 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
| Bottom Line: LucasArts' trust in Raven was well placed, as they've made a great game with good replayability. It could have used some polish, though. |
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
>> Discuss This Article |
|
|
 |
|
 |
Multiplayer and More
Despite being a relative non-player in the FPS genre, LucasArts has historically done a lot of work in multiplayer innovation. "Outlaws" had "Kill the Fool with the Chicken" and Jedi Knight had some nice twists on CTF. Jedi Outcast is, in this regards, no exception. Multiplayer modes include deathmatch, team deathmatch, CTF, Capture the Ysalamari, and more. Capture the Ysalamari is not unlike Kill the Fool with the Chicken - The player carrying around the Ysalamari cannot use Force powers, but he is also immune to them himself. The longer you carry the Ysalamari, the more points you rack up.
Being built on the Quake 3 engine, Jedi Outcast also supports many of Q3's server options that make for a more manageable multiplayer experience. Bots are available for the multiplayer games, with selectable behavior personalities. Players can also call for votes in the middle of matches on map cycling, game setting changes, or to boot a particular player (perhaps one who keeps interrupting the game by calling for votes).
One of the more intriguing options available in Jedi Outcast is the Jedi Duel option. During a free-for-all or Holocron match, you can approach any other player and challenge him to a one-on-one lightsaber duel. If the challenge is accepted, then the rest of the game goes on without you as the two of you duke it out. Your combat cannot affect other players, and they can't affect you. The duel will only end when the two players put some serious distance between each other, or one of them gets skewered. It makes for some interesting spectator battles, though other players would be ill advised to stay put watching a lightsaber duel while other fighters are roaming around the map.
Multiplayer also adds some interesting MP-only Force power options. While the Force alignment doesn't really play a role in the single player game, Jedi Outcast keeps it and the Force powers allocation system in with MP, allowing players to customize their particular traits, strengths, and weaknesses. This allows for much more balanced gameplay, in my opinion. On the other hand, as Gabe from Penny Arcade points out, it does violate the Star Wars rules by a significant margin to see Lando and Rodians and Grans running around wielding lightsabers. Do I care? Not a terrible amount…though I'm very eager to see Gabe's proposed mission-based multiplayer mod.
Another useful bit about Jedi Outcast's reliance on the Quake 3 engine is that it's open-ended for mod authors to develop sweet extras to make the game even more palatable than it already is. Gabe and Safety Monkey from Penny Arcade have both put forth the idea of a mission-based modification to be developed by Josh Marotti of marotti.com. Also in the works is a class-based multiplayer system not unlike what's found in Counter-Strike and Return to Castle Wolfenstein.
Hardware
Reviews, Articles, News, All Reviews...
|
Gaming
Reviews, Articles, The News...
|
|
|
|
Regular Sections
A Guru's World, CPU/Memory Watch, SLDeals...
|
|
SLBoards
Forums, Register(Free), Todays Discussions...
|
Site Info
Search, About Us, Advertise...
|
|
|
