Star Wars Battlefront II

    Have you played Star Wars Battlefront II? It was released in 2005, and still holds up as easily one of the best Star Wars games ever, and even one of the best games ever. Battlefront II is a shooter that places you in control of one of several types of soldiers from the expansive Star Wars universe, ranging from droids to clones and stormtroopers. Throughout play, you can be rewarded with the opportunity to play as a hero or villain, depending upon which faction you play as. For example, Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker headlines the Rebels, the foreboding Darth Vader commands the Empire, the menacing Darth Maul battles with the Separists, and the wise master Yoda assists the Republic.

     There are several modes available for play, including Conquest, where the focus is on capturing command points and fighting a position battle, Capture the Flag, and all out team deathmatch, among others. There is also an excellent campaign that follows the story of the 501st, Anakin Skywalker's and sequentially Darth Vader's personal legion, through almost the entire saga. It provides a ground level view of all the battles that take place in the movies.

Source: Bryan Grabauskas

Source: Bryan Grabauskas

  The shooting mechanics are smooth and accurate. The graphics are top-notch for the time, and are still acceptable today. The story is intriguing and fun to play. I mean, of course it is, it's Star Wars. However, none of these are the best thing this game has to offer. That would be its replay value. In fact, this is a game that I still play to this day.

     Between the story mode and the other game modes, Battlefront II is just a fun experience that somehow never manages to get old. I highly recommend this game to anyone an everyone, even those who for some unknown reason do not enjoy Star Wars. Oh, and by the way, this would be a much cheaper option than the more recent Battlefront, besides just being a better game. Go get it!

(Source: MetaGoblin on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UMuNpMbBLI)

Star Wars - Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II

     Hello! Have you played Star Wars Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight? The second entry into the Dark Forces series, yet also the origin of the Jedi Knight series, this game is the perfect spot to jump into if you wanted to play the popular game series. The first Dark Forces was a doom-like stuck-on-one-plane-of-aiming first person shooter set in the Star Wars Universe.
   
     This game was the first to venture into the capability to aim 360 degrees around you. You can look down, up, right, left, and all around. This would differentiate it and lead to the developers to continue onto the new series of games labeled Jedi Knight, rather than keeping the Dark Forces title.


     It was released back in 1997, and you can definitely tell it is a bit dated compared to the high octane shooters we have today like Call of Duty and Battlefield. The graphics are very pixelated, and the sound design has the distinct sound of being studio produced. And the controls are somewhat stiff. Oh, and I can not forget to mention the cutscenes. The godawful cutscenes in this game are live-action, mixed with CG for aliens and robots. These are the worst looking and acted cutscenes I have ever seen in a game.

     However, this game has one mechanic that the latter are sorely missing: the ability to use a lightsaber. If you want to feel like a jedi, using the aforementioned lightsaber and an array of Force-related powers to fight your way through a Star Wars story, then this game will suffice. Despite all of these flaws, the positives make this game a worthwhile experience if you are a fan of Star Wars.
If you want to see the cutscenes for yourself, here is a taste:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eYANZVApUg