New Jedi Knight Game Rumors

[Tinny]

oh snap!

[katanamaru]

What is it? The place I get internet form blocks streaming media and d/ls.

[Tinny]

Its a demo showing off starswars stuff with next gen tech.

[Kurgan]

Hmm, interesting, hadn't seen that before. Does LucasArts know somebody swiped that from Hyperspace? Probably none-too-happy, but oh well.

 

Was that shown what was shown at E3, or something newer? Somebody who has it, let me know, I'm curious.

 

It certainly looks cool, but if it's just something for another KOTOR game or another console exclusive, I'll be disappointed. If it's just purely concept tech, that's still cool though.

 

Too bad THIS isn't official.

[Fortune Hunter]

as best as I can tell its a quick glimpse (for hypserspace members) of the Upcoming Star Wars game, I think its got a codename, but Ill have to look up what it is.

 

When they liscensed the euphoria physics engine they said it was going to be used for Indiana Jones and the next Star Wars game

 

EDIT:

 

Star Wars: Force Unleashed (working title) (PC / PS3 / 360)

[Hound_Dawg]

Yeah I just saw that video, and told all my friends. We are all hoping it is a new Jedi Knight game, if they make another JK game, oh man, they'll be rolling in dough. So there is going to be a next gen Jedi Knight game you say Fortune, I have always looked around for official news, but if what you got is official, oh baby oh baby!!!!!!!!

[Kurgan]

Did they actually announce that there is going to be another Jedi Knight game or is this just speculation? I don't have hyperspace and I'm too cheap to pay for it, honestly. We've all wondered if/when they were going to do the next game in the JK series (not just some game where you happen to be a Jedi... Obi-Wan and Episode III the game had nothing whatsoever to do with the JK series, nor did the KOTOR games or Lego Star Wars, even though those were all technically "Jedi" games, and the Jedi abilities were even added to SWG and SWBF2, so lots of games fit that description nowadays in a general sense at least).

 

But if there HAS been a new game officially confirmed, then that is huge news (the biggest news since 2003), and needs to be posted on JK.net (which I would willingly do immediately if I knew it was legit).

 

If it's just speculation that IF they ever made a new JK game and IF it's still current tech by then, they MIGHT use it, then nevermind (though a mention couldn't hurt, but I'd hesitate to post a link to the video if StarWars.com would get on us for somebody re-hosting some Hyperspace material).

 

 

Maybe my memory since E3 (I didn't go) is a little foggy, but this wouldn't be that "Darth Vader game" they were talking about was it? Because that to me didn't sound like it had any connection to the JK series at all... it sounded more like a next generation Episode III game type deal. But who knows what they have planned for the JK series (at one time they told us Obi-Wan was very much going to be the successor to JK, which of course turned out to drastically not be the case).

[TK-8252]

It is not a new Jedi Knight game and anyone who says it is is lying or seriously needs to question where they're getting their information.

 

I have Hyperspace, and here is what their caption was for this particular video:

 

"As shown at Comic-Con International 2006: pre-rendered, pre-visualization of Force Power use in the upcoming next-gen Star Wars title. Though not actual game-play, this video presented the concept of how the Force could be used in a next generation game."

 

Clearly there is no evidence to believe that this would be a new Jedi Knight game.

[Kurgan]

Thanks TK, for clearing that up. I was gonna say.. where have I been??

 

 

Guess we'll just have to keep an eye out and see what this new title is all about...

[Fortune Hunter]

It is just a demo of what COULD be, but A game is still looming.

 

I was wrong in my assumption that it was a Jedi Knight game, I misinterpreted what I read, it is just a STAR WARS game at this point, so I appologize for that.

 

Proof and reference to this upcoming Star Wars game:

http://uk.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/starwars2007/news.html?sid=6150933

http://uk.pc.ign.com/objects/823/823669.html

[toms]

That was a great tech demo... though it didn't look like a particularly great game. Too much like JO/Ep3 for my liking... and though it all looks funky its basically just improved visuals on the powers in JO. Was there anything in that vid you couldn't already do in JO??

 

Throwing boxes i guess... but you could do that in JK...

 

It looks like good tech, but if they don't use if for more than windowdressing then it'll hardly revitalise the franchise.

[Kurgan]

Point taken, they just put in a delay and the ability to take multiple targets at once, otherwise the powers look like variations on JK2/JA's version of Grip, Push and Pull (and JK1's Force Throw). However you didn't have the ability to rip parts of the architecture and toss them around in any of the games (well, I guess technically in Jedi Academy there were a couple of scripted points where you could do so, but typically not to defeat enemies, just remove obstacles to continue your progress, like that boulder on Chandrilla).

 

The article did mention ledge grabbing for enemies (as the one stormtrooper does on that piece you tear off).

[Prime]

I think what people are assuming here is that the saber and force combat systems in Episode III were that much superior to Jedi Academy/Outcast.

I'm just saying that ROTS lightsaber combat had some good ideas, IMO, that would improve the system of JO/JA. I found that as much as I like the games, the run-swing-run-swing style of fighting in JO wasn't very realistic. For the heavy swing in particular, getting out of the way that big slow swing was the only option for defending yourself. It all led to a lot of blind running and swinging by many players (flip-kicks aside).

 

I found that the ROTS system of dueling did a nice job of adding a little defense as well as slowed the movement down at appropriate times. Plus there was a much larger variety of moves and styles available. I think some of those aspects, if incorporated into a new JK system, would lead to better gameplay.

 

The issues with ROTS were not necessarily inherent in the system chosen, but in the final implementation.

[Fortune Hunter]

I never played it, but from the sounds of it, the fighting and movement was more fluid which is something JK needs. More fluid animations and possibly more scripted interactions with enemies, "moves" if you will.

 

Also: the euphoria engine allows for destructable environments, and remember JO and JA were both built on the Quake 3 engine, which didnt support dynamic physics... ie the likes seen in Half Life 2 and Farcry.

 

I think its actually a great improvement as the ragdolls, moveable and breakable objects, the possibilty to lift and propell objects (like the gravity gun in HL2) would add more gameplay. sure you could push and pull stuff and people, but especially lacking ragdolls it was all very akward. I also think the improved model and bone structure could lead to much better interactions and movements. This is just a brief and quick thing, I have a feeling that much more is to come, and besides I like lightsabe games, so even another JK game on the quake 3 engine would make me midly content.

[toms]

With next gen animation and physics they really should be able to pull something off where the players sabers interat more... so rather than hitting a person until their health bar drops, you'd have a back and forth fight where blows were blocked, until you wore down their defences and had a chance to finish them through the opening.

 

Ideally the game would be on Wii, but failing that I think they should go for a more gritty, samurai feeling to the fights.. less third person fliping and special moves, more timing and openings. And more weight.

Maybe they should even make it FIRST PERSON combat. Recently a number of games seem to have finally figured out how to do FP melee combat, and it can be used to add impact to the blows and blocks. (Riddick and Might & Magic come to mind, also Oblivion).

Have a "ready" stance like you get with a lot of the more realistic shooters.. where you raise your saber, but move more slowly. In normal stance your saber might block incoming shots from a distance, but if raised it would send shots back, and it would autoblock all incoming saber attacks..

Then, instead of a sheild have a slowly recharging "defence" meter.. and each block would reduce it. Timing would be important for attacks and counter attacks, and good attacks would raise your defence meter while reducing your opponents.. the better timed attacks would reduce it more, the badly timed and repetetive ones would reduce it less.

Use riddick/PoP:2 Thrones style screen effects to show timing for openings and counter attacks.. and then when one player's defence meter was depleted, a "finishing move" could be used to take off a very large percentage of their health.

 

I don't think that just adding good physics to the tired 3rd person saber/force run/slow/flip mechanic is going to do more than add a few levels of fun before you realise its actually the same old stuff you've played 10 times before.

[Gabrobot]

The game apparently takes place in between Episode III and IV (latest TFN gaming news post). Also, from what I heard back around E3 time, select reporters got to see actual in-game real-time gameplay, and it was the same kind of thing as seen in this pre-rendered video, so it may actually deliver what it promises.

 

With next gen animation and physics they really should be able to pull something off where the players sabers interat more... so rather than hitting a person until their health bar drops, you'd have a back and forth fight where blows were blocked, until you wore down their defences and had a chance to finish them through the opening.

 

Modern physics/animation technology has Inverse Kinematics which allows exactly this. It would suit Jedi Knight style combat beautifully!

[razorace]

The technology is getting to the point where this sort of detail is going to be possible, (SmoothMotion is the name I think).

 

But, I think we're really going to have to wait and see. The video shown was a pre-rendered video, which is the same sort of thing you saw in Episode 3. The difference between that and a playable video game is VAST.

 

Anyway, as for my two cents, I think the core of the next ideal Jedi Knight game would be focused on dramatically improving the pure lightsaber combat. While force powers are fun to play with, I think battling with the lightsaber should be as in-depth and as fun as possible.

[Fortune Hunter]

The Wii has been confirmed for support by Lucasarts, but not on this one.

 

I agree about the need for a new style of fighting, over the mad clicking rampage that was JA. First person would be cool, because you could stare down your opponents, but you miss so muchc of the movement and acrobatics envolved.

 

I think perhaps it might be good when you get into a fighting distance to have a stance or mode where the mouse controls the saber movement, allowing for choice of where and how to swing.

[toms]

The upcoming Might and Magic game is looking more like what i have in my mind for a JK/Deus Ex game. It seems to have a more soild feeling world, more weighty feeling first person melee combat, and allow the player to mix and match between melee, ranged, stealth and sniping... plus throw in some opportunities for physics related fun.

 

 

I've no idea if it has much in the way of Deus Ex/KOTOR style dialogue, rpg elements, weapon customisation or anything else.. but simply as an action game it seems more interesting to me.

(plus it has rope arrows!! )

 

[edit]and the multiplayer sounds pretty cool too: http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/action/darkmessiahofmightmagic/news.html?sid=6154244

[JoesGuy]

George Lucas has not played a role in the Jedi Knight series I'm pretty sure. The only game he was involved in the creation of I believe was the Episode III game.

 

Even so, I've not seen Lucasarts shun away game sequels, well not to my knowledge anyway.

[Fortune Hunter]

The one thing I couldnt stand about KOTOR was the turn based pre defined combat... I like real time, clicking action.

 

But as best as I can tell the so called "Force Unleashed" doesnt sound like a sequel to JO or JA, as in it isnt part of the series or story, but it looks to be in the same nature, and thats really good enough for me, if its like JA and you play the role of a Jedi (you customize) and run around with a lightsaber, and thats what I really want. If they bring back KYLE, GREAT, just give me a lightsaber (Im easily pleased)

[JoesGuy]

Hmm Force Unleashed eh?

 

Could be somewhat fun if it's similar to JO and JA.

[Tinny]

 

Wow, nice the jk series could learn a thing or two from that.

[JoesGuy]

They sure could

[MeleeMaster]

If there is a JK4, I hope they give you melee from the start also, and not just punching but I hope you can kick and do combos and do some powerful Jedi Martial Arts moves. I want to be able to kick a** with my bare hands!