Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast is the third entry in the classic Star Wars: Jedi Knight series, and definitely one of the best Star Wars games ever made. Its focus on lightsaber combat and extensive use of the Force left a lasting mark on our minds, and it still holds up great even after two decades. However, a group known as Team Beef decided to take it to the next level. The JK-XR port is an adaptation of Jedi Outcast compatible with virtual reality headsets... and honestly, Disney should take notes.
There's no point in denying it: most Star Wars games aren't that good, but there are some exceptions that definitely deserve our attention. One of them is the Star Wars: Jedi Knight series, which begins with the classic Dark Forces and the introduction of Kyle Katarn, one of the best characters from the Expanded Universe, now under the 'Legends' banner. Dark Forces has a port that modernizes it almost completely, but what brings us here today is the third game in the saga: Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast.
I admit that lightsaber combat in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is decent, but its violence was toned down to get more flexible ratings. In contrast, none of that exists in Jedi Outcast. With the help of a simple command in its console, Kyle's lightsaber becomes more real, cutting, decapitating, and piercing everything with a simple touch. The game changes completely, and there's more: a group of fans adapted it for use with Oculus VR headsets. This port is called JK-XR... and it looks great.
Experience the Force in VR with JK-XR
The official trailer released by Team Beef lasts less than four minutes, but it's more than enough to leave you speechless. Arms, legs, heads, and torsos fly in all directions, just as you'd expect from a lightsaber. Add to that the ability to combine the saber with specific powers, most notably Force choke and Force push. Thanks to Kyle's abilities and the flexibility of this port, nothing stops us from holding an enemy in the air and throwing the lightsaber to cut him in half with a couple of gestures.
Hardware support for JK-XR is limited to Oculus Quest, Quest 2, and Quest Pro headsets from Meta. Team Beef recreated the engine for standalone execution on these headsets, but you still need some of the original game files, unless you prefer to enjoy the demo. The good news is that Jedi Outcast is available on GOG for less than four dollars (Steam asks more than twice as much).
Official site and download: Click here
