Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith | |
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multiplayer |
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith is an
Mysteries of the Sith uses the same
Upon release, the expansion received generally positive reviews. Critics praised its story and AI improvements, but felt there was room for additional improvements and criticized its inconsistent difficulty and certain gameplay elements. It was followed by Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast in 2002, the next main installment in the Jedi Knight series.
Gameplay
Single-player
Mysteries of the Sith is primarily a first-person shooter, but offers the choice of a
The player has a choice of weapons to use throughout the game. These include projectile weapons such as a blaster or thermal detonator, and the lightsaber. The player also has access to Force powers. Some are capable of causing damage to enemies while others can be used for non-violent activities.[6]
Multiplayer
Mysteries of the Sith includes fifteen multiplayer maps,[8] four of which only allow players to battle with lightsabers.[11] The player can choose an avatar and the lightsaber color, and compete with up to seven other players over the internet or a local area network. The game includes a ranking system that tracks the player's experience. Multiplayer mode allows the use of pre-set characters featured in both Mysteries of the Sith and Dark Forces II.[12] There is also a choice of characters from the Star Wars films, such as Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and Boba Fett, who was already a playable character in the Dark Forces II series. Each type of character has advantages and disadvantages.[11]
Several locations from the Star Wars films have been recreated as maps for multiplayer gaming. These include Luke's home on
Plot
Mysteries of the Sith is set in the year 10 ABY, six years after the events of
The first level of the game takes place in a new New Republic outpost on the planet Altyr Five, where Katarn and Jade's training session is interrupted by an Imperial attack on the base. The player takes control of Katarn to defend the base from the stormtroopers and get to the command center. Once there, it is revealed that an evacuation cannot take place because of bombardment by two weapon platforms disguised as asteroids. Katarn leaves Jade behind as he travels to the asteroids to destroy them.
After this section, the player controls Jade for the rest of the game. Katarn reveals that he has discovered information on the whereabouts of a
Development
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith was developed and published by
Being an expansion to Dark Forces II, Mysteries of the Sith requires the Dark Forces II
The
According to Stephen Shaw, most of Mysteries of the Sith's content was inspired by Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy of books; one of the game's protagonists, Mara Jade, was drawn directly from the novels.[14] Though the expansion includes characters from the previous game, new dialogue was recorded for Mysteries of the Sith's scenario, including recurring background characters who speak similar lines to their counterparts in Dark Forces II. Some dialogue was authentically translated into Huttese, a fictional language used in Return of the Jedi and elsewhere in the Star Wars universe.[13] The Star Wars original soundtrack by John Williams is used in Mysteries of the Sith.[8]
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
AllGame | [12] |
Computer and Video Games | 5/10[16] |
GameSpot | 7.8/10[11] |
Next Generation | [17] |
PC Zone | 95%[8] |
In the United States, Mysteries of the Sith debuted at #10 on PC Data's monthly computer game sales chart for February 1998.[18] It fell to position 15 the following month, with an average retail price of $28,[19] and was absent from April's top 20.[20] The game was well received by critics.[21] It holds an aggregate score of 75.60% on GameRankings, based on five reviews.[15] Mysteries of the Sith has been described as a good quality expansion pack[8] and a "worthy addition" to the world of Jedi Knight,[22] but with room for improvement in some areas.[11]
Next Generation reviewed the PC version of the game, rating it four stars out of five, and stated that "on the whole, MOTS gives notice to expansion pack designers everywhere: It is possible to create an exceptional gaming experience within the creative possibilities of an add-on. The foundation has already been laid."[17]
The gameplay of the single-player mode received mixed reactions. Paul Mallinson of PC Zone stated that "Mysteries Of The Sith starts off brilliantly and gets better and better and better the further you get into it. The progressive nature of the constantly evolving storyline sees to that."[8] In contrast, Michael E. Ryan of GameSpot stated that the game is uneven and the challenging levels are only at the end. This adversely affects the gameplay by creating a steep change in how the game must be played.[11] General aspects of the gameplay were seen as improvements, such as the artificial intelligence.[13]
The multiplayer side of Mysteries of the Sith was received positively,[23] but did not completely escape criticism. Emil Pagliarulo of The Adrenaline Vault questioned why certain features seemed to be missing from the multiplayer mode that were present in the single-player mode. One such feature is the rancor which appears prominently in a single-player level but is not in any multiplayer maps.[13]
The development of the graphics in Mysteries of the Sith was seen as an improvement[13] with particular praise for the new colored lighting effects.[8][11] However, not all new graphical developments were well received and some reviews highlighted that smoke effects from the carbonite weapon are particularly poor.[23] Ryan criticized the whole graphical implementation of the weapon: "The Carbonite gun was a long awaited weapon, but the effects and the resulting graphic for frozen foes are really quite bad."[11]
Mysteries of the Sith received praise for its use of sound.[13] Heidi Shannon was described as an "excellent choice" for the voice of Mara Jade.[11] The musical soundtrack by John Williams received specific commendation for its quality.[8] Pagliarulo stated that its use is executed very well within the game: "Mysteries of the Sith manages to use the right piece [of music] at just the right moment."[13]
Mysteries of the Sith was a finalist for
References
- ^ "Software - Save Up to Half the Price". Port Talbot Guardian. March 12, 1998. p. 13. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
New - Mysteries of the Sith
- )
- 1UP.com. Archived from the originalon November 8, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
- ^ "Star Wars Jedi Knight Collection". Steam. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ^ "Skywalker, Mara Jade". starwars.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ^ LucasArts.
- ^ Curtiss, Aaron (March 23, 1998). "The Sound and the Story: 'Quake' Sequel Rocks". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Mallinson, Paul (August 13, 2001). "PC Review: Jedi Knight: Mysteries Of The Sith". PC Zone. Archived from the original on September 14, 2007. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ^ LucasArts. Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith (Microsoft Windows).
- LucasArts. Archived from the originalon August 24, 2005. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Ryan, Michael E. (February 17, 1998). "Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith Review". GameSpot. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
- ^ AllGame. Archived from the originalon November 19, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Pagliarulo, Emil (February 10, 1998). "Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith - PC Review". The Adrenaline Vault. Archived from the original on December 21, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ^ a b c PC Gamer staff (1997). "PC Gamer Previews: Mysteries of the Sith". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on February 18, 1998. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ^ a b "Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
- ^ Randell, Kim (1998). "PC Review: Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith". Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on September 13, 2007. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
- ^ a b "Finals". Next Generation. No. 41. Imagine Media. May 1998. p. 114.
- ^ Ocampo, Jason (18 March 1998). "Re-release rides movie's coattails on PC Data charts". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Archived from the original on 17 February 2005.
- ^ Ocampo, Jason (21 April 1998). "Do the PC Data figures prove lower is better?". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Archived from the original on 6 April 2005.
- ^ Ocampo, Jason (13 May 1998). "The top selling games of April, according to PC Data". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Archived from the original on 8 February 2005.
- ^ "Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Mysteries of the Sith for Windows (1998) MobyRank". MobyGames. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
- ^ Diaz, James (September 25, 2002). "Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith". PC Gameworld. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ^ a b Chick, Tom (October 16, 2000). "PC Retroview: Jedi Knight". IGN. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
- ^ Staff (February 11, 1999). "The Best of 1998". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Archived from the original on February 3, 2005.
External links