Star Wars: Jedi Knight -- Mysteries of the Sith

• Platform: IBM PC Compatible
• Release Date: February 18, 1998
• Genre: Shooter
• Style: First-Person Shooter
• Similar Games: Doom (Atari Jaguar), Star Wars: Dark Forces (Macintosh), Quake (Macintosh), Star Wars: Dark Forces (IBM PC Compatible), Doom (IBM PC Compatible), Quake (IBM PC Compatible), Doom (Sega Genesis 32X), Doom (Sega Saturn), Quake (Sega Saturn), Star Wars: Dark Forces (PlayStation), Doom (PlayStation), Doom (3DO), Doom (Super Nintendo Entertainment System), Quake (Nintendo 64), Unreal (IBM PC Compatible), Star Wars: Jedi Knight -- Dark Forces II (IBM PC Compatible), Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace (IBM PC Compatible), Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace (PlayStation), Unreal (Macintosh)

Game Description

Star Wars: Jedi Knight -- Mysteries of the Sith takes place five years after the defeat of seven Dark Jedi by bounty hunter turned Jedi Knight Kyle Katarn. It also features the character Mara Jade (from the Star Wars novels), a warrior who once followed the path of darkness as the Emperor's Hand and is now Kyle's apprentice as he trains her in the ways of the Jedi. (She's also quite attracted to him.)

The game's viewpoint switches from Kyle's perspective to Mara's as he departs to a newly discovered Sith temple to investigate the mysterious powers within. Meanwhile, it's up to Mara to protect a Holocron and negotiate "business" with a Hutt crime boss (not Jabba, but a Hutt all the same), all in the name of the New Republic.

As an expansion disc to Jedi Knight -- Dark Forces II, Mysteries of the Sith features much of the same regarding gameplay through its 14 missions. However, there are a few new and different weapons, and the absence of a "morality scale" means that no choice between the light side or the path of darkness occurs. As a result, all but two Force abilities found in Jedi Knight are available, with five new ones added as well. Also differing from its predecessor, Mysteries of the Sith's cut-scenes are computer-generated instead of portrayed by live actors.

Once again a multi-player option exists, enabling you to compete with up to seven others over the Internet. Of course, you must choose your identity (there are even more to choose from than in Jedi Knight) as well as the color of your lightsaber. You achieve rank as you become more experienced and can even use a strong character you may have developed with Jedi Knight.

Roots & Influences

All Star Wars games are based on the Star Wars series of science fiction films by George Lucas. Due to the immense popularity of Star Wars: Jedi Knight, this expansion disc was released. It features much of the same gameplay as its predecessor.

Review: Overall

Add-on packs have a tendency to fall within the shadow of the original game. The disappointing ones add a few random levels and a smattering of new weapons but the great ones are able to stand on their own, adding a richness to the universe instead of simply repeating the same tricks that made the original a success. I'm happy to say that Star Wars: Jedi Knight -- Mysteries of the Sith fits the latter category.

Mysteries of the Sith picks up five years after the events of Jedi Knight. In the opening cut-scene, which is rendered via the game engine as opposed to returning to the usually laughable FMV of Jedi Knight, you are introduced to the two characters you will play in the game -- Kyle Katarn and Mara Jade. The add-on assumes that you led Kyle Katarn on the light path at the end of Jedi Knight and you get to fall back into the familiar role of Kyle for the first four levels. The ten subsequent levels place you in the role of Mara Jade, a well-known character who first appeared in Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy.

Level design, as a whole, is quite good, if not excellent. The first four levels pull you into the game and the second level in particular has the same gigantic feel found in many of the levels in Jedi Knight. Also, the player gets a sense that something ominous is at work when Katam informs Jade at the end of level four that he has found an ancient Sith temple and he intends to pay it a visit.

Although the middle missions are tasks commissioned by the New Republic, they are fun even though not as intense as the best missions in the pack. There are nice touches on these levels, from a rancor who is not too pleased that you crashed into his lair to the thrill of completing a mission while your ship is under attack. If nothing else, many of the middle missions have an abundance of atmosphere.

The best levels, however, are the last three. Not only are they creepy and brim-full of dark ambiance, they also are the most intense and challenging of all of the levels. Mara decides that Kyle has been gone too long without checking in with the New Republic, so she leaves for Drumond Kaas and begins a personal quest to find him and ultimately save him from the pitfalls of the dark side of the force.

Hopefully, you've practiced your force skills and your lightsaber work by this point because those are the only weapons you will have on Drumond Kaas. All of your conventional weapons are rendered useless, which makes the game far more challenging and more immersive on a gameplay level. In addition, most of the deadliest new enemies, including rabid creatures attracted to force users called Vornskrs, Undead Sith and Noghri (although Noghri appear in an earlier level) are found on the Drumond Kaas levels. The ending, while probably somewhat unsatisfying for some, is an interesting twist on how most first-person shooters are resolved.

Unlike Jedi Knight, you can choose to play as a gray Jedi and mix and match dark, light and neutral powers without worrying about moral implications. This mixture certainly leads to potentially interesting multi-player games where you can never be sure of the powers wielded by your foes.

The Mysteries of the Sith team also saw fit to include a new multi-player mode, "Kill the Fool with the Ysalimiri" (Ysalimiri are creatures with an anti-force effect). Three new multi-player classes are also available: the scout, the bounty hunter and the soldier -- additionally, players can use the Jedi class.

Mysteries of the Sith is definitely one of the best add-on packs ever created. Instead of putting together a half-baked product, the development team hunkered down and delivered on almost every level of game design. If you have Jedi Knight, Mysteries of the Sith is well worth the small price of an add-on, especially considering it is polished enough to be a stand-alone game.

Review: Enjoyment

Instead of using the same tired puzzles or boring level design, Mysteries of the Sith incorporates one of the best features of the game, the force powers, into the game, making certain objectives possible only through their use. In addition, the abundance of new enemies and new force powers add up to an impressive add-on pack.

Review: Graphics

The graphics are a minor improvement on the Jedi Knight engine. Mysteries of the Sith sports new lighting effects that are used very well in the game. The engine itself is very customizable with a large range of resolutions.

Review: Sound

As is typical for a Star Wars game, sound effects are true to the movies and very effective. Voice acting in Mysteries of the Sith is exceptionally well-done; the actress who played Mara Jade particularly deserves praise for her portrayal of the character.

Review: Replay Value

There are several new multi-player features, including the "Kill the Fool with the Ysalimiri" mode and multi-player classes. Although there is no official level editor for the game, there is a fan-built level editor available and loads of both single-player and multi-player maps.

Review: Documentation

Documentation is adequate.

Production Credits

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