It’s an exhilarating dash, easily one of the best moments of the game. You’ll jump on the ceiling and slide down the floor—boxes explode with no warning, and the only way you’ll be able to survive is to follow the arrows to the exit.
It’s a timed level, the only one you’ll encounter during the game, and what makes it so brilliant is that each of the rooms is sideways or twisting. Level 15—”The Falling Ship”—takes place on, duh, a ship as it falls to the ground. Other levels are less impressive visually, but include other interesting features. Even from minute one you’ll notice just how impossibly giant everything looks – if there’s one game to inspire a sense of vertigo, it’s this one. You’ll be running around amidst a series of conveyor belts and what appear to be garbage containers.
The first two levels feature what perhaps is the best representation of a working environment ever—they take place in the bowels of a space station. The actual design of each of the levels is what ultimately sets Jedi Knight apart from its competitors. The acting in only so-so, but a few characters, like the protagonist, are enjoyable to watch. The end of most levels are interrupted by cutscenes played by real actors, wrapping up whatever just happened and setting the scene for what’s to come. Each one is tightly embedded in an unfolding plot, usually consisting of several objectives needing completion. Unlike most first person shooters at the time, the story is what drives the levels in Dark Forces 2 and not the other way around. Along the way, Kyle learns more about the Force, and will have a chance to cross-over to the Light or Dark side based on both his actions during the game (if you shoot innocent civilians, you’re evil) and how you distribute the “Force points” that are awarded after completing levels. You play a vengeful Kyle Katarn, who learns that seven Dark Jedi plan to unlock the powers of a secret hidden Jedi burial ground. The story takes place in the Star Wars universe but makes no direct references to the movies, instead continuing from the events that concluded the first Dark Forces game. While it stays a little too close to the conventions of the genre and feels a little bit too much like an improved Dark Forces rather than a product with its own unique identity, it’s still a beautifully designed game with some genuinely creative twists. As a completely story-driven game featuring some neat lightsaber battles, large maps and the ability to become either a Light or Dark Jedi, it’s no surprise that Dark Forces II gets hailed as one of the best Star Wars games.
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