Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2 (Jewel Case)
by LucasArts Entertainment
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Video Game Reviews of Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2 (Jewel Case)
Customer Review: not to be confused with a game with good graphics
Summary: 4 Stars
This game is great. I will start out with that. However, notice that this is the FIRST Jedi Knight game. It is the SECOND 'Dark Forces' game. The first of which was a Doom engine like Hexen. Its graphics engine is Doom2 era and grainy as hell. I believe it has support for 1 video accelerator though I am not sure. The other pitfall of playing a classic like this is that you can not use the mouse to aim. The mouse movements are limited to left and right, still have to use keyboard for aiming. If you are okay with that then have at it. I know I have reloaded this game on my spanking system just so replay it....twice. The gameplay was great, the story was great, overall a good packe. I believe it won at leat one Game of the Year accolade when it was out.Customer Review: One of the most underrated games of all time
Summary: 5 Stars
Don't let this game's age fool you. This game is fun. Once you can ignore the game's graphics, you will like this game. It has a plethora of puzzles, a good storyline, your character has many force powers, and a lightsaber to boot. I'd rather play this game than some of the newer games with all the advanced graphics but with real limited gameplay. You're a Jedi Knight in this game!Customer Review: like getting into a "Star Wars" movie
Summary: 4 Stars
What's with those amazon.com people - there are reviews for "Jedi Knight: Outcast" in this product listing and for "Jedi Knight" in the Outcast listing. The two are different games (JK was released in '97; Outcast followed in '02). This review is for the older game.Though it's the older of the two games (and its age is showing, even if you haven't played the new game) JK is still a great and worthwhile game. Actually the second of the Kyle Katarn games (the first was "Dark Forces" from '94) JK was a huge leap over its prequel, and more relatively innovative than the newer JK. Both are shooter-games that have you play freebooting mercenary Kyle Katarn. (Katarn had begun as an imperial commando but was eventually turned against them. Not immediately a rebel ally, Katarn did undertake missions for them). The empire is gone when JK starts, but pockets of lawlessness and imperial power remain. Katarn, still not a member of the alliance, takes time off to hunt down the man who murdered his father. Unfortunately, Katarn learns that the killer is Jerec, an evil Jedi and master of other evil Jedi. Cruising the galaxy in a mother-huge star destroyer, Jerec searches for the legendary "Valley of the Jedi", a burial ground of jedi knights and a repository of their power. Should he locate the Valley and tap its energy, warns a dead jedi, Jerec will become "a supernova of stars". Complicating Katarn's situation is his betrayal at the hands of a greedy droid named AT-88, but he gets past that to link up with his frequent ally, Jan Ors (the lovely Jan Ors), and picks ups the trail of Jerec. As he makes his way through the game, Kyle learns the ways of the Jedi and picks up nifty Jedi powers while he's at it (the powers are sort of like cheats that are brilliantly incorporated into the story). He must also solve problems and navigate various levels (or maps). In another first (and not used again in Outcast) the game allows you to choose which direction you want to go - light side or dark Jedi. The differences are that each side has its own powers, and at least one of the last maps and cut-scenes are different depending on which side you're on. As a Jedi, you also finally (virtually, anyway) get your hands on a lightsaber. Your saber is handy for cutting through things, but mostly you'll need it for the game's "boss levels" when you must confront Jerec's army of evil Jedi. Saber and Jedi powers aside, the game also faithfully models the weapons and other technology of the Star Wars universe, and wraps things up with John Williams great score.
This is an old game - the graphics are not as fluid as in Outcast, the puzzles less imaginative and the enemies not as overwhelming. It's still a worthwhile game because it tries (and goes a long way) to being an interactive "Star Wars" movie. The levels are well designed and arranged in a way that supports the game's tight narrative. Unlike "Dark Forces" or "Outcast", JK's story is simple, which allows the game's maker to tell the hell out of it gamewise rather than simply seek new ways to toss enemies or challenges out at you. Rather than endure an endless series of levels and new foes, you actually feel like you're working to a big finish. The "movie" aspect is sustained with a series of cut-scenes using FMV - video scenes w/actors - rather than just short sequences animated with the graphics engine. (I admit, everybody hated FMV when it was used in the late `90's, but I loved the scenes here. It was the closest I'd gotten to watching a new SW movie until "Phantom Menace" came out and, if the acting isn't Oscar caliber, it certainly beats either of the last two flicks). In short, JK was pretty cutting-edge when it debuted about 6 years ago, but it still rules because its makers put storytelling on par with gameplay. Everybody lambasted this game when it came out for relying on its own proprietary game engine rather than using "QuakeII". I've played both games - while Q2 may have a better engine, JK has the overall better game.
One last warning: rather than jump to the sequel, LA released a companion disk a year later, "Mysteries of the Sith" - a flawed, bit still @ss kicking expansion set featuring Mara Jade. Though LA eventually released a single package with both games, the "Classics" AFAIK only offers JK. I'd check on-line auctions for awhile since both are great games. Until somebody decides to re-map JK/MotS for the Quake-III engine used for Outcast, "Jedi Knight" will reign as the empire of Star Wars games.
Customer Review: Extream Force Speed!!!1
Summary: 5 Stars
There is a lot to be said about this game. It can be played as a First Person Shooter or a 3rd Person Shooter/action game. I prefer the 3rd Person mode myself. Anywhay, the graphics are mud even on the highest resolution. It's a 1997 PC game, so it is sort of excusable. The main game is fun and full of batteling, but the cutscenes are worse then a B-Movie. They are bad as in cheesey as Cheesecake. For its low price this game is extremely good, but at any price I thought it was good. I still haven't finished it yet but I will someday...Bottom Line: Play if you want to run around with a lightsaber, be on the light/dark side, shoot/slice Bad guys/good guys (if our a dark jedi), and generally have a good time, then play this excellent game.
Customer Review: Overall, It's an okay game
Summary: 3 Stars
I think that this game is okay. The good things are that it is action- packed and the cutscenes are cool. The bad things: horrible, horrible, horrible graphics. The game's graphics make the game look like it was made in the 1800s. the A.I. is kind of weak, too. I read the reviews here before i bought the game ... I was really surprised by the graphics. In conclusion, I would save up my money for a better Star Wars game like "Galactic Battlegrounds" or "The Phantom Menace".