stoffe -mkb- brings an entirely new realm of mysticism to the beliefs of the Jedi / Sith with this mod. It explains why so many of the 'normal' folk so revere (or fear) those following the traditions of using the Force. These are by no means "simple card tricks"...

Scenario: It's mid/late February... you've just come home from a rampant search & seize to grab the latest PC installment of Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords....

Pumped with adrenaline, and excited so much you can barely keep the box in your hands you flip it over to read 'what's new'... and this line grabs your attention...

"Unleash all-new Force Powers, feats and weapons as you battle the evil Sith"

What was that?! NEW Force Powers! Needless to say, the box is shredded in a matter of nano-seconds and the game installed before the dust settles...

Advance several hours after gameplay... we find the player somewhat confused, perhaps bitter? Where's the NEW Force Powers!?!

Force Sight... please, I have enough trouble taking in all the eye-candy without turning everything shades of grey, blue and red. Yes I already know they're evil, they're the ones trying to separate my head from my body... duh...

Force Scream, ok not so bad, but why is it when I use it, the 10 opponents surrounding me seem to get their turn in beating me into a pulp. Reminder to self, don't open mouth again (perhaps that's why our PC mysteriously has no voice in this new edition)... hehehe

Beast Trick, greeeaaat a new power I use once... and of course it fails! argghh!

Force Enlightenment / Force Crush, now here's what we've been waiting for! Wait... what do you mean the game's already 2/3 over?!? What the... *censored*

The disappointment and frustration continues... but "accepted" out of futility...

Fast Forward 4 months....

What's this...? High Level Force Powers, (read further)...18 new powers!!! (wake up from fainting) 18 new powers!! I have got to see this! The old familiar sound of the CD spinning... the familiar "A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far, Far away" title (cold chills)... and several hours later of gameplay...

Our player sits still in silence, humbled, amazed... mouth agape and a small tear forming in their eye... "This, this is wonderful!"...

Does this sound familiar? Well, perhaps not so dramatic... but I will almost guarantee to anyone that gives this mod a try will either cry from joy, or come pretty darn close to it (for all of you macho types out there.. hehe)..

When I first tried this mod out, it was all I could do to regenerate my Force Point pool just so I could see these powers in action again. Powers so intense, I literally forgot that my PC even had a lightsaber. Now these ARE the powers that we've been waiting for!

Not only does this mod contain 18 new powers, 6 LS, 6 DS & 6 "universal"... but the visual and sound effects are stunning and only add to the euphoria this mod can bring. Yes peepz, these powers ARE that good. With alignment options and Prestige Class choices determining availability, this mod brings numerous re-playability to the game. I will admit, though I'm almost solely a LS player, I was indeed tempted enough to start a DS player just so I could see their optional powers. I wasn't disappointed.

Because there are 18 new powers I won't give the details of all of them. Afterall, this review is only to give you an idea of the mod and urge you to try this out. It wouldn't be any fun if I told you "everything" hehehe...

A few Universal for starters with their descriptions.
(Hail to the Force users out there that now have numerous choices of considerable power without having to worry morally over what they've just utilized)

1. Force Hurricane

   Through the Force the surrounding air can be accelerated into a raging storm, lifting all nearby enemies off the ground and throwing them helplessly around for the duration of this power.

   Picture the second tier of Force Push (the whirlwind effect) but affecting EVERYONE in a large group. When I first used this power it was amazing, and quite funny to be honest. There's nothing comparable to having your enemies floating around ready to be "served" justice for daring to bring you or your companions harm.

2. Force Strike

   Force Strike concentrates the force energies of the surroundings into a series of intense energy bolts that will simultaneously strike the selected target.

   Needless to say, when using this power for the first time. Make sure you have a seatbelt on ;) The sound effects and visual "blasting" this power uses is riveting and startling to those not prepared for what's to come. I almost felt sorry for the poor sap I chose to be the victim of this power.... hehehe

On to the Light-Side Powers!
(Being my most often choice, with this mod I now have the power to be the 'Champion of the People' and the ability to back it up with not-so-wimpy choices of the Force)

1. Force Static Field

   The Jedi can use the Force to release a violent burst of static electricity in an area around the selected target. While this burst is completely harmless to organic lifeforms it will wreak havoc on the circuits of droids and other electrical systems such as turrets.

   Forget Destroy Droid, use THIS power! Not only does it wreak havoc on droid opponents... it will sometimes make them fight FOR you! Imagine the surprise on your opponents face when their droid "counterparts" turn around and start firing on them... remember, most of your enemies don't bring along wimpy friends ;)

2. Force Omniscience

   Omniscience grants the Jedi insight into the intentions of nearby enemies. This premonition about what is to come allows the Jedi time to defend against nearly any attack, while being fully able to exploit any weaknesses in the enemies may have.

   Stuck in a fight with some over-grown, hopped-up on steroids enemy? Fear not, for now we have this power! Not only will it severely weaken your opponents "hide"... your strikes ALWAYS hit... yup, 'always'. Needless to say this power has a short lifespan, but it's definitely that breather we sometimes need to get our opponents down to that critical area between your life or theirs...

Now, we creep to the shadows and reveal some of the "Darker" things in life... (Now admittingly, this is why when I do play LS, I like to have a high charisma... I get to use powers like these without suffering from high Force Cost usage) though some powers will require you to be a DS Prestige class... so all of you Sith out there, rejoice in the new devastation that comes to you with this mod!

1. Chain Lightning

   The force user can unleash a torrent of electricity at a target. The lightning bolt will forcefully strike the target, causing damage and debilitating pain, and then arc to the next nearest enemy and do the same.

   Force Storm? bleh... who needs it... I've got Chain Lightning! With this wicked power not only does your lightning arc to the nearest opponent, but to those opponents who decided to stay near him will fill it's scourge. This bolt will travel subsequently to each and every enemy within it's 2 second duration. Not only does it sear the pants off your targets, but it's so intense it will knock them back onto their now "cooked" fanny ;) hehehe

2. Force Incinerate

   While even a lowly apprentice can use the Force to create heat and light small fires, a Master can put this ability to devastating use as a weapon. This terrible power will lift a single target off the ground and set them ablaze in roaring flames.

   Though only for use against a single opponent, this power just reeks "Sith"... not only are the visuals painfully brilliant, but I'd almost bet that any of the opponent's "allies" would second guess their idea of attacking you... hehehe. This power is just plain "bad" (in the good way... hehehe)

And there you have it ladies & gentlemen. I've given you a 'taste' of the newly available powers, I leave it up to you and your curiosity to discover the other 12 (yup, that's still quite a bit) powers now available thanks to stoffe -mkb-'s hard work and diligence. Oh wait! Did I say 18 powers?... I meant **19**, but that's for you to discover. I will guarantee you'll be nothing short of doing a Happy-Dance for the world to see after trying out this mod.

And for the hesitant and doubters, stoffe -mkb- has even made it simple to install by including an installer that automatically adjusts the files that need to be changed. That's right... no .2da editing, no comparison charts, no nothing... You click the button, it installs, you have multiple hours of eye-candy matched only by your ability and stamina to stay awake... for this mod will make you not want to stop playing....

Summary:
Keep in mind these are High Level Powers... don't expect getting to use these on Citadel Station. But the wait is definitely worth it. Remember what I said about 19 powers instead of 18? Well, there is that 'one' power that you can get early... funny though, my memory just went blank on what it was... So, go download the mod and Happy Hunting!

Finally, Thank You stoffe -mkb- Your efforts are appreciated and you've given this game a renewable interest and multiple re-plays once again. TSL was just about to go on my shelf until I installed this mod. You are one of the "Great Ones" in the modding community, and you've just proved it by knocking us on our backsides with this amazing mod...nay, this work of art...

As a friend of mine says all the time, "It's all in the name," and here the USM definitely doesn't disappoint. The USM is, in fact, the Ultimate Saber Mod out there for TSL. The USM has something for everyone, from intriguing new saber designs for short sabers, doubleblades and regulars, to movie replicas for the same. If you can't find a saber that suits your needs and desires, than you have higher standards than anyone I've ever met.

Having had the privilege myself to participate in the BETA testing of the mod, interacting with the modders themselves, and being a modder myself, I must say that these four modders, T7nowhere, svösh, Seprithro, and ChAiNz.2da are the hardest working modders I know, especially considering that nobody mods for a living. They show incredible dedication and a true sense of caring for their mod and it shows in the final product.

More great appreciation also should go to Darth333 for her scripting. One of the incredible parts about the USM is that it comes with its own scripts for random looting. This means that in every game you play you will find different lightsaber crystals and will be able to construct different lightsabers every game. This means endless replay value and that your gaming experience will be different every time you play. At first the mod had bugs of too many crystals being looted, but thanks to tireless efforts this has been fixed and the game runs smooth.

Along with the addition of new lightsaber models and crystals, the USM builds on the idea of the PC interaction with his or her NPC companions, which with the addition of the influence system was something that OE emphasized and is only made better with this mod. Your PC will now be able to train his or her Jedi Padawan's to learn new skills that are different depending on your PC's class and teach their Padawan's to build their own custom lightsabers as well as make replica's for the PC! Bao-Dur's role, which by many is considered to be useless since he can't wear robes or good armor, is enhanced with his ability to take those cylindrical high energy swords, regular lightsabers, and turn them into the beautiful new sabers modeled by these fine modders.

In closing, if there were one mod out there, besides my mods of course lol, then this would be the mod that you have to download. The extreme amount of detail and the dedication of the modders shine through with this masterpiece of modding and will go down as a legacy that I was proud to be a part of, however small my part may have been.

So fire up your high-speed internet connection and download this Ultimate Saber Mod, and if you are stuck with dial-up then start now and pop in a movie or two it will be well worth the wait.