Spare a thought for the stormtroopers. If they're not getting cleaved with lightsabers or blasted in their hundreds, they're being throttled to death by their own masters. We've lost count of how many we've killed over the years. In fact, it now takes really good gameplay to keep us from never wanting to see another Star Wars game again. Sadly, Jedi Academy fails to deliver, barring very scarce improvements over last year's mediocre Jedi Knight II.

One major change is the chance to build your Jedi from scratch. There's a guilty pleasure in being able to play as an overweight Rodian with a double-bladed sabre. Force powers are customisable too, but don't expect the same level of stat-fiddling as in Knight Of The Old Republic.

After each level, you're given a stat point to upgrade your powers. It's a pity that points aren't awarded on the basis of how many enemies are defeated or how long it took to complete the level. You trundle through missions with no real sense of urgency or excitement. Despite this, Jedi powers like levitation and Force Push are still fun to use. We'd have liked some new ones, though.

Don't expect any crises of conscience either - in this game you're a good guy, pure and simple. Levels are a bit more varied in this sequel. One has you riding a tauntaun through the icy wastelands of Hoth and another has you saving prisoners from a rancor. Our favourite scenario is when you crashland on Blenjeel. A hideous sandworm lurks below the desert and you have to keep off the ground to avoid being eaten.

Unfortunately, the graphics are a letdown, whatever planet you're visiting. Coruscant and Tatooine should be thriving with smugglers, traders, scum and villainy. Instead, all we get are a few scattered R2 units and one ugly bounty hunter after another. It's not as if the enemies behave convincingly either. Some of them just stand still while taking multiple hits and we've even seen one of the bosses accidentally jump to his death. This doesn't really add up, because the AI for multiplayer bots is actually quite solid. Multiplayer is definitely the highlight of Jedi Academy, especially with Xbox Live. Up to eight warriors can fight at one time, or you can use seven bots if you aren't on Live. Most arenas are carefully designed with multiple raised platforms, elevators and pitfalls. Force powers have to be used with great skill. The real excitement begins when you're caught in the middle of a four-Jedi lightsabre melee and suddenly there's enough fireworks to make the graphics quite appealing.

Ultimately, if you're going to climb into a Jedi's robes, it has to be for the right reasons. Jedi Academy fails on almost every level as a single-player FPS, but succeeds as a very different multiplayer experience.

1. Being rancor food
2. Riding a Tauntaun
3. Satisfactory AI for multiplayer bots

1. Shabby presentation
2. Sparsely populated planets
3. Too unoriginal

Power
Graphically poor, except the larger monsters like the rancor. Some decent lightsaber effects though.

Style
Cutscenes look great and the John Williams soundtrack is rousing. Presentation is rough at times.

Immersion
We've seen it all before and done much better in other Star Wars games. Not enough originality.

Lifespan
The single-player game can be finished in two days. Multiplayer lasts longer, especially with Live.

Verdict The only big change from Jedi Knight II is Live compatibility. Surely some more lessons should have been leamed?