| advertisement |
|
|
Visually JK 2 is highly impressive. Of course a reasonably powerful PC is required to get the most out of the game but those with mid-range PCs should still find that the game looks reasonably good. As stated before JK 2's biggest visual strength is Raven's excellent utilisation of the Quake III engine combined with their attention to detail and knowledge of the Star Wars universe. The in-game environments are for the most part excellent and there are only a few isolated areas that seem a little bland and under developed. A number of sequences take place in outdoors areas and the game seems to have no problem handling these and keeping the frame rate nice and smooth. Character models have also been handled extremely well. Never before have gamers been able to dismember Stormtroopers with this level of visual splendour. Some may complain that there isn't a great deal of variety in the characters you encounter in the game but most of the time you'll be too busy dealing with large numbers of enemies rather than worrying about the fact that they all look the same. One especially impressive part of JK 2's visual armoury is the animation of the character models, particularly the death animations. Bodies will fly backwards, crumple to their knees, fall off ledges flailing their arms etc depending on what the manner of their execution was and this makes for some very impressive battle scenes.
In terms of gameplay for the most part JK 2 is a pretty standard FPS title with two major exceptions, the lightsaber and force powers. To effectively use the lightsaber a switch to 3rd person mode is really required. The saber allows the player to block shots from projectile weapons and generally kills most opponents with one blow (provided its an accurate blow of course). Those who take the time to master the lightsaber will find it will probably be their weapon of choice for the majority of the game and will only switch to projectile weapons to take out opponents in hard to reach, long range places. The force powers have evolved from their appearance in Jedi Knight. Some of the originals return and have been tweaked slightly while there are some new additions as well. Its pleasing to see that the force powers are used to a greater extent in the single player game this time around. There are a plenty of puzzles and obstacles which can only be overcome by using a particularly force power. Its not going to tax anyones problem solving abilities but it does make the game feel more complete.
Most of the missions involve fairly standard FPS objectives locate this key, open this door etc but have been suitably dressed up to fit the story and therefore aren't at all tedious or repetitive. Having said that in a few places some gamers may be scratching their heads and wondering where they should head next as the mission objectives aren't always very clear and some of the routes through the levels can be a little inconspicuous. These isolated pockets of frustration are no great concern but unfortunately can be an annoying distraction from the mission objectives and main story. Enemy AI is certainly a big step up from Dark Forces and Jedi Knight. The Stormtroopers are still fairly stupid and awful shots but they will now run and shoot and even strafe and crouch. There seem to be a few glitches in the AI however. Your opponents will often leap out of the way of your shots,grenades etc but sometimes will leap into fairly daft places ... like off a 12 story drop. Again not a big criticism but something which does detract from an otherwise extremely immersive experience.
It can't be too hard a job working in the sound department for a Star Wars game. The job has pretty much been done already. Take the famous score, make it slightly dynamic so it changes depending on whats happening in-game and add sound effects to taste. We know it probably is a lot harder than that but Raven have certainly made it look that easy. Everything sounds like it should and works perfectly to make (at the risk of sounding repetitive) the experience extremely immersive. The dialogue from the Stormtroopers and Imperial Remnant officers deserves a special mention. Stick around long enough next to some Imperial employees (hidden of course) and you'll hear the odd amusing discussion. Raven have also got the right measure of disdain in the Imperial's voices when they dismiss you as "Rebel scum" too.
Raven's experience in the field of FPS titles also comes to the fore in JK 2's multiplayer component. A variety of gameplay modes are on offer ranging from a complete free for all deathmatch to more tailored experiences like Capture the Flag or even capture the Ysalamiri. The variety of multiplayer options should ensure that JK 2 gathers a reasonable following in the online community. Server options can be customised a great deal with settings for standard options like game time etc as well as more JK 2 specific options like what levels of force power are available to players. Raven have also thoughtfully included support for bots in the multiplayer game which means those cursed with a terrible net connection can still get a taste of the multiplayer Jedi Knight 2 experience. The bots should also help make up numbers on any empty servers out there although judging by the quality of the game we doubt there will be many of those. The final noteworthy aspect of JK 2's multiplayer is duelling. If this option is allowed by the server 2 players can engage in a lightsaber only duel without the interference of other players on the server. When a challenge to duel is accepted the two combatants are surrounded by a glowing light and can duke it out with their sabers and a limited set of force powers. The winner's health is maxed out when the duel ends along with their ego no doubt. Whether this option is used on many servers probably depends on if it interrupts the flow of a multiplayer game and annoys other non-duelling players.
In a period that has seen a flood of FPS titles both good and bad Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast really does stand out as an excellent example of what can be done with the genre. Sure it has the Star Wars license which can help sell even an average game but it does so much more than just 'use' the images and sounds of the Star Wars universe. It really is the complete package. A solid story based single player experience with compelling gameplay set in a universe most gamers know and love combined with a well thought out and original multiplayer component. Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast is the best Star Wars game so far and is a damn fine FPS title in its own right as well.
|
