Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Dark Forces II
That's no moon...
The original Dark Forces is a superb piece of Doom-style first person shooting, which is dressed up in superb fashion in Star Wars clothing. This sequel maintains its predecessor's high standards and even improves on them, providing fans with a gripping narrative and some tense, exciting gameplay. As before, you play Kyle Katarn, a mercenary who has infiltrated the Empire as part of a plan to learn the ways of the Jedi. This one sees him seeking out the murderers of his father and he will face off against the Dark Jedi Jerec, as his enemies seek out the mysterious Valley of the Jedi. What follows is a very well done FPS, where you explore a series of environments familiar from the classic movies, as well as some new ones, while blasting the hell out of Stormtroopers and other iconic bad guys. What elevates the game though, is the inclusion of the legendary light saber and the ability to wield Force powers, just like a real Jedi. There's a great selection to choose from, and there's no denying that their implementation helps the game become something more than just another shooter. Of course, it's helped by the superb level design and thoroughly atmospheric visuals which really bring the much-loved universe to life, and although the graphics are dated, it doesn't make that much difference. The sound is equally well done, while the story is genuinely gripping and will have you hooked to the end. The action is never less than exciting, while the weapons and powers bring a new level of depth to the game. All in all, this is a great shooter, whether you're a Star Wars fan or not.
Dark Forces Return
Star Wars: Dark Forces introduced the expanded universe to Kyle Katarn. Dark Forces 2 is the next chapter in Kyle's story and shows his first steps in learning about the Force. Interestingly, this game came out before Episode I, and before the whole Sith "Rule of Two". The beginning of the game begins like any other FPS, with a Star Wars twist. Once you discover the Lightsabre, a whole new world opens up to you. You get to play with neutral Force powers like enhanced speed, pushing, pulling, and jumping. Then you have to make a choice of either "Dark"Â or "Light"Â powers. You can mix and match, however if you aren't exclusively one side or the other, the final powers on either tree will never unlock. The journey takes Kyle to his family farm, learning about his roots, and pursues 7 Dark Jedi. I find it fascinating how Kyle's story diverges from the main cannon and is then reconciled in Jedi Knight II and Jedi Academy. The multiplayer is a ton of fun since this was long before Star Wars Battlefront was released. Even then, you couldn't play as a Jedi until Battlefront II. This game was ahead of its time.
Star wars themed FPS
Jedi Knight is your basic first person shooter but adds a whole new aspect to the genre. The force powers turn the average "who's got the biggest gun?" battle into a "How do I get past THAT?" battle. Everything from invincibility to invisibility is there, and of course you can steal your opponent's weapon from across the room. Back in the day there were tons of skins that were made, good luck in finding them now though. Both multi-player and single player was very well done and the story was fascinating with full cast video sequences.
