ArkaEvren

GAME · 1997 · USA

Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Dark Forces II

10 archived facts 3 topics

A 1997 Star Wars first-person shooter following Kyle Katarn, a former Imperial officer turned mercenary who hunts the Dark Jedi Jerec.

10 Interesting Facts About Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Dark Forces II

Interesting Facts (7)

  1. #001

    The first Star Wars game with a fully functional lightsaber, usable both to attack and to defend by blocking laser bolts and strikes from other lightsabers.

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  2. #002

    The main villain, Jerec, is blind (he has no eyeballs) and relies on the Force to sense his surroundings. The game also introduces another idea: a character without legs (Maw) who uses the Force to levitate and fly.

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  3. #003

    At Bespin Mining Station, the upper hallways were wide and built for long-range weapons, while the middle level was cramped and favored lightsaber users.

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  4. #004

    The narrow catwalk between the two elevators on Bespin Mining Station's bottom level saw many lightsaber duels, where a single misstep meant a fatal fall.

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  5. #005

    Bespin Mining Station's sound design let players hear opponents before they saw them, through an industrial hum, whining elevators and distinctive powerup and switch sounds.

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  6. #006

    Small ledges inside each elevator shaft of Bespin Mining Station served as ambush points for shooting opponents as they rode past.

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  7. #007

    Jedi Knight was gaming's first serious attempt at a lightsaber, going beyond the simple depictions in the Star Wars platformers on the Nintendo and Super Nintendo.

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Easter Eggs & References (2)

  1. #008

    (Cameo) Max from "Sam and Max" makes a brief appearance at Baron's Hed. After Kyle enters the city's outskirts through the aqueducts, he can find Max inside one of the nearby houses. Be careful, though: Max is armed, hostile and tough to kill.

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  2. #009

    An easter egg in the demo level reveals the grinning face of Max the rabbit from Sam & Max Hit the Road if the player turns around while jumping to the departing freighter.

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Deeper Meaning (1)

  1. #010
    Contains a major spoiler — show

    Whether Kyle Katarn ultimately joins the light or dark side depends on the player: killing innocent bystanders and harmless droids, and the amount of light and dark side Force powers used, both count. A "Morality scale" on the Force powers screen shows where Kyle stands, and at the end of the 14th level (where he fights Maw) he automatically joins that side, after which only its powers are available (Healing, Persuasion, Blinding, Absorb and Protection for the light side; Throw, Grip, Lightning, Destruction and Deadly Sight for the dark side). Whichever side Kyle joins, the player still goes through the same levels and must defeat Jerec in the end. The one difference is that on the dark side Kyle fights Yun again instead of Sariss. In addition, when Kyle joins the dark side his mentor Rahn (a ghost) disowns him and stops giving introductory speeches at the start of the levels where Kyle fights Jerec's Dark Jedi henchmen (and ultimately Jerec himself).

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