The Force in full effect

Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
Rated: T for Teen
For: PC
By: Lucasarts It's very likely anyone who is a fan of the "Star Wars" series has, at some point, wished they could be a Jedi. Unfortunately, no matter how many times you'll try to Jedi Mind Trick a teacher into postponing a test, it isn't going to happen. Not in real life, anyway. In "Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast," however, it's another story. Actually, the third game in the "Star Wars: Dark Forces" series (the other being the original "Dark Forces" and it's sequel "Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II"), "Jedi Outcast" places you in the boots of mercenary Kyle Katarn, a Jedi who follows neither the light nor the dark side. Instead, he uses the powers of both to aid him in his battles against the remnants of the Galactic Empire. I say "remnants" because this game is set some years after the end of Return of the Jedi. The Rebel Alliance is now known as the New Republic, and its military has decimated the once-mighty Imperial Military, scattering it to the outer reaches of the galaxy. Not surprisingly, the former Empire isn't dealing with its losses very well. In a daring new strategy, Imperial scientists have begun experimenting by infusing non-Jedi with the power of the force, thus creating a kind of "artificial Jedi." These "reborn," as they're known, are to form the backbone of a new Dark Jedi Master's army, which will crush the New Republic and allow the Empire to rise again. All of this takes place in a fantastically rendered game world. The game was created by Raven Software ("Soldier of Fortune," "Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force"), a well-respected company with a strong history of taking a license and creating a superior game out of it. Raven, as usual, chose to use engine technology from id Software ("Doom," "Quake"), resulting in a game whose visuals are, quite simply, stunning. Be warned though; to truly enjoy the game, you'll need a very high end graphics card, preferably a GeForce 3 or 4, and at least 256 megabytes of RAM, and an 800+ Mhz processor. The game is an absolute joy to play, with an interesting and innovative story, superior visuals and awe-inspiring gameplay. Finally, a game has managed to effectively replicate the fury and skill of lightsaber battles! The use of such force abilities as Choke, Push, Pull, Heal and Mind Trick are what really make the game. There is no greater joy than pushing a squad of Imperial Stormtroopers into a bottomless pit, or choking to death an Imperial Officer about to activate an alarm. The only major problem with the game is the amount of time it takes for you to actually get your force powers. Still, the game would have been far more fun if you'd simply started with your powers. Overall, "Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast" is a superior game, and well worth adding to your collection.