Despite Jedi Academy improving on pretty much every aspect of Jedi Outcast gameplay wise, its predecessor takes some beating.
Co-developed by Raven Software and Vicarious Visions, Jedi Outcast was built on the Quake Engine and still provides just about the most definitive Jedi experience in gaming history. It also features an icon in the lead in Kyle Katarn, a character who made his debut in 1995's Star Wars: Dark Forces and who went on to become one of the more beloved characters in the old Star Wars expanded universe.
Following a more linear path than its sequel, which allowed players the freedom to tackle certain missions in a specific order, Jedi Outcast tells the story of Katarn's journey back to the Force as he tracks down an evil Sith cult in league with the Imperial Remnant. There's a reason the character is so adored, and it's partially down to Jeff Bennett's down-to-earth portrayal, but there's also the fact that Kyle could tap into the Dark Side of the Force, which was also pretty neat.
Both Jedi Outcast and Academy have been remastered in recent years, and they've aged surprisingly well. Must-plays for Star Wars fans old and new.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
