Star Wars Jedi Outcast: Jedi Knight II Preview

Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast is in fact the third title in the Dark Forces series that kicked off way back in 1996.



Once again players take on the role of the once powerful Jedi, Kyle Katarn as he struggles with the power â“ and dangers â“ of the Force. Through a multitude of complex and richly detailed Star Wars environments players face a variety of powerful enemies and once again fight for the Rebel cause.



Star Wars Jedi Outcast: Jedi Knight II picks up several years after Katarn successfully avenged his father and defended the Valley of the Jedi from powerful Jerec and his group of Dark Jedi. Katarn has since abandoned his allegiance to the Force for fear that he might fall prey to the temptations of the Dark side. However, as fate would have it Katarn learns of a powerful new Dark Jedi who must be prevented from creating a technology to harness the power of the Force. Katarn's destiny and the future of the Star Wars galaxy once again hang in the balance as he confronts his dark past to face another seemingly insurmountable evil.

Although the series started as a pure FPS, Jedi Knight 2 will see you switch between 1st person and 3rd person views frequently, as melee combat and using the various force commands swings the camera out to not only offer you a better view, but also enhance the games cinematic feel. Now that Kyle is a true Jedi, his list of Jedi commands has increased, to include such moves as; Heal, Jump, Speed, Force Push, Lightning, and Jedi Mind Tricks.



Theyâve also tightened the controls when using the lightsabre, whereas before it was easier and quicker to dispense a group of baddies with your blaster, itâs now in your interest to master the Jediâs trusted weapon. This has been wonderfully recreated in the control, as it feels so much more then just pressing a button and watching the illuminated trail, this time it really feels like youâre in control and can place the hits accurately to where you want.



This focus has also been enhanced through the dramatic battles that will occur when using the lightsabre, with lots of fast moves and aerobatic manoeuvres. All of the moves will be motion captured during these scenes to ensure the game looks as good as the films beautifully choreographed moments. 



Therein lies the development teams main objective, to capture the look and feel of the films battle moments. Lightsabreâs will clash with a spray of sparks and cackle as you block each otherâs attack, which has been helped by the amount of attention paid to the collision detection system, ensuring each blow hits exactly where it should. This system has been extended to the actual characters, so hit someoneâs leg and theyâre likely to limp (if theyâre lucky enough to still have it intact)!

Youâll also be able to call on other force commands during these scenes, for example the sabre toss, where you chuck out your lightsabre and it returns to your hands, you can also throw around any nearby objects to distract the enemy.



Alongside the trusty lightsabre, Kyle will have access to a host of different weapons including; Bryar blaster pistol, blaster rifle, stun baton, thermal detonators and Chewieâs weapon of choice, the Wookie Bowcaster. In addition to the standard attacks most of these will also feature a secondary attack.



Raven is using the Quake 3 engine in a modified form, and itâs never looked better. Amongst the improvements are the real-time lighting effects that are showcased during the lightsabre battles. Other enhancements include higher detailed textures and more expansive environments.



The game is set over eight levels, including such locations as; Cloud City, the Jedi Knight Academy on Yavin 4, Nar Shaddaa, the smugglers' moon, and many-never-before seen locations.