T O U C H D O W N ! !



Written by Jeff Walters

A Long Time Waiting

Marketplace...hmm...I need a table lamp
It seems like years ago that I first heard about Jedi Knight and......wait a minute - it was years ago. I, along with many people on the net, have been waiting for this game since it was first announced. The original Dark Forces was such a good game. It was really the first game to take the 3D first person shooter....and give it a story. I mean lets face it, Doom was the game that started it all, but I've seen better storylines in old episodes of Hogan's Heroes. It just needed that extra atmosphere......and Dark Forces had it. So does JK.

But as good as Dark Forces is, and the amount of things you can do with it.....after I made my second level, Mt. Kurek, I began to realise that though it is possible to do a lot of things with the Dark Forces engine, there was just something missing. The ability to use the Force was one.....as was the all important lack of sloping walls.

Initial Impressions

Tuesday, October 14th 1997....a long day. I had to go to University in the morning and wasn't able to pick up the game till midday. Of course the world hates me so I had to rush off to work before I got the chance to install the game. And then I got done for speeding on the way to work. So, by the time I finally got home I was pretty fu....er...tired, and ready to swat some troopers in JK.

Having already played the demo to death, I pretty well knew what to expect in terms of gameplay, but I was still blown away by the beautifully designed levels. I was already plotting out how my first add-on level would look before I'd even finished level one. The incredible size of the levels still surprises me when I play. I'm so used to using the Dark Forces engine where if you were to attempt to have any large rooms at all, you could expect major clipping problems. The perfect example I found of an area that would be totally unbuildable in any other engine is where you first come across the AT-ST's.......that area is so big it's not funny.

As The Levels Go By . . .

The first level was pretty good, but not one of the best. Level Two on the other hand was brilliantly designed. The way the author designed the crate-transport system was sheer genius. The problem with level two is that you have to be very careful with your ammo. Both me and my brother ran out of ammo on this level and had to resort to fists on numerous occasions (see tip to right).

I know what you're thinking - Did I fire 456 shots or 455? You just have to ask yourself one question - Do I feel lucky? Guess not pal

Level Three is probably my second favourite level out of them all. The house just looks so real. The way you gain entry by pushing in the window or how the beam crashes to the floor if you walk on it - very impressive. My one complaint here is that the Tuskens....well, they sound right - but no way do they look like the Tuskens from the movie. If you use the crossbow, they are also fairly easy kills too, as they don't move fast.

Levels Four and Five are just as stunning. Jumping around the large bars over the canyons made me really appreciate Quicksave though. For me, Level Six is the jewel of Jedi Knight (all screenshots with this article are selected that level). It is exactly the kind of level I'd wanted to create for Dark Forces. I really wish there were more levels like Baron's Hed in JK......the cityscape is truly astounding. Reeyees wander the streets beating up pedestrians. I even witnessed as four of them engaged in a bar fight, whilst the bartender watched on. Ah.....and then there is Sam. He's pretty well hidden behind a locked door that only one of the citizens can open. I learnt quickly not to upset the little dude - he's got a temper.
Fist Fighting Tip
When fighting Reeyees, press back at the same time as you punch them. This prevents them from getting in a quick counter jab.

From the next level on, things started to blur along and I lost track of what level number I was on as I became engrossed in the game. Battling the Dark Jedi was always a new experience. Whereas fighting the Phase 1 & Phase 2 Dark Troopers in Jedi Knight was a very similar experience - here each of the Jedi had a unique feel and style. The first one. Yun, was pretty easy. He likes using Blind - but that's not so bad to contend with. Gorc and Pic....hmm...well Gorc was staggeringly easy - he moves like Danny DeVito and has the reflexes of stoned snail. Pic on the other hand was like that homicidal mouse from Itchy and Scratchy.....man he was annoying.

Out of the remaining Jedi - Sariss was the most fun. I suggest anyone seeking practice in saber dueling for multiplayer to practice against her. Boc was pretty good, but he often seemed to get stuck behind obstacles or in a wall.....much like Boba Fett did in Dark Forces. Jerec is a very slow and methodical enemy....and until you work out how to prevent him from recharging - he is also a very annoying enemy. I actually wasn't all that impressed with Jerec as a final bad guy - he was just too slow to be menacing. You really want the last guy to be intimidating, not annoying.

Multiplayer Action

Trandoshan Tip
Trandoshan's can be hard, but the best way to deal with them is definitely Force Pull. Simply dodge your way in close and then disarm them.
One of the major dissappointments for me in Jedi Knight was the lack of co-operative play. I fully understand that due to the size and complexities of the single player levels that it would have been practically impossible, but it still is a let down. So it's a good thing that The Death Match levels play so well :-) My favourite still has to be Bespin....it is definitely the most atmospheric. I also love to see opponents being sucked up into the roof and then crash back down.

So many stores, so little credit

The only major problem I've experienced here so far is that lag between computers often makes saber fighting difficult. Opponents will seem to be infront of you, but then appear off to your side or behind you. This can be very annoying. Another thing I've noticed is that sometimes a player will seem to have an unfair advantage over all the other players. By this I mean that every time they hit an opponent with a saber it kills them or knocks 99% health. I have experienced this many times as the opponent and as the one with the advantage.

After playing numerous multiplayer games, I also found that games that with full force powers were usually less fun than those games with no powers or only limited powers. This is because that during full force power games there seems to be little saber duelling and the duelling that there is short and dull as both opponents use Grip or Lightning on each other as they fight. Games where you are limited to using only the neutral powers are not only more interesting and competitive, but also generate the 'Star Wars' atmosphere much better.
Waiter! I ordered 20 minutes ago, now get me my food or I shall Iiberate thy head from thy body.

The Nar Shaada Loading Terminal level is also a fun multiplayer experience....always good to trap people in the access tunnels and nail them with the waves of thermal detonators :) Canyon Oasis is fun for full-on shoot-outs, but watch your back as it's very open with few places to hide.

Overall

As a whole I would have to say that this is easily the best game I've ever played. It has so much more depth than games like Quake. The level of interactivity between the player and the environment is unheard of. I was a bit dissappointed that there were no speeder bikes or swoop bikes to pilot, but I'm sure they'll be added through patches given time.

It has only just been over a week since it came out, but there are already COG patches out that let you use Force Pull to remove enemie's arms and heads. The future of Jedi Knight on the net is extremely bright. JK has proved to be the Quake Killer that everyone was waiting for . . .


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