Jedi Knight - Dark Forces II is a very good sequel to the original Dark Forces game. I started the game years ago and got pretty far, but took a long break and forgot most of it. I ended up restarting and using the fan-made remaster mod that adds new graphics.
This game (and the rest of the series) takes place in a very interesting era after Return of the Jedi, with the Imperial Remnant as the main enemy faction alongside some alien thug/mercenary types. The FMV cutscenes add a goofy low-budget charm to Kyle, Jan, and the 7 Dark Jedi they face off against.
Gameplay feels similar to Quake, but with more realistic-ish locations that feel appropriate for their use. Weapons are varied, although I found the grenades to be awful to use, with no way to indicate how hard you will throw them other than knowing how long you held the mouse button down for. I also did not use the land mines at all, not even out of curiosity, they did not really serve any purpose. The conventional firearms were all satisfying to use though.
Perhaps the most exciting addition to Kyle's arsenal are the lightsaber and force powers. Through the first 2/3 of the game, the lightsaber's ability to block blaster bolts is too unreliable and you lack the force abilities to back it up, and so it is just another tool in your belt to use when appropriate. By the end of the game it is the only weapon you will really use, enhanced by various force powers. The actual saber combat is fairly simple: light attack, heavy attack, and directional swings. It is not yet at the level complexity that would be achieved by the later Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy games. Force powers are handled in a bit of a frustrating way, in that they are gained via a point system, and you get points from finding secrets in levels. In my case I'm not great at secret hunting and only ended up fully upgrading a couple of powers. The interesting thing about the powers is that they are split: light side powers, dark side powers, and neutral powers either side can use. The game uses a morality system to determine which powers you will be able to access (and which ending you will get).
As mentioned before, the levels make sense for what their in-universe purpose is: a town makes sense in its layout and so does an imperial base. This, however, does not stop some classic FPS shenanigans from happening, especially towards the end where one or two imperial bases feel needlessly complex. In one instance I just noclipped my way to the end rather than spend more time running back and forth to find progression.
Overall Dark Forces II is a very worthy successor to the first game. Even better, it is a very fun look into the EU that really makes me want to dive into various Star Wars games, books and comics that feature original stories.
This game (and the rest of the series) takes place in a very interesting era after Return of the Jedi, with the Imperial Remnant as the main enemy faction alongside some alien thug/mercenary types. The FMV cutscenes add a goofy low-budget charm to Kyle, Jan, and the 7 Dark Jedi they face off against.
Gameplay feels similar to Quake, but with more realistic-ish locations that feel appropriate for their use. Weapons are varied, although I found the grenades to be awful to use, with no way to indicate how hard you will throw them other than knowing how long you held the mouse button down for. I also did not use the land mines at all, not even out of curiosity, they did not really serve any purpose. The conventional firearms were all satisfying to use though.
Perhaps the most exciting addition to Kyle's arsenal are the lightsaber and force powers. Through the first 2/3 of the game, the lightsaber's ability to block blaster bolts is too unreliable and you lack the force abilities to back it up, and so it is just another tool in your belt to use when appropriate. By the end of the game it is the only weapon you will really use, enhanced by various force powers. The actual saber combat is fairly simple: light attack, heavy attack, and directional swings. It is not yet at the level complexity that would be achieved by the later Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy games. Force powers are handled in a bit of a frustrating way, in that they are gained via a point system, and you get points from finding secrets in levels. In my case I'm not great at secret hunting and only ended up fully upgrading a couple of powers. The interesting thing about the powers is that they are split: light side powers, dark side powers, and neutral powers either side can use. The game uses a morality system to determine which powers you will be able to access (and which ending you will get).
As mentioned before, the levels make sense for what their in-universe purpose is: a town makes sense in its layout and so does an imperial base. This, however, does not stop some classic FPS shenanigans from happening, especially towards the end where one or two imperial bases feel needlessly complex. In one instance I just noclipped my way to the end rather than spend more time running back and forth to find progression.
Overall Dark Forces II is a very worthy successor to the first game. Even better, it is a very fun look into the EU that really makes me want to dive into various Star Wars games, books and comics that feature original stories.