6. Star Wars: Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight (1997) – PC
Star Wars: Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight is one of the very first PC games I ever played, and certainly the first first-person shooter. What really struck me about the experience is the killer live-action cutscenes that play between levels. For a videogame, the production values are very high, complete with computer-generated imagery, lightsaber action, film-quality make-up, detailed props and sets, and serviceable acting. I love the actor who plays Kyle Katarn, the mercenary-for-hire who has uncovered cryptic messages left for him by his deceased father. It turns out, as luck would have it, that Kyle is destined to become a Jedi. It’s a good thing he has cleaned up and ceased taking Imperial jobs: Kyle is working for the good guys now.
Just because Kyle begins his journey as a naïve, Imperial-killing badass, that doesn’t mean he won’t be tempted by the Dark side. One of the great dynamics within Jedi Knight is that Kyle’s actions have consequences on his Force status. If you protect civilians and utilize positive Force powers, you will be a dedicated Jedi, but if you use Dark powers and kill innocents, you can become a Sith. The system also allows you to fall somewhere in between, which is perfect because as good-natured as I am, it is a lot to ask me to give up Force Lightning, or Choke. There is a point in the game where you must answer for you previous actions, and from this point forward, your journey can go down two very distinct paths. I highly recommend taking the Light Force route, simply because the final chapters offer more cutscenes and a more developed story for the light side.
Jedi Knight is also the first game, to my knowledge, to feature lightsaber duels in three dimensions. I actually recommend switching to the third-person perspective for battles: it’s just easier to see what’s going on. Battles are challenging, and intense. You will fight as many as seven Dark Jedi villains throughout the story, and they all have unique characteristics and fighting styles. The game is a shooter, though, and there is a substantial arsenal of futuristic weapons, many taken from the movies, at your disposal.
Kyle Katarn turned out to be one of the most popular non-canonical characters to come out of post-movie media. He spawned many more game sequels, a comic book series, and has his own series of novels set within the Star Wars Universe. I have not read any of these and suspect they are of dubious quality, but the point is that Katarn is a bankable personality, and it was not until the release of this Dark Forces sequel that Kyle Katarn was fully realized as the cantankerous mercenary with a heart of gold who just happens to be a Jedi.
Star Wars: Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight is one of the very first PC games I ever played, and certainly the first first-person shooter. What really struck me about the experience is the killer live-action cutscenes that play between levels. For a videogame, the production values are very high, complete with computer-generated imagery, lightsaber action, film-quality make-up, detailed props and sets, and serviceable acting. I love the actor who plays Kyle Katarn, the mercenary-for-hire who has uncovered cryptic messages left for him by his deceased father. It turns out, as luck would have it, that Kyle is destined to become a Jedi. It’s a good thing he has cleaned up and ceased taking Imperial jobs: Kyle is working for the good guys now.
Just because Kyle begins his journey as a naïve, Imperial-killing badass, that doesn’t mean he won’t be tempted by the Dark side. One of the great dynamics within Jedi Knight is that Kyle’s actions have consequences on his Force status. If you protect civilians and utilize positive Force powers, you will be a dedicated Jedi, but if you use Dark powers and kill innocents, you can become a Sith. The system also allows you to fall somewhere in between, which is perfect because as good-natured as I am, it is a lot to ask me to give up Force Lightning, or Choke. There is a point in the game where you must answer for you previous actions, and from this point forward, your journey can go down two very distinct paths. I highly recommend taking the Light Force route, simply because the final chapters offer more cutscenes and a more developed story for the light side.
Jedi Knight is also the first game, to my knowledge, to feature lightsaber duels in three dimensions. I actually recommend switching to the third-person perspective for battles: it’s just easier to see what’s going on. Battles are challenging, and intense. You will fight as many as seven Dark Jedi villains throughout the story, and they all have unique characteristics and fighting styles. The game is a shooter, though, and there is a substantial arsenal of futuristic weapons, many taken from the movies, at your disposal.
Kyle Katarn turned out to be one of the most popular non-canonical characters to come out of post-movie media. He spawned many more game sequels, a comic book series, and has his own series of novels set within the Star Wars Universe. I have not read any of these and suspect they are of dubious quality, but the point is that Katarn is a bankable personality, and it was not until the release of this Dark Forces sequel that Kyle Katarn was fully realized as the cantankerous mercenary with a heart of gold who just happens to be a Jedi.
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