Jedi Academy — The Star Wars Game That Still Rules the Galaxy

The hands-down best Star Wars game and one of the greatest godamn games of all time.

I recently looked back at one of my favorite PC games of all time — Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy.

This has to be one of the greatest games ever made that gets the least recognition.

It comes from the Golden Era of PC gaming, when games were built around unique plots, wild experimental engines, and deep personal customization — before the era of high-budget, cinematic "movie games" that either push the current political narrative or, at best, recycle the same gameplay loop with no soul. No real freedom. Just railroaded spectacle.

This is the kind of game that’s 1.32 GB, and yet when you play the next game in the series — which weighs in at 100 GB — you find yourself constantly and desperately asking the devs:

“Why was this removed?”
“Why can’t I do that anymore?”
“Why strip out that feature?! IT WAS SO GOOD??”

And then you realize...

You're actually enjoying the old 1.32 GB game way more. A game that probably cost 1/100th of the modern budget to make.

But seriously — where else can you:

• Customize your own Jedi?

• Choose your lightsaber color, then (during the story line) upgrade your saber style to dual, or staff)? Or simply stick with the OG single saber and unlock three completely unique saber styles (Fast, Medium, and Heavy), each with their own attack combos?

Where else is saber combat actually realistic — where your blade moves according to your mouse direction and movement keys, not canned animations?

Where else can you pull off 85–93 unique saber animations and you can jump or roll mid any of them??? (Yes this is real I had ChatGPT count them up! SERIOUSLY 93???)

Where else can you hand-pick from 15+ Force powers, like:

• Force Speed

• Force Push

• Force Pull

• Force Choke

• Force Lightning

• Force Absorb (which counters enemy Force powers and converts them into energy for you)

• Mind Trick

• Force Heal

• Force Protect

• Force Jump

Where else does Force Choke follow the free motion of your mouse — letting you lift a Stormtrooper into the air, slam them into walls or destructibles, hold them mid-air while blending them with a saber throw, or fry them with Force Lightning—Or just casually yeet them off a ledge into a lava chasm with the freedom of Half-Life’s Gravity Gun?

Where else can you max out Force Jump and launch across rooftops like a master rank jump character in Morrowind or Oblivion?

Where else is each map built like an old-school platformer, made for dynamic Jedi vs. Sith duels?

Dueling on a high-speed magnetic bullet train flying through the air above a city planet?

Dueling on bridges over black chasms or lava pits — where one wrong move (from you or the enemy AI) sends someone screaming into the abyss?

Each duel — especially on max difficulty — feels like a handcrafted cinematic Star Wars battle, unique every time. You have to use a mix of strafing, timed saber strikes, and smart Force management.

If your Force reserves drop, so does your saber defense and your resistance to enemy Force powers — it's an actual system, not a gimmick.

One of my favorite tactics?

When I’m dueling a Sith on a narrow bridge, I don’t use any Force powers at first. I wait... wait...

Then the moment they trigger Force Rage or Lightning — before they can recover — I leap over them and time a Force Pull.

Because their Force meter is drained, they can't resist — they fly into the air and drop into the lava below.

Then I retract my saber and RP walk to the next zone like a boss.

If you haven’t gotten the point by now…

This game is the bomb.

I recommend it to anyone who hasn’t played it yet. You will not be disappointed.
(Unless there’s no gamer in you, and you prefer watching cinematic CGI movies instead…)

Grab a copy — it’s cheap, small, and runs on almost anything:

🔗 Jedi Academy on GOG Or get it on Steam.

Yeah there are some bugs where it freezes in one particular cutscene, just look up the cheat codes to jump to the next level.

It’s also a first-person shooter. So if you want you can play the game with laser pistols and grenades.

Just remember these words: The Sith always dodge bullets…

And now you realize…

This game is secretly three genres mashed into one:

• A lightsaber dueling sim

• A customizable RPG

• And a retro-style FPS
  All packed into 1.32 gigs of pure, underrated brilliance.

Peace,

—Alucard

Exampels of some of the saber combinations (not all):

Movement + AttackSlice DirectionForward (W)Overhead downward sliceBack (S)Upward or backward slashLeft (A)Left-to-right horizontal sliceRight (D)Right-to-left horizontal sliceForward + Left (W+A)Diagonal slash from top-right to bottom-leftForward + Right (W+D)Diagonal slash from top-left to bottom-rightBack + Left (S+A)Spinning slice (often defensive)Back + Right (S+D)Reverse spinning sliceStanding stillNeutral slash based on stance

Advanced Attacks & Combos

Special Attacks (Stance-Specific)

These depend on your saber stance and directional input:

🟦 Fast Style (Blue) Specials

• Lunge attack:
  Forward + Attack + Jump (Space)
  (Quick stab/lunge forward)

• Backstab:
  Back + Attack near enemy
  (Fast turnaround stab)

🟨 Medium Style (Yellow) Specials

• Cartwheel attack:
  Forward + Strafe + Attack (e.g., W+A+Attack)
  (Leaps with a horizontal slash)

• Overhead spin:
  Back + Attack
  (Spinning vertical slice)

🟥 Strong Style (Red) Specials

• DFA (Death From Above):
  Forward + Jump + Attack while in air
  (Leaps and slams saber downward)

• Twirl Smash:
  Back + Attack
  (Slow, powerful spinning strike)

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Other Lightsaber Techniques

MoveInputSaber throwPress the Saber Throw button (usually R)Kick (with saber)Run at enemy and press Jump + AttackWall runRun at wall + hold JumpWall flip (off enemy)Jump at enemy + press Jump againManual combo (stance-dependent)Chain directional attacks with timing, e.g. W+A, W+D, A+D quickly

This doesn’t even include Duel Sabers and Saber Staff…