Here's what I've been playin lately. Thought I give an opinion, if there is anyone out there looking for good games to play.
1) Jedi Knight 2: Outcast
This game (made by Raven-using Quake 3 engine) I have to split in 2 categories.
A) Single Player.
Once again you play Kyle Katarn (Dark Forces, Dark Forces: Jedi Knight) roaming around in first person shooter style, with an option of going in to a 3rd person perspective. Booth views work well, except 3rd person is a necessity in lightsaber fights. Reason being, you can do some really neat acrobatic moves in 3rd person as opposed to not doing them in 1st.
The Single player game is tolerable, story/plot line is accetable and all around entertaining. Same ol' enemies from the previous titles reappear, and a few new ones emerge as well. As playing Kyle, you still get access to both "light" and "darkside" force powers, which come in handy at times.
All in all (to keep it short) Single player play is "fun".
B) Multiplayer
O...M....G. I've played about every 1st person shooter there is in multiplayer. From System Shock, Doom, Unreal, All the Quakes etc. etc. You name it, I've played it.
JK:Outcast multiplayer will suck your life away. This is where this title SHINES. And in IMO, is the better half of this game. I really can't put a finger on what makes this Multiplayer experience one of the best I've played. The weapons are run of the mill, the core Raven level designs are passable. But, I think what really gets people addicted is the addition of Lightsaber and Forcepowers variety.
The Lightsaber is no longer a stick to just go around wacking people with. It's now an "art" to master. Again, playing in 3rd person view, you have access to a variety of styles. You can now actually hotkey your moves alla-Obi-Wan-Phantom menace style. The only thing you have missing is the Ray Park/Darth Maul martial art kicks. But anything else is possible. Get in a saber lock? No problem...Force Push your opponent away. Or heck, if yer quick....Force Pull your opponent unto thy blade....shishikabob style. These are just a few examples. But this element, combined with various force powers, in multiplay is addicting. It's something to experience, and I can't do justice in explaining in print in what you can do. Just get this game, you'll see.
Single Player C+ / Multiplayer A+
Freedom Force
ZAM! POW! ZOINK! Remember those good old days where Good was Good, and Evil was just Evil in comic books? (ack...sorry they are called "graphic novels" now, lol). When superheroes got their superpowers in corny yet entertaining ways? When the bad guys just wanted to rule the world, just for the sake of...well...ruling the world?
Welcome to the world of Freedom Force. A title based on the 60's-early 70's element of the superhero comic book world. Where you control a variety of "generic" brand superheroes in Real Time or Turn Based action style. Much like in the style of Jagged Alliance or X-Com...yet you can do battles at YOUR pace. You can just go with the flow, issuing commands on the fly...or you can pause the game and issue commands to your superhero team with tactical finesse. Or do both!
The story/plot is cheesy...not CLUMSY AND BAD cheesy, mind you-but...Entertaining, comical, enjoyable cheesy. Like Austin Powers cheesy. Each campaign story has that typical over dramatic sense to it, even the narrator who aids each storyline, is enjoyable in this way. Had my sides splitting in laughter continaully. It really "captures" the flavor of that comic book genre. The voice acting is superb as well, for each comic of the book heros.
The main hero, Minute Man, starts of the first few missions in a solo-tutorial. This get's you aquianted with the game play, which is necessary. Since the environment is totally interactive! See a lamp post? Pull that sucker outta the ground and weild it like a baseball bat! Bonking that group of bad guys with it! Cars, trucks, garbage cans, boulders, trailers from semi-trucks, trees...jeeeeez you name it it's "interactiable"! Here's one example: Had a group of thugs on top of a skyscrapper shooting at my hero, I picked up this huge vat of volitile material and threw at the building! And the whole skyscrapper came down, taking the the thugs with it! It was amazing. There's just so much you can do to manipulate the environment to your advantage...you just need to be cautious of "innocent" bystanders and citizens of the city. Hurting them is a big "no-no".
As the game progresses, you begin to recruit various allies. Each having different strengths and vulnerabilities. You develope teams of good guys, to go thwart the various plots of various bad guys. Pretty simple, yet implimented masterfully. This adds to the replayability of the game. Since there is a huge list of Heroes to choose from to recruit...you won't be able to recruit them all. So playing thru the game again with different heroes, provides different ways to solve problems.
One of the BEST attributes of this game...CREATING CUSTOMIZED Heroes. Oh MAN! What ever hero you can think of...you can create! Ever wanted to have Superman fighting alongside with Spiderman...no problemo...create them yourself! Although...you will need to download their "skins" from the already various websites devoted to this game. The coice of attributes, powers, strengths and weaknesses are complete. Of course, there isn't any "Kryptonite" in the game...but there are "similar" elements you can attribute to your character to match there portfolio, in order to make that custom character behave in the way they do in their hero universe.
There is a multiplayer element to the game as well, although-since Jedi Knight has been sucking my life away in this area-I haven't been able to fiddle around with it.
All in all, this game is not good...but..it's DAMN GOOD! I'm pretty sure if you give it a try, you will enjoy it.
I give it an: A
D8TA