STAR WARS: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast

At its core, Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast remains a good title. Get past the shooting, and you're rewarded with a ton of Force powers and lightsaber combat that remains at the top of its field to this day. However, the port job isn't up to snuff, as it lacks some slight auto-aim and lock-on to make the experience more user-friendly for console players, so the opening levels are a real chore to get through even if you can handle the outdated textures and adherence to the old way of doing puzzles.

Unless you must absolutely play this game on console, I'd suggest sticking with the much cheaper PC port, which looks just as good and plays better. Or, perhaps, simply pick up Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a game made for modern, more civilized sensibilities. Despite a good story and solid lightsaber combat, Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast ultimately succumbs to the dark side.

Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast is a bit of a grind at the beginning, but if you can endure the first part then the game will open up into Jedi Force battles and light saber combat which will make all the Star Wars fans happy.

The strong darker-themed story, the expansive tightly designed levels, the exhilarating combat system that deserves every bit of praise it’s ever gotten, it set the bar for what a Star Wars game should be. Maybe one day we’ll get another Star Wars game that can give it a run for it’s money.

Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast is undeniably a classic. This game is a wonderful look back at a time when Star Wars and video games were a lot simpler. While the exclusion of multiplayer is a real bummer the story itself and low asking price make this a must-play for fans old and new. Hopefully, some of those annoying bugs will be patched out over time.

If players want to discover what Star Wars games used to be like before the arrival of November’s Jedi: Fallen Order, this is a reasonable point of comparison. After all, 2002 seems like a long time ago when it comes to cinematic action-adventure game design. Sunshine, Metroid Prime, and Wind Waker all hold up as game experiences from this era. Jedi Outcast is far, far away from doing so.