You can just dump enemies over ledges with your Force powers.
Even the AI seems resigned to its fate. Stormtroopers usually just stand there shooting away at you, even though you block every one of their shots. Dark Jedi rush at you, even after watching four of their brethren plummet to a horrible death. Occasionally, you'll see an enemy accidentally commit suicide by falling off a cliff or falling into lava. The game's excitement comes from the massive body count you can accrue and by how viciously you can get rid of the opposition.
You can actually be as vicious as you desire. Killing every enemy you see, even those who are running away from you with no weapon, has no negative repercussions. You can use any of the eight advanced Force powers in any combination. You get warnings if you have more points vested in the dark side than the light side, but nothing ever comes of that. What's even more odd is that you can use Force grab hundreds of times in a mission, yet get congratulated on your path because you have more points in the light side. Jaden does get to choose between the light and dark sides of the Force toward the end of the game, though. You still play the same last mission, but the goals are different. The last mission is rather exciting in that regard, and it features plenty of Jedi versus Jedi combat--as you'd probably expect to find in a suitably climactic end-battle for a game such as this.
Another addition in Jedi Academy is two more saber styles: dual sabers and saber staff. Everyone has wanted to use these weapons since the new movies were released, and now you get the chance. You begin the game with "medium stance with a single saber." When you return to the academy to advance your abilities, you can choose new saber stances. You can only choose between fast and weak or slow and strong stances on your first return to the academy. Further down the road, you get another choice, this time with the different sabers as well. Each has its own advantage and disadvantage. The dual saber lets you throw one saber while being able to block shots with the remaining saber. The saber staff is like the weapon Darth Maul used in Episode I. You can't throw it, but you get a new kick ability when you are close to enemies. If you choose the fast stance, as previously mentioned, you can't learn the strong stance. You can only learn all three stances if you stick with the single saber.
Jedi Academy certainly doesn't flaunt much in the way of bells or whistles. The game uses the Quake III engine, which, by now, is showing signs of age. While it's capable of displaying large outdoor environments, they're rather devoid of detail. The character models just don't compare with those of some other, more-recent action games, and there are clipping issues as well. The lightsabers, however, still look like they should. They reflect off of different surfaces and radiate color into the world, especially on the last mission, when up to 10 Jedi may be fighting at the same time.
The audio is fine, but it's forgettable. We've all heard Star Wars music over and over by now, yet that becomes a paradox. We may yearn for something different, yet expect the old music in a Star Wars game. The voice work does a great job in conveying emotion during cutscenes, especially if Jaden succumbs to the dark side. But some in-game voices can be lacking. Enemies continue to taunt you with looping statements like "A Jedi!" or "You are weak." Sometimes, these taunts don't make much sense, especially since your enemies will shout them out after you've just effortlessly slaughtered all their friends.
You won't have these taunting problems in multiplayer. Human players pose quite a challenge because tricks from the single-player game won't work. Even if you manage to throw someone off a ledge, you aren't rewarded for the kill. You must learn to fight with lightsabers and figure out stance counters. The dual sabers and saber staff provide more layers of depth in this type of combat. You still have different gameplay options, like using various conventional weapons, choosing lightsabers only, and adding bots. The way multiplayer works is that you have a limited number of points to distribute among all the Force powers, so you have to choose wisely. The deathmatch and capture the flag modes return from Jedi Knight II, and Jedi Academy adds two new modes: power duel is a two-on-one mode between Jedi and siege is the big, class-based team mode with objectives. For instance, in one mission, the Imperial side must complete six specific tasks to successfully capture the Hoth base. There are non-Force user classes that perform specific roles, like healing or demolitions. There are Jedi in this mode to fill support roles, but they are physically weaker and don't have the abilities necessary to balance them.
The lightsabers are very colorful.
Between the multiplayer and different character paths, you'll find plenty of replay value in Jedi Academy. Those who wished Jedi Knight II had picked up the pace earlier on in the game should particularly enjoy it. Jedi Academy is a nonstop action ride that starts out on a high point and manages to remain there for the entire game. Gameplay elements that can be tedious, such as jumping puzzles, are limited, while the use of Force powers is accentuated. The game may not look great, but it will play well on older systems, so it can be enjoyed even by players who are waiting to upgrade their computers for some of the graphically intensive games scheduled for a holiday release. It even caters to those who aren't familiar with the Star Wars universe and just want pure action. In general, Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is highly recommendable.
Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (PC):
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