Genre: FPS
Developer: Raven Software
Publisher: LucasArts
Released On: Nov 19, 2002
# of Players: 2 Players
Memory: 3 Blocks
ERSB: Teen
Supports: Progressive Scan, DDPL-II
MSRP: $49.99
Also On: Xbox, PC
Website: JediOutcast.com
If You Can: Buy PC version

There is no doubt that is one of the biggest forms of entertainment in history. Even during the 16-year lull between the original series and Episode I, countless products have emerged in an attempt to satisfy the hunger of Star Wars fans. One such product was the PC title Star Wars: Dark Forces, which introduced the gaming community to Kyle Katarn, a pessimistic mercenary who found himself a hero to the Rebel Alliance. Meeting with great success, it was soon followed by the award-winning Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, which found Katarn fighting a much more personal mission to avenge his father, while becoming a Jedi Knight and defeating a group of Dark Jedi along the way. With the ongoing series now in the able hands of Raven Software, creators of Soldier of Fortune. Kyle Katarn returned to action once more in the anxiously anticipated Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast for the PC. A game that many gamers call the “greatest” Star Wars game ever. Now after a semi-long wait Jedi Outcast hits the GameCube. Is it as god as its PC counterpart??? Read on and let the force be with you.

Eight years have passed since the end of Jedi Knight, in which the gruff mercenary turned Jedi Kyle Katarn avenged his father’s murder and defeated the evil Jerec in the very heart of the mystical Valley of the Jedi. Hoping to keep him from falling into the alluring power of the Dark Side. Katarn then set aside his lightsaber and deliberately allowed his awe-inspiring grasp of the Jedi arts to wane and fade into virtual nothingness. With his powers gone and his anger forgotten, Kyle once again found himself alongside his former partner, Jan Ors, as a well-paid mercenary in the services of Mon Mothma and the Alliance often seeking out and destroying Imperial Remnants who still cling to overblown, maniacal dreams of power and intergalactic dominance. However, one seemingly simple run involving the inspection of an apparently abandoned Imperial listening outpost suddenly and violently upturns Katarn’s ignorance of his heritage as he stumbles upon an insidious Remnant plot to generate and employ an army of tireless Rogue Jedi called Reborn for reasons that gradually become obvious – to enslave the galaxy and eliminate all other wielders of the Force. As Kyle struggles to reclaim his past, Jedi Outcast hurtles forward in a gripping tale tinged with the classic Star Wars precepts of conquest, power, and revenge.

The controls take some time getting used to because converting a PC game over to a Console could be proven very difficult. It took some time for me to get used to constantly using the D-pad and the "Z" button but if you get well acquainted with the controls you could be having the time of your life. Too bad it takes a long time to get used to the retarded controls. As a kid, watching the classic Star Wars movies made me dream. How cool would it be to wield the powers of the force. To jump freakishly high or to duel with a lightsaber or to shoot lightning out of my hands were just a few of the things I wish I could do. Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast gets you as close to that experience as possible. The many weapons and there special secondary fires are awesome. Even one as powerful as a Jedi can occasionally make use of mundane weaponry, and as a mercenary, it’s something that the embattled Katarn knows all too well; featuring 12 different and distinct weapons, Kyle’s lethal arsenal is certainly nothing to sneeze at. Beginning with nothing but your trusty, scarred old Bryar Blaster pistol, it’s not long before you take down a few hostile Remnant troops and lay claim to their specialized E-11 Blaster Rifle, paving the way for your eventual discovery of higher caliber firepower. For instance, the familiar Wookie Bowcaster makes a return appearance, and while it can often prove inferior to the Imperial Heavy Repeater in terms of widespread damage, it can be a lifesaver in the early going. Although rather slow to action, the Tenloss DXR-6 Disruptor Rifle is irreplaceable as a long-distance weapon, capable of zooming in and sniping far-away foes before they even get the chance to turn their eyestalks in your direction. Factor in such lethal implements as the Electro-Magnetic Pulse Gun, the Flechette, the Portable Missile System as well as a grab bag of detonators and mines, and you’ve got one of the most expansive collections of weapons this side of Nar Shadaa. The way you change from a first person shooter with a gun to a third person view with the lightsaber, it makes you even feel like you’ve jumped out of the seat of an Army officer at war in space straight to the immortal powers of the Jedi. The multi-player is pretty fun. And adds replay. But don’t go expecting TimeSplitters 2...

The graphics do not take much time to get used to. Just try to sit back and enjoy the combat and great story of the game. The framerate might start to slow down and tweak every once in a while whenever things get wild on the screen though. The music is great. The music turns to a steady tempo and feel when nothing is really going on but when some action begins to occur the music gets harsh and you end up listening to the great sounds of the "Battle over Yavin" or the "Battle of Hoth" and even the "Battle of Endor"! What I’m trying to say here is that the music goes along with the attitude of the game.

Conclusion
Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast has its fare share of problems. Its still a solid game that any Star Wars fan will enjoy playing. All it takes is one and a half seconds welding a lightsaber and you’ll be hooked. Life as a Jedi is good even if the controls are confusing and the framerate drops from time to time. But if possible buy the superior Xbox version. Or better yet the original PC title.

~ditto~