Numfast

The first thing is, that I actually already played the demo of the mod, which was released on May 1, 2008. That demo already had the first two levels of this chapters and a part of a third one (just a cutscene). It actually had many flows with the first map which were due to unrealistic lightning design on the part of Imperial Dreadnought that was made by the mod team. The level design itself had feel that something was laking, but I can't say what was really wrong there. However, the Ord Mantell level was mostly welldone and really felt like something a good mod.
Coming to the Chapter I we have these two first levels, the new cutscene in-between, the cutscene in the end of the demo which extends to the hub level of New Republic HQ and after that four (or I would say actually three) levels on the Empire controled planet Dvorn. I was really relieved to see how designs improved over the years. Imperial Dreadnought now have realistic lightning, the location feels alive thanks to numerous additions and this feeling of laking is nowhere to be found. Same goes to the Ord Mantell level, it's now even better, but I was already satisfied with it in demo, so there is nothing much to say about it. The New Republic HQ is an interesting idea of having to read information about mission, it gives you the feeling of prequels through the music and design which is something I will make an accent later. But the main thing is that this hub level adds immersion to the mod. And now, the very thing that I was really curious about the mod after playing demo. What it has in store on the planet Dvorn. The first thought was after playing the demo "The stealth mission?". Turnes out I was right with the exeption that I underestimated the scale of stealth. Remember having the stealth episode in Jedi Outcast where you actually could kill all in the area for the exeption of one room almost in the end of the level? And even if you still decided to stealth it, it was pretty easy? Forget about that, you can't do it here. You'll have to stealth it very carefully, you can't just kill everyone and remain unspotted. Also, this episode of the mod brings new thing to gameplay - interactivity.
First off, the whole mission is divided into four levels. The first two was one level long time ago if I assume correctly, since the names of these maps suggest this, the team was talking about having some JA limitations and that some map had to be split in two, and that both of these maps if we take them alone already HUGE. These levels demand you to stealth through the Imperial City to a tram system that will take you to the Academy. It's ironic that the stealth level in JO was in prepare to be split two for consoles - the map in PC version is still the same and whole but has the name "cairn_dock1" and if I remember correctly in GameCube version it remained unsplit but had some modifications made to it in order for the consoles to handle it. This time even the PC version of JA can't handle the stealth level as it was intented. So, I actually wanted to write here about interactivity so here it goes. The first level do not offer it if I remember correctly but it presents you the scale of the maps which reminded me the scale of the maps in "Dark Forces II" (there is even one momend with the elevator taken directly from that game), they really was huge for me after JO and JA. Besides the scale you can feel here something that I would call a mix of original and prequel trilogies. The music and main desing gives you the feeling of original trilogy, but the skybox, some little locations remind you of the prequels while you are still on Empire controlled world. Same goes for the design of second level where interactivity comes to gameplay. In order to pass the bouncer you have to use a droid or the patriotic track found in one of the secret areas. Also, the funniest thing is the display of the music from the Windows XP media player in one of the displaying options. In the end, I'll have to say that the first two levles on Dvorn will give you a very good expansion of the stealth system.
The next level is the Academy. It's still presents you the interactivity and stealth aspect with addition of having to control a mouse droid - this aspect was in JO but remained undeveloped and was even explored in "Escape Yavin IV: The Lost Maps" mod. Also, this level for a very long time since the beginning of the Dvorn mission will give you the chance to wander around most of the map freely and even to read in the Academy Musem, if you will find the button of the fire drill that is the part of interactivity. You see, to get into one place you need the pass, but you can't get it directly, of course, you need to initiate a drill. You can initiate either attack drill, either fire drill. The Attack drill has time limit until reinforcements arrive and the time is... well I doubt that there is a chance of getting to the end of the level in this time limit when you play it first time, because there are high chances of getting stuck. The fire drill is unlimited in time, also the turrels with this drill do not activate and the officers in museum escape the academy too. So you win in this case because almost whole academy become free to explore. But to get this drill activate you'll have to go through some steps that I will not give here. Hovewer, it's worth it to get free roam, especially in the Museum that gives references to Episodes II-VI, and some games.
The final level of the mod, is the infamous forest level that was so hard to make by developers and is so hard to navigate through by the players thanks to the fog. It's still have tips for a navigation though. You just have to get to the first relay that's not so far from the start of the map and there you will have a map to look for the next ones (and each relay have a map, of course). Once you destroy all you can go to the extraction point and the mod ends.
Besides the overall gameplay and features that were described, I gave a promise to made an accent on the New Republic HQ hub. You see, each game in Jedi Knight series became more and more connected with the films. The "Dark Forces" had the OT feel and music that was achievable to that time. The "Dark Forces II" came out in the same year Special Editions were made and remade an approach to the game. It's like the Special Edition to the series even through it's the second game. The music was taken directly from the remastered in 1997 OT scores, the models became 3D, the force was added, the gameplay became more faster. Same remained to the "Mysteries of the Sith". Then, in "Jedi Outcast" the saber combat was improved thanks to the prequels. Same stayed in "Jedi Academy" but that time a Coruscant location was featured and it tried to resemble the planet from films while being different (it's not a bad thing, because the planet is one huge city). And if we take this mod as the next game than we will have an installment that has a planet from prequel films and locations that mixes designs of both trilogies with having references to installments of both canons.
Taking this mod as the game is not something done by the good subjective impression. While checking out the mod I tried to objectively evaluate the level design of this mod and came to conclusion that this design fells like from a full scaled game, rather from a mod. As far as I can understand the members of development team had some experience in professional approach or are very interested in this kind of thing.
P.S. Also, I couldn't resist and surf through the pk3 files and there are some spoilers to the next chapters so if you don't want to get them do not open the pack files. There is even some cut content that you can read below the spoiler.