Jedi Outcast is a truly great game - Source Code Released

[sea]

I agree, these games are severely underrated and not remembered nearly well enough. Linear games that are still open-ended and offer lots of choices in approach, puzzles to solve that aren't stupid and don't whack you over the head with things, a lot of variety in gameplay and a good feel of progression, the story isn't anything special but it's still well done enough to keep things moving forward... really just a case of all the right things put together in a pot. In any single game we might point at one of these things as its defining quality, but in the Jedi Knight games there's not really a single thing you can point at and say "this is bad" or "this is under-developed." It's kind of the perfect package of shooter gameplay, probably the last of it we ever really had before the whole obsession with CINEMATIC FPS hit.

 

[Average Manatee]

BTW, if anyone is thinking of getting Jedi Knight/Mysteries of the Sith: Don't get the Steam version. The original played its music off the CD. Lucasarts, in their infinite retardation, doesn't include this music for the steam version since it's diskless. Valve, in their own brand of infinite retardation, actually allowed Lucasarts to butcher one of the best SW games ever in this fashion.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=996112

Fuck that. If they force you to pirate 1/2 the disk to get the proper game you might as well pirate the other 1/2.

 

[Infinitron]

BTW, if anyone is thinking of getting Jedi Knight/Mysteries of the Sith: Don't get the Steam version. The original played its music off the CD. Lucasarts, in their infinite retardation, doesn't include this music for the steam version since it's diskless. Valve, in their own brand of infinite retardation, actually allowed Lucasarts to butcher one of the best SW games ever in this fashion.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=996112

Fuck that. If they force you to pirate 1/2 the disk to get the proper game you might as well pirate the other 1/2.

It's not piracy once you've bought it, I think? But do as you wish.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

BTW, if anyone is thinking of getting Jedi Knight/Mysteries of the Sith: Don't get the Steam version. The original played its music off the CD. Lucasarts, in their infinite retardation, doesn't include this music for the steam version since it's diskless. Valve, in their own brand of infinite retardation, actually allowed Lucasarts to butcher one of the best SW games ever in this fashion.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=996112

Fuck that. If they force you to pirate 1/2 the disk to get the proper game you might as well pirate the other 1/2.

It's not piracy once you've bought it, I think? But do as you wish.

Indeed. You should be getting the full game, not some ruined no music version. Piracy is definitely morally acceptable in this case, at least by my standards.

 

[Average Manatee]

Ohh I agree it's morally acceptable. I'm saying that since its just as illegal to pirate the whole thing you might as well do that. Lucasarts shouldn't be getting money for a half game.

 

[A user named cat]

Not to video game brag but I'm featured in this cool little Outcast highlight video (as TicaL). No the game isn't remotely choppy, he just used a self-made cam mod to record. Aside from the opening shot, as you can see, nobody gives a shit about guns and Quaking in this game, especially in 1.03.

It's all about saber/force combat and the backstab. Timing, stances, kicking, force regulating, abusing opponents -- there'll never be a game as great as this. Call me the Todd Howard for Jedi Outcast, I'll pimp this game until its very end. Install, patch to 1.03 and come play online for anyone interested. The only thing I have to warn about is dealing with scripters and lag hackers (mostly from Spain, who would've thunk it) but they're easier to whoop once you learn the ins and outs of gameplay.

 

[Volrath]

I loved Outcast and Academy. JK not so much. Shitty level design and horrible bosses.

 

[Lyric Suite]

JK not so much. Shitty level design

o_O

 

[Ulminati]

Not to video game brag but I'm featured in this cool little Outcast highlight video

Wait wait wait.... Doth my eyes deceive me, or was that video made by DiK aka Dedicated Intelligent Knights who would repeatedly get banned from the MSN Gaming Zone for upsetting the mods with their usernames?

 

[Volrath]

JK not so much. Shitty level design

o_O

I honestly don't remember anything remarkable about it.

 

[A user named cat]

Not to video game brag but I'm featured in this cool little Outcast highlight video

Wait wait wait.... Doth my eyes deceive me, or was that video made by DiK aka Dedicated Intelligent Knights who would repeatedly get banned from the MSN Gaming Zone for upsetting the mods with their usernames?

Your eyes are deceiving you; it's DjK, not DiK. I don't remember what it stood for but I used to just refer to them as the Dick Jerking Kings.

 

[Ulminati]

Sounds about right. Ah, memories. I used to play JK1/MotS with 435 and nEw. JO never really caught on with us.

 

[Xen]

Man i loved Outcast, played the hell out of it when i was a kid. I also remember Dark Forces II though i was alot younger when i played that and my one real memory of that game was watching my older brother battle through the last level, i remember he wasn't able to beat the Twlik guy and had to skip it. I wish i knew where to get both Dark Forces I and II as they were truly great. Still i have youtube.

 

[Carrion]

Jedi Knight was an insanely good and varied game for its time. Great level design with tons of variety, a billion different monsters (god damn I hated the underwater ones), innovative weapons with alternate firing modes, getting to choose your Force powers and having to make the choice between the Light and the Dark side (although that wasn't done very well) really set it apart from a lot of other shooters. There also was a story that was pretty decent and didn't get in the way of shooting things, which is another plus. Too bad the game hasn't really aged very well compared to earlier games like Doom or newer games like Half-Life. I tried playing it a couple of years ago but I don't think I even got past the first level.

Jedi Outcast was a step backwards in many ways, but the ridiculously fun lightsaber combat really was its saving grace. After having to shoot stormtroopers for hours with those pathetic blasters that sound like crap and can't hit anything, which is of course just faithful to Star Wars, it's incredibly satisfying to finally get the lightsaber and the Force powers. The game pretty much just gets better and better from that point onwards and doesn't let go. There aren't many shooters I'd have replayed more often than JO, although it's been a few years since I last played it. I might give it another go just because of this thread if I can find the CD somewhere.

I tried the Jedi Academy demo when it came out, but it just didn't grab me at all. Somehow the feel of the lightsaber combat was much worse than in JO, and that was enough to pretty much completely kill the game for me.

 

[Darth Roxor]

I tried the Jedi Academy demo when it came out, but it just didn't grab me at all. Somehow the feel of the lightsaber combat was much worse than in JO, and that was enough to pretty much completely kill the game for me.

The problem with Jedi Academy's sabre combat is that they tried to expand it even further, in consequence breaking it completely. The doublesabre/2 sabres setups both have ridiculously overpowered moves that basically can turn anything into mince meat within seconds (crouch + attack = win). At least in theory. Because to "offset" that a bit, they added two force powers that are probably what kills Jedi Academy the most - protect and fury.

Protect is only fucking annoying in the dark side endgame because you keep meeting dozens of all those goddamn jedi with doubleswords, spamming protect and absorb all the time. But it easily makes for the most annoying segment in the whole game. Somehow, their protect gives them near IDDQD, and they still instagib you with crouchattack, even though you also happen to have max protect.

Fureh is much more prevalent through the whole game because all Reborn have it. HELLO GODMODE FOR LIKE 10 SECONDS. This reduces the fights to an annoying "hit hit hit hit wait for rage to stop hit hit hit pray that you kill them before rage goes off cooldown", which simply makes the sabre combat not fun. Fortunately, the Reborn are very often in positions that make it possible to just throw them off cliffs.




Also, you can't finish the fucking game with a full gun playthrough because there aren't even any ammo stashes on some levels

 

[Ulminati]

Also, you can't finish the fucking game with a full gun playthrough because there aren't even any ammo stashes on some levels

I did.

 

[Darth Roxor]

I did.

Uh-huh, I'd love to see you do the last level with guns only (when you don't even start with full ammo after the previous level). Especially in dark side mode.

 

[Ulminati]

I was younger, twitchier and ran from many fights to conserve ammo. but it can be done.

 

[Darth Roxor]

ran from many fights to conserve ammo.

Yeah, no, that doesn't count

 

[Ulminati]

Padawan Roxor
To true focus achieve, ignore that which matters not, you must.

If enemy follow you cannot, bypassing without ammunition using same thing as killing is in terms of defeat, hmm. But greater skill requires it does, for avoiding more attacks you must. Give in to the easy path of the dark side you must not.

 

[lightbane]

The only thing I remember of JK: Academy was that strange level that had you lose all of your weapons AND powers, just because. And the fact that apparently lightside= being a retard that is willing to be bullied, killing that annoying guy shouldn't be considered an act of evil but instead justice, he tried to kill you several times during the game.

 

[codexian reject]

This thread will make me buy Jedi Knight Collection on steam sale probably - 11,5 € seems reasonable.
The only one I've played is Jedi Outcast and I remember liking it. I hope the rest is as good as you're saying.

I am going to try Shadow Warrior, when I am done with JK. Is there any other worthwhile classic shooter from the 90s I've missed ?
Played: DOOM 1,2, Heretic, Blood, Duke 3D, Outlaws, Quake 1/2, Unreal, Half-life. Tried and skipped: Wolfenstein 3D, Redneck Rampage, Hexen. Is Hexen 2 different enough to try ?

 

[Correct_Carlo]

Jedi Outcast has the better plot, but I think Jedi Academy has better and more varied level design. Plus, I liked Academy's lightsaber duel mechanics (overpowered duel wielding and all). If you just want to fight people with a light saber, Jedi Academy is the only way to go. Although, it's plot and writing are god awful.

Plus, I've always thought Jedi Academy has some of the best multiplayer out there. The combination of light saber, guns, and force powers ads a whole new dimension to the game as you have to manage push, pull, and speed just right to get ahead. Capture the Flag in that game is awesome.

I actually fired it up a couple months ago and there are still servers going. I was able to find one that wasn't all bots too.

If you want straight up awesome level design, though, there is still no topping "Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight." Who can forget that level where you have to escape the crashing ship?

 

[Mother Russia]

JK, JO, and JA are some of the best Star Wars games ever. They are also some of the best games ever made.

Also, Roxor, I disagree: Lightsabers in JK were very useful. I played the entire game using a lightsaber only, after you get your saber. Very fun. Your ability to block/deflect improves with every level.

 

[garren]

Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy source code open sourced, art assets probably not as usual but hopefully something comes out of this for these (old) popular games.

http://www.moddb.com/company/jedi-k...academy-and-jedi-outcast-source-code-released