Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy

Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is a Star Wars first-person shooter computer game part of the Jedi Knight series, although it's the first one where Kyle Katarn is a NPC. Released September 16, 2003 (PC) and November 18, 2003 (Xbox). It was developed by Raven Software and published, distributed and marketed by LucasArts in North America and by Activision in the rest of the world.

It's powered by the Quake III Arena graphics engine, with modifications to give a third-person view and new lightsaber effects. Players now have the ability to construct their own lightsaber by choosing the hilt style and color. After completing certain objectives, new saber styles become available including the ability to wield dual lightsabers as used by Anakin Skywalker during the closing fight in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, or the double bladed lightsaber introduced by Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

Opening crawl
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

JEDI KNIGHT: JEDI ACADEMY

Ten years after the

Battle of Endor,

the IMPERIAL REMNANT

continues to be driven

back by the NEW REPUBLIC,

forcing the Imperials to adopt

increasingly desperate

tactics in the ongoing

struggle.

Meanwhile, Jedi Master

LUKE SKYWALKER

moves to restore the

JEDI to their formal place

as peacekeepers of the

galaxy at his JEDI ACADEMY on Yavin 4.

JADEN KORR, a

promising student from

Coruscant, is en route to

the Academy after

achieving the impossible:

creating a lightsaber

without any formal Jedi training....

Storyline
Players take the role of a new student to Luke Skywalker's Jedi academy on Yavin 4 named Jaden Korr. The story revolves around the sudden appearance of a Dark Jedi cult called the "Disciples of Ragnos" in 14 ABY. Jaden becomes an apprentice to Jedi Knight's main character Kyle Katarn and battles with turning to the dark side.

At one point in the game the player can actually choose to turn to the dark side, therefore giving the game two different possible endings.

If the player chooses the light side, by defending a fellow Jedi from a Dark Jedi named Alora, the player will go on to travel to Korriban to stop the Dark Jedi Tavion from resurrecting Marka Ragnos, an ancient half-breed Dark Lord of the Sith. The player will have to fight his/her way though many Dark Jedi in the tombs of Korriban, until they get to Marka Ragnos' tomb, where they will duel Tavion, and then Marka Ragnos in Tavion's body. When you defeat Ragnos, he shouts that he will return.

If the player chooses the Dark Side, he/she will kill fellow Jedi Rosh Penin, and then kill Alora. Kyle feels Jaden's fall to the dark side, and follows him/her to Korriban. The player will have to fight his/her way through the tombs of Korriban, not only encountering hostile Dark Jedi, but also hostile Jedi. This proves for much harder gameplay. In the end, Jaden will fight Tavion in Marka Ragnos' tomb, like in the light side branch, but will kill her at the end, and take Ragnos' scepter. Then Kyle Katarn will come in to duel Jaden, and the player must defeat him. Once Kyle is defeated, Jaden leaves the tomb. Luke Skywalker then enters and helps save Kyle from some rubble. Kyle makes the decision to leave his Jedi responsibilities until he can hunt down Jaden. We then see Jaden commandeer an entire Star Destroyer, and jump out of system with Ragnos' scepter in hand.

Characters

 * Jaden Korr; Jedi Academy trainee Male, Female (Undetermined Species)
 * Rosh Penin; Jedi Academy trainee (Male Human)
 * Kyle Katarn; Jedi Master (Male Human)
 * Luke Skywalker; Jedi Master (Male Human)
 * Wedge Antilles; Rogue Squadron leader (Male Human)
 * C-3PO; Protocol droid (Male programming)
 * Chewbacca; (Male Wookiee)
 * Tionne Solusar; Jedi scholar (Female Rindao)
 * Streen; Jedi scholar (Male Human)
 * Corran Horn; Jedi scholar (Male Human)
 * Tavion; Leader of the Disciples of Ragnos (Female Human)
 * Alora; Disciples of Ragnos Cultist (Female Twi'lek)
 * Lannik Racto; Coruscant crimelord (Male Human)
 * Rax Joris; Imperial Officer (Male Human)
 * Boba Fett; Bounty Hunter (Male Human)
 * Marka Ragnos; Sith Spirit (Male Sith/Human Half-breed)

Aurebesh transliteration

 * The title screen of Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy shows Aurebesh characters in the background which, when translated, read the following:
 * Star Wars Jedi Knight Jedi Academy Developed By Raven Software Published By Lucasarts Entertainment Company Features Create Your Own Jedi Tiered Level System New MP Game Siege New Sabers New Force Powers Arioch Terrain System New Enemies And more Coming Summer 2003 And yes this really does say something if you translate it.


 * In the mission to Tatooine, when you release the Raven's Claw and the Millennium Falcon from the beams, Chewbacca shows up from the exit to tell you to follow. The door reads SALIDA (Spanish for "exit") in reversed Aurebesh.
 * Outside Lannik Racto's office, the inscription on the gate reads OFFICE.
 * Numerous objects bear labels that translate to literal descriptions of the object. On Hoth, for example, large crates are labeled HOTH CRATE and chairs in the Echo Base command center are labeled REBEL CHAIR.

Other changes from Jedi Outcast to Jedi Academy

 * Your character, Jaden, can be male or female and is customizable. For example, you can choose from several lightsaber and hair colors as well as from several species:
 * Twi'lek female
 * Kel Dor male
 * Human male and female
 * Zabrak female
 * Rodian male


 * New moves including katas, wall gripping, and acrobatics, which are wonderful combat implements from standard slashing and cleaving.
 * Two new weapons: DL-44 heavy blaster pistol and Stouker Concussion Rifle.
 * New gametype: Powerduel &mdash; Players join as an individual or as a team of two. The individual has more health and Force power in exchange for being at a disadvantage in numbers.
 * Siege Mode: Players work to complete goals and stop the other team from completing their goals.
 * Enhanced rendering of the Quake 3 Engine.
 * Force powers are now selectable, and you can't learn all of them. Instead, you gain your universal force powers automatically, but with each mission you choose to add a point to either a light or dark side themed Force Power. New powers include Force Absorb and Force Protection, Drain Life, a dark side Force Protection, and Force Sight. All of the classic powers (Force Push, Force Pull, Force Jump, Force Speed, Jedi Mind Trick, Force Choke, Force Lightning), are still selectable.

Locations
Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy features a variety of locations from the Star Wars universe, both from the movies and the Expanded Universe:
 * Jedi Praxeum, Yavin 4
 * Mos Eisley, Tatooine
 * Tatooine
 * Bakura
 * Blenjeel
 * Coronet, Corellia
 * Echo Base, Hoth
 * Nar Kreeta
 * Zoronhed, Zonju V
 * Kril'dor
 * Coruscant
 * Dosuun
 * Bast Castle, Vjun
 * Chandrila
 * Taanab
 * Yalara
 * Byss, Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser
 * Ord Mantell
 * Taspir III
 * Marka Ragnos' Tomb, Korriban

Game mods

 * Knights of the Force
 * Movie Battles II
 * Open Jedi Project