Star Wars Jedi Academy vs Jedi Outcast

[Zerth]

These games are right now on Winter Sale in Humble Store. Which one is worth playing? Both?

 

[JDR13]

They're both worth playing, and you might as well get both at those prices as long as you don't mind the dated engine.

 

[Grunker]

Both are very worth playing, but if you intend on it you should really do the whole series. All games are good - including the first, Dark Forces. Of the four I like Jedi Knight best (second one).

 

[Zlaja]

Jedi Outcast is better, but both are worth playing.

 

[ADL]

Dark Forces, Dark Forces II, Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy are all excellent.
Jedi Academy: Movie Battles II mod for multiplayer

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

JK>JK2>MotS>DF=JA

I replayed all of them not too long ago, so they're pretty fresh for me. Jedi Knight 1 is definitely the best, and probably the last legitimately stellar 90s FPS released before Half-Life came along and derailed the genre for two decades. Mysteries of the Sith is a very solid expansion, with probably the best levels in the series, but the last few levels are garbage and the first couple levels are mediocre. Jedi Outcast is good fun, but gameplay and level-design are dumbed down from Jedi Knight, with the shooting mechanics in particular suffering, although the lightsaber combat and force powers are that rare example of streamlining done right. Dark Forces is a well made FPS in the vein of the Build engine games. Its biggest flaw is that its level design varies wildly in quality, and, unfortunately, the first level is the best so it peaks very early. Jedi Academy is a fun little action game... until the last four levels which are just a total slog. It's also very short (my recent playthrough took me just under 6 hours, although I have played it numerous times). Again, here, levels vary wildly in quality, but they at least fly by at a fast enough clip that the duds don't really make much of a negative impression.

I think they're all fun games and worth a buy, but I would say Dark Forces and Jedi Academy are probably more of an acquired taste.

 

[deuxhero]

Both! Be sure to get OpenJK engine for best performance.

While Outcast is better in a lot of ways, I think Academy holds up far, far better in replayability. Outcast has too many puzzle levels, the FPS only opening, and slow moments that don't really hold up the second time through, while Academy's non-stop action (most levels are done as selectable missions, with all exposition/plot contained to skippable cutscenes) and ability to select which force powers you want to gain makes it a game you can easily play again right after finishing it. Academy has a lot of gimmick levels, but nearly all of them are fun and the least fun mission is both stupidly short and made a good effort to have multiple routes.

I would actually love to see another JK game come out of this old engine shooter trend, but I know even if it did happen Disney would make it suck.

 

[dacencora]

I’m firmly in the camp that Outcast is better overall, but Academy is the better game for multiplayer. I’m not sure how active the MP is these days, but Academy has a much more polished/in-depth saber combat system than Outcast, and it’s probably the best sword combat I’ve ever played. The duels against Reborn are more fun in Academy, but Outcast is way more atmospheric and has much better level design, IMO. I’ve replayed both countless times over and over again through the years, and I got more mileage out of Academy because of the superior multiplayer, but again, if you’re talking about the campaigns, Outcast is a class above Academy. However, if you can find any Outcast MP games, the mode Jedi Master is a ton of fun, and was the main thing I missed about Outcast MP when I moved to Academy MP.

 

[Wyatt_Derp]

I've got both but have yet to check if Academy has MP with the badass AI bots. I remember making so killer lightsaber duel matches with tons of AI spawn bots back in the day. For that reason alone I gotta give it to Outcast.

 

[dacencora]

I've got both but have yet to check if Academy has MP with the badass AI bots. I remember making so killer lightsaber duel matches with tons of AI spawn bots back in the day. For that reason alone I gotta give it to Outcast.

It does, and there used to be a tool where you could tweak the NPCs to make them killer and super tough to beat. It was a fun time back then in like 2005 because there were so many maps and mods.

 

[Zerth]

Thanks, It was the swordplay that catched my atention. I bought both then, I intended to play the singleplayer campaign only though.

Don't care much for MP, but if it's fun and active maybe I could also give a try.

 

[0wca]

In terms of multiplayer, definitely the former. Spent hours on end dueling in MP, the combat is really good (especially with some popular mods).

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Absolutely get both and run them with https://github.com/JACoders/OpenJK

 

[Grunker]

Thanks, It was the swordplay that catched my atention. I bought both then, I intended to play the singleplayer campaign only though.

Don't care much for MP, but if it's fun and active maybe I could also give a try.

If you only intend on playing SP, is there a reason you won’t at least start with JK1? Maybe you’ve already played it? Outcast is a direct continuation of the JK story. You could skip DF, but I wouldn’t skip JK

 

[thesheeep]

Recently played through the entire series. Total blast, recommend it entirely.

Although the level-design is better is Outcast, Academy is still good.

Just be aware that you'll have to soldier through the terrible shooting in Outcast for the first few levels.

 

[Zerth]

If you only intend on playing SP, is there a reason you won’t at least start with JK1? Maybe you’ve already played it? Outcast is a direct continuation of the JK story. You could skip DF, but I wouldn’t skip JK

I got both games already. I'll start with the first one without a doubt.

BTW, is alright to play with a regular dual joy controller or just mous+keyboard?

 

[Grunker]

If you only intend on playing SP, is there a reason you won’t at least start with JK1? Maybe you’ve already played it? Outcast is a direct continuation of the JK story. You could skip DF, but I wouldn’t skip JK

I got both games already. I'll start with the first one without a doubt.

BTW, is alright to play with a regular dual joy controller or just mous+keyboard?

It's a shooter so I'd never play it with anything but a mouse but if you don't mind controllers for shooters I don't see any specific reasons not to

 

[Zerth]

It's a shooter so I'd never play it with anything but a mouse but if you don't mind controllers for shooters I don't see any specific reasons not to

The PC controller consideration was because I believe I'll mainly go for swordplay combat.

 

[Grunker]

It's a shooter so I'd never play it with anything but a mouse but if you don't mind controllers for shooters I don't see any specific reasons not to

The PC controller consideration was because I believe I'll mainly go for swordplay combat.

JK1 has A LOT of mandatory shooting before lightsaber and the lightsaber combat in that one is sort of awkward

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

They’re definitely designed with m+kb in mind. I’m sure you could play JK2 and JA with a controller, but it will probably feel a little clunky.

I wouldn’t play JK1 with a controller; that sounds very frustrating.

 

[JDR13]

It's a shooter so I'd never play it with anything but a mouse but if you don't mind controllers for shooters I don't see any specific reasons not to

The PC controller consideration was because I believe I'll mainly go for swordplay combat.

If it's the lightsaber combat that interest you, the more recent Jedi: Fallen Order is excellent in that aspect.

 

[Morpheus Kitami]

BTW, is alright to play with a regular dual joy controller or just mous+keyboard?

The closest I've gotten to playing the GameCube port of it many years ago and thinking it to be pretty good, however, that was many years ago and not using a joystick with the PC original, so take that for what it is.
But I will say that you could probably beat JK1 (and DF1) with a joystick, since its doable with keyboard-only controls. JK2 doesn't go for that.

 

[Denim Destroyer]

Jedi Academy is much better in the multiplayer department and even has a small but dedicated player base. Just prepare to get annihilated if you try it.

 

[Gostak]

[...]

Don't care much for MP, but if it's fun and active maybe I could also give a try.

Do get Jedi Academy.
MBII multiplayer is fun and active.
The many voice snippets it has that people do know to use at appropriate times just add to its appeal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC0VVDgmOvs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRatNEMQKbE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcsFdFBO30U&t=10s

 

[T.Ashpool]

they are both good but i've always been more of a jk2 guy. it has better levels, better story (that's honestly better than anything disney has ever shitted out) and kyle is the best star wars character period