Rating: Summary: The Force is strong in this box. Review: This one hits the marks in all respects, it's a kick-... FPS that revels in the Star Wars universe. Lucasarts themselves have not been immune to releasing SW products who's raison d'etre is simply to promote the francise. No one is coasting with this baby, however. It would stand alone as a classic PC shooter even if it was called 'Crazy Joe's Space Brigade'.Once again we follow the exploits of Kyle Katarn, who has turned his back on the Force after the harrowing events of Dark Forces II. While investigating for the Alliance under the aspices of Mon Mothma, he and ...-kicking side-kick Jan Orrs get wrapped up in the obligatry complicated plot of universal domination plans of Imperial Remnants. The plot alone could carry the player along for the ride. A few familiar faces pop up as well, including Jedi Academy Master Luke Skywalker and that old scoundrel Lando Calrission, voiced by Billy Dee Williams himself. Unfortunately Mark Hamill does not reprise his role, so one of the niggling things about JKII is the schoolyard wiener vocal performance of Skywalker. As expected, the graphics are highly polished, with sharp textures and lots of environmental flourishes and special effects. Sound is also handled with atmospheric aplomb. But the real twist that sets this game apart are the force powers and light-sabre duels, both dramatically changing the pace of the game and lending a true unique Star Wars feel to things when they appear. The game also has a great pace, eschewing the "make the first level ridiculously easy and the rest excrutiatingly hard" idoicy that has plagued recent FPS level design. The game slowly ratchets up the enemy count as you gain familiarity with new weapons found so that you never feel too overwhelmed. You'll probably just stick with the lightsaber outside of any sniping needs tho...the LS combined with Force powers is definitely the most fun way to progress through the game once they become available. A lot of people seem to be complaining about the amount of puzzles in the game, but for me this just adds to it's greatness. There really aren't a lot of them, they make a nice change of pace from slaughtering hoardes of oncoming baddies, and they're all logically designed and fun to solve. Even to users numbed by the oversatuation of Star Wars games, this is a keeper. Buy it now, Yoda says so.
Rating: Summary: save your money Review: Could have been the greatest game ever if it wasn't so difficult. The level of gaming skill required to successfully play this game ruins it. Save your money.
Rating: Summary: Should be 4.5, greatest star wars game ever Review: ... After the first few levels. once you become a Jedi, however, this becomes one of the most engrossing experiences ever. Clever Force and lightsaber controls make becoming a Jedi master simple, and completely entertaining. I have no hesitation in recommending this to fans and newbies alike, as well as veterans and people well versed in the Star Wars galaxy. It doesn't disappoint, I'd love to give some bad scenes and great scenes away, but that would ruin most of the surprises late in the game. One thing I can tell you, they got Billy Dee Williams to reprise his role of Lando Calirissian, and he performs it at top notch, becoming possibly the best voice actor in computer games history. The game has long load times for levels (but once the level is loaded, it's not a hassle. There are tons of stormtroopers in the early levels, making them somewhat difficult (but once you have a lightsaber, no worries). And the animations for cutscenes is very low-par. But the voice acting and sound easily make up for that. Highly recommended entertainment.
Rating: Summary: The closest you can get to being an actual Jedi Knight... Review: Star Wars Jedi Knight II (JK2) is the long-awaited sequel for what many consider one of the best Star Wars games ever brought to a PC. The game begins with the same character in the original game who is now a mercenary that has decided to give up the force. As the levels progress, your character becomes entangled in a web of Jedi conspiracies and once again picks up his lightsaber to battle the bad guys. One difference between this and the original game is that all force powers are available for your character. In the first game, you choose your destiny and which side of the force you want to pursue as some powers are only available with evil Jedis and vice versa for good Jedis. In JK2, all Jedi powers shown in the movies are available to your character which probably doesn't keep with the Star Wars storyline but makes for a more enjoyable game. The graphics and sound in JK2 are on par with the times but not spectacular. One of the biggest disappointments to me were the small movies in-between levels which I felt had poor graphics especially when compared to the first game which had real life actors play the parts. One element many first person shooter (FPS) fans pay attention to is the AI of computer controlled opponents. JK2's AI is decent but nothing special. The Jedi opponents are rather stupid but still fun to play against, and the game does a good job of making the Jedis smarter and stronger as the game goes on. Sometimes the game allows you to sneak up on Stormtroopers and other enemies but overall the enemies don't have much personality. It's hard to give JK2 a fair review because I love the movies and get a kick out of any game that allows me to wield a lightsaber. All things being equal, it's one of the better FPS games available at the moment but probably not the best. You will enjoy your time with this game but it probably won't be your all-time favorite. ACTION FANS ' 5 STARS ' Regardless of how much you enjoy the Star Wars universe, this is a quality FPS and will eat up time. That being said, gamers will probably cherish JK2 more if they love watching the Star Wars movies. Because the game uses force powers in addition to weapons, it would be wise to own a mouse with several buttons and a scroller if you'd like to avoid pressing a lot of keys. STRATEGY FANS ' 2 STARS ' Some of the press releases for JK2 stated that more strategy would be required for the sequel. The strategies though aren't really antyhing more though than typical FPS puzzles: push the right buttons, find secret areas, match the right keys, etc. Strict strategy lovers probably won't find much in JK2. ADVENTURE/RPG FANS ' 3 STARS ' There are some elements of an RPG in JK2 as your force powers progressively increase and the storyline is entertaining. It's still a FPS game though and if you don't enjoy these types of games, you probably shouldn't give it a try unless you are a Star Wars fan. X FACTOR ' A HISTORY OF POOR STAR WARS PC GAMES - 5 STARS ' There have been a few quality PC games based on Star Wars like the X-Wing series and the original JK. Unfortunately, they were released several years ago. Jedi Knight II is probably the first PC game in some time to capture the magic of the famous films it is based on. Nothing beats a game that lets you control a fighting Jedi to the sound of John Williams' classic score. BUGS ' 4 STARS ' Relatively bug free. I experienced a few crashes, mostly in the multi-player mode but not enough to take away from my enjoyment of the game. REPLAY VALUE ' 4 STARS ' If you compare Jedi Knight II to other PC games, it has great replay value, mainly because it's a FPS game which usually entails a fun online multiplayer mode and a healthy community of gamers ready to make custom files for the game. Because of a large Star Wars fan following, Jedi Knight II already has an impressive amount of MODs, skins and other custom files available for download on the web at various fan sites. Also, JK2 uses the Quake engine which many gamers are familiar with so the game promises to have a healthy amount of custom maps released in the near future even without an official editor. One problem I had with JK2's multiplayer mode was that the maps for multi-player aren't as fun as other games I've played. Deathmatches and capture the flag are classic styles of play for FPS games (both are in JK2) but they have gotten boring as more games are released with objective maps. To me, deathmatches don't stand up to objective maps (maps that have specific goals each team much complete before the game is over) for replay value. Probably the most enjoyable type of game included in JK2 is the duel match. On these maps, players battle each other one-on-one and the winner remains to face the next person in line. It can be tedious waiting for your chance to play but they are the perfect types of matches for a game like JK2 that relies on lightsabers. The maps are fun, the weapons and force powers make for enjoyable hours regardless of which type of game is played, but to me, something is missing in JK2's multiplayer. Judging by the amount of MODs and other files already released by gamers in JK2's first month of release, there should be plenty of free extras available for download in the near future which will keep the game enjoyable.
Rating: Summary: The force is strong with this one Review: This is a great follow-up to "Jedi Knight," and while I do recommend the game, there are a few caveats I should mention right away. First, this game is DIFFICULT! I was able to play through Jedi Knight without the need for cheats or walkthroughs, but this is entirely different matter. Without making myself invulnerable, I would have lost patience early on. The problem is simply that the odds are always stacked against you just a little too severely. Unlike Jedi Knight, where the fights were generally manageable, here you will often find yourself entering a room and suddenly being surrounded by imperials. To make matters worse, the AI here is much better than it was in the past, so not only are you facing quantity, you've also got to contend with quality. Which I suppose can be considered both a recommendation and a complaint at the same time. Adding to the difficulty are the jumping puzzles which can soon become infuriating. Kyle has an annoying habit of taking an extra step or two after landing a jump, often causing him to scoot off the other side of that crate you just spent the past five minutes trying to reach. The manual suggests pressing E to "stick the landing," but if I wanted a gymnastics game, I'd be playing that old classic "Summer Games," not "Jedi Outcast." The puzzles also rely a little too much on trying to find a well-concealed passage, or simply pressing every switch you come across. At one point, I was stumped because the I didn't realize that the next move I had to make was a seemingly impossible leap to a hidden ledge. Such puzzles may extend the playing time, but can also drive you mad. Fortunately, the game's positive aspects compensate for its short-comings. This is perhaps the game that feels closest to a Star Wars movie. The plot has everything you'd expect from Lucas' franchise-- Great saber battles, a bit of humor, a touch of romance, and lots of exotic locales and space stations. Cameo appearances by Lando (Billy Dee Williams himself does the voice) and Luke (not Mark Hammill, but good enough) certainly help make this game feel like the real thing. But where are Han and Leia? The light saber here is far superior to how it was implemented in Jedi Knight. There are plenty of moves available, and facing off against a group of dark Jedi with Luke fighting alongside is a thrill any Star Wars fan would love to experience. Oddly enough, this is one game where I would recommend cheating if you have to. Unless you have a lot of experience with First-Person Shooters, you'll quickly lose patience with this one due to its extreme difficulty. Yet, you'd be shortchanging yourself by not playing it at all. So give it a try, and if you find yourself getting killed too often, feel free to find a cheat code, but whatever you do, play this game through to the end... you won't be sorry.
Rating: Summary: kyle katarn returns with an action packed.... Review: When i first heard about Kyle Katarn returning, I was so excited, i asked my mother to go to fry's right away. This game it all, the force powers, the light saber, YOU EVEN GET COMBAT EXPERIENCE SO YOUR LIGHTTSABER DOES MORE DAMAGE!!! One of the most exciting things i thought of was that i get to force push all the the gangsters (This happens in Nar Shadda) off cliffs. I like the story line as one of the best, the way Jan Ors (Kyle's partner) gets supposedly killed by An evil Sith. Kyle goes nuts for a while, until he finds out Jan may still be alive. Then you get to kill lots of people with lightsabers, and finally get the boss (Desann) and get vengance, overall, bye this game, my review wont let me say anymore :) KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK LUCAS!!!!
Rating: Summary: Danger: EXTREMLEY FUN Review: Wow. What a fun game it is the best I have so far now don`t get confused that this game is just shooting shooting shooting but to do the shooting shooting shooting you have to solve puzzles.For those who have a fire wall beware to do multi-player you have to do some tech mumbo jumbo.I havent played multi-player yet (what do you think I`m doing next!) but have watched the movie preiview and it lookes exxelent you do not have to played hte first one to play this one:THIS IS NOT AN EXPANSION PACK!!!!! But you can learn quickly so get gamming bye!
Rating: Summary: luke I am you father lol :) Review: This has got to be the best game Raven as put out I feel like im in a star wars movie if you dont like this game something is wrong with you just joking but this is a star wars fan's dream come true the best star wars game ever made trust me you need this game lol :)
Rating: Summary: The Force is Strong with this One Review: Having played this game twice through, I can honestly say it's an incredible game (and not just for hardcore Star Wars addicts). I especially liked the level design, which had big maps, but not overwhelming maps like in Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2.
Rating: Summary: Very Well Done!!!!!!! Review: I love to play games that have real life situations. I love the part where the Storm Troopers get cut in half and you see blood all over the place. This is the game I play every single day I have the chance to with out getting busted by my boss. This is a game for all STAR WARS FANS WORLD WIDE. AND IN GALAXYS TO COME.! God Bless you all and hope you find this reveiw to be pretty cool. For those of you who have a so called "Soft Stomach" don't play this game. Right On George Lucas. God Bless Your movies, video games, and books, stationary, and scrap books to come. God Bless America and Its strong allies.........
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