sci-fi

Over the years Star Wars fans have forgiven alot in the video games that Lucasarts has produced. Not that most of the games are bad its just that Star Wars is such a beloved franchise that the LA knows that fans will forgive things like the ommission of the balance, polish and tweaking that makes great games in order to fly in an X-wing or hear the hum of a lightsaber under their control.

Unfortunatley Jedi Academy suffers from this neglect. Granted the graphics are good, the sound is crisp and the controls are responsive once you get used to them. All that aside the game just doesn't deliver on several key aspects.

First of all you really don't create your own character. You get to choose from six very similar models and then you can pick out a shirt and a pair of pants. Things like race or hair color are all covered under the "head" option of which there are three for each model. So if you wanted to create a Jedi in your own image or a saber wieldin' wookie you are out of luck.

The game is also fairly predictable and very linear. If you have played Obi Wan or Jedi Outcast then you already know what to expect from most of the levels. Basically you get dropped into the front of a level and you have to fight your way to the back through hordes of inept enemies to flip a switch or fight a slightly less inept boss. This is disappointing because this is the third installment and I was hoping for some variety.

My biggest gripe is that the game is not very well balanced. I don't know why the developers at LA bothered to put in other weapons because you really only need your lightsaber to beat the game. Most of these other weapons are holdovers from the original Darkforces and are ineffective or unnecessary.

The balance of the AI is also a little off. All non-saber wielding foes are very easy and stand still waiting for their turn to be cut down. Dark force users seem difficult at first but once you figure out their pattern of attack they too are easy to dispatch. Clearly lightsaber combat is the focus and attraction of the game but even this key element is unbalanced because the the staff and dual sabers are so vastly superior to the single blade.

Even with all these faults JA is a solid game and anyone who is a fan of the Star Wars franchise will enjoy it. I just wish that the people at Lucasarts would quit banking of the loyalty of their fans and instead start relying on the quality of their products.

I hadn't really heard a lot about this game before I purchased it but I usually like Star Wars games just based on the universe that it is set in. Most of the games have flaws but you play them for the experience of being one of the characters from the movies. This game was very fun and decently long. I liked how you progressed through the game with force powers and you can eventually choose dual lightsabers or a staff. The beginning of the game is very tedious and boring because your force powers aren't really advanced yet and your only enemies are storm troopers that do nothing but shoot and miss you and then you swing your lightsaber at them once and they are dead. But later on you get to fight a lot of other jedis and this is when the game gets really fun. You have to figure out different ways to kill these jedi because you can't always beat them just swinging your lightsaber(s). I liked to force grip them in the air and throw my lightsaber at them. The graphics are a little choppy and aren't the best for xbox and the gameplay is a little repetitive but if you like Star Wars games then you should give this one a try. It is worth buying because it's a little long and you can try the light and dark paths. Plus if you have xbox live there are good multiplayer games.

this game has awesome graphics and even better gameplay. it has tons of multiplayer combinations including, free for all, capture the flag, one on one, and more. it is also online enabled for Live. play single player and you are a student at the acadamy to train and become a jedi master. you can pick your species for your character, human male or female, rodian and 2 or 3 more but i forgot. sorry. also you can pick its face, style of shirt, style of pants, and color of its outfit.

pick from multiple combinations of your lightsaber: color of the blade, hilt style (handle), and later on in the game you can choose from a double lightsaber like darth maul's in the movie Star wars I phantom menace. or you can wield 2 standard lightsabers in both hands. lots of missions and excitement. you feel like and actual jedi because you can controll about 20 different force powers including speed, jump, heal, lightning, rage, sense, and protect to name a few. you also have a choice of weapons to choose from. including a mini-portable rocket system, an imperial repeater, and a fletcher weapon, and a wookie bocaster to name a couple. also choose 1 of 3 explosives: trip mines, hand gernade, and detanation packs. and when you run out of weapons and explosives, there are lots of pickups during the game.

fight imperials, robots, sith lords, rancors and many other enimies. this game is moderately chalenging. nothing too hard or easy. a very enjoyable game. if you like the star wars movies or just really dig the games, this is a perfect game to add to your collection.