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Tag: Star Wars: Jedi Knight

  • Devs Abandon KOTOR 2 Restoration DLC On Switch, Apologize With Free Games

    Devs Abandon KOTOR 2 Restoration DLC On Switch, Apologize With Free Games

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    Image: Obsidian Entertainment

    Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 on Switch was a mess from the start. Like the original game’s buggy and incomplete release back in 2004, last year’s port to Nintendo’s handheld hybrid launched with a bug that made the game impossible to beat for some players. Subsequent patches added other issues. And now players will no longer be getting the free Restoration Content DLC they were previously promised.

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    The studio behind the port, Aspyr, delivered the bad news late Friday night, telling Switch owners of the game that the update to add support for a series of fan-made mods that fix certain bugs and round out KOTOR 2‘s characters and rough ending had unfortunately been canceled. It’s basically the unofficial “final cut” of Obsidian Entertainment’s excellent RPG, and Switch players will now essentially miss out on it, despite the fact it was previously marketed alongside the port’s 2022 release.

    “Sadly, today we are announcing that the Restoration Content DLC for the Nintendo Switch version of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords will not be moving forward for release,” the studio tweeted on June 2. “We’d like to thank everyone for their continued support by providing a complimentary video game key to players that purchased Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords on Nintendo Switch before this announcement.”

    The games impacted players can choose from include the following list of other Star Wars ports Aspyr has worked on:

    • Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords (PC)
    • Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Switch)
    • Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Switch)
    • Star Wars: Republic Commando (Switch)
    • Star Wars: Episode I Racer (Switch)
    • Star Wars: Jedi Knight Academy (Switch)
    • Star Wars: Jedi Knight II Jedi Outcast (Switch)

    Read More: Knights of the Old Republic 2 On Switch Is A Buggy, Brilliant Triumph In RPGs

    The first game on the list is the PC version of KOTOR 2 which does include the Restoration Content DLC, though if you only own a Switch that’s not going to help you much. And as some players have pointed out, it’s not clear how the studio will make it up to those who might already own all of these games already, which when it comes to Star Wars fans isn’t an entirely unlikely scenario.

    Things just aren’t going Aspyr’s way at the moment, it seems. The Austin-based studio behind a bunch of otherwise decent Star Wars ports and remasters was purchased by Embracer for $450 million in 2021. That same year it announced a remake of the first Knights of the Old Republic at a PS5 showcase that immediately generated tons of excitement. A year later Bloomberg reported that the project was already running into trouble and would be moved to a completely new studio under the Embracer umbrella.

    Asked about the status of the game at the parent company’s recent earnings presentation, CEO Lars Wingefors responded with an exasperated “no comment.”

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    Ethan Gach

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  • Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Is Really That Good, Seriously

    Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Is Really That Good, Seriously

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    Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is really, really good. You’ve probably heard this already. Our own review and other reviews of the game have praised it quite a bit. But this isn’t a review. Instead, this is just us reaffirming that, yeah, it really is as good as so many other people have claimed. In fact, some of us at Kotaku are already penciling it in for our Game of the Year list.

    The Week In Games: Return To Hyrule

    The Week In Games: Return To Hyrule

    And don’t worry, no spoilers below.

    For those just tuning in, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the follow-up to 2019’s Jedi: Fallen Order. And just like before, in this latest adventure from Respawn and EA, players take on the role of Cal Kestis, a Jedi who survived the purge as a young boy and who now hangs out with his ragtag found family of misfits as they try to free the galaxy from the Empire. Oh and also try not to get caught by all the people hunting them down. (And there are a lot of people after them.) To bring down the Empire, outrun their enemies, and save the day, Cal has to do a lot of jumping, sliding, climbing, fighting, and exploring. And in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor all of this—every jump, lightsaber swing, wall climb, and more—feels great.

    Jedi Survivor is one of those games that just feels fantastic to play. Controlling Cal quickly becomes effortless while either platforming or fighting. You stop thinking about pressing buttons or whatever and instead Cal feels like a natural extension of your own body. And to be clear: The first game played really well. But Survivor just feels more honed in, with every part of the game seemingly built to be fun and satisfying to play.

    EA / Lucasfilm

    Whenever folks playing the game at Kotaku talk about Jedi: Survivor, it usually evolves into people just gushing about the latest sequence they experienced or just trying to describe how awesome combat or platforming felt during their last play session. A lot of the time people don’t even say full sentences, instead going “Ahhh, man… so good” or “Uhhh it’s sooo great” or making other noises that aren’t words but convey how much they are enjoying it.

    I’ve heard some complaints about how animations look in the game, and I get that sometimes they might look janky, but this is just because Respawn has clearly prioritized input and feel over how it looks. So yes, watching someone play as Cal as he jumps around platforms might look odd, but playing it feels heavenly. I’m not sure about others, but I rarely fast-travel in this game because moving around the planets you visit is such a blast that fast traveling often feels like I’m missing out on one of the best parts of Jedi: Survivor. When simply moving and jumping in a game feels this good, you know you got something special.

    Jedi: Survivor Is Way Better Than Just A Star Wars Game

    It can be easy to assume that all the hype around this game is just because it’s Star Wars, but even some non-Star Wars fans around these parts are having a blast with the game. Again, when you start to drill down into why, it ends up coming back to how mechanically satisfying and fun Jedi: Survivor is to play. You don’t need to know or care about the Clone Wars or Jedi or the Force to enjoy Cal sliding down a cliff, leaping into the air, force-dashing further, and then grabbing onto a distant rope to swing over a group of enemies that you eviscerate in seconds with your laser sword. That’s just universally cool stuff.

    And while I just said it’s great not just because it’s a Star Wars game, it’s still an awesome Star Wars game. I’ll have more to say about this in the near future, but something I appreciate about Survivor is just how Star Wars-y this game truly is. Crusty alien cantinas, weird but loveable characters, dangerous bounty hunters, cute droids, excellent music, genuinely charming friends, cool ships, and all the perfect sound effects.

    EA / Lucasfilm

    This is Star Wars at its finest (and weirdest), and an example of how AAA games can be big and yet still feel like each aspect was designed with care. In other words, they can still be incredible if done right. Other devs, take note of sequences like everything leading up to and directly following the moment you get the crossguard stance, or the amazing escape sequence on Jedha. More of this, please!

    Sure, the game has some performance issues, but even those can’t stop us (and the rest of the internet) from playing and enjoying this latest and possibly greatest Star Wars video game. Good luck to everything else coming out in 2023!

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    Zack Zwiezen

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  • VR Star Wars Game Looks Absolutely Incredible

    VR Star Wars Game Looks Absolutely Incredible

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    Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast was first released in 2002. It was, and remains to this day, one of the best Star Wars games ever made, a near-perfect blend of the original Dark Forces’ FPS combat with third-person lightsaber combat that even modern games could take notes from.

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    If you went and played the game as nature intended in 2023, it would be great! But this standalone port/version, provided you’ve got the hardware, looks like a huge—and decidedly more modern—improvement. It takes the original Jedi Outcast and gives the player full VR support, along with the ability to wield your lightsaber via motion controls and use force powers via hand gestures.

    I need to be clear when saying the original was a very good video game in every respect. But people’s lingering memories of it, especially in the wake of Fallen Order’s all-ages combat, was the way you could absolutely go to town on Stormtroopers with your lightsaber, something this trailer is very aware of:

    JK-XR: Outcast – Jedi Knight II VR – Release Trailer

    It’s called JK-XR, and was created by fans as a “standalone VR port” of the original, which means this is a complete reworking of Jedi Outcast’s engine with an all-new download (though you’ll still need a copy of the original for everything else). That explains why the team have been able to cater this so specifically to VR, down to the new weapon and force power menus.

    You can download it here if you’ve got the hardware (Pico 4 and Quest 2/Pro) on PC and want to try it out. The available demo can be played on its own, no extra download required, but like I just said if you want to play the full game you’ll need a legal copy of the original, which is still available on all major PC digital shopfronts.

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    Luke Plunkett

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  • Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight Levels Remade In Unreal, Actually Playable

    Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight Levels Remade In Unreal, Actually Playable

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    Screenshot: YouTube

    This is now, by my count, the fourth time we’ve posted about a Dark Forces x Unreal Engine remake. It is, however, the first time I’ve been able to post about one that is downloadable and properly playable by you, today, right now.

    Previous attempts have either been graphical showcases or tech demos, but this latest effort—by Ruppertle—is fully interactive, containing not just two storyline missions from Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight, but some sandbox and endless modes to enjoy as well.

    “The goal was to recreate one of my favorite games back from my childhood while keeping the base look, feeling and gameplay”, Ruppertle says. “After nearly 3 years of development the project is finally at a point where I feel ready to share it with you.”

    You can find download links to the project in the description of this YouTube video, with the files containing “2 official levels from the original game, 4 survival levels, sandbox mode, 3D model viewer, bonus level for testing and some secrets…”

    Here’s a trailer showing not just the graphical changes but some gameplay as well:

    Jedi Knight – Dark Forces 2 – Unreal Engine – Release 1.0 – Free Download

    I’m not 100% sold on some of the visual changes here; some of the environments look a little too busy now, where their previous sparseness had a certain Star Warsy charm to them. The characters and weapons look great, though, even in third-person.

    G/O Media may get a commission

    If you want to take a look at some of the other Dark Forces/Jedi Knight projects I was talking about, they’re all worth a look because they’re all trying something different. This one, for example, imagined the original game with a modern interface, while this one went to town rebuilding the first level of the original Dark Forces with some very fancy visuals.

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    Luke Plunkett

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