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Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast Review - Gamecube

The Jedi Knight series has a bit of an interesting history. The first game was entitled Dark Forces, the second: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II. Now it seems Raven Software has decided to go on the Jedi Outcast approach but one must wonder what they'll call their next installment(s). Being originally a PC title, this is the first 'become a Jedi' game to grace the GameCube. Can it really live up to other Star Wars games on the GameCube? Let's find out.

Gameplay

Jedi Outcast is set nine years after the death of Kyle's father and after Kyle nearly turned to the dark side of the force. After all this happened, Kyle realised he could no longer be trusted to wield the force and gave his lightsaber to Luke Skywalker. He also stopped using the force altogether making his connection with it very weak and slowly disappear. Back in the present, we find our hero and his partner Jan Ors heading towards a planet called Kejim. They have been sent there by the New Republic to investigate possible Remnant (the last of the Empire troops) activities after finding a signal coming from the planet. On the way, Kyle and Jan get a message from Mon Mothma that the New Republic has decoded some of the Remnant message. You can actually hear parts of the message and they do relate to things in the game but after the first few missions you'll probably forget about it. Immediately in the first mission, you discover that indeed there is Remnant activity when you spot some familiar white figures.

Single-player mode is surprisingly detailed in terms of story, with cut scenes at the end of each planet you're on. Sometimes even in the levels, you'll even have the occasional cut scene. The cut scenes always drag your interest back into the story line and offer rest from the gameplay. The story includes characters and alien species from the original Star Wars films, which gives Star Wars fans that little bit extra for buying the game in the first place. Cut scenes aside, there are moments when some facts of the story are revealed in the game itself. Ignoring the story line, there are times when you can listen in to what stormtroopers are saying to one another and they even talk about events that have occurred in the game!

The levels are all fully 3D worlds and are fairly well detailed and have a particular enemy you face depending on the world and crisis you're in. The environments are nicely done with little things that separate one from another such as the rain in the swamplands of Yavin 4 to the rocky formations of the mines. Sometimes you'll start walking across a bridge and then a chunk of the bridge will fall off leaving you the choice of either jumping over the gap or finding another way across which ever one you dare try. There are also (continued next page)