Younger gamers might not be aware of this, but there were some really good Star Wars games released when they were mere younglings. Granted, there were just a lot of Star Wars games in general, and a good portion of them were awful, but as a whole, the series has a pretty good track record.
The Star Wars Jedi Knight series, in particular, has a solid reputation. The last game produced in that series, Jedi Academy, was released in 2003 for PC and Xbox. An updated version of the gamed was just released for Nintendo Switch and Sony’s Playstation 4. Eager padawans can help themselves to some dynamic themes for PS4.
The updates include new controls designed to work better with modern hardware, functional multiplayer, and upgraded visuals. Back in the day, Jedi Academy multiplayer was a heck of a thing. It will be exciting to see if the re-release enjoys the same level of popularity. One could argue that Star Wars is more popular now than it was in 2003, following the release of Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
For those unfamiliar with Jedi Academy, the title pretty much gives away what the game is about. You play as a Jedi padawan, training under Luke Skywalker (sadly not voiced by Mark Hamill). You get to choose your force powers, customize your lightsaber, and perform other tasks that are part of your journey to becoming a Jedi. You’ll notice that I said “force powers” and not “Jedi powers.” If you only knew the power of the dark side.
This re-release follows the re-release of Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast, which hit modern consoles back in December 2019 and enjoyed similar upgrades, minus the multiplayer.
Both releases come from Aspyr Media, developers who have worked on countless mods and DLC content for series like Borderlands, Civilization, and The Sims. They’ve also worked on content for the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series, so they’re not unfamiliar with the ways of the force.
They’re not done, either! Aspyr is also bringing back Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer and with multiplayer to boot. Now that’s what I call podracing! Okay, I’m done with the Star Wars quotes. For now.
As for me, personally, I’d pay a handsome amount for a remastered take on Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire. Dash Rendar? Prince Xizor? Even more Boba Fett? Yes, yes, and yes, please.
