The shooter aspects of the game are standard, including a variety of projectile and energy weapons and explosives. Players have a health meter and a shield meter, which are replenished separately.
In both single player and multiplayer, the player character is a Force-user, who has access to a variety of Force powers in addition to his or her lightsaber(s). Powers include pushing and pulling, jumping, healing, lightning, and other abilities from the Star Wars universe. Force powers are categorized into Light (defensive), neutral, and Dark (offensive), and each Force power has three ranks. The power will increase in effectiveness with each rank. In both singleplayer and multiplayer, players choose how to rank up their powers, adding a layer of customizability. During gameplay, the player has a "Force meter" which is depleted when powers are used, and recharges when no powers are in use.
Jedi Academy places a heavy emphasis on lightsaber combat. The player can create a custom lightsaber by selecting a hilt and one of five blade colors. The player can choose to wield a single saber, one saber in each hand, or a "saber staff" similar to Darth Maul's double ended lightsaber in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. The different sabers each have unique styles and special moves. When using a single saber, the player can choose between three stances which affect the speed and power of attacks; if using dual sabers, the player can switch off the second saber and use the "Fast"-style single-saber stance.
Single player
The player initially chooses the character's species and gender, and begins the game with a single lightsaber. Midway through the game, the player can choose to use dual sabers or a saber staff if desired.
The campaign alternates between linear missions and user-selected missions. During user-selected missions, the player is given a list of five missions, and chooses what order to complete them in. The player is only required to complete four of the missions before advancing. Between missions the player can choose one of their force skills to improve. This will increase the impact of each force power and so makes the character more powerful as the game progresses. The game also introduces player-controllable vehicles and vehicle-based levels.
