Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II

"A Man, A Lightsaber, And A Long Journey Ahead."

Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2

Story 7
Controls 7
Multiplayer 8
Graphics 7
Replayability 7

Story

The story for Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2 is a very intriguing one indeed. When we last left our friend and former Imperial-turned-Rebel Kyle Katarn, he was getting the Death Star plans from an Imperial base and having one heck of a shootout with Boba Fett in Dark Forces. In Dark Forces, the Kyle Katarn we all knew and loved was younger, dangerous, and took a lot more chances.
From the moment we meet up with Kyle in Jedi Knight, we see that he is beginning to get older. And as he ages, he begins to learn of the ways of the Force. As you begin to learn more of the ways of the Force, you soon learn of five Dark Jedi who are in search of the Valley Of The Jedi a kind of burial ground for the Jedi of the Old Republic.
As with every Jedi, at some point in time you will be tempted by the Dark Side. Such things as killing innocents is definitely not a way to stay true to the Light Side. Eventually you will be forced to the Dark or Light Side depending upon how good or evil you have been up to that point. So be mindful.

Controls

The controls for this game are somewhat good considering you are using a keyboard and mouse. You look with the mouse and move with the directional keys. You shoot with the left mouse button and jump with the right mouse button. Simple right? Yes, but not if you have a crappy mouse. LIKE I DO. You use the number keys to cycle through your weapons and the semi-colon and the apostrophe keys to cycle through your Force powers. If you don't feel like cycling through your Force powers there is a feature in the game to assign Force powers to whichever keys you want.

Multiplayer

The multiplayer option in Jedi Knight has many features. One of the most unique features is the ability to create your own Jedi. When creating your Jedi, you can choose which side of the Force he is on, what powers he has, even what color his lightsaber is. Which is good because you don't have to be evil to have a red lightsaber. That sounds like some kind of strange saying. Anyway, back to the multiplayer.
After you have finished making your Jedi, it's time to throw him or her head first into battle. There are many ways to play over the internet in Jedi Knight ranging from an IP/TCP Connection to a Modem Connection. You can choose whether to host a game or to join a game already in progress. If you have Jedi Knight and have never played a game over the internet, you are missing out.

Graphics

The graphics in Jedi Knight are sort of poor by today's standards, but that is by today's standards. The game still looks good no matter how old it is. The game's graphics are greatly improved depending upon how good your video card is. Even if you don't have that good of a video card, it will still look pretty good. Overall, the graphics are on the level.

Replayability

After you beat the game, on one side of the Force, it's time for you to try and beat it again, except this time on the other side. You see the game has two different endings, an ending for a Jedi, and an ending for a Dark Jedi. Even after you get both endings, you will still have an urge to return to some level, there are many, and just light up your lightsaber and strike down everything that moves. And if by some strange twist of fate you get bored, remember, every game has cheat codes and the ones for this one are great. But I'm not going to tell you them. You have to find those yourself.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/29/03, Updated 07/29/03