Some people are going to be a bit mad at me for giving Outcast anything below a 90, but I just have to do it. It's a very, very good game. There's no doubt about it. However, it just falls short of flat-out greatness.
The largest problem with the game is that for a while, I really hated it. I mean… I sat here in my room cussing out the computer screen, vowing never to play the game again. Now, that might be a personal issue of mine… but the puzzles and slower early levels really drag the game down. I guarantee that some gamers are going to play the first few hours of the game and put it down, wondering what the big deal was all about.
The frustration level never really never goes away because some of the puzzles are so amazingly stupid and obscure, you'll wonder what the designers were taking while they thought of them. It's nothing particularly new to gaming, it's the way many games have been, especially early on in the FPS lifecycle.
Yet today, the challenge of a game just shouldn't be in randomly stumbling on a switch you didn't know was there. It shouldn't be finding a half-hidden entryway on the other side of the map you thought you were through with. Look at a game like Deus Ex. That game's challenge wasn't in obscure puzzles, it was in giving the gamer some truly legitimate challenges that dealt with the actual gameplay.
Yet, even through all the stupid puzzles and mind-boggling level design (why in hell did the Imperials put that switch way up there?), the game still manages to rock your world. For one, everything in the game changes once you get the lightsaber. It's truly awesome and creates a whole new dynamic in the game. Controlling it at first isn't a piece of cake, but after awhile you'll be slicing and dicing like you wouldn't believe. Standing in a room with 15 stormtroopers shooting at you as you deflect their shots is just plain cool.
Not to mention the force powers, which just so happen to be awesome. You can choke people from across the room, send out lightning strikes, grab people and drop them off into a chasm of death, and do other horrible things. Very nice.
The story in the game is very cool too, although the whole game is very linear. It's not that big of an issue because the story is actually very nicely done, but some fans might be disappointed.
Other than that, the multiplayer mode happens to be very good. The Duel mode is a nice addition, where two jedis face off in a duel to the death. The lightsaber doesn't seem to come off as good in the multiplayer mode, where you're often left wondering why the opponent hasn't dropped yet. This might be due to the fact that in the single player campaign, the enemies generally die pretty easily.
Outcast is a cool, very well done game. The frustration and obscurity of some of the puzzles drag the game down a bit… but the first time you develop your jedi powers, running along the side of a wall Matrix-style, slashing down on a awe-struck Stormtrooper is really awesome.
Buy it only if you're willing to invest some time, and don't worry if the first few levels suck. The game gets much better and is very much worth the time investment.
-Jerred
Company Line
The legacy of Dark Forces and Jedi Knight lives on in Jedi Outcast: intense first-person action in the Star Wars saga!
In the tradition of the multi-award-winning Jedi Knight, rebel agent Kyle Katarn returns in exhilarating first-person action. Several years have passed since Kyle avenged his father's death and saved the Valley of the Jedi from Jerec and his band of Dark Jedi. Allowing his Force powers to languish for fear of falling to the dark side, Kyle entrusted his lightsaber to Luke Skywalker, vowing never to use it again. But when a new and menacing threat to the galaxy emerges, Kyle knows he must reclaim his past in order to save his future. Jedi Outcast is being developed in partnership with Activision's critically acclaimed developer Raven Software. Players assume the role of Kyle as they employ a unique mix of weapons, Force powers and your lightsaber in both single- and multiplayer modes.
Sequel to the best-selling, award-winning Jedi Knight. Reluctant Jedi Kyle Katarn returns to battle the power of and dangers of the Force in this dynamic first-person action game that arms players with lightsabers and a full arsenal of weaponry.
Created by award-winning Raven Studios and powered by the Quake III Arena Engine.
Intense single and multiplayer game-play. Multiplayer includes deathmatch, lightsaber-only deathmatch, and team capture the flag.
Expanded and enhanced use of the lightsaber, Force powers such as Jump, Push and Jedi Mind Tricks and the ability to play in stealth or combat mode, depending on the situation.
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