Rating: 
Summary: Basically a commercial Outcast mod released standalone
Review: "Jedi Academy" is the latest in a long-line of Star Wars shooter games that began with "Dark Forces" (1994) and followed the adventures of Kyle Katarn, former imperial commando, free-booting mercenary and now Master Jedi Knight. As with last year's entry - "Outcast", "Academy" has you fighting various enemies across the Star Wars universe as rendered by the QuakeIII engine. Rather than play Kyle, you lead the fight as one of his assistants - an acolyte jedi (who ya' callin' Padawan!?). Looking and sounding little different than Outcast, Academy does allow you some flexibility. You can alter the appearance of your race, gender, skin color, dress and (because this was beginning to sound like some Supreme Court case) your lightsaber. Choose the color and style of your saber - single or double sabers, or the double-bladed single saber made famous by Darth Maul in "Episode 1". The problem? While it's always fun to play "Star Wars", I spent much of my time just reminding myself that this was supposed to be a sequel to Outcast, with all the improvements that sequels should be expected to have. Using the same graphics engine as Outcast means that the game overall looks the same, while gameplay is otherwise little changed. Being able to customize your appearance is nifty, but it doesn't really add to the game - you're just a generic character in a generic Star Wars story (young and untrained Jedi students against former imperial forces and darker jedis who try and kill you with their fast moves and taunts). Anyway, players have been able to "mod" their appearance since the days of "Dark Forces", so even that feature isn't so new (I played that game as Boba Fett). Though a technological leap over the first "Jedi Knight" game of 1997, neither "Academy" nor "Outcast" match it in making you feel like you're inside a Star Wars movie. The levels (or maps) are compelling, but they always feel like maps - they don't connect in a way that suggests a single story the way the older game did (LA followed the older game's example when releasing "Mysteries of the Sith", a companion disk relying on a tweaked version of the engine used on "Jedi Knight"; though MotS looked shoddy, and its story was actually several loosely linked stories, the individual stories themselves never relied as heavily on cut-scenes to drive the game as Outcast or Academy did). Even forgetting about narrative, Academy is still less of a leap in technology over "Jedi Knight" than that game was over "Dark Forces". I'm not sure why it was even released at all (the only real effect is that the on-line communities that craft mods for Star Wars games have stopped working on Outcast mods, and have begun turning to Academy exclusively). Being little advanced over Outcast, the same system specs should apply. I played this on my P4-2ghz, GeForce3, WinXP system (remember when that sounded like more horsepower than you'd ever need?) and had no problems. Remember to check LA's website to make sure your graphics card is on the approved list. In short, if you missed on Outcast, get Academy. If you got Outcast, Academy is still a worthy game, but not one that will rock your universe.
Rating: 
Summary: A force to be reckoned with...
Review: Ingredients: 30 years of film culture
Big shiny laser swords
Mix thoroughly Avid fans of Mr Kyle Katarn will have been charting his progress for a few years now, in his ongoing quest to shoot stormtroopers and avoid being crushed in big imperial crushing devices. To bring the newbies up to speed, you play as ex-imperial agent Katarn, fighting your way through assorted Star Wars themed worlds and locations. Initially a smuggler and spy, Kyle takes up the path of the Jedi, batttling dark Jedi and swamp beasties, and generally having a good time. In this latest (and greatest) chapter, we join Kyle in another bout of sci-fi intrigue, a spot of platform hopping, lots of shooting and some rather nifty lightsaber duels. Kyle needs to relearn the Jedi skills he apparently turned his back on at the end of this games's prequel, Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2, all on his way to another 'save the universe' confrontation with some naughty Jedi. So, on to the game. Playing in either first of third-person, Kyle explores the SW univererse, hitting switches, solving puzzles, sneaking past lazy stormtrooper sentries, and a lot of other things we've come to know and love in 3D shooters. Where this game becomes unique is in the application of Kyle's Jedi force powers, which you gain as you delve deeper into the game. Fans of the movies will recognise several of them...Force jump, speed, pull and push (to throw enemies around, or tug the weapons from their hands) lighting ("and now young Skywalker, you will die!") plus a few new ones invented for the game. Often you will have to use your powers in specific ways to solve puzzles or bypass obstcales, but you are also free to apply them to other game situations, meaning that there's often multiple ways to defeat traps and enemies. Why fight that squad of troopers when you could use Force Persuasion to sneak invisibly past them? Surrounded? Push your foe off of cliffs or into walls; choke them with your Grip powers, hurle you lightsaber, boomerang style...use your force speed to slow everything down, matrix style, and vault over them, saber flashing. The graphics are top notch, and true to the visual themes and styles of the movies. Likewise the sound, from the blaster fire to the glorius 'vwhoooom' of your lightsaber is as close to playing the movies as you can get. The saber combat is brilliantly realised, and you'll get lots of practise squaring off against evil Jedi. You can fight using three different saber stances, enabling you to perfom lots of different and deadly moves...combine this with your force skills, and you'll feel like one badass Jedi by the time you're done. On top of this already stunning single player game, the online multiplayer allows you to take your skills to the net, and engage in team battles, one-on-one saber duels and lots more.
All of this is wrapped up in Lucas Arts famously lavish presentation, with plenty of cut-scenes, crisp menus and loving fan art. May this game be with you.
Rating: 
Summary: more action less mazes
Review: I loved the game until I was locked up in a prison cell on a planet and In couldn't find my way to fight the big guy there. I tried it 6 times and got very pissed off.
Rating:
Summary: Great sequel to Jedi Knight
Review: Jedi Outcast is the latest in the series of Star Wars 1st-person shooter games starring Kyle Katarn. Outcast picks up years after Katarn's climactic victory over the dark Jedi Lord Jerec at the Valey of the Jedi at the end of "Jedi Knight" (or JK). Still working alongside the lovely Jan Ors, Kyle serves the "New Republic', sweeping the galaxy of the "Remnant" - isolated pockets of Imperials. Fearing the lure of the dark side of the Force, Katarn abandoned his jedi powers, surrendering his lightsaber to Luke Skywalker. When a routine mission to infiltrate a Remnant stronghold reveals the Remnant's interest in the Jedi Valley, Kyle and Jan soon find themselves facing new armies of Dark Jedi led by the mysterious Galak Fyyar, and a rogue Jedi named Desann. The new game will have Katarn visit locations memorable to SW fans - including Cloud City from "Empire" and the Jedi Academy, located in the old "hidden" rebel base on Yavin-4 strikingly faithful to the very first movie. Though a lapsed Jedi in the first few missions, Katarn is forced to return to the force, reacquiring his old Jedi powers and a few new ones. Unfortunately, there's an army of evil Jedi called "reborn" who aren't above fighting dirty - in large numbers or even in lightsaber-resistant armor. You've got the old weapons and a few new ones as well (which can be a hassle - I get killed often just trying to get to my blaster, and getting past thermal grenades, trip-mines, rocket launchers, etc..; you even have to cycle through weapons that you've run out of ammo for.) To assist or advise him, Kyle will turn to his good friends, Lando Calrissian and Luke Skywalker. Outcast is obviously a more intense and graphically attractive game than JK, but it's not quite the leap past that game that JK was over the original Dark Forces. Animation is much smoother - making for spectacular lightsaber duels (also, the new power of "saber-throw" adds to the excitement). Even on medium difficulty, the game is much harder than JK - the puzzles far less intuitive, the opposition seldom less than virtually-overwhelming and the coordination required is much more demanding - suffice it to say that this is a game in which precise use of "force-jump" will determine whether you'll finish a level in a night or a week. Though using the same "Quake III Arena" game-engine that made "Star Trek: Elite Force" (EF) a hit, Outcast has better graphics and solidly deals with one of the biggest complaints against EF - length (I finished EF in about a week; Outcast required something like a month). Outcast also requires more intelligent gameplay than the Trek game which seldom went beyond frag-fests (shoot all the bad guys you can find) and otherwise simplistic problem solving (navigate a maze, throw the switch on any control panel, and run for the exit). In Outcast you'll have to learn to decide between fighting and sneaking using "Jedi Mind Trick. You'll also have to worry about those around you - allies, jedi-trainees and even the occasional droid. (in some spots, you'll even be able to drive droids around like R/C cars, handy for operating in areas made hazardous by toxic waste or too-many stormtroopers.) AI is improved over Trek:EF, with fast-moving troopers confounding the side-step/strafe maneuver that worked so well in that other game. Even the sound is improved: while the authenticity of the sound effects and John Williams's score made JK the game to beat in '97, clever game-coding actually ties music selections to the level of action in the game. So why is this game - a clear improvement over a Trek game from 2000 - not a clear winner over an even older SW game? Outcast's flaws break down to the unimaginative and unoriginal story and often uninspired level-design. The plot - hardcore remnants of the Empire teaming up with dark jedis - wasn't all that original when Tim Zahn used it in his novels (and that was nearly ten years ago!). As for the levels - most of them are unstructured and not very well thought out, lacking JK's sense of a clear and achievable goals. The mission goals are also far too simplistic (you are told straight out to explore remnant bases and ships and destroy remnant forces) - about what you'd expect from 3rd-party software you'll download on the internet. The first two levels are entirely unnecessary, and the game doesn't begin to come alive until the tail-end of level three. Also, the game leans too heavily on how well you coordinate things you can do easily in real life (like jumping or climbing), severely testing your resolve to stay out of "cheat mode". Performance: I ran this game with no problems on my P4 2Ghz 512mb system, using a GeForce3 card and WinXP. Be aware that not all OpenGL cards are supported (I had to ditch my old Savage4 card). I also relied heavily on Belkin's Nostromo N.50 speedpad. In short, though not quite a stellar leap over "Jedi Knight", "Jedi Outcast" is still impressive, most impressive.
Rating:
Summary: Rejoice: Being a Jedi is Cool
Review: Although I'm not a nutcase Star Wars fan that attends every convention and dresses up like a Wookie, I am nevertheless a fan of Lucas' brilliant saga. I enjoy the movies, and when Jedi Knight 2 was released, I eagerly picked up a copy for my PC. And if you're a fan of Star Wars and you like the idea of becoming a Jedi, then I urge you to pick this one up. Although the first couple of levels are a little boring, the locales are very Star Wars-ish, and killing tons of stormtroopers has never been more fun. Quests of the puzzle-variety are abundant in the first few levels, but once Kyle Katarn (the hero you control) meets up with Luke Skywalker and arms himself with his trusty lightsaber, the game really takes off. An intuitive mouse-control attack makes the saber flow like a true Jedi, and rooms of intergalactic bounty hunters are soon cut to shreds with powerful jumping attacks, backslashes, and somersaults that sever limbs beautifully. Plus, Kyle can now wield the Force with cruel proficiency. Abilities like Force Pull and Push can mean instant death for Imperials standing high atop a catwalk, and the crackling smell of death in Force Lightning is a sight to behold as you lash out before slicing a Jedi Reborn in two. As Vader says, "All too easy." The graphics are incredible, but know this: Without a powerful PC, this game may not run as smooth as you like. Of course, turning down a lot of the eye-candy will help, but for those of you with a chunky graphics card and a smokin' system are in for some real dazzling effects and landscapes. Gorgeous visuals shape the universe, from Cloud City to the seedy cantinas. Cut-scenes are handled nicely, with decent voice acting and some good-looking rendering effects. As for the sound, get ready to be immersed in blaster fire frenzy. Thanks to a recent patch, JKII allows owners of Audigy soundcards to crank up the effects with EAX sound, which really adds a tremendous amount of realism to the game. Stormtroopers chat while guarding that all-too-important outpost, and you'll be able to recognize where the blaster fire is coming from, thanks to fully recognized 5.1 support. The familiar whirr of the lightsaber is enough to warrant purchase of this one! And also know this: The game ain't easy. On numerous occasions, you'll find yourself surrounded by dozens of enemies, all firing away with their trusty sidearms or tossing some nice thermal detonators your way. Needless to say, you've got to have pretty quick trigger fingers yourself to avoid countless reloads. For the entire package, Jedi Knight II is a game that should not be missed, especially for fans of first-person shooters or the Star Wars saga. Wielding a lightsaber has never been more fun, and when you enter the multiplayer world that JKII has to offer, you can test your skills against thousands of Jedi in a one-on-one arena. In terms of action, graphics, sound, and overall fun, JKII does not disappoint. Although it takes a little while to get into, once you do, you'll be sad to see it end.
Rating:
Summary: The best Star Wars game out yet
Review: Jedi Outcast is SO COOL! If you liked the last 2 jedi knight games then you are going to love this one. You play as Kyle Katarn again except now you have given up the force. On a mission to a detention mining camp something (I'm not saying anything) makes Kyle pick up his lightsaber and call back the powers that he had long forgotten.
This game's graphics are very nice, an upgraded version of the Quake III engine, but still, I had actually expected better. At times the graphics can seem a bit blocky and not very fluid. I was dissapointed at the way the space ships took off, because it looks the way they did in Jedi Knight (they kinda just lifted up in a straight path, stopped for a second then went forward ina a straight path). Other than that this game is all gold. As many other people have said, the death animations are awesome. I like how now the Force Jump is holding down the jump key. It makes it easier. Force saber throw is now just the secondary fire for the lightsaber.
... the Multiplayer experience is awesome, just like in Jedi Knight. One thing I'm afraid of though is hackers. In Jedi Knight there were a lot of hackers. This game is awesome go buy it now.
Rating:
Summary: If You Enjoyed Jedi Outcast, You'll Enjoy Jedi Academy
Review: Not everyone liked Jedi Outcast. For instance, I've heard many complaints about the lightsaber mechanics. I however loved Jedi Outcast and found Jedi Academy to be more of the same saber swinging fun. I admit, I'm a Star Wars fan, so maybe the ability to force push people to their death while the classic John Williams Star Wars music plays in the background is too much gaming bliss for me to resist but I still think this game would be fun for people not in love with the Star Wars universe. I'm sure it helps though to at least have watched the original trilogy. For those that played the first game, there are two significant changes. One is that your Jedi can now wield dual lightsabers (i.e. Anakin Skywalker vs. Count Dooku in Episode II) or a double-bladed lightsaber (i.e. Darth Maul in Episode I). The second largest difference is that you can now pick your missions instead of following a linear story driven path like Jedi Outcast did. There is still a terrific story in Jedi Academy and every so often you're forced to go on a specific mission to move the story but you're allowed a little more freedom than the other game. Perhaps my only complaint about this game would be a weak online community. Only time will tell if gamers will design their own modifications for the sequel but compared to other popular first-person shooters, there aren't many servers available for online play and most of them don't allow you to use your force powers. If you've ever desired to wield a lightsaber, this is the game for you! It's a fun title that breathes fresh life into the first-person shooter genre.
Rating:
Summary: One parent's plea
Review: I write this more as an innocent bystander than anything else. I am not particularly into hack-and-slash games, but the resident 10-year-old thinks it is the last word in entertainment, at least for this week. As far as I can see, it largely consists of run run run, jump jump, slash slash slash, run run, jump, slash slash, run run, shoot shoot, use your funky Force powers from time to time, run run run run, jump. Woo hoo. If that's your cup of tea, more power to you. However, for we poor saps who happen to be stuck in the same room with the urchin playing this game, the experience can be pretty miserable. To start off, the dialogue is just absolutely god-awful, melodramatic crap. I don't know if the game designers are trying to be faithful to the movie franchise, but please stop it. Nobody will ever confuse the diaglogue in the Star Wars movies with Casablanca. Please, try to improve on this in future efforts. Also, why do all of the male characters sound like they are doing bad Clint Eastwood imitations? It just drives me crazy to listen to this stuff. I keep waiting for Jaden or Kyle to say, "Do you feel lucky, punk?" I guess you are trying to emphasize the characters' manliness (god knows some of these pimple-faced gamers need to live vicariously through these characters), but it only adds to the overall cheesiness of the production. Finally, try and make it a little more challenging. The aforementioned 10-year-old, playing maybe an hour per day, was able to get through this game in maybe 2 weeks. This is the same 10-year-old who was hard-pressed this weekend to tell us if the sun rises in the east or the west. This is not encouraging, and for those of us who shelled out depressingly large sums of money for this game, we would like to see the youngsters a little more challenged.
Rating:
Summary: Good action game, not a great RPG
Review: NOTE: Amazon seems to have combined reviews for many separate games in one area. This review is for Jedi Academy. In yet another chapter of the ongoing Star Wars gaming empire, you are a young trainee in the Jedi School of Lightsabers and Force Powers. It seems that every new scene in this game has you running into one of the Classic Heroes of the storyline - Luke Skywalker, Kyle Katarn, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, etc. And each of the characters quotes their traditional lines - "I've got a bad feeling about this" ... "I sense a disturbance in the force" ... etc. I'm a big, big fan of the Star Wars saga but I have to admit that it would have been nicer if they left those cameos as special treats, instead of making you feel like, even though you're a brand new trainee, you were plunked right into the middle of the most important characters in the rebel alliance! The graphics are really great, with a lot of detail on faces and weapons. While it was nice that you could customize your main character, they only had 3 presets for male and another 3 for female - and they didn't match up. So while you could be a male Rhodian, you couldn't be a *female* Rhodian which is what I really wanted to be. There were only 3 faces to choose from and a few shirts. Most role playing games out there nowadays give you much more flexibility so this was disappointing. You start out with simple training sessions to learn about lightsaber use, force pushes and pulls, and so on. Your master is Kyle, and soon you and Kyle are heading off planet to do various tasks for the Jedi. While the game gives you a good mix of combat and puzzle, I have to admit I felt very much like Super Mario at times, working to jump-jump-jump up a series of blocks ... falling down if the jump wasn't timed just right and starting over again. The combat gets better in later levels but at the beginning it's easy for it to turn into a button mashing contest. Definitely a good game for any Star Wars fan to get, but I recommend the MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies for anyone looking for a real RPG experience. The character creation, development and combat feels much more rewarding in Galaxies. But those looking for a quick fix will find it here!
Rating:
Summary: The Best Game I've played in Long time
Review: I'd have to say this is one of the best games I hav played in long time.
Graphics: The graphics get a 4.7 I mean they aren't perfect but they still beat most games today in visual effects, such as highly reflective glass floors. Sound: This gets a 4.3 because mostly all you here is blaster rifles and lighsaber blazes but the soundtrack is pretty nice, but hey its an action game what do you expect? Gameplay: This gets 5.0 this game is so fun to play. When you first start playing it isn't very fun because you can't use the force or the light saber. Although as you progress it becomes more interesting because you gain force powers like...Push, Pull, Jump, Speed, Choke, Lightning, Heal, Saber throw, and Jedi Mind Trick. Replay Value: I believe that this game would have a moderate replay value because it's so long. Overall: In my opinion I think that anyone who has an Open GL compatible graphics card should buy this game.
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