In Dark Forces, Kyle is just a gun-totting grunt, but in Dark Forces II he becomes a Jedi while pursuing the Dark Jedi Jeric. All the games concern Kyle Katarn, an imperial officer turned rebel mercenary.
Prior to Jedi Knight 2 : Jedi Outcast, there were three games in the series: Dark Forces, Dark Forces II Jedi Knight, and Mysterious of the Sith, an expansion to the Dark Forces II. Jedi Outcast withholds the lightsaber out of respect for key plot points in the series' prior games, but the bombastic nature of the gameplay undercuts the deference. It’s a perplexing decision considering the game is all about lightsaber action, but it’s even weirder when considering the story reasons behind the decision. It’s strange, then, that the most popular game in the franchise, Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast, withholds the lightsaber for dozens of hours because of the story.
The Jedi Knight series is all about using the Force to augment ones lightsaber skills and decimate enemies story is an afterthought. They eschew the pathos and spirituality of the Lucas' films and allow players to let loose, indulging in a power fantasy with reckless abandon. Within the Star Wars pantheon, the Jedi Knight video games are something truly special.
