MiZiK's Animations

New animations bug me.

I believe that Raven made the creation of new animations such a pain in the proverbial hind parts for a very important, specific reason: animations = moves. Change the animations, and you change the way the saber moves through the air, which means that you end up completely transforming the game. This might appeal to some folks; God knows that there are a ton of folks out there that love JediPlus for its extra stances and new saber moves and whatnot. Unfortunately, it just doesn't appeal to me.

That makes reviewing a mod like this, while remaining completely objective, a very, very difficult task.

So, here's my solution: I'm going to look at this mod as though all that was changing were aesthetics; as if the gameplay doesn't change a whit. If that were the case, the mod's actually pretty nifty; the new blue stance has you holding the hilt high over your head (but DAMN, even my arms were getting tired after a few minutes play); the new yellow stance is actually pretty close to the original (though there are some subtle differences); and best of all, the new red stance idle position looks like a batter getting ready to swing. The problem with the idle stances is that when they combine with the bow-legged look of the legs, things feel instantly out of place. Where as the split fore-and-aft stance of the feet seems to make sense with the normal stances, in the mod they look a little... released... if you get my drift.

The walking animation's been altered, so that, when you're playing as a male model, you no longer look like a transvestite; the feminine stalk is gone. On the other hand, the new walk looks like you're carrying a soccer ball between your thighs -- the design of the models makes it look as though the male models have hips, and males should NOT have visible hips. It's a toss-up; you end up trading one slight downside for another slight downside. The walk is admittedly, however, a refreshing change.

Then there are the moves. Ahh, the moves. Annoyingly, all the basic swings and slashes seem to be identical to their base brethren. This is fine, except for the case of the red stance swing; with the hilt held in a batter's position, you REALLY want to start swinging at baseballs, and you just can’t. As far as the special moves go, you'll recognize them if you've played JediPlus. The same thing goes for the rolls and JediMoves.

The problem is, folks, that it's not just aesthetics that are changed; it's gameplay. The blue lunge is now a whirlwind attack, and the red is the same thing but has you spinning the other way around. Distances are modified, damages feel as though they're different; it's an entirely new gameplay experience. The thing is, it's almost TOO busy. There's TOO MUCH movement, TOO MUCH change, to feel homely. Instead, the sense of awkwardness just never seems to leave.

But then again, that's just me. The bottom line? You're reading an undeniably biased review. So just download it, for God's sakes, it's certainly small enough. See what it's like for yourself. Like it? Great! Don't? Okey-dokey. Fine with me. Just leave me some garlic bread when you leave.

And no, that last line isn't supposed to make sense. Stop laughing at my insanity; it's inborn.

I mean...

Damnit.

New Textures: It's an animation mod. New Sounds: It's an animation mod. New Maps: It's an animation mod. New Models: It's an animation mod. New Skins: IT'S AN ANIMATION MOD! New Animations: Hey, yeah!

- Dan "ViperEye" Tennant