Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy

I came, I saw, I conquered, and I dismembered half the despots in the galaxy in the process. I speak of Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. The next installation in the Jedi Knight saga revolves around Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy, Luke himself, Kyle Katarn (hero of the series), and you: a "padawan" learner. The Jedi Academy serves as a galactic police force dealing with special force-related crimes and problems. You are dispatched throughout the galaxy to dispatch force-villains in an unfolding plot. The non-linear missions uncover a larger plot, much like in the Delta Force games. The game play itself, however, is astoundingly accomplished, and superbly polished.

The game engine is the same Quake 3 engine used in the games predecessor, Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. Other revisions have been added to the engine such as the Ghoul II modeling system, ICARUSII scripting engine, ARIOCHE terrain system, portal skies, and a rag doll skeletal system for realistic effects on player models. In play, the game has superior performance to JKII, and is just as customizable in detail levels and textures. The new leveling system allows for huge open spaces, even within caverns and structures. These areas made the original Jedi Knight game fantastic, and are back with improved luster.

What separated JKII from other FPS games, even within the Star Wars franchise, was lightsaber combat. JKII featured very detailed lightsaber fighting animation with dozens of attacks and techniques. JA is clearly an evolution in this department. You not only have the ability to use multiple lightsaber techniques, but multiple lightsabers as well, even a dual-bladed lightsaber. All lightsabers are fully customizable, from the hilt style to the blade color. New force powers have been added, distinguished into common, light, and dark side. The fun of lightsaber combat has been vastly improved, especially using the additional two forms. The animation is improved, as well as the fantastic reactivity of the player's technique due to the presence of enemies when using a lightsaber (special moves for specific scenarios).

Overall, this game is not a genuine sequel, more like a mission pack. This game does to JKII what Opposing Force did to Half-Life. Not to discredit the merit of this game as a fantastic FPS, but it is not only based on the events and characters of JKII, it uses the same engine with some minor improvements and adds a few new characters, enemies, and weapons to the game. This is an expansion pack marketed as a full game, but if you are in any way addicted to lightsaber combat, the Star Wars franchise, or loved JKII, then this game really is for you.