"The Star Wars fans are a
finicky bunch, and I'm right there beside them. With an
overabundance of SW related merchandise, one can easily
drown in the murk of advertisement. With Jedi Outcast, I
felt that we might have been lured to the Dark Side..."
Intro
A few years back when the first in the series was
released, it was a presented in a time where FPS really
ruled. With Quake bigger and badder than ever,
and Unreal Tournament pumping the charts; there
was little place for a pseudo-Star Wars game revolving
around a first person shooter.
I have to admit, after playing Jedi Outcast for
the first two hours, I was highly discouraged. It
featured horrible acting, terrible plot and the gameplay
was about as shallow as Pong. Fortunately, I
swallowed my pride and trudged on through the first two
levels. And believe me, when I say trudge; I mean trudge.
Once you get past the few introductory levels, the game
opens up like the gates of heaven. The storyline unfolds
brilliantly, and you have seemed to step into a time
warp. Thank Yoda...
The story starts off very "un-Star Warsey" and
puts you into the role of ex-Jedi turned henchman, Kyle
Katarn. For the handful of fans of the original, the
story takes place where it left off at the end of Dark
Forces II as Kyle "turned to the Dark
Side". Since this is Kyle’s third appearance on a
PC (four if you include the expansion to DFII),
most die-hard fans will enjoy the next adventure for our
wayward friend. As the story progresses, you must lead
Kyle back to the Light side of the Force. The story pans
from a simple "recon" mercenary job to some
nice in-depth missions. Half of the lure of the game, is
actually the story and should entertain even the most
frugal Star Wars fan.
Ditch the pistol and pick up that light sword.
Aside from review filler and garbage; the real
bread-and-butter of the game is the amazing use of the
lightsaber. Sounding like a broken record; the first few
levels are "saber free" and are dull,
lifeless and uninspiring. Once Kyle has taken a few
steps toward his "road to recovery", picking
up the lightsaber changes everything. While at first the
sword feels a bit clumsy and random, compared to a
blaster; you will soon make this the weapon of choice
from thereafter. It took a good 30 minutes to become
totally familiar with the physics of the sword; yet now
I wouldn't play the game if it wasn't for it.
Not only is the lightsaber your primary offensive
weapon, it can also be used defensively to reflect
incoming laser fire. The effect is very rewarding when
you deflect a Stormtroopers laser fire back at them. To
add even more enjoyment to the entire Jedi genre; you
can also acquire a variety of Force powers. These
powers are just like you have seen in the movies, or
read about if you keep up with the Star Wars world.
Using your Force powers simply is a spine tingling
sensation. As the game progresses and you learn new
powers (a positive and negative feature) using
them at your discretion is wonderful. There's nothing
better than disarming a wondering Stormtrooper, throwing
them into the wall and then run up to them and slice
them in-half. Using your Force powers is fairly broad,
and can be used whenever you like, and can do whatever
you want to do. Everything from pushing, pulling,
jumping and mind control is all here for you Jedi-wannabees.
Just saying the words: pushing, pulling and jumping;
might sound elementary and boring... it is quite the
opposite. Using these in conjunction with you lightsaber
really add to the overall enjoyment of the game.
As with all FPS, customizing your keyboard layout is
crucial to the productivity of the game. The Force
Powers default keys are a bit clunky and should be
re-assigned to something you can access easier. For my
basic movements I use "A" to go backwards,
"S" to turn left, "D" to turn right
and "F" to go forward. This fits my hand
perfectly, while my right hand is glued to the mouse. I
also assigned the "Q", "W",
"E" and "R" keys for my primary
Force Powers. This allows me to have complete control of
Kyle, and the interaction between human and character is
perfectly balanced.
Following in the footsteps of previous Jedi
Knight/Dark Forces games, there is a big puzzle
element involved within the game. Now, I love puzzles
mixed into games as much as the next; but this has to be
the biggest drawback of the game. While many of the
puzzles are simply button pressing, and block moving; it
becomes tedious and mundane. Many of the puzzles are too
difficult for simplistic objectives. And since the Force
Powers come at certain points to the game, utilizing
newly found Force Powers are necessary for solving the
puzzle at the moment.
When it comes to enemy intelligence, it really varies in
diversity. Since the game is totally linear, coming
across enemies is done systematically. Stormtroopers are
dumber than french toast, but Sith and elite troopers
will really make you work for that kill. The
intelligence really does range from mindless
Stormtroopers wondering in circles; to trained killers
that stalk you in the shadows. It's a good balance, but
don't expect too much challenge the first hour or two in
the game...
The single player game is highly enjoyable and very
rewarding, especially at later levels. And if you didn't
get your fill of the single player levels, give the
multiplayer a shot. The multiplayer aspects are very
unique, and feature some interesting levels. Sure you
have capture the flag and deathmatch, but to add new
flavor to an old genre; a new game is born. Capture the
Force-sucking lizard. It's one of those games you have
to play to really appreciate... To add even more
excitement to the multiplayer aspects, there are Force
Powers that can only be used during these matches. Since
online gaming is hit or miss, Jedi Outcast is a
direct hit, with a user-friendly interface and the
latency is very low.
Better lookin' than a new power converter on a dougs
pod racer.
At first glance, the game seems quite antiquated. The
graphics are pixilated, Stormtroopers are blocky and
their movements look like puppets. The environments were
shallow, and indoors was even worse. Again, the first
few levels really made me despise the game. But, after a
few hours and the game unfolded like a great novel; most
of the visuals improved by leaps and bounds. The
textures seemed to magically clear up, the backgrounds
were colorful and animation seemed to become fluid.
Maybe it was just me, or maybe it was George Lucas using
an old Jedi mind trick on me, but whatever the case; the
graphics are really top-notch.
Probably the most impressive aspect visually, is the
physics of the enemies and their surroundings. For the
most part, damage is done dynamically and is subject to
where you hit them. Hitting them from the right side
with your saber will spin them left. Some troopers will
fall down a flight of stairs, while others will simply
fall to their knees and crumple to the ground. Depending
on your Jedi morals; choking them with the Force (a
la Vader) will make enemies clutch at their throats
and fall to the ground. All of the animation seemed to
flow brilliantly, making for a wonderfully interactive
world.
Where would any good Star Wars franchise be without
awesome sound? The effects are classic SW baseline, and
should be familiar to any fan. All of the blaster
effects, along with the great lightsaber effects are
gorgeously portrayed. The voice acting is top notch, and
even Lukes voice (without Mark Hammil) was
remarkable. Lando's voice is done by Billy Dee himself;
and the entire voice soundtrack was nearly perfect. The
soundtrack itself was forgettable, and definitely
not a John Williams score. Sure you'll find some
familiar tunes, but nothing worth buying a soundtrack
for.
66 Says:
The game is great... once you make it past the first
three levels. Those who like to jump in a game, and
make their decision within minutes will be highly
disappointed. Once you weed out these levels, I have to
admit this is one of the best installments of any Star
Wars games ever. The subtle use of the Force, tying in
with your lightsaber is incredibly fun and the
multiplayer is even better.
Any SW fan will appreciate the wonderful storyline and
complexity it brings. FPS will enjoy the gaming aspects
as well as the diversity of weaponry. For you don't have
to use a lightsaber... but why would you use anything
else?
8.5
