Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II/Gameplay

Since the destruction of the second Death Star, the Rebel Alliance has begun the difficult process of building the New Republic.

Seizing the opportunity for control of the galaxy, new rival armies arise. The most dangerous of these are the Dark Jedi. Their leader, Jerec, seeks the legendary Valley of the Jedi.

Within this lost battleground he will find untold power to destroy peace and justice in the galaxy...

The second installment of the Jedi Knight/Dark Forces series, Dark Forces II was released by LucasArts in 1997. The game was originally created as a 2-disk series and is compatible with Windows 95 and 98. More recently, it has been made available via Steam or by mounting a torrent file to a virtual CD drive. It is a 3D first-person shooter, although it can be played in third person as well. Like the other installments in the series, it is an action/adventure that features progressive force power development. Each level, with the exception of the battle levels, contains secret areas that can be discovered for extra power stars that are used to increase the rank of a given power. The game features a variety of resolutions, 3D acceleration, high-quality sounds, a phenomenal musical score, and live-action cutscenes and cinematics. It also features the ability to choose to become either a light Jedi or a dark Jedi.

In-Game Screen and HUDs
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II is a first-person shooter that, like its predecessor, constantly displays the player's status in the bottom corners of the screen.



Since Kyle was never affiliated with the Force in Dark Forces, the HUDs in Dark Forces II are slightly different to allow for the accumulation of force power. There is also the option of maxing out the screen size if the player doesn't want the HUDs displayed on-screen.

The left-hand HUD displays the player's health (in red) and shields (in green). The maximum amount of health is 100 and the maximum amount of shields is 200. Kyle's health can be maintained with health packs, bacta tanks, and Force Heal; his shields can be maintained with shield recharges and armor vests. Revives are rare power-ups that restore both health and shields.

The right-hand HUD displays the amount of ammunition the player has for the equipped weapon. Weapons that don't consume ammunition, like the fists and the lightsaber, display a series of dashes instead of a numerical value. Kyle can hold a maximum of 30 thermal detonators and sequencer charges. Likewise, the rail detonator can hold a maximum of 30 rail charges. Weapons that use energy cells or power cells max out at 500.

The right-hand HUD also displays the number of batteries Kyle is carrying (indicated by the green lights lining the top) as well as the field light indicator. Any active effects--such as field light, keys in use, or active force powers--are displayed in the upper right-hand corner. Beneath the ammo display is Kyle's current amount of force power, which accumulates and fills in as the game progresses.

Mission Objectives
Mission objectives provide instructions on the goal for a given level; the screen can be accessed from the Options screen. Hit Esc while in game and from there, click on "Objectives." As you complete the objectives, they will be checked off. At the bottom of this screen, you can also see how many secret areas you've found.

The gameplay is structured such that the objectives essentially complete themselves as you go. It's physically impossible to progress through the game and not complete all of them. Some levels only have one objective, while others have several depending on the overall complexity of the level.

Click on the upside-down green triangle to return to the Options screen.

'''Note: Kyle talks to himself in certain parts of certain levels. If he haps upon something that will lead to a completed objective, he will remark that "This looks interesting."'''

Secret Areas
Every level, with the exception of battle levels, contains secret areas that can be discovered. While simply completing levels will earn the player power stars, finding all the secret areas in a given level will award extra power stars, thus allowing the player to increase the rank of force powers more quickly (see Force Powers for more details). The player may also find weapons that would normally be found a bit later in the game, giving them a bit of an edge.

Secret areas can be obvious rooms, ledges, or cubbyholes; they can also be hidden behind destructible walls. The latter can be very easily identified by using the IR Goggles or Force Sight. A good tip for finding secret areas is to note enemy locations. If an enemy is on a ledge far below or is up above a ceiling fan, chances are you can access that area as well. Explore as much of the level as you can and be observant!

Force Powers
As the game progresses, Kyle will become affiliated with the Force and will have the option of developing new powers as they become available. There are three groups of force powers: basic, light, and dark.

Basic: Speed, Jump, Pull, and Sight  Light: Heal, Persuasion, Blinding, Absorb, and Protect  Dark: Throw, Grip, Lightning, Destruction, and Deadly Sight

By default, the game doesn't assign light/dark force powers to a hotkey; they are cast by selecting them in the force power inventory and pressing the F key.



The more developed Kyle's powers become, the more Force power he will accumulate. The Force power meter is located in the right-hand HUD underneath the ammo display. The player can increase the rank of Force powers by assigning power stars to them. Please note that the powers themselves can only be developed between levels.

The end of level 11 marks the bifurcation of the Force path into light and dark. It is possible to develop both light and dark powers simultaneously, but remaining true to one side or the other unlocks a secret fifth power. To develop force powers, simply hover the cursor over the power you wish to develop and click. The number of stars assigned to a power determines its rank (1-4). The higher the rank, the greater the effects and/or duration of the power.

If you assigned more power stars to a power than you wanted to, simply click Reset and start again. The reset function will only apply to Force powers that were modified in the current development session.

The slider at the bottom of the screen displays Kyle's general tendency toward the light side or the dark side. Even before Kyle chooses the light or dark path, the slider will move according to actions performed in-game. However, the slider's position has no bearing on the side of the Force Kyle can choose later on.

The more powers Kyle learns, the higher his personal rank will be. There are nine Jedi ranks achievable in the game: uninitiated (before Kyle even becomes affiliated with the Force), initiate, learner, apprentice, journeyman, disciple, charge, Jedi Master, and Jedi Lord. The ninth rank is only achievable by earning extra power stars. Each rank grants a higher maximum of Force power.