GENERAL
I was really anxious to play this game because the FPS genre is a genre where Lucas Arts hadn’t failed yet. All titles, including Outlaws, were awesome games that I loved playing. On the other hand, Lucas Arts had been screwing around with the Star Wars franchise lately: remember Force Commander and Episode One? So when I heard they hired Raven Software for the job who were already creating the Q3-based engine Ghoul I got very confided that this game was going to be a hit.
Dark Forces was the superb answer to Doom, Jedi Knight was the even better answer to Quake2. Both games rocked like hell so this game should easily beat all other shooters on the market.
The story starts off when Kyle (our all time hero), returned a hero from the valley of the jedi after saving the whole universe last time, and his beloved sidekick Jan get sent on a mission to explore a planet. On the way there they get informed that it isn’t just a mission because Imperial Movement has been spotted there.
After the nice in game animation, you are dropped into an intense story...

GRAPHICAL
The graphics are just amazing, you can still notice they are based on the Q3 engine but it’s so much more detailed and better animated. Close-ups are really sweet to look at, but when you have a less performing 3D card they have something weird going on with the shadows and the teeth. When putting the colors on 16bits, things look a bit faded though.
The downsides are the high system demands and the problems those demands give when entering wide open spaces, and believe me, there are a lot.
Everything looks authentic and is a pleasure to look at. Especially the lightsaber is really neat.
Another nice thing is the way the models fin into the background. On some levels you can hardly spot the enemies because they blend in nicely. This is off course a pain in the ass when they spotted u first :)

GAMEPLAY
Well, to be honest, I was afraid Raven wouldn’t be able to make this game feel right. Actually, I was expecting some kind of hack&slash FPS that was based on hardcore action. Luckily they opted for the same adventure like FPS the two previous versions where.
Some parts are intense Storm Trooper killing fields; others are more puzzling whilst uncovering the story. This type of games can really get you sucked in deep and it sure did with me. Every time you think: after completing this part, I’m going to bed, you find it hard to let go because the plot just got another turn.
In the beginning you are just a normal mercenary but after completing some stages you get where the real action is: the force powers and the lightsaber. So if you get tempted to stop in the beginning, don’t, the game is a slow starter.
The force powers need some training but they can be very useful. Some of them like force grip to strangle someone and the jedi mind trick are just cool to do. Anyway, they feel right and add a lot to the gameplay.
When you start out you are not easily tempted to grab the saber but after you used it a few times, it becomes your best friend. Just wait until you win your first saber duel and you’ll be hooked too.
The only flaw I found were the minor bugs in the AI making enemies not see you at some times. But at most occasions, the AI is top notch and gives you a hard time with excellent teamwork.

SOUND
The first thing you know when you start up a Star Wars game is the fact the sound will always be right. If they can’t get authentic sounds, no one can. Some noises will be so familiar to the fans they don’t even have to look around the corner to know what surprise is there.
Voiceovers are neatly done, none of the actors sound cheap and they are kind of lip synced. The remarks Kyle makes are really hilarious sometimes.
When you here the music, you are impressed. The same kind of music like the one in the Movies is used and to top it off, it’s dynamic. So whenever you enter a dangerous situation of do an important discovery, the music get more bombastic and impressive. But when cruising a town without any enemies near, it is just a nice, not bothering, Star Wars alike song.

MULTIPLAYER
The game comes with all standard modes like CTF and DM but it profits of the force powers and the lightsaber making this excellent and addicting. It’s a nice relieve to see some action based multiplayer on a high level between all the tactical shooters that flood the market today. Plus, it’s a yummy desert after the single player.
Bot support is also included for those without an internet connection.

OVERALL
This game simply rocks, it’s the best FPS out there at the moment and it is the best shooter I’ve seen in a while. It is way more fun then RTCW and a lot smoother in gameplay then MOHAA. My guess is this game will end up high in the charts of the 2002 FPS games, probably topped off by Ravens own Soldier Of Fortune 2. Personally I don’t think any of the games scheduled for 2002 can beat this in gameplay.
A sweet game with superb multiplayer fun and incredible single player experiences, what do you want more? Go and buy it my little minions.