Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has been on the market for quite a while now, and it's been hailed as a return to form both in terms of storytelling, and a single-player experience. Cal Kestis' journey from fledgling Jedi-in-hiding to all-out Imperial wrecking ball was an experience many enjoyed, but it wasn't the first to utilize this idea.
In 2002, Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast was released, and was critically praised for updating the traditional FPS style of Dark Forces with Jedi-fused lightsaber combat. Both games are excellent when it comes to the use of the saber as a weapon, but which one holds the edge? Here's 5 reasons why Fallen Order is the best lightsaber game, and 5 reasons why Jedi Outcast takes the crown.
10 Fallen Order Is 100% Lightsaber
Fallen Order focuses almost exclusively on the use of a lightsaber in combat, meaning there's no room for secondary weapons to get in the way and change up the combat style.
This is a major attraction for Jedi purists who prefer to use a more elegant weapon in an uncivilized age. The focus on the lightsaber as a sole weapon means Fallen Order sticks closer to Jedi principles than other games.
9 Jedi Outcast Has More Versatile Combat
Jedi Outcast was based on the Dark Forces franchise, which began life as a first-person shooter in the vein of DOOM. Main character Kyle Katarn started out as a rogue mercenary working under contract for the Rebellion, only for things to take a mystical turn later on.
Katarn would later find out that he's a Force sensitive, which changed the dynamic of both Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II and its followup, Jedi Outcast. Kyle can wield a number of secondary weapons such as blasters and rifles in order to accomplish tasks, instead of relying purely on a saber. Oh, and you can also wield the Dark Side if you so choose!
8 Fallen Order Follows Canon
Star Wars is now largely under the wing of Disney, who have thrown out anything related to the Expanded Universe (now called Legends) in favor of their own official timeline. While this has caused many fans to bristle, it nevertheless means that Fallen Order is considered the real deal, in terms of canon.
The decision to place Fallen Order in a pre-New Hope timeline following the Jedi purge was a risky bet, given how many stories already take place there, but Fallen Order is largely self-contained, allowing the game to explore its own mythos with relative freedom.
7 Jedi Outcast Follows the Expanded Universe
In contrast, Jedi Outcast took its cues from the Expanded Universe material, which was rich in both content and story. Kyle Katarn's journey was loosely connected to the events laid down by authors like Timothy Zahn and Kevin J. Anderson in their followup novels.
Many fans prefer this timeline, as they believe it's more closely connected to Star Wars history, with better stories. The presence of the Imperial Remnant and the rise of Dark Jedi trying to fill the power vacuum left by the late Emperor Palpatine helped shape Jedi Outcast's story, and created a compelling narrative.
6 Fallen Order's Combat Requires Training
It's no secret that Fallen Order is difficult. Even on the Normal setting, the game is unforgiving in the way it forces the player to practice rudiments and analyze enemy attack patterns in order to win a fight.
With such a heavy emphasis placed on timing, one could argue that Fallen Order is far closer to simulating true Jedi training than other games featuring saber combat. It may have offered a grueling experience that some hated, but it feels more faithful to the Jedi training regiment.
5 Jedi Outcast's Combat Is More Free-Flowing
Jedi Outcast is more about the glamor and glitz of lightsaber combat, and it attempts to duplicate the look and feel of the Star Wars movies in the way it approaches combat scenes.
There's more to Jedi Outcast's lightsaber combat than hacking and slashing, however. Leaping attacks, parrying and lightsaber locking are all present here, and the quickness of the combat means that each fight is exhilarating.
4 Fallen Order Has Lightsaber Upgrades
Fallen Order is big on lightsaber customization, so much so that the entire game revolves around finding new hilts, materials, emitters and switches to Frankenstein your dream blade.
Jedi Outcast does offer a few options for customizing your saber, but they pale in comparison to what's on the menu in Fallen Order. Bonus content gave players a collection of new upgrades and saber colors to choose from, which was well-received.
3 Jedi Outcast Makes You Work For Your Lightsaber
Jedi Outcast follows a story laid down in Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II which revolves around Kyle Katarn's victory against the Dark Jedi Jerec, and his subsequent abandonment of the Force.
When things go bad in the game, Katarn travels to the Valley Of The Jedi to get a Force boost and reclaim his powers, before heading to Luke Skywalker's Jedi Order to regain his saber. Many first time players fondly remember the first time they succeeded in retrieving the saber and igniting it, triggering the game's true combat mode.
2 Fallen Order Has Inquisitors
The Inquisitors were first introduced in the animated Star Wars: Rebels show as Force users trained in the Dark Side. Their task was to serve the Sith Lords Darth Sidious and Vader by scouring the galaxy for leftover Jedi to exterminate.
The inclusion of Inquisitors in Fallen Order ties the game more closely to established story canon, while giving reasonable foes for Cal to fight against. Since Inquisitors aren't nearly as powerful or efficient fighters as a fully trained Sith, they provide a challenge that Cal can realistically overcome, without appearing too overpowered.
1 Jedi Outcast Has The Reborn
The story of Jedi Outcast focuses on the Dark Jedi Desann (a former pupil of Luke Skywalker) establishing an army known as The Reborn, who were gifted force powers after bathing in the energy of the fabled Valley Of The Jedi.
While largely an excuse to provide as many Dark Jedi as possible to lock sabers with, it works in the game's favor. In the later stages of the game, there's a Dark Jedi around almost every corner, giving the player plenty of opportunities to live out their lightsaber-swinging dreams!