Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy might be 17 years old, but its ability to believably set you on the path of a Jedi Master is still successfully maintained. There might be some multiplayer quirks, but the primary solo experience is out and out Star Wars.

Some aspects of Jedi Academy haven’t aged particularly well, although its core remains solid and enjoyable. It reminds us of that time where Star Wars games just wanted to be fun and expand its universe, and as big fans, we’ve loved going back to that time.

Quotation forthcoming.

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is a loyal interpretation of an early 2000s classic, now on Nintendo Switch. Once again with this series on this platform, the nostalgia is strong with those who stick by this as an example of what gaming should be today, but new players should be aware of what this game actually is, so that their expectations can be properly tempered. Jedi Academy takes the foundation of its previous game and uses player customization to provide polish and a deeper engagement with the story in a 10-12 hour experience, but it falls short in providing meaningful options in both side missions and online play. If that earns your purchase, then the question remains: what kind of Jedi will you become?

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is a game that revels in the right kind of fan service. Its lightsaber combat is still a blast to play with, and its Force Powers provide a ton of options to make you feel like a Jedi Master. Its story and presentation haven’t aged as well, and the gameplay can be a little awkward if you’re at all used to modern action games. Yet, for Star Wars fans, Jedi Academy shouldn’t be missed.

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is a perfectly serviceable port of a once-great and now good Star Wars game. For Star Wars mega-fans and the Jedi Knight nostalgic, it’s definitely worth a revisit, as long as you’re prepared for a reasonable amount of early 2000’s jank.

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is a welcome addition to the Switch's ever-expanding repertoire, and a great adventure set in the Star Wars universe. Its seldom dull thanks to its enjoyable lightsaber combat, even if it's not terrific by modern standards. Fans of Star Wars and those looking for an action game with good variety will enjoy this. Aspyr has done a great job with the port, further cementing their reputation as one of the best developers for bringing fan favourite titles to Nintendo's flagship system.

I think this game offers quite a bit of nostalgia. And even with all of its faults, I found ways to cheese the system or use the Force in fun ways to get through the missions. However, as fun as it was, I don’t know that it’s an accessible title for gamers who aren’t fully versed on how games in 2003 played or are expecting a current-gen SW gaming experience.

If you’re going to play a simple and funny multiplayer game based on Star Wars franchise, Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy might as well be a fair one. But it's a 2003 game, so don't forget it.

Quotation forthcoming.

While it’s not the best the series has been – many could argue Jedi Knight II or Jedi Outcast will perpetually battle for that title – Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is still a fun and lengthy trek across the (non-canon) Star Wars universe. The multiplayer doesn’t live up to its former glories, but the sprawling and semi non-linear campaign certainly makes up for it with its lightning-fast lightsaber combat and that silly quintessentially silly approach to Star Wars that was still rife in the early 2000s. Don’t expect Jedi: Fallen Order, but do expect a time capsule of an action-adventure.

The game is okay, but only just. If you were a hardcore fan of it back in the day, this might be a great walk down memory lane for you, but I really can’t think of a good reason they brought Jedi Academy back from the brink with even less than a fresh coat of paint. Had this been given the full remake treatment it could undoubtedly have been epic, but as it stands it was a bit of a clunky cash-grab game when it first launched and it still feels the same today. Maybe this entry should have stayed in a galaxy far, far away.

While there are some improvements over the original, and including an online multiplayer is worthy of praise, too little was made to bring the game to our day and age. As such, there are many elements that clearly belong to the day of the original release, as well as to another format and which don't fit with the expectations of players, namely its controls and performance.