Customer Reviews

Star Wars, Dark Forces Collector's Trilogy (Soldier for the Empire; Rebel Agent; Jedi Knight)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's a well-done audio play. It has all the sound effects of the original radio dramas, used to wonderful effect. Like most Star Wars works, it re-uses the music from the movies but that isn't a bad thing. Each piece is used exactly where you'd expect to hear it. The story is of a young imperial officer discovering that the Empire isn't on the side of the angels and that he shares with Luke Sykwalker a claim to the legacy of the Jedi.

The ONLY complaint that I'd have about this is that it strays from the books it's adapted from and the games the books are based on. In other words, some of the most dramatic aspects of the story are left out. Example: Instead of the old Jedi Knight Rahn holding his own against all the Dark Jedi in his final battle, Jerec (chief baddie) just kills him without a fight. There are a few other examples of incredibly anti-climatic re-tellings of certain aspects of the story... but overall it really isn't that bad. I bought it, and if you've played the games (and you should since Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II features live actors in movie cut scenes that all together could be considered Episode VII) then it's a fun way to revisit a great story. "A Self-taught Jedi" indeed. Kudos.

There are lot of great Star Wars pieces from the 90's since it was right before the prequels came out that changed a lot of the tone of Star Wars for the worst. This feels like a Star Wars movie, only it's audio.

There's obviously a lot of description of what's happening through dialogue that is very unnatural in normal conversation but this is audio drama, so that has to be there. Nevertheless there's great voice acting and a lot of fun in these stories. You're basically getting like 4 to 5 hours of of Kyle Katarn's journey and it's definitely fun to listen to again.

Anyway this is a real gem to find if you are Star Wars fan.

My family really enjoys this series. We are SW fans and have a library of radio theatre & audio books and this has gained a permanent spot.

The story of Kyle Katarn adds a major element to the events of Episode IV and fills in a story for a minor big character in the Star Wars Universe. The story takes us through the life of Kyle from Imperial Academy to rebel spy and finally to Jedi Knight. The story takes place essentially behind the scenes of the main Star Wars story pictured Episodes IV-VI. Kyle is finishing his senior year at the Imperial Academy & set to join the ranks of the Imperial Navy when the unexpected happens. While his Jedi powers have managed to keep him safe and not greatly manifested themselves yet, a senior mission opens him up to some rather deep seeded questions. He eventually crosses paths with a rebel spy team who he befriends and aids during a clandestine mission on a luxury liner and forever turns his back on the Empire. Kyle continues to aid the rebels in several vital missions without really declaring his loyalty to them. Meanwhile Kyle is on his own personal mission to find out out the truth about who killed his father & his family's mysterious past. Sparking a love interest with his rebel handler, challenging a Sith Lord and discovering the truth about his family's past told in the true fashion of Star Wars lore are part of the glittering adventures of Kyle Katarn in Dark Forces.
The difference between a radio drama and a pure audio book is the level of detail. With the radio drama we hear move sound effects and greater voice inflection to help paint a more vivid picture. This added detail enables listeners to become more involved in the story. There is less spoon feeding of detail then is present in an audio book. Perhaps this is a big sticking point and aversion for some people when it comes to a radio version of a story (Not that a lot are made anymore). The radio drama exists between a movie and an audio book making it tough medium to follow. Audio books provide a greater utility in the sense of detail; however, a radio drama provides a better first person view point of its story. Though the audio is at time hard to hear, the elements of the story and the traditional Star Wars themes and adventure remains intact. Overall this was a very interesting listening experience. I never had the opportunity to listen to an original radio drama back when they were popular, so this was also a nostalgic moment as well.

Very well made, interesting and easy to follow. Very good sound effects in the back ground to go along with the story telling. If you played any of the games in relation, you will enjoy it even more. I'm glad I bought this and I already went through it twice.

These CDs were absolutely wonderful. for those of you who have listened to the original Star Wars radio drama and wished you could have more star wars stories in the same fashion. HERE IT IS! . for those of you new to the star wars universe....or have not heard the original radio drama, this is a full cast audio production with sound effects. This is well written and acted. the story is excellent. a must have for any star wars fan. great for tips on the road in the car.

These Cds were absolutely wonderful. for those of you who have listened to the original Star Wars radio drama and wished you could have more star wars stories in the same fashion. HERE IT IS! . for those of you new to the star wars universe....or have not heard the original radio drama, this is a full cast audio production with sound effects. This is well written and acted. the story is excellent. a must have for any star wars fan. great for tips on the road in the car.

A good idea crushed by weak radio style acting. If the stories were simply narated and not played as though they were old time radio broadcasts, the stories themselves are interesting. Painfull to listen to in the car driving b/c of poor volume in recording. Get some othe Star Wars audio book.

I've always been a huge fan of Star Wars and own quite a few audio books and dramatizations including the wonderful Star Wars trilogy dramatized radio broadcast, the Approaching Storm, Darth Maul, Episode 1, Episode 2, Rogue Planet, etc.

Judging from reviews I read, I was expecting this to be at least a reasonable facsimile of the original trilogy radio dramatization but it definitely is not that. I felt the writing, acting and even the story concept poor. If you're anxious for something good to listen to and haven't tried the other Star Wars books on audio cd yet, give those a shot first and see if you can pick this up used. This can be mildly entertaining at times but it's certainly not worth full price.

Among all of my Star Wars audio books and/or dramatizations, this one comes in dead last... I'd recommend venturing into non-Star Wars audio books like Frank Herbert's Dune before dropping any money on this selection.