Product Description

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy gives you the chance to follow an ancient and powerful tradition from long ago, in a galaxy far away!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3367 in Video Games
• Brand: LucasArts
• Published on: 2003
• Released on: 2003-11-18
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Platform: Xbox
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .50" h x 5.50" w x 7.50" l, .35 pounds

Features

• You assume the place of a young Jedi trainee, recently accepted to the new academy built by master Luke Skywalker. Continue this line of great warriors and use the Force as your ally in a number of missions.
• Learn the powers and dangers of The Force, while you interact with classic characters like Master Luke Customize everything - your fighting stance, the look of your lightsaber handle, een your style -- choose a single, double or dual-bladed style
• Immerse yourself in the classic Star Wars universe -- new weapons, vehicles and environments are available
• Multiple exciting missions await you as you play through amazing single- and multi-player missions and develop new Force powers
• Face difficult decisions every step of the way -- and decide to follow the path of the Light or Dark Side of The Force!

Amazon.com Review
Video games and books such as the popular New Jedi Order series have continued the storyline of Star Wars past the events in Return of the Jedi. According to this "extended universe", Imperial loyalists have been pushed back to a small number of worlds and are now known as the Imperial Remnant, and meanwhile Luke Skywalker has started a training academy to rebuild the once glorious Jedi Order. Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy casts players in the ongoing Star Wars epic as Jaden Corr, a new character in the Star Wars universe who has enrolled at Luke's Jedi Academy. The Imperial Remnant and a group of dark-side Force users have been up to something shady, and it's your job as Jaden to uncover and stop their nefarious plans.

The game is a mix of first-person shooting and third-person lightsaber combat, with a heavy focus of the latter over the former. Players are allowed to customize the basic look of their character by choosing from a list of heads, torsos, and legs. Moreover, players can now customize the look of their lightsaber hilt in addition to the blade color, though all of these customizations are aesthetic only. Answering overwhelming fan demand, players now have the option of fighting with two lightsabers or the double lightsaber made famous by Darth Maul. The flashy new lightsaber combat styles are a lot of fun and make duels twice as entertaining. Players are able to use a set of Force powers such as Push, Pull, and Speed, that should be familiar to anyone who has watched the Star Wars movies. Ironically, players can learn and use Light Side and Dark Side powers like Heal or Lightning interchangably without any real restriction or consequence. The single-player story line is fairly thin but adequately does the job of giving you an excuse to visit a variety of diverse environments and cut through bad guys by the boatload.

The multi-player game features standard action game modes such as Free For All, Team Free For All, Capture the Flag, and Duel. Jedi Academy also features a couple of innovative multiplay experiences. Power Duel pits two slightly weaker players against one slightly stronger player. Siege is a team-based combat mode ala Battlefield 1942, but with a far older kind of Stormtrooper. Players assume the role of Scout, Demolitions, Soldier, Heavy Weapons, or Jedi, and use the strengths of their particular role to help their team accomplish the objective. Objectives typically involve breaching a wall or carrying an object from one place to another. Imagine a dynamic Star Wars battlefield complete with vehicles, Star Wars architecture, and small teams of Scouts, Jedi and Demolitions guys sneaking around while troopers and heavy weapons specialists blast everything in sight, and you've got an idea of Siege.

The game's only major flaw, if you can call it that, is the focus on lightsaber combat; those looking for a dedicated shooting experience may resent the reliance on these elegant weapons. If you're willing to play a Jedi simulator as a Jedi simulator, Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is a fun foray into the Star Wars universe that takes players beyond the familiar events of the classic trilogy. - Jon "Safety Monkey" Grover

Pros:

• New lightsabers and lightsaber moves are fun to play with
• Multiplayer Siege mode is excellent
• Force powers and Star Wars setting a refreshing break from standard FPS fare

• Storyline is not terribly interesting
• Lightsaber and character customization--while cool--have no effect on gameplay

From the Manufacturer
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is a dynamic single and multiplayer action experience featuring an all-new epic story. Players are immersed in the role of apprentice at Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy where they learn the power - and danger - of the Force. Amidst a multitude of complex and richly detailed Star Wars environments, including twice as many unique locales as those in Star Wars: Jedi Outcast, players face a variety of powerful and insidious enemies.

For the first time in a Jedi Knight series game, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy allows players to create and customize their own characters by choosing various characteristics including species, gender, clothing, and physical attributes such as hair and facial features. In addition, players can create a custom lightsaber, selecting from hilt design and blade color. As apprentices progress in their training, different lightsabers will become available, such as the double-bladed lightsaber or dual lightsabers.

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy begins shortly after the conclusion of events in Star Wars: Jedi Outcast. Players create a Jedi apprentice character and join the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4 to learn the ways of the Force under the tutelage of Luke Skywalker and Kyle Katarn. While the young apprentice embarks on various missions to hone their skills and abilities, a mysterious group is discovered creating havoc throughout the galaxy. Until order is restored, the fate of the Jedi Academy - and the future of the Star Wars galaxy itself - hangs precariously in the balance.

While players are able to accomplish more by using the lightsaber in Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, they also will have a variety of weapons - new and old - at their disposal including a blaster, blaster rifle, Wookiee bowcaster, Imperial repeater, and a Destructive Electro-Magnetic Pulse gun. A unique level selection system allows players to choose their own path through the game as well as the missions they undertake to improve their Jedi skills. The game adds new multiplayer modes and bring back the most popular modes from Star Wars: Jedi Outcast.