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By Brad Cook Wouldn’t it be cool if you could jump into the Star Wars universe and become a Jedi warrior? Besieged by stormtroopers, you ignite your lightsaber and charge, spinning and slashing your way through the hoard, deflecting laser blasts and disabling your opponents with your formidable Force powers. |
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Well, now you can join the ranks of the Jedi, thanks to Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, Aspyr Media’s latest action-packed game from LucasArts. You are Rebel Alliance mercenary-for-hire Kyle Katarn, a former Jedi Knight who left the Jedi Order after nearly falling to the Dark Side in battle.
While on a routine mission to the planet Kejim, however, he makes a discovery that eventually leads him to an ancient Jedi Temple on one of Yavin’s moons, where he seeks out Jedi Master Luke Skywalker for the lightsaber he had placed in his care years before. Katarn assumes the mantle of the Jedi once again, and the last remnants of the Galactic Empire, who still battle the Rebel Alliance for control of the galaxy, had better watch out.
The lightsaber battles are pretty intense.
“The story begins slowly,” says Aspyr president Michael Rogers, “but it builds up into some epic gaming moments. I like [the fact that] Kyle is a little suspicious of the Rebels, the Empire, and even the nature of the Force, but he still jumps into the fight against evil.”
You Are a Jedi Knight
Jedi Knight II is a 3D action game that shifts between first-person (meaning you see the action through the protagonist’s eyes) and third-person (you see yourself in the action — great for lightsaber action sequences) point of view. The wizards at Raven Software have made a masterpiece using id Software’s Quake III engine, and Westlake Interactive is bringing Jedi Knight II to the Mac and Mac OS X.
One wrong move and Katarn’s mission is over.
The game features 24 single-player levels that span 8 environments, including several from the movies. You’ll get the opportunity to revisit not only Yavin’s moon (home of the Rebel base in the first Star Wars film; in one level you can visit the war room where they tracked the progress of the Death Star) but also such familiar locales as Bespin’s Cloud City.
“When you see the game, you know that the designers got the ‘look-and-feel’ of Star Wars just right,” says Rogers. “It feels like what we’re used to seeing in the movies: massive rooms, huge outdoor areas, and ships and objects that really get the scale of Star Wars right.”
Your enemies consist of not only those ubiquitous Stormtroopers but also a motley assortment of aliens and droids. Katarn begins the game equipped only with a standard Imperial-issue blaster, but he can pick up more weapons, including a Wookiee bowcaster, as you explore the game. Later levels bring on plenty of Dark Side enemies, including Shadow Troopers, but by then Katarn has reclaimed his lightsaber and learned several Jedi abilities, so he’ll be well equipped to handle them.
Have Fun With the Force
The Force abilities in Jedi Knight II are what really set this game apart from other first-person shooters.
As Katarn hones his skills, you’ll have fun pushing enemies away with a flick of his hand, jumping to avoid their shots, and of course wielding that deadly lightsaber, which you can use to deflect laser blasts as well as cut down opponents. And it’s always fun to use a mind trick on them and control their actions for a brief period of time.
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 Star Wars Jedi Knight Gold Pack available for online ordering 24 hours a day, every day. |
Stunning visuals keep you on your Jedi toes.
“Using the Force powers right really gives me the feeling I’d expect from being a Jedi,” notes Rogers. “A stormtrooper makes a good shield when used properly.”
The game allows you to switch to a third-person mode whenever you want,
which comes in handy when you want to use the lightsaber as it lets you
see Katarn’s entire body and swing the sword with greater precision. Make sure you practice those Force abilities as much as you can, because they’re vital to your success when you reach the game’s final showdown with a renegade Jedi named Desann.
(To learn more about the enemies Katarn will face as well as the weapons and Force powers at his disposal, visit “The Jedi Holocron” on page two.)
Katarn isn’t alone in his journey, however: he begins the game with his trusty pilot, Jan Ors, at his side, and later he even gets the opportunity to fight with Luke Skywalker. Lando Calrissian, whose voice was provided by Billy Dee Williams (the actor who played him in the films), also makes an appearance in the game, as does veteran Rebel Alliance leader Mon Mothma.
AT-STs and other vehicles of the Empire will make your life
difficult.
Multi-player Mayhem
Like any good first-person shooter, Jedi Knight II also comes with an extensive multi-player option. You can get online and fight against your friends in one of 15 multi-player maps that require you to take full advantage of the Force. For example, there’s a mode called “Capture the Ysalamiri” in which you must carry the other team’s Ysalamiri to your team’s home base and win the game. The catch is that these lizard-like creatures cancel out a Jedi’s ability to use the Force, but they also keep other Jedi from using the Force on whoever is carrying them. Skillful teamwork makes this “Capture the flag” variant interesting, and the same holds true for the other six multi-player modes.
“You can have multi-player battles with only the lightsaber and one or two Force powers,” explains Rogers. “It really changes the pacing and strategies of deathmatch games, and it’s incredibly cool to see a big fight with all the lightsabers slashing and being thrown all over the room.”
Whether you enjoy single-player or multi-player action, Jedi Knight II offers hours and hours of action set in that long-ago galaxy. Visit the online Apple Store or send your astromech droid to an Apple retail store or Apple authorized reseller near you for your copy.
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As a Jedi, it is invaluable for you to learn the information on page two. 
    
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