I waited almost five years to play this one. I got interested in it after playing Jedi Knight 2. I kind of wish that I had played it a few years ago, so that I could have appreciated how good it was when it was younger.
"Dark Forces 2" starts off like an ordinary shooter, but with Star Wars weapons. The game is true to the movies in just about every way. The sounds, music, and villains all could come straight out of a Star Wars film. The game is filled with puzzles and secret areas. It's a great game for those who like huge levels with lots of button pushing and exploration. The cinematic cut scenes are sort of cheesy, since they were done with live actors instead of animation. The story line is great, and it has multiple paths towards the end.
What separates this game from many others is that you can assign force powers as you see fit, which adds a role-playing aspect to the game. You can assign "good" powers, like healing, or "evil" powers, like the choke hold grip. Near the end, you choose an ultimate dark side or good side path. Each path has a different ending, which means that you can get at least one replay out of the game.
The lightsaber is not a very powerful weapon in this game, but it is much easier to control. It is a lot simpler than in "Jedi Knight 2", which has all sorts of special moves and crazy animations.
The only reason that I don't give this game 5 stars is that it is so old, and it's age does show in a lot of ways, especially the very drab graphics. It's still worth picking up, if you like any of the Star Wars games (especially "Jedi Knight 2").

Rating: 5 [ One of the best Star Wars games. A classic. ]

Many people are complaining about the graphics of this game, they are comparing them with Jedi:Outcast. This game was release in 1997, when the only good video accelerator was a Voodoo 2 from 3dfx, as opposite to Jedi: Outcast just release this year(2002) with a GeForce4 ti.
Having clarify the graphics issue I must confess that I still play this game. One reason is that it has a feature length story as opposite to Jedi: Outcast. Here Kyle must find a secret and sacred place call "the valley of the Jedi" before the evil Sith Jerec. During his adventure he must battle the empire with his growing Jedi powers that his obtaining each time a level is completed. Here you choose what powers you want as opposite to Jedi:Outcast. After flying from one planet to another, killing several enemies that go from lack aiming realistic troopers to REAL dark jedis not the lack of training fake ones from Jedi:Outast (which were a piece of cake to kill) you will became a Jedi or a Sith lord depending on your action. The story varies if you are a Sith or a Jedi and the ending of the game pretty much depends on this, I personally prefer the Sith ending.
The controls are not so good since you cannot bond the mouse buttons with your personal settings, they are pre-defined e.g. you cannot use the wheel to scroll your weapons, that option is not available for the wheel. I really don't like this because I like to have the same keys (mouse1=attack, mouse2=jump, mouse3=s. attack, mouse4=reload, mouse5=drop or use, wheel=scroll weapons) for similar games (Unreal, Quake, CS, HL, etc.).But the overall enjoyment of playing this game is real satisfactory.
I have had it since 1997 and the only reason I play Jedi:Outcast is because the multiplayer is real fun, and yes the graphics rock, but remember can you really compare The Empire Strikes Back special effects with Attack of the Clones special effects, is Attack of the Clones better than The Empire Strikes Back only because it looks and it sounds better, I think not. Just like The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite Star Wars movie, Jedi Knights - Dark Forces 2 is my favorite star wars game and maybe even my favorite FPS(first person shooter, not frames per second), were else can you slide people up with a lightsaber. Other than the limitation of the mouse bonding and the old graphics, I think that you will enjoy this game.
Just for the record, ANH and AOTC both are second just after ESB. But if I must choose a second and a third I'll go for ANH then AOTC. Also is not that I don't like Jedi:Outcast is just that I expected more from it. And yes I consider my self a Sith because the first time I played this game is were I ended up.

Rating: 5 [ A Masterpiece ]

Don't be so quick to misjudge this title just because it's on the bargain shelf at most software outlets: this game is a true masterpiece of action! LucasArts perfectly blended the excitement of playing a Jedi Knight with the intensity of a first-person shooter. And the lightsaber combat system really works!
Force powers are handled beautifully and seamlessly, both in the single-person game and the multiplayer. Players who are proficient with the keyboard-and-mouse technique used in most first-person shooters will find themsleves right at home.
Single-player mode:
Intense, fun, and a downright blast! Most titles that attempted to incorporate Full Motion Video left a bad taste in my mouth as so much fluff that got in the way of the game. Not so here! The Full Motion Video cutscenes blend right into the plot and add to the excitement: they're not too long and just enough to fill in the gaps. It's a shame that they didn't create more for the sequel (Mysteries of the Sith) or for Jedi Outcast.
Multiplayer
A dream. Minimal lag time and Jedi combat has never been moerfun (except for Jedi outcast, of course!) And best of all, it's free over Microsoft's Zone.com website. Sweet!
A must have for anyone. If you're looking for a new game, buy it. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how much fun this game really is!
Darth Vader said it best: "The Force is strong in this one." Two thumbs up. WAY up!

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2 (Jewel Case) (CD-ROM)

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2 (Jewel Case)

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