Hey all:
There's a new preview at UGO check it out here (
http://www.ugo.com/channels/games/features/starwars_jediacademy/) . Not bad ... nothing major or new.
Also, my new issue of Maximum PC came with a full 2-page spread of Jedi Academy - it was the coolest thing in the whole mag!!!. Seriously - they had Halo and Breed - try to tell the two of them apart without the titles! Tron 2.0 looks cool, but the JA spread was absolutely cool. I scanned it in, but don't have anywhere to post it right now ...
Anyone seeing anything else?
Mike
PC Zone in the UK just did a full review. My copy only came yesterday and I'm subscribed so I'm not certain it's out in stores. Had alot of interesting facts, such as full list of the movie characters in it and sone nice screenies. I'd post some of the details it said if I knew how to make spoiler tags (I hardly ever post, just read, I'm a lurker!), and it was a couple of pages. They gave it 89% in the end, saying it's the best the Jedi Knight game yet, and possibly the best Star Wars game, but didn't score higher because it's similar to the original.
I think the spoiler tags are [ SPOILER ] and [ /SPOILER ] (remove the spaces of course. Now tell! TELL! ;)
Test: Yes, I was right. Spill it. :)
Okay, if the spoiler tags don't show up, don't blame me lol!
Okay, the cameo appreances the magazine listed were Luke and Chewie as we know, Boba Fett, Wedge Antilles and C-3PO. I don't imagine these are all the ones in the game though, I mean C-3PO but no R2-D2? And Chewie but no Han? Anyway, it also confirms that you can turn off one blade of the lightstaff, and even says that if you go down the dark side you get to "kill a particually annoying incidental character".
As for multiplayer, it lists some interesting features. For the siege mode it says it's not yet as good as games like Woflienstien Enemy Terrority as it lacks good maps and such, but what interests me is it lists some equipment. It says for the scout class you get a cloaking device on the lightside and a "Boba Fett style jet pack" for the dark side. There are some interesting screenshots to, for example, a stormtrooper on a jetpack (looks like a darktrooper to me, but its probably the light) and the Jedi fighting Boba Fett.
I'll re-read the article and see if there's anything else. If anyone can host pictures I can scan them and send them to him/her so others can see it. Any UK fan should get this mag as soon as they can, it has a preview of Knights of the Old Republic too. Got a big picture of a Sith on it, (from KOTOR not JA strangely) so you can't miss it lol!
EDIT:
I jsut re-read it and found some more stuff.
THe vehicles are apprantly quite disappointing, they say the speeder bike level was the only let down as the handelling was "woeful" and that you CANNOT drive AT-ST's as first reported. Why remove a feature already in the game I don't know. They also list some locations as Tatooine and Hoth as we all know, and Coruscant and "Darth Vadar's Castle Residence" whatever that may be. The new force powers listed are Protect, Drain, Absorb, Sight and Dark Rage, all from JO MP it seems. There's also a picture of an X Wing blowing some stuff up with the caption "Kyle Katarn lends aerial support from his X-Wing". Never knew Kyle had an X-Wing lol! It also says that the reason you get to upgrade your lightsaber is as your old one gets destroyed, sounding very JKish, except here you get to design your new one. It also says you can carry on fighting once you've force thrown your other lightsaber if you use two, which sounds like a neat feature. Whew, that's all for now I think!
Originally posted by Vivli
PC Zone in the UK just did a full review. My copy only came yesterday and I'm subscribed so I'm not certain it's out in stores. Had alot of interesting facts, such as full list of the movie characters in it and sone nice screenies. I'd post some of the details it said if I knew how to make spoiler tags (I hardly ever post, just read, I'm a lurker!), and it was a couple of pages. They gave it 89% in the end, saying it's the best the Jedi Knight game yet, and possibly the best Star Wars game, but didn't score higher because it's similar to the original. Unfortunately, since the release of the Unreal II engine, not to mention the previews of HL2 and Doom3, it will be very hard for any game without an advanced graphics engine & full ragdoll physics and interactivity (i.e. nothing with the Q3 engine) to top 90% rating.
In some ways I understand it - wouldn't JA be enhanced by those things? Sure it would. So graphics scores can't be a 10. But that is where the 'slant' most reviewers put on the final score comes in - a game that is beautiful but bland compared to one that is blocky but endless fun - the math may make them the same, but you know which one you'd want to keep on your hard drive.
I'm glad you decided to wait until learning spoiler tags to post the info - after this beta stuff I'm resolved to steer clear of learning too much new stuff ... I'm staying away from 'dangerous threads' ... and might have not returned here until after the 17th if the buzz of the Gold announcement and the video hadn't grabbed me on my return from vacation. I'm still thinking seriously about it ...
... if only the JK.net front page kept updated lists of new previews & files ... [hint, hint]
Mike
Well I just edited my second post to include as much information as possible in the spoiler tags, luckil they don't spoil much story as the mag wouldn't mention that.
You are right it's a shame about the older graphics engine, and it is listed as one of the "downers" for the game, a slightly dated graphics engine. I actually like the graphics though, I'd rather have graphics my computer can run than watch frame by frame animation of Half-life 2 quality! But for games reviewers it's their job to take everything into account I suppose, including graphics. 89% is still extrodianarily high, considering scores of 90% or above are EXTREMELY rare in this magazine, 95% being the highest ever given to Half Life and GTA Vice City only I believe.
This review definitely settled wether I was going to get the game or not, until now I had had reservations that it might not be as good as KOTOR, but now I've decided, KOTOR can wait! If they wanted me to buy it over JA they should have released it on PC sooner!
Originally posted by Vivli
You are right it's a shame about the older graphics engine, and it is listed as one of the "downers" for the game, a slightly dated graphics engine. I actually don't mind the engine - I'm quite happy with what I've seen. I'd much rather have it now with Q3 engine than in 2005 with the Doom3 engine ... no wait, I want both! ;)
Mike
Lol I hope we get both, by 2005 lets pray we get yet another sequal, and if they're still using the quake 3 engine then, we can complain about it lol.
Now there's a review out though, hopefully more gaming magazines will start reviewing, be interesting to see if anyone else has found reviews and what those magazines thought of it.
[b]Mike...PM me if you need a host for anything. ;)
I picked up PC Zone during my lunch break, and I read the review from start to finish. I see the important bits have already been posted, though. :p
I am really glad that...
Wedge Antilles will make an appearance
...because that's one of the things I wanted to see...
I thought it was a very positive review...and there are some nice new screenshots on display...so if anyone wants any...er...details, be sure to PM me. ;)
Looks like I'll need to update the FAQ yet again. :D
I just hope they're wrong about...
not being able to drive an AT-ST
because it doesn't make a lot of sense to disable that option.
As for the game being produced on the Quake 3 engine, I don't see a problem with that, and I'm actually glad it was not developed on the new Doom tech. I've read a lot of impressions about Doom 3 that came out of QuakeCon, and as I've said in the Quake IV thread in the Swamp, Doom's MP is currently set to a maximum of just 4 players. Doom 3 will come with very basic MP modes because of this. There will be no CTF or other team-based modes - so unless Raven can work their magic to streamline or optimise it, Quake IV will probably be just as restricted in terms of MP.
So for all those who keep asking for the Jedi Knight series to move to the Doom 3 tech...just remember how limiting it can be. You can kiss CTF and Siege bye bye for a start, and you'd basically end up with 4-way FFA or 1v1 and 2v2 Duels... We already know that you will only be fighting two or three enemies at most on screen in Doom 3's SP as well, hence the slower pace. That doesn't sound very expansive or exciting to me, and I think this new Doom tech is not going to have a very good reception from the MP community as a whole.
If Raven are engaged in any further Jedi Knight games using the Doom 3 tech, I can seriously see it being SP only - or with very limited MP, and that's not a good thing from where I'm sitting.
Maybe it's time to switch to the Unreal tech...or Source engine...
My issue with that review is that there is no way it was done on 'Gold' code. I think they did the same thing with JKII too - a 'review' before the game was out. Generally before the game is released it is called a 'preview' ...
The other troubling thing is that I'm seeing what I can only call 'handicapping' of games and scores in preparation for Half-Life 2 (also Doom3 and Deus Ex 2, likely). I'm not sure if it is true, but reading reviews for Elite Force 2 and looking at the graphics scores makes me think there's a 8-9/10 cap for Q3 graphics now. While I understand that to an extent, it makes it hard to compare games. Elite Force was an early-life Q3-engine game, JO was mid-life, and JA is later in life. Q3 engine is not ancient, or obsolete, just getting old. Imagine reviews of JK back when it came out who had seen Q2Test (remember that?!?) marking JK off for having 'outdated graqphics'. WHich it did compred to Q2. Thing was the graphics were good, and the game rocked.
I don't know what the right path is ... just thinking.
Mike
:D this game is going to rock. thanks for the new info and pics.
Those screens at Worthplaying are...er...worth viewing. :D You beat me to it, lonepadawan. ;)
Looks like one of them shows the students' quarters at the Academy...
One of those scenes could use some heat distortion effects...
I'm not sure if it is true, but reading reviews for Elite Force 2 and looking at the graphics scores makes me think there's a 8-9/10 cap for Q3 graphics now. While I understand that to an extent, it makes it hard to compare games.
It seems to me in such situations graphics should be graded on the art direction in particular - did they use the engine to its full extent. From the screen shots and the brief trailer I'd have to give JA a better marks than an 8 or even an 8.5 - same with EF II - the graphic work on that engine was suberb - regardless of the limitations of the engine. Compare this with the very "brown" original Quake. From what I've seen of JA it deserves better.
I think he may have meant this
http://www.worthplaying.com/thumbnail.php?src=press/107/jediacademy_05.jpg&width=1024&height=768&extra=undefined)
Boy these are great screens ... all 26 of them. Thanks again.
Boy those graphics look sweet. I can't wait - my Dell 8500 laptop is running JO >30FPS even in the swamp with AA and AF enabled ... screw the reviewers saying 'outdated engine'! I love the look!
Mike
Yes, that one, JEDI OUTCAST. ;) It looks like a dormitory - and there's a guy (or gal) sleeping in the corner.
And yes...that was the other one I meant, Mike. ;)
Next time I'll put the links in myself to save any confusion. *kicks self in the shin*
Most of those new screens actually look like cut scenes, which I guess quashes the notion that they might have done a bit more CGI stuff, and less in-engine stuff this time around. I just really hope the facial animations are a lot better this time around. Elite Force II had some pretty decent facial animation in it's cut scenes (and in general). I would guestimate that there are going to be slightly more cut scenes in JA than in JO, judging by the number of 'cut scene like' screenies there...
This is the 2-page from Maximum PC.
Check them out here (
http://homepage.mac.com/txa1265/JediAcademy/PhotoAlbum14.html)
Mike
thanks for them 2 pics txa1265. i am glad the probdroids are back in.:D
Yes, thanks for posting that Mike. ;)
I like the way they sneaked in the Yoda quote into the text...
"You must unlearn what you have learned"
Rob :)
I would imagine that speech on the spread is what luke is giving when addressing the trainees in that screenshot. Notice the great variety of NPCs (And we've seen screens of some of them fighting), also the screenie takers character, and near the front there... Kyle.
Don't fall to the darkside eh? It would be nice if it was harder to keep to the light path (ala KOTOR)
I wonder what the students are talking about in their dorm..
One of the swoop screens (the one with the updated mission objectives message).. is he using a boost or what? Is that a different Swoop to the one in the other screenie? Theres a stationary empty swoop next to him.. prehaps were running away and just grab a swoop, our pursuers grab whichever one we don't take.
Notice the great variety of NPCs (And we've seen screens of some of them fighting)
Well, there better be because of the character creation :rolleyes: , so I would expect some pretty well designed friendly and non-friendly npc's.
also, these are some of the best screens yet.(dances around just waiting for JA to come out) This would probubly be dew to the fact that the game is comin out in less than a month :D, the obvious aside, I WANT TO DOWNLOAD ALL OF THESE SCREENS!!!!!
jk2files, if u have any mind at all, u will put these on ur site for downloading. IMEEDIATELY!!!!!!
PC Gamer just did a big scoop on the upcoming major FPS games, like Half-Life 2, Doom III, Max Payne 2 and Jedi Academy. I'm very glad they got a mature guy to write the JA scoop. He gave it four out of six on the anticipation scale, higher than the three that Max Payne 2 got!
PCG US has been plagued with immature, fanboyish editors in the past few years. There's a few good ones, but a lot are like, "These graphics aren't as good as HL2, therefore the whole game sucks!" But the worst I've probably seen was a review by someone named Desslock, on SWG. He gave it a 77%, but for the wrong reasons. He complained that you couldn't start as a Jedi (defeats the purpose of RPG progression, and removes anything unique about a Jedi)! I was in total shock when I read that. Don't they get anyone else to look over this stuff before publishing it? I mean it's not like one little opinion, this is PC Gamer, reviews may significantly alter the sales of the game.
[/PCG hate rant]
I would imagine that speech on the spread is what luke is giving when addressing the trainees in that screenshot. Notice the great variety of NPCs (And we've seen screens of some of them fighting)
Notice the twins and the triplets in the group there.. heh
The problem with PC Zone UK's review is that they dont know there EU that well !! Plus they really didnt listen and play the game either!!
Why I say that well....
Kyle Katarn offers air suppor from his X-wing, they lazy ponce.
When its Wedge Antillies that flys the X-Wing
Boba Fett makes a cameo
Uhh when? I cant recall that.
Oh and the Missed opportunity, lack of dis-memberment of bodies, have they not seen the c_realisticsabrecombat cheat then!!
Anakin
Well games reviewers don't normally cheat I assume when playing through the game.
As for your point about Katarn and an X-Wing, I suppose that is a mistake, but might be the caption guys attempting to be witty. And as for Boba Fett's cameo, it happens, they have a screenshot of it! I dont want to instantly assume you got your info from the beta, and I apologise if you didn't, but if you did it's possible things have changed since then in relation to Boba Fett.
Originally posted by Anakin
Oh and the Missed opportunity, lack of dis-memberment of bodies, have they not seen the c_realisticsabrecombat cheat then!! From what I read, it is similar to JKII's system - which I take to mean that although it detects hits to 36 zones through GHOUL2, it doesn't show injuries or saber damage on a locational basis. They weren't looking for SoFII-style gore, so I suppose they have a point.
Mike
I didn't see these screenshots anywhere in the forums, so here:
http://reviewoutpost.com/gamehq/hq/00627/gallery/1.htm)
Kel Dor in action!
Originally posted by Swat
I didn't see these screenshots anywhere in the forums, so here:
http://reviewoutpost.com/gamehq/hq/00627/gallery/1.htm)
Kel Dor in action! Cool ... thanks for the link! The 2nd one is new, too ... at least it was new to me :)
Mike
The "Worthplaying" screenshots were awesome. I am only concerned about that city that keeps being featured. It looks extremely ugly.
Sigh.... I haven't received my Maximum PC yet :( Maybe Tomorrow? The screen shots look nice. I don't see why they aren't up on the official site. Well, keep them coming! :)
There's a new interview with Raven (
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/r/?page=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/news/news_story.php(que)id=95391) over at C&VG.
There's not a great deal of new information, but it does mention that in Siege mode there will be...
a map for Rebels vs Imperials on Hoth to fight for Echo Base! There will also be a map to fight for a Jedi temple.
This is fantastic news! Thanks Raven, you guys rock! :D
There are also quite a few new screenshots - and some of them appear to be from the new Siege Mode.
I say this because...
...there is a 'radar' style overhead map that clearly marks some objectives. There is also a 'timer', which I assume is a countdown clock, so it looks similar to UT's Assault mode in that you have to achieve a certain objective within a certain time limit, and your frag score is down the bottom. At least one of the screens shows the Hoth map, and one shows a Jedi Temple map.
What are you waiting for! :eek: Click the link already! ;)
Looks like 8T88 crossed with a Dark Trooper Phase 1.
Where's that shot from?
Originally posted by boinga1
Looks like 8T88 crossed with a Dark Trooper Phase 1.
Where's that shot from?
Yeah, it does, doesn't it.
And that's from the C&VG interview with Raven...see my post above for the link. ^^ ;)
The other thing that caught my eye was when he said "the player will have to decide which side of the Force he is going to fight for, and the last several levels of the game play out completely differently depending on the player's choice."
Thanks for the link!
Mike
Have you noticed the light glow/blur effect on the buildings, sabers, explosions etc from the unofficial (and now official) screenshots? That's pretty impressive, I've only seen it done well in Splinter Cell and STALKER.
Originally posted by boinga1
Looks like 8T88 crossed with a Dark Trooper Phase 1.
That's what I was thinking - I was grabbing the screens without really looking, but that one stopped me ... so cool!
One thing missing in what I've seen so far - the constant air traffic. Again I know it isn't the same as prequel era, but Coruscant should still be bustling ... I hope we seen some line of air-cars.
The Siege mode objective-scanner looks great, and the shots of Chewie just plain rock!
Darn ... my calendar continues to refuse to tell me it's September 17th ... ;)
Mike
Is it just me or are the last three screens from the CVG site missing?
Mike
Don't worry, you're not alone, I can't see 12-14 either.
It told me my "guest liscense has expired" but you can still view the screens by typing in the url's manually *sneaky*
; )
Man, it's hard trying to keep up with all this JA news lately!
Originally posted by Kurgan
Don't worry, you're not alone, I can't see 12-14 either.
Hey Kurgan - you can now see 12-14 ... if this is what the temple looks like now, I'm packing my bags and heading there today!!!
Man, it's hard trying to keep up with all this JA news lately! werd
:)
Great Jedi Academy week .... ahhh ... now the weekend ...
Mike
Originally posted by txa1265
Hey Kurgan - you can now see 12-14 ... if this is what the temple looks like now, I'm packing my bags and heading there today!!!
Mike
Yeah...that last screenshot looks very nice. Something about the lighting and colour just sets it off right - and it's now my new wallpaper. :D
You know...I'd love to see what the Tenebrae project could accomplish with this engine... :eek:
holy crap...did anybody else see whats going on in screen 12 of the CVG screenshots?? :p
Interesting that ComputerandVideoGames lists the release dates for Jedi Academy as follows:
PC: Dec 31, 03
XBox: Nov 30, 03
Heh, now that would suck. ; )
The Xbox date is probably accurate though (last we heard was "November 2003").
Cool shots... now if #13 is not an MP shot, that proves that Kyle is definately "in" the game and not just Cutscene Man...
About #12,
hopefully it was just some good natured hazing...
Or maybe she wanted to know if her butt looked big in that outfit?
Originally posted by Kurgan
Cool shots... now if #13 is not an MP shot, that proves that Kyle is definately "in" the game and not just Cutscene Man...
Well, if it was an MP shot, I would expect a 'leader' icon in the top right corner, and your frag score down the bottom - neither of which are present. So I'd say it's a safe bet that screen is from SP...and from where I'm sitting, it looks like you have to do a little 'trial' in part of the Academy, much like Luke asked Kyle to in JO...
But that's pure speculation... O.o
Good point!
"I feel cold..... death....!"
"A domain of evil it is, into it, you must go!"
"What's in the cave Master?"
"Only what you take with you. Your weapons, you will not need them..."
"Hmmm... *FORCE PUSH* YOU FIRST SPARKY!!"
"AIIEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!"
The latest is a developer diary at GameSpot - StormHammer already put it on the main JK page, so I'm not giving it a thread ... just addding it here ...
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/jediacademy/preview_6073921.html)
Enjoy ... I just started reading.
Mike
Not much information, but it is pretty cool to see how much these guys love to make these games and how much they enjoy Star Wars.