Jedi Academy has absolutely amazing gameplay, a forgettable story and a baffling multiplayer mode.
To start off, it's worth noting that in JK 3 you no longer play as Kyle Katarn. Instead, you take the role of his newest padawan; Jaden Korr. At the beginning of the game you get to customize your character. There are plenty of options, including species & gender - a well as some different selections of 'heads', 'torsos' and 'legs'. Fans of Jennifer Hale should rejoice, since she is the one who voices Jaden's female version. Once you finish creating your character, you are briefed on the current situation through the usual "Star Wars crawl" intro. Ten years have passed since the Battle of Endor at the end of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. The New Republic has been formed whilst the remnants of the Imperial Army are trying their best to tip the balance of power in their favour in a desperate attempt to continue the fight. Luke Skywalker has opened his own Jedi Academy, to bring the Jedi back to their rightful place as the peacekeepers of the galaxy and restore their former glory.
Jaden, along with a number of other promising initiates, is on a shuttle to this academy to start his training and become a Jedi Knight. As fate would have it, the shuttle crashes not far from its destination. Whilst travelling to the academy on foot, Jaden discovers a new conspiracy against the Jedi that involves a cult of wannabe Sith. The plot thickens later on, but as you'd expect from an action game set in the universe of Star Wars, it's a fairly standard tale of good versus evil. The writing is decent and most of the characters are likeable, but in the end - the story just isn't quite as epic as it could have been, even though it does set the scene for some awesome set pieces and gameplay elements.
Whilst the game doesn't really shine in its narrative, its gameplay is absolutely extraordinary. Jedi Academy starts with a few short tutorial-like and introductory missions. Once you have completed those, you are given a little bit of freedom - in that a selection of different missions on various planets are offered to the player, which can be done in any order. These are mostly about Jaden investigating the cult and its associates. Once the majority of those are done, you are given the chance to go on the one remaining mission and continue later, or carry on through to the next main story mission right away. This is repeated twice until the end of the game, so it's like the game is split into three acts of levels. It's nice to see some choice be given to the player here, but it's how different some of these missions are that makes the game so great and how well each & every one of them is designed.
At one time you'll be sent on a rescue mission to save some survivors of a starship that went down on a highly dangerous planet, yet upon crash-landing there you will find yourself stuck on a desert where giant worm-like beasts dwell under the sand. You will be forced to jump from one piece of debris to another, picking up a part needed to fix your ship and returning to insert the required object, and then back out into the madness to collect another piece - whilst trying your best to not lay a foot on the sand for longer than a few seconds. Sure, the setting isn't very original as the monsters are very similar to those encountered in Dune, but the whole situation allows for some nice and unique gameplay segments that involve no fighting but have all the intensity.
Other missions involve puzzles that require you to use different force powers to succeed. Stuck in an area? Use "force sense" to find the marked objects that are the clue to discovering your exit. You might need to pull some bricks out of a wall using the force; to create a way up. Or maybe it's just something as simple as pulling a hidden lever or finding the enemy officer who is wielding the security key needed to open the door. None of these small problems are too difficult to solve, but they do break up the action nicely and add some diversity to the usual combat. Even if a mission involves nothing but fighting, the setting is usually exciting enough to keep you invested regardless. For example, in one level you have to make your way down to the front of a tram that is carrying a bomb as its cargo… of course, the long vehicle is speeding through the skies of Coruscant; flashing past enormous buildings, and there are numerous armed mercenaries out to stop you.
Actually, in a way, it's the combat that keeps you engaged in each mission - because it's so fantastic. Like its predecessors, the game mixes third-person lightsaber combat with first-person shooter gameplay (though the player can also switch to a third-person perspective when using firearms). At the beginning of each level, the player is given his or her lightsaber along with a blaster pistol as armaments. The game lets you choose the two other firearms you want to bring with you, and what type of explosives you want to use on the current mission. More weapons can later be found and picked up; the game lets you carry as many of them as you want. Also, at a later point in the story, you have to select what type of lightsaber you want as the new one. You may choose to still carry just one saber but change your fighting style, or select a double-bladed one like Darth Maul's or even use two standard lightsabers instead. The hilt and colour of each blade can be customized as well.
There is a wide array of ranged weapons in the game and how they work varies quite a bit. Range, rate of fire, type of projectile, damage dealt and sound varies with each gun. Some of the iconic Star Wars arsenal is in included, such as the E-11 blaster rifle or the Wookiee bowcaster. There are also some completely new weapons, whilst others have appeared in previous games from the series. Ranged combat works the same way as it does in most shooters that run on the "id Tech 3" engine. That doesn't mean it's bad in any way; it's still very solid but overall not that special or original. On the other hand, lightsaber duels with other force users are a completely different story. These battles can be jaw-dropping.
First of all, the acrobatics are even better than what we've seen in the movies. Lightsaber-wielding enemies will often roll over on the ground, jump onto higher platforms, run up walls or jump off of them and back to the fight, etc. What's even better is that Jaden can do all of this as well. Furthermore, it's not just how dynamic these duels are but how realistic they can be. Most of the strikes you make with your lightsaber are often parried or meet your opponent's defensive blade. However, one well-timed and well-placed attack during that one second when your enemy's guard is down can kill the opponent instantly. It's the best, most believable and accurate portrayal of lightsaber combat ever seen in video games.
Everything gets even better when force powers, such as choking your enemy or unleashing a chain of lightning on them, is added to the mix. In addition, there is an awesome sense of progression. At the end of each completed mission, the player can spend one point on a new ability (or to improve one that was chosen earlier). There are also some basic powers that improve naturally, after each act of the plot is completed. So as you are playing through the game, you will be able to pull off even more impressive stunts and perform even better moves with your lightsaber. It really does feel like Jaden starts off as a mere student and eventually becomes an immensely powerful Jedi Knight (or Sith Warrior, depending on one crucial choice that must be made at a later point in the story).
Okay, it's time to summarize what this old title offers:
GAMEPLAY – 9.5/10
An almost perfect combination of first person shooter, third person action and platforming gameplay elements makes this game an absolute blast to play through.
STABILITY – 8.5/10
The patched version of the game has only a few insignificant bugs and some mostly minor graphical glitches that don't affect the experience as a whole.
STORY - 7/10
It's standard Star Wars hero & villain stuff, which shouldn't bother fans but may be a bit cheesy and could use a more complicated and original plot.
GRAPHICS - 8/10
With games like Max Payne 2 and Knights of the Old Republic being released in the same year, it's no surprise that Jedi Academy didn't have the best graphics of 2003 - but it's still a very good looking game.
SOUND - 9/10
From the voice acting and classic Star Wars soundtracks to the awesome sound effects that will send a chill down any nerd's spine, the audio is outstanding.
LONGEVITY – 7.5/10
There is a multiplayer mode, but the singleplayer probably won't take much longer than 10 hours to complete on a first playthrough; though it's possible you'll want to play it again, as a character of the other sex and to make the other choice.
In conclusion, I have to say that it is the story that limits this game's greatness. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy could have been a brilliant game had a more complex narrative been implemented, but everything else about it is great and its story isn't bad - it's just quite cliché and nowhere near as outstanding as most of its other features. It is also worth pointing out that this game doesn't do a lot of new things, but instead tries to refine what previous instalments in the series have accomplished. In the end, any Star Wars fan will most probably love it and those of you looking for a break from the hordes of not-so-impressive new releases will likely find this game much cooler, in an old-school kind of way.
Also, the multiplayer… well, I'm not sure what the heck it's all about. Maybe it became completely inaccessible to new players over the years, but I guess it's good that there's someone still playing it.
OVERALL RATING - 8/10 (Impressive)