alien scum. At first, Kyle will have access to blasters and ranged weapons only. Though as the game progresses, Kyle embraces his Jedi destiny and again wields a lightsaber, as well as some impressive Force powers. As a powerful Jedi, you'll have access to Force Pull (which allows you to pull a weapon from an enemies hand or manipulate a switch), as well as the Force Grip, Lightning and Push. You'll also be able to Force Jump, draw on super speed or heal yourself, as well as play Jedi Mind Tricks on your opponents.

Which brings me to the most exciting aspect of Jedi Outcast: lightsaber duels. While you can remain in first-person mode for saber combat, a quick flip to third person is built in, and affords you a great view of your Jedi alter-ego doing backflips, and effortlessly cutting through hordes of enemies. Expect to be in some serious saber duels with Dark Jedi, as you parry, thrust and throw Force powers around the room. Fortunately, the control is well mapped, with the direction of your strokes controlled by the right analog stick and the ability to quickly switch between three different combat stances (light, medium and heavy) assigned to a single button. Different stances employ various attacks ranging from acrobatic combos (light), to powerful killing blows (heavy). In all, the saber combat will have you performing like a Jedi master throughout the adventure, and the story, rich with Star Wars imagery, is a winner as well, and should appeal to fans of the series in a big way.

Graphically, the game is reportedly doing well in its conversion. Textures and lighting are superb, and all of the high detail of the PC version remains intact. Developer Vicarious Visions is bringing some additional content to the Xbox version of JK II: Unlockable skins, an additional level, and a few other possibilities yet to be determined. Levels are massive in Jedi Outcast, but fortunately you'll be able to save anywhere in the game. Character models are impressive, and environmental effects (like sparks as your saber makes contact with the wall or scorch marks left from blaster fire) lend added realism to the proceedings. The music draws heavily on John William's famous themes from throughout the films, and the sounds of blasters and sabers are drawn directly from the source material. Voice acting is solid all around as well, and the authentic sounds of the Star Wars universe will help draw players into the adventure.

While the Xbox version of JK II will not support online play, it will include all 15 multiplayer modes, as well as full bot support. You'll also be able to play against friends with a split screen mode. Between the ranged weapons, Force powers and lightsaber combat, it looks like Star Wars fans will be provided with all the tools necessary to bring the Empire to it's kneesЕagain.