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Jedi Knight (Dark Forces 2)
This is not the first FPS I played of course, but any review I give of Doom etc will be much the same as anyone else's.
Graphics: 6/10. Though completely dated now they were good at the time. The game also had full video cutscenes like a (slightly melodramatic) movie which was much better at conveying things than the stiff blocky shapes of those days.
Sound: 6/10. The voice acting was capable, but nothing special, the music was fairly average. Even for the time this was nothing special.
Gameplay: 7/10. As the first ever Star Wars game with Force Powers and lightsabres it is worthy of mention. The weapon selection is adequate, the bosses are acceptably hard and the Force adds a new dimension to the game. While some of the powers are horribly unbalanced (deadly sight, protection and destruction step forward!) and some are useless, overall it was a good set. The locales and puzzles are hard, but not excessively annoying. Of course, the game also has annoyingly obscure puzzles and to a later eye it is very hard to tell some of the pixel messes apart.
Story/Characters: 8/10. This story, while not perfect, was a good Star Wars tale, and felt epic even if it wasn't always. Kyle Katarn is one of my favourite Star Wars characters ever. Basically, there's two ways to take him; an annoying cliché or an amusing and interesting cliché; I take the latter! The Dark Side story end is notable because it is the first Star Wars game to do this, though it certainly won't be the last.
Total: 27/40. Though this seems a low mark, it really was quite good at the time, even if 13 years later it doesn't hold the same amount of weight. It started a precedent which goes on to this day.

Mysteries of the Sith (Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight Expansion)
Graphics: 5/10. Same as Jedi Knight though without the movies. Big mistake, and it made the in-game cutscenes look very shoddy compared. Note, I only played this in 2007 so I found it really, really hard to play because of the graphics being so dated.
Sound: 6/10. Same as Jedi Knight.
Gameplay: 7/10. Same as Jedi Knight though with new powers, even if most of them weren't especially useful.
Story/Characters: 6/10. This story had definite airs of a run-around. There was actually very little plot, and it was padded out by adding otherwise unnecessary and long levels. Mara Jade is the other character you play, but she didn't really have much of a discernable character. The end confrontation is very well handled though, and very Star Wars-ish.
Total: 25/40. It is hard to go back 12 years and play something which relied on graphics to tell the story. However, I do think that if I'd played it at the time I might well have enjoyed it more.

Deus Ex
Graphics: 7/10. For the time, and even now, these are pretty good. The dystopian future (including bombed Statue of Liberty just a few months before 9/11 too) is well shown, with the evils and dangers of wealth and unrestrained science.
Sound: 7/10. The music was rather non-descript, but the acting wasn't bad, and the effects were also good.
Gameplay: 9/10. A high mark, but I felt it very successfully mixed the shooting elements with role playing, plot decisions and the various skills. The weapons and items were both familiar and fantastic. The implants system was also really good. For its time this was a perfect mix of shooting and brains.
Story/Characters: 8/10. The story never lags, and your choices actually do effect the plot in a way many RPGs don't allow. The characters while hardly fantastic were both serviceable and played their roles well. Overall I think that they hit just the right balance. I was very impressed by the story.
Total: 32/40. I loved Deus Ex back in the day, and though I no longer have it loaded I recommend it for anyone able to put up with the slightly dated graphics.

Jedi Outcast (Dark Forces 3, Jedi Knight 2.)
Graphics: 7/10. Very serviceable graphics, and still viewable today without much of a problem. The lightsabres, weapons, enemies etc are all well shown, though they are a little blocky in places.
Sound: 7/10. A good music mix of the movie's score adds to the usual effects. The voice acting is nothing special, but it is capable.
Gameplay: 8/10. Force powers and lightsabres done properly. It really gave a sense of being 'in the world'. By advancing your powers at a set rate they did limit the control a little, but it enabled them to work it into the plot so you had to use certain powers at certain points. Of course, there were illogical, silly puzzles, but that's to be expected.
Story/Characters: 7/10. Although hardly wonderful, the game does chart a good course through the story. The lack of any choice in the game is a little off-putting, but it hangs together well. Kyle is still a good character, and the two antagonists are adequate enough. It was a good Star Wars tale, but without the epic nature of the original Jedi Knight.
Total: 29/40. This game is a good example of a product which is above average in all regards. Nothing especially

TBC