Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy

Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is a Star Wars Video game played in first-person and third-person, and is part of the Jedi Knight series, although it is the first one in which Kyle Katarn is a non-playable character. 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 is 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 (but first seen in Dark Forces II by the Dark Jedi Boc), or the double-bladed lightsaber made famous by Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and first used by Exar Kun in Tales of the Jedi.

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 revealed in various missions. Jaden becomes an apprentice to Jedi Knight main character Kyle Katarn and battles with turning to the dark side.

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

If Jaden chooses the dark side, he will kill fellow Jedi Rosh Penin, and then kill a Dark Jedi named Alora. Kyle feels Jaden's fall to the dark side, and follows him to Korriban. The player will have to fight his 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 the Dark Jedi Tavion Axmis in Marka Ragnos' tomb, like in the light side branch, but will kill her at the end, and take Ragnos's 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's scepter in hand.

If the player chooses the light side, by defending Rosh from Alora, the player will go on to travel to Korriban to stop Tavion Axmis from resurrecting Marka Ragnos, an ancient half-breed Dark Lord of the Sith. The player will have to fight his way though many Dark Jedi in the tombs of Korriban, sometimes with the assistance of other Jedi. The player travels through tombs and secret passages and across the surface until they get to Marka Ragnos' tomb, where they will duel Tavion, and then Marka Ragnos in Tavion's body. Kyle arrives just as Jaden closes the tomb.

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.

The small yellow brown pillar reads just Pillar
 * 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.
 * During the Mission to Coruscant, a number of billboards flank the path taken by Jaden Korr. One of them reads, "Many ways exist to lose your money here...many..."
 * The prisoners wear clothes with text saying "CREW"
 * In the main menu, things such as Load or Options are also written in aurebesh if highlighted with mouse.

Other changes from Jedi Outcast to Jedi Academy

 * The player's 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


 * Half-way through the game, players can choose to wield one lightsaber, two lightsabers, or a double-bladed lightsaber. The latter two can both be wielded as single blades; The player can select to ignite only one of the two blades interchanging between one and two whenever they wish.
 * New moves including katas, wall gripping, and acrobatics, which add a new level to combat, instead of the standard slashing and cleaving. Depending on your type of lightsaber(s), you can have additional defensive and offensive moves.
 * 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, Dark Rage, 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.

Behind the scenes
The main character of the game, Jaden Korr, was named in early drafts as Atton Rand. The name was later used in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. One of Atton's in-game Easter Egg lines is a joke about him being added to the game last minute, and how he was supposed to have been in "a spin-off to Jedi Knight."

Using a cheat code, players can have level 4 Mind trick (normally the highest level is 3). Using this, players can take direct control of an NPC. Other NPCs ignore the captured NPC, however, Jaden is susceptible to attack and players cannot fight back until the player regains control of Jaden by waiting until the Mind trick time limit expires, killing the NPC (this can be done by either throwing them off a cliff or shooting at Jaden if the player has saber defend on 3), or by pressing the Mind trick command key again which immediately cancels the level 4 Mind trick. Also, when using mind trick, the screen looks the same as when controlling a droid in Jedi Outcast.