'When 900 years-old you reach, look as good you will not', so said a terminally ill Master Yoda. As we now know, he was of course discussing the merits of the venerable Quake III engine, which is being dusted off once more for Raven's second Star Wars outing, Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. And despite the years, the old Qlll workhorse (now rivalling Jacko for number of facelifts) is still looking surprisingly capable. Indeed, having played the game extensively, we think it might be the best Jedi game yet.

1. Star Wars Jedi Knight Jedi Academy
2. Star Wars Jedi Knight Jedi Academy Nintendo Switch
3. Star Wars Jedi Knight Jedi Academy Pc Download
4. Star Wars Jedi Knight Jedi Academy Xbox

Despite the lack of numerical evidence in the title, Jedi Academy is the chronological sequel to last year's Jedi Outcast, one of the most frustrating action games I've had the pleasure to review. And it was a pleasure, in spite of the formulaic running and gunning that had to be completed in the early stages, and the botched design of the game's more tedious puzzle solving sections.

The game eventually revealed itself to be probably the most enjoyable in the Star Wars lineage in terms of saber-wielding action, and it is with some relief, then, that the new game focuses even more strongly on the electrifying clash of saber on saber.

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is a third person action title that takes place following the original Star Wars trilogy. Determined to bring the Jedi Order back to their original glory, series protagonist Luke Skywalker invites the player to his prolific Jedi Academy. Classic Jedi Project (CJP) Original Trilogy Lightsaber Blades HD. If you are like me and you want your lightsaber blades to look more like beams of energy like how they appeared in the original trilogy, instead of the flat and dull looking ones you see from most 'Star Wars' sources today, then this just might make a fine addition to your JK2 and JKA experience!

Jedi Master Class

As mentioned last issue, some other major changes are obvious even before the adventure begins. Kyle Katarn, hero of the previous Dark Forces!Jedi Knight adventures is no longer heading the cast list, having been forced to take a wage cut and pass on his dubious talents as a teacher at Luke Skywalker's School of Jedism on Yavin 4. Instead, you play the game as his student, a young Padawan of undetermined heritage eager to learn the ways of the Force.

But before the first lesson begins, wannabe Jedi must first create their character, selecting from one of five races, (human, Rodian, Twi'lek, Zabrak and Kel Dor) and completing the look with a range of ready-made heads, torsos and legs.

Double Penetration

Next comes the selection of the ultimate accessory, with the option to choose a blade colour and hilt design for your saber - a feature that has had a few obsessive Wars devotees frothing in their trousers. Seeing as the thing will be in your hands most of the time, it baffles me why anyone should care, but then what do I know - I only watch the films.

One aspect that is worth getting heated over is the new combat styles. Previous Jedi outings have concentrated solely on the traditional fighting methods favoured by Vader and son, but now you can choose to specialise as a dual saberwielding berserker, or ape the moves of the acrobatic Sith lord Darth Maul with his two gaffer-taped-together sabers. Follow the traditionalists and go for the single saber option and you can effect the full range of Force powers with relative ease, even in the thick of battle. Opt to specialise with dual sabers, however, and while you can go hammer and tongs like some demented majorette, Force powers will be harder to pull off.The Darth Maul style of combat is the more flamboyant of the three and allows for some impressive gymnastics and plenty of high kicks to knock the enemy off balance and, as before, the higher your Force level, the more special moves and attack combos you can pull off.

The control system itself is still being worked on, but it's clear Raven will be honing the Jedi Outcast system rather than making drastic changes, which is great news since the existing system was both simple and powerful enough to allow for some deft moves. The game now feels even closer to a beat 'em up, yet even with the keyboard/mouse combination it feels as intuitive as playing Street Fighter on an original arcade cab.

Puzzle Fighter

While Outcast's levels were generally Puzzle-based and largely frustrating due to their sprawling size and poor signposting, Academy's are focused, action-based affairs, with key-searching and button-pressing kept to a minimum. Battles are frequent and exciting, usually pitting you against multiple opponents, though you sometimes have the support of one or two Al teammates.

Star Wars Jedi Knight Jedi Academy

One particularly satisfying level sees you fighting alongside Chewbacca (although I accidentally singed his fur with my lightsaber and he chased me to death for doing so) and we can expect to see quite a few other old faces turning up to lend a hand as well, including Luke Skywalker and his little sister.

Scurrilous rumour has it that Ewoks are set to make an appearance, which is fine, so long as we get to poke their beady little eyes out in the multiplayer game.Although we like to whinge when developers use yesterday's technology for their games, it may be a very fortunate decision for us that Raven has decided to go with id Software's aging 3D code, past-masters that they are at turning successive id engines into high quality action games. For one thing it means the wait has been a short one, just over a year in fact - which when you consider we've already been forced to wait over six years for the Duke Nukem sequel - is quite an impressive turnaround.

For another, Quake Ill's aging architecture can still cut the mustard, as Elite Force II - another Raven production - has proved. Add in all the various enhancements Raven has made through the years: Ghoull II animation, ICARUS scripting, a new terrain engine, ragdoll physics and even vehicles - and it's clear that until Doom 3's code goes out, Quake Ill's will do very nicely.

Mount Up

Not Even A Jedi Wants To Have To Leg It Everywhere...

Jedi Academy features a new emphasis on drivable vehicles, with Tauntauns and AT-ST Scout Walkers to command. Unfortunately, only the stinky two-legged arctic camels were available to try out in our beta build. Hopping aboard is simply a case of pressing the action key when you get near one (or you could be a show-off and Force Jump onto their backs) and since no special keys are required, controlling them is simple - just rotate left and right and press forward when required.

They are hardly the most exciting beasts to control and the novelty of padding across the frozen wastes will, we fear, soon wear off. But they have a useful purpose in traversing maps quickly and they gurgle quite convincingly. You can't fight while mounted at this stage, but we're assured you will be able to once the game is complete. Instead, we tried out the Tauntaun's charge attack and bowled our way through an entire squad of Stormtroopers - which undoubtedly will be a most enjoyable way to rack up frags in the online game.

The amount of Star Wars-themed games is staggering, but only a few are remembered as truly great titles. Among them are gems like Star Wars: Rogue Squadron on the N64, the classic Star Wars: Battlefront II, and the Jedi Knight series.

Raven Software’s Jedi Academy is the latest and most beloved part of the Jedi Knight series. It lets you play as Jaden Korr, a new student at Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Academy. And it’s a lotta fun!

If you’ve already cleared the game’s main campaign and are looking for more action, be it multiplayer or single-player, the online modding community has you covered.

Let’s take a look at some of the best mods for a new Jedi Academy experience.

15. Jedi Academy: Enhanced

One of the most exciting aspects of the Star Wars universe is the use of Lightsabers in combat.

While vanilla Jedi Academy includes several Lightsaber options, more customization is usually for the better, which is why the JA: Enhanced mod is so good.

It lets you customize your saber’s color through the console by inputting a hex code representing the hue you want.

It also lets you customize the handle, adds holstering, and even a couple force powers to go with it. Nice!

14. The Jedi Academy Texture Overhaul

Improving an old game’s textures can go a long way towards making it more palatable for our modern standards.

Which is why Mr. Zz put so much work into the Jedi Academy Texture Overhaul.

This mod replaces some of the most amateurish and basic textures in the game with some new ones, including more detail and higher-definition stuff.

All this just to give your game facelift, while remaining true to the core game’s aesthetic.

It’s a work in progress, sure. And the author has expressed interest in coming back to perfect this overhaul in due time.

But until then, this current version is still pretty good.

13. Ahsoka Tano

Few “minor” characters in Star Wars lore receive as much love and attention from the fanbase as Ahsoka Tano, Padawan to none other than Anakin Skywalker.

This incredible character mod brings her likeness to Jedi Academy, letting you either play as Ahsoka or having her tag along with you on adventures.

She can also exist as an NPC in hub areas – which is especially useful for custom servers.

There are plenty of character and skin mods floating around for Jedi Academy, and sometimes that’s enough to improve your experience exponentially.

12. Star Wars: For the Republic

Despite being classified as a third-person shooter, Jedi Academy shines for its intense Lightsaber combat, rather than the use of blasters.

This extensive conversion mod by creator Myceley puts the “shooter” back into Jedi Academy.

It gives you a new campaign where you’ll play as a Republic Trooper going up against the Sith Empire and their armies.

It turns the game into a hardcore shooter where you’ll need cover and fast reflexes to survive. Your only goal?

To protect the people of several planets from the Empire’s oppression.

11. Revenge of the Jedi

Mods offer creators a detailed way to bring their fantasies to life, writing fanfiction in code rather than in prose.

Revenge of the Jedi by the_Last_Jedi is just that: a fantastic re-imagining of the original trilogy’s second episode, where Obi-Wan managed to survive his duel with Darth Vader, and Yoda has founded a new Jedi Temple on Dagobah.

It’s a huge mod with a staggering amount of custom assets. I mean really huge.

It includes great-looking character models that make this new story come to life as well, so it’s almost like a totally new game. Give it a try!

10. The Ladder

Initially developed by JediNight for Jedi Outcast, The Ladder is a wave-based survival level meant to test your skills against increasingly tough enemies.

It was ported to Jedi Academy by prolific mod author Circa, who modified some textures and a couple of code lines here & there to make it work in the more recent game.

This single-player map may have a simple concept, but it can provide hours upon hours of enjoyment as you hone your Lightsaber dueling skills against hordes of enemies.

9. New Beginning SP Mod

Another relatively small but sweet mod is New Beginning by creator MagSul, which serves as a direct continuation of the Light Side ending of Jedi Academy.

You’ll play as an entirely new character across two levels.

That may sound like too little, but trust me, the first one is extensive-enough for hours of gameplay if you go around exploring everything.

It’s also full of interesting easter eggs, custom assets, new dialogue, and even a couple unique cinematics.

8. Escape: Yavin IV

On the other side of the Force we have Escape: Yavin IV, a direct continuation of the Dark Side ending where Jaden Korr gives in to his dark impulses and takes the Scepter of Ragnos for himself.

Developed by The Unbeholden, this new campaign mod follows Jaden Korr after being used and discarded by a new Sith Lord, who leaves him to rot in Yavin IV for four years.

The original mod features 13 lengthy missions, custom new Lightsabers, new abilities, and upgraded visual effects.

On top of that, the more recent “Lost Missions” update adds a whopping 35 entirely new levels for you to enjoy. Yes, this one’s big.

Guaranteed to keep you busy for hours.

7. Prequel Conversion Mod

Star Wars’ prequel trilogy gets a lot of bad rep online.

But this is still where at least half of the fanbase got to know Star Wars, and their aesthetic is just on point.

Well this mod by Circa will let you immerse yourself in the world of the prequel trilogies by replacing the game’s base enemies with Trade Federation Battledroids, Super Battledroids, Droidekas and introducing enemies like Jango Fett and Count Dooku.

All the spaceships, the weapons, and even the sound effects are also modified to fit in with the prequels’ style.

6. The Dark Pastime

While its title may sound like it’s an expansion for The Sims, The Dark Pastime is a complex campaign taking place several years after the events of Jedi Academy’s Light Side ending.

In this universe, The Academy continues to fight the weakened remnants of the Galactic Empire along with the New Republic.

After a New Republic base on Goura is mysteriously destroyed by forces unknown, the Academy sends Jaden Korr’s mentor, Kyle Katam, to investigate and discover the truth.

What will you find? Well, only one way to find out.

5. Nina Series

The Star Wars universe is much more than the fight between the Sith and the Jedi.

Even if that’s the central focus of its main storyline.

This series of modded campaigns by creator Larry McBruce is one of the earliest ever to become popular.

It presents a new perspective by having you play as Nina, who’s both a bounty hunter and the youngest sister of the fallen Sith Lord Tavion.

Other than the classic “Nina 1.5” mod, the series is continued in Nina: Undiscovered Secret and Nina: Genesis.

4. Knights of the Force 2.1

One of the most ambitious works in progress for Jedi Academy is Knights of the Force 2.1.

This total conversion mod aims to introduce characters and locales from all across the three main trilogies, Rogue One and even Star Wars Rebels.

I make a point of including the version number here because this is actually a revived version of an older mod called Knights of the Force, which had been abandoned for quite some time before the current team started working on it.

I’d expect great things!

3. EternalJK

EternalJK is an updated fork of OpenJK, a massive open-source client for Jedi Academy that fixes compatibility issues with modern operating systems and hardware.

It’s also a pre-requisite for most mods on this list.

If you want to play Jedi Academy or any of the Jedi Knight games on a modern system running Windows 10, you’ll need this one.

Thankfully setup is pretty simple and it offers some guidance, but this is definitely worth learning how to install & tinker with.

2. Star Wars: Movie Battles II

Movie Battles II is easily the most talked-about and popular multiplayer Jedi Academy mod of the past decade.

It adds a truckload of characters and character archetypes to the game, so you can see why it gets so much attention.

It also introduces maps from all over the Star Wars mythos and even other games with a fitting aesthetic, adding up to over 100 multiplayer battle arenas.

It supports many multiplayer modes, not to mention massive 16v16 team deathmatches are commonplace in most multiplayer servers.

Star Wars Jedi Knight Jedi Academy Nintendo Switch

1. Star Wars: Movie Duels

While Movie Battles II is still the most popular multiplayer mod, there’s a much more recent undertaking that offers many of the same features with an updated presentation.

Movie Duels is the spiritual successor of Movie Battles II, using OpenJK as its primary engine and remastering the classic multiplayer mod with better animations, HD sound effects, music, and voice clips.

It also supports prequel-like “SFX” Lightsabers, which was sorely missing from the original.

Star Wars Jedi Knight Jedi Academy Pc Download

And this even introduces some more duel stances to increase playstyle variety.

Star Wars Jedi Knight Jedi Academy Xbox

Absolutely worth a try, and may the Force be with you.