What Is Star Wars: Jedi Knight Academy?

Star Wars: Jedi Knight, originally known as Star Wars: Dark Forces, is a first-person shooter video game series based on the fictional Star Wars universe. The series primarily focuses on Kyle Katarn, a character from the Star Wars Expanded Universe. The series is published by LucasArts. The Jedi Knight series began in 1995 with the release of Star Wars: Dark Forces for DOS, Apple Macintosh and the Sony PlayStation. This was followed in 1997 by Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II in which Katarn learns the ways of a Jedi. LucasArts developed Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith as an expansion pack for Dark Forces II, this time giving the player control of Mara Jade as well as Katarn. In 2002, Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast was added to the series. Jedi Outcast was developed by Raven Software and is powered by the Quake III: Team Arena game engine. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy followed in 2003, powered by the same game engine. Jedi Academy was the first game in the series where the player does not control Kyle Katarn at any point in the game, though he is featured prominently in the storyline. The games in the Jedi Knight series have received generally favorable reviews. Multiple publications have commented on the quality of the series as a whole, with GameNOW describing it as "consistently great." The use of the lightsaber in the game, a prominent gameplay element, has received specific praise for its implementation in the series.



The Jedi Knight series is primarily a first-person shooter with several recurring gameplay elements. Each game uses level based system which contains a series of objectives that must be completed before the player can continue. From Dark Forces II, the series included lightsaber combat and use of Force powers, which were tweaked and developed as the series progressed.

In the first game, Dark Forces, the focus is on combat against various creatures and characters from the Star Wars universe, including environmental puzzles and hazards also, following a central storyline outlined in mission briefings and cut scenes. For combat, the player may use fists, explosive land mines and thermal detonators, as well as blasters and other ranged weapons, leaning more towards ranged combat. In Dark Forces II an option was added to give the player a third person view, with an option to automatically switch to third-person when the lightsaber is the selected weapon. Three types of Force powers are introduced in this game: Light powers provide non violent advantages, Dark powers provides violent ones, while Neutral ones enhance athletic abilities. The two endings focus on either the Light Side or the Dark Side. Unlike the predecessor, Mysteries of the Sith, has a single, morally positive course. The player progresses through the game in a linear fashion, and includes enemies featured in Dark Forces II as well as new monsters. The player has access to Force powers and to projectile weapons such as a blaster or rail gun, and the lightsaber. Jedi Outcast's gameplay is similar to that of its predecessors, with a couple of small additions such as access to gun turrets, or use of combos unique to each of the three lightsaber styles in the game. The use of the Forece powers is restricted by a "Force Meter", which depletes with use of powers. In Jedi Academy, the player may customize the lightsaber, And later in the game has the option of choosing dual sabers, or a "saber staff" similar to Darth Maul's double ended lightsaber in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Instead of moving linearly from one level to the next, the player chooses from a selection of different missions.The game also introduces player-controllable vehicles and vehicle-based levels.

- 32 slot Public Servers Available
- Public or Private
- Full FTP and Web Control Panel Access
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