Mac game publisher Aspyr Media Inc. announced Friday that it will soon release a Mac conversion of LucasArts’ Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy.
Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is the followup to Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, a game released for the Mac last year by Aspyr Media. Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is the latest Mac game to get the Star Wars treatment. Players take on the role of a Jedi student learning the ways of the Force by Master Luke Skywalker.
Players can customize their own characters by defining what species and gender they are, how they’re dressed and more. Plus, you can design your own lightsaber with custom handles and blade colors; you can go two-handed and even use the dual-bladed type seen in use by Darth Maul for Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace. Players visit well-known locations and interact with famous characters while they make decisions that affect whether or not they’ll fight for good or follow the path of the Dark Side.
Developed by Raven Software, Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy was only recently released for Windows and Xbox platforms. Aspyr spokesperson Roxie Garza indicated that the Macintosh conversion is being handled internally by developer Brad Oliver. Oliver is one of two Mac game programmers who recently came to Aspyr by way of Westlake Interactive (the other is Mark Krenek). Garza indicates that Jedi Academy is at its Beta development milestone.
As MacCentral posted this article, Aspyr Media had not updated its project status Web page with details about the game, but MacCentral has learned that the game is slated to ship in January.
In related news, Aspyr also announced Friday that its Mac game conversion of Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb has gone gold master. The game has gone into replication and should hit store shelves by December 2, according to Aspyr’s Garza.
Another LucasArts-licensed game, Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb puts players in the role of the legendary adventurer as he goes on a quest to recover an ancient Chinese artifact from falling into the hands of the Nazis and the Asian underworld. The game was just previewed on Apple’s Games site.