Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
- September 15, 2003 14:20 PM PST
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Jedi Academy casts you as Jaden, a young Jedi recruit who finds himself (or herself) caught up in the battle against an evil Force Cult with ties to what?s left of the Empire. Unlike in Outcast, you get to choose your race, gender, and the hilt and color of your lightsaber?things which don?t affect much other than the look of your character, but which are cool just the same. Once you?ve chosen your look, you set out on your ?training,? which boils down to going on missions and improving your Force powers one point at a time in between levels. This is no RPG, mind you, but what little bit of choice there is goes a long way toward investing you more in your character.
Other than the new story and customization options, Academy features a few tweaks to the old Outcast engine. You can now ride certain animals and vehicles like a tauntaun or a speeder bike, but these never quite control well enough to be much fun. Other things like improved character animation and area lighting are less noticeable, but they help make the game look a touch better than its older brother.
Academy gives you a lot more control over how you play than Outcast did, even letting you choose the order in which you play missions, but the levels themselves are more straightforward and less puzzle-ridden than Outcast?s jump-happy maps. Some levels are creative and fun, while others are just straight-line, kill-everyone missions. Even the ?diplomatic? missions usually end up with you just killing 50, maybe 60 people.
The One Who Seeks Balance
Jedi Academy won?t bake your noodle or drop your jaw, but it?s certainly a fine answer for those of you looking for more Jedi Knight. If you?re looking for a Jedi Knight RPG, though, you?ll have to play BioWare?s game to get that.
