The lightsaber is the most interesting weapon to wield, and certainly the most versatile.  It can deflect weapons fire, be thrown as a deadly boomerang, cut through objects, and, of course, be used to slice and dice your way through enemies.  Different attacks can be initiated by pressing the movement keys when swinging the lightsaber, allowing players to perform a host of hacks, swipes, and backstabs.  There is something deeply satisfying about walking into a room full of enemies armed with only a lightsaber and a few Force powers, and walking out a few frenzied minutes later leaving behind a room full of corpses and severed limbs.  Players will also find themselves in one-on-one duels with lightsaber-wielding enemies, and will need to use their lightsabers to block and parry attacks as well, while trying to avoid locking lightsabers with their foe.

Jedi Knight II's single-player campaign is not easy.  Some of the puzzles can be frustratingly hard, with obscure solutions that sometimes need to be stumbled upon by chance.  Players will also need to save the game often when approaching any of the game's myriad of jumping puzzles.  Add to this the swarms of enemies faced in the later levels and you've got one tough game, even on the standard difficulty setting.

In addition to the single-player campaign, the game also supports a multiplayer mode.  The multiplayer game can be played in one of  seven modes on one of the 15 included maps.  Up to 32 players can compete in the game, but not all of these need to be human.  The person setting up the game can specify any number of slots to be reserved for one of the 28 different types of bots available.  Players can also use the bots to get a little practice before going online against human opponents, since the bots provide a varied degree of competition. 

Multiplayer games also allow players to pursue the dark path and play as Dark Jedis, giving them access to Dark Force powers not available in the single-player game.  Another interesting aspect of multiplayer games is the ability to challenge another player to a duel.  Should the other player accept, the players will be locked into a one-on-one lightsaber battle free from interference from other players.

The game makes use of the Quake III engine and as a result the graphics are quite good.  The game environments do a very good job of creating levels which feel very much a part of the Star Wars universe - including many small catwalks over precipices that seem to stretch on forever (even at a point in time when interstellar travel is commonplace, the New Republic's engineers have not discovered the secret of the guardrail).  Some of the larger battles can cause the engine to stutter a bit, but for the most part the game is smooth and fluid.  All of the game's sounds are right on the mark, and weapons and the like sound just like they do in the movies.  The game's music borrows heavily from the Star Wars repertoire and works very well in setting the game's ambience and the mood for each scene.

In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated: 90%.  The game is slow-starting and it will take some patience to play through the early levels, and the puzzle design is inconsistent and can detract from the game's enjoyment at times.  Those who stick it out, though, will be rewarded with a game that provides a lot of fast-paced and exciting action, and does a great job of conveying the feel of the Star Wars universe.

System Requirements:  Pentium II 350;  64 MB RAM;  16 MB Video RAM; 4x CD-ROM;  665 MB Hard Drive Space;  Mouse.

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