Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
- You are a young Jedi Knight, charged with leading a group of freedom fighters across the galaxy
- Recruit droids, humans, Wookies and other races to join your resistance group -- and train them in great mini-games like racing swoop bikes or manning turret guns
- Journey to dozens to unique locations, from the Wookie homeworld of Kashyyk to the Jedi Academy of Dantooine
- Customizable and evolving characters keep the story fresh and the gameplay interesting -- especially when you have to choose between the Light & Dark Sides of The Force
Rating: 1 of 5
Sorry, I think this is one of the WORST Star Wars games
Rating: 4 of 5
This is but a taste of the Dark Side...
RPG's are probably my favorite format 4 video games (I still haven't decided if I really like them more than FPS or if they simply tie). The game that really got me into RPG's was Diablo & it's because it didn't use the very common turn based system that was used in games like Final Fantasy. Now a huge amount of RPG's released over the years have followed this kind of methodology in copying the fast paced Diablo format where the user gets 2 hack away at enemies in a button mashing frenzy. "Knights of the Old Republic" uses more of a turn based combat system. Which I really didn't think I would like at first, but I didn't mind it 2 much in this one. It gives you the time you need 2 setup your attacks & choose force powers if you want 2 use them in combat. Some people might find this boring because you don't have 2 really physically participate in the combat, instead simply watch your character execute the moves, but I still managed 2 enjoy my time in this game. At least I get 2 manually control where my character goes & whom I interact with. I personally found the game play enjoyable.
Another major plus 4 this game is that you definitely get your moneys worth! I logged nearly 60 hours in my process of completing this game & you can play the game multiple ways! Basically if you play it as a Dark Side character you get different options than you would a Light Side character, & each side has different endings. This at least makes it worthwhile 2 play through the game twice logging approximately 120 hours of game play in all! This, of course, is provided it doesn't go faster the second time around... which it probably will take less time.
Anyway, I played through the game as Dark Side & this is where my initial hang-up came in. Based on the movies & other things I've read in the Star Wars universe I just didn't feel like they really captured the ethos of the Dark Side. In this game you had 2 do randomly cruel actions in order 2 earn Dark Side points & I really didn't like that. While the Dark Side is unforgiving & cruel, I don't feel it's a chaotic cruelty. It's more of a measured cruelty that's motivated by a need 4 power. Arbitrary cruelty doesn't really have much of a result in this game, you don't gain anything from it (other than Dark Side points) & I just think that doesn't work towards the true Dark Side motivations. Now I've played both "Knights of the Old Republic" games & I really liked two better in this regard. I think it captured the Dark Side much more correctly. Whereas in this one it's very difficult 2 actually play as a Dark Side character most of the time. In some situations I didn't have any option, but 2 give an answer that yielded me Light Side points & this just seemed stupid 2 me because my character was so heavily weighted 2 the Dark Side at that time. Not 2 mention one of the major ways you earn Dark Side points is by being mean 2 your own team, this just seemed foolish. If you were really Dark Side you wouldn't be blatantly mean 2 the team you were leading, you would coax them into wanting more power or vengeance etc. This doesn't come into play until the second half. The only time I really felt like I was truly playing a Dark Side character was when the big plot twist was revealed, after that I got very heavily into the story line & moved this game up a notch in my rating scale. (Very very VERY awesome plot twist by the way!)
The second issue I had with the game was how heavily laden the game was with glitches. Now I tried playing through it on my Xbox 360, so you'd think the game would actually process smoother, not so at all. It is especially jumpy during talking sequences between characters & it has an extremely difficult time processing a battle with a large amount of enemies. This becomes detrimental in the later battles on the Star Forge where you have 2 fight through so many Sith that the system can barely process all the blaster fire & light saber duels! Now, I also tried playing this game on my original Xbox a long time ago & basically what happened there is it had an in game error & crashed the whole system. My original Xbox never worked again & I had 2 purchase a new one, thus I played this on the 360 2 hopefully avoid that. Well, the glitches are still rife throughout my game play, but at least it didn't destroy my Xbox this time. (Please note: The game more than likely didn't destroy my original Xbox, but probably had more 2 do with its age & the amount of use it had received over the years. I just have a natural fear now that it happened!)
Overall this is an incredibly good game. It's pretty well thought out & probably a superb game if you play as a Light Side character, because the story-line probably has a much better flow. You visit multiple worlds throughout this game & each world is simply HUGE. It's one of the reasons it takes so long 2 play the game, especially if you like 2 play a game thoroughly like me (i.e. making sure every inch of a map is shown). Again, the major flaw, 2 me, aside from the programming glitches, was the Dark Side story line is lacking. Anyway, I think the processing would have been superior on a PC at this point. I would definitely list this as one of my must play RPG's, because despite it's flaws it really is that fun & if you're a die hard Star Wars fan, I doubt you'll be disappointed.
Rating: 5 of 5
Best Star Wars game, Best RPG of the last 5 years
Rating: 5 of 5
I woke up this morning with a terrible urge 2 play KOTOR...
*SPOILER* So, you're the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Reven, & the Jedi have managed 2 capture you & reprogram your brain so that your litterally tabla rasa, with the ability 2 fall 2 the darkside (thus proving that we cannot escape our pasts, that if you become evil, you were always dark) or rise into the glory of the light (proving that we choose 2 become what we do, & that circumstance is all that seperates the light from the dark). As you play you fall or rise according 2 your actions, all the while discovering more about your past & decay of the Republic, & can fall in love with your saviours and, in some cases, take them down with you. Save the galexy or destroy it. *End SPOLIERS*
But it is not just good vs evil, KOTOR is about what makes humans human, Jedi Jedi, & Sith Sith. KOTOR is far from a simple button-masher, it is an insight into Reven's psyche & your own. A must play 4 any serious Xbox player.
Rating: 5 of 5
Didn't get game of the year 4 nothing.
The storyline could have been a standard coming-of-age yarn but is instead a genuinely interesting adventure told with humor, compassion, & respect 4 the source material. Your character has a mystical bond with Bastila, & the two of you share some kind of connection 2 the Sith villains Darth Malak & Darth Revan. The game's planet-hopping adventures are driven by your exploration of these connections & how they relate 2 your larger goal of discovering the source of the Sith's sudden fleet. During your adventure you can explore side quests minor (such as racing swoops or gambling) & major (such as uncovering the fascinating back stories of your companions). Star Wars fans will get a kick out of the rich lore introduced in the game, particularly the Tatooine storyline that reveals the origin & history of the Sand People.
Gameplay is an abbreviated form of Wizards of the Coast's d20 Star Wars RPG game system--anyone who has played Dungeons & Dragons will be familiar with the abilities, stats, feats, & bonuses in this game. The player creates a character as a member of one of three starting classes (soldier, smuggler, scout) & then later chooses a Jedi class (guardian, consular, sentinel). Joining the player's character are other Jedi, warriors, thieves, droids, a wookiee, & even a Mandolorian. Unlike the faceless non-player characters of other games, each member of the supporting cast has an intriguing history & even agenda. Up 2 two of these other characters can join your character at any time. Depending on who you chose 2 take with you, new dialogue & even intra-party arguments come into the game (put the Mandalorian veteran with the Republic patriot & you'll see sparks fly). Combat is real-time turn-based, meaning the turns are seamless but the player has the option of pausing the action at any time 2 issue orders or direct any character 2 use a certain Force power, ability, feat, or item.
Graphics range from adequate 2 exceptional. Building & character models are not impressive--about what you get in GTA 3. Lightsaber graphics & environmental effects (like waving grass, clouds, & weather) bring the world 2 life. Battles are just brilliant, with characters pumping out blaster fire at Jedi who dash, dodge, & even deflect the bolts back toward their assailants. Complete with sounds straight out of the movies, the thrilling combat is pure Star Wars.
All in all, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a masterpiece of Star Wars gaming. The pacing, balance of action & dialogue, clever puzzles & quests, & loving attention 2 detail have set the bar very high 4 role-playing games in general & Star Wars games in particular. Consider this a must-have game.--Mike Fehlauer
Pros:
- Captivating storyline
- Clever dialogue
- Star Wars feel
- True story & dialogue support 4 either Light Side or Dark Side play
- Brilliant combat graphics
- Fascinating characters (the loyal--and homicidal--droid HK-47 is truly unique)
- Occasional bugs in dialogue, movie playback
- Cannot transfer equipped gear between characters while on your ship
($19.91)
Buy Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic Now!
I'll make this short, because I think some people need 2 know just how flipping boring this game is. The dialogue is okay. You have 2 read it, & there is no actual speach. I can live with that, especially since this game did come out a few years back.
However, the action sequences are left the game found wanting. You press a button, & watch your characters do all the work. "Wow. That's it?!" Is what I thought 2 myself. I'm not much of an RPG guy, but when I hear the words "ACTION" & "FUN TO PLAY" associated with it, I tend 2 think their might be some challenging action scenes 2 go along with a game with story line. You know, something like Deus Ex, or Mass Effect. Heck, even the Final Fantasy guys get it right year after year. I say all of that, so I don't get people flaming me saying I just don't like RPGs. I do like RPGs, just the good ones.
I felt like I was being spoon fed everything 2 continue on with the game. It wasn't challenging at all. I had 2 quit after playing this game 4 about an hour. I kept telling myself it will get better, & it never did.
Sorry folks, but Star Wars games like the X-Wing/Tie Fighter series, Dark Forces/Jedi Knight series, & even the Rebel Assault games were better than this crap.
You want a good RPG from Bioware? Play Mass Effect. You want a good RPG period? Play Lost Odyssey, or Diablo, or Titan's Quest, or the Elder Scrolls series, or the Fallout series, or Final Fantasy. Just not this game.