Customer Reviews

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic

5 star:		(212)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(27)

 

 

It has been a long and interesting ride with the Star Wars gaming license, with about as many games as there is sand on Tatooine. The latest offerings come in the form of a role playing game- Knights of the Old Republic. Knights is a somewhat confined and well-executed romp through perhaps the greatest franchise ever created. Games magazines are giving Knights high marks, and its well deserved, because she immersiveness of the game rivals just about every other Star Wars title from LucasArts or its stable of developers.

Knights succeeds in just about every category- it is both stunning to behold and fun to play. Characters are well designed, if a little `same-ish' given that all men and women are the same height, with only superficial variances in model types. The game utilizes a bare-bones version of 3rd Edition D&D at its core, but unlike Neverwinter Nights, KOTOR only uses the system as background support and the mechanics rarely if ever intrude into actual game play. What the game doesn't allow is dual or multi-classing. You can start as either a Soldier, a Scout or a Scoundrel and by 8th to 10th level, you become a Jedi. And your character can only be human. Each class has their pluses and minuses, usually in areas like Skills, Feats and allotment of Jedi powers. Unlike Neverwinter Nights, however, you control the progress of your NPCs- choosing their skills, feats, and choice of equipment and weapons that they use. The Jedi classes are almost overwhelmingly superior to their mundane counterparts, but given this is a game about Jedi during their golden age, it is to expected.

KOTOR's story revolves around two former Jedi who, victorious over the Mandalorians, returned to conquer the Republic after falling to the Dark Side of the Force. They arrive at the head of a massive star fleet that no one seems to know where they got it from. It is your job to figure out how they managed to assemble such a large fleet and hopefully do something about it without succumbing to the Dark Side. (You can play through the game, making choices that will eventually determine whether you become light or dark.) Sadly, however, KOTOR's story is essentially the same as Neverwinter Nights- instead of finding four `words of power', you must collect four star map fragments that lead you to an unknown world inhabited by the remnants of an ancient race that essentially gave the galaxy hyperspace travel. And the answer to where the Sith star fleet is coming from is more akin to a Star Trek story line than that of Star Wars. None of this changes the fact that most of the events that lead up to this revelation are interesting and a whole lot of fun. The various plot twists and the `staggering' revelation about your character always keep it interesting.

In Knights you travel to several worlds- you start on the city-world of Taris, Dantooine, where you begin your Jedi training, Tatooine, Kashyyyk, Mannon, and the Sith world of Korriban. There are innumerable quests that you must undertake, many with light or dark consequences, though most of which are entertaining. In these adventures you are aided by several NPCs- a Republic soldier named Carth Onasi, Bastila Shan, a prissy Jedi Sentinel, the perky Twi'lek girl, Mission Vao and her Wookie sidekick, Zaalbar, an astromech droid, Canderous Ordo- an ex-Mandalorian mercenary, a cantankerous fallen Jedi named Jolee Bindo, and HK-47, a smart-mouthed assassin droid turned translator. HK-47 steals every scene he is in with his dry, dark humor, wry condescension and quips on the limitations of so-called `meatbags' and bragging about his success as an assassin. There is also a never ending supply of equipment and gear to upgrade characters with- armor, shields, weapons and lovely flamethrowers.

The combat system involves queuing up actions for each character then watching them executed on screen. You can queue up four actions, be they attacks, Force powers, healing items or stimulant injectors (potions, essentially), and each action is executed in sequence. You can pause at any time, assigning actions to your characters, targets to attack, etc. then unpause and watch everything unfold. Though a limited way to do things, it is never dull to watch and the combat sequences are well animated and very flashy. One downside is that you can't switch weapons on the fly, rather you must pause, enter a sub-menu and swap weapons out as you desire. Combat should have been a little more interactive, but since battles rarely last very long anyway, it hardly makes a difference.

KOTOR's graphics are lavish and everything has that all-important Star Wars look to it. Sound effects are bang on. In this BioWare really did such a wonderful job in capturing all of the nuances of what Star Wars is all about- something Lucas can't seem to do in latest batch of prequels. This is perhaps the deepest and most Star Wars-like game since Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight, successfully capturing the best of what Star Wars is. I would have preferred a more 3rd-person-esque style of control and more freedom of movement, because though you can drive your character around the places you visit, you cannot climb, jump, swing, etc., which really would not have been that hard to accomplish within the confines of the game.

Ultimately, it is a very satisfying game- huge game worlds, which while linear in nature are fun to explore, epic story and fun characters more than make up for its failings. It has some bugs that lead to system lock-ups that forced several restarts. No mention of midi-chlorians, prophecies, or `chosen one's'. It is a very romantic high adventure peppered with humor and a sense of fun - kinda what the movies are supposed to be like. What's more is that it provides 40-60 hours of fresh gameplay, making it the best Star Wars game in a long time.

This is an awesome game. Period.

In many ways, this game redefines the role playing genre. What is very unique about this game is that it has a very rich story. Probably one of the best Star Wars stories ever. This is the first game I have ever played where I simply kept going because I wanted to see what happens next. And I can guarantee you that there will be plot twists you will never be expecting!

Also, the game features some of the most memorable game characters ever. Way to go, HK-47!

The game also makes great use of character-shaping techniques. Are you going to evolve along the light side of the force, or is the dark side too tempting? Are you going to change your mind half way through? Many special abilities can be aquired, turning characters into very unique beings. And then of course, there is the choice of your party members: Do you want the strong wookie to help you out, or would you rather have a violent droid with you? Or perhaps a Jedi knight whom you just saved from the dark side? Or is it all just a trap?

The choices you make throughout this game have a great impact. In fact, this is problably the first game ever that I will play through a second time! Dark side, here I come...

I had more fun playing Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic than I did watching the first two recent prequels at the theater. The story was more compelling and better yet, I had a chance to decide my Jedi's path. Simply put, this game is one of the best role-playing games for the PC in years. Now the game does use Dungeons and Dragons rules and it's not an action-based game. In other words, you will assign your character and his henchmen duties that they must perform in combat and watch the results (which are determined or prerolled by the computer) played out in front of you. It works similar to the popular D&D gaming series Baldur's Gate only with a more cinematic engine. (It's also made by the same people.) Also, don't expect to meet Luke Skywalker anytime soon as the events in this game take place at least a thousand years before the classic trilogy. Don't let that sway you from buying the game though because it has a fantastic story with its own classic heroes and villains. Blasters, Dark Jedis, classic planets such as Tatooine and plenty of fixtures from the Star Wars universe are in the game. Plus, the story has a nice twist that will knock your socks off! A fun game for any RPG fan. If you don't enjoy the RPG genre or only prefer quick games with little reading, don't pick it up, you probably won't enjoy it, but everyone else should give it a try. If I had to make a list of the top five games for the PC in 2003, this game would be on it.

You don't have to be a Star Wars fan to appreciate what a great RPG this is, but it can't hurt. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is the best RPG that I have played at least since Baldurs Gate 2, and it is the best Star Wars experience since the first trilogy. There is just so much to see, and so much to experience. Then, when you are finished, you can go back and do it all over again as an evil character instead of a good one.

On a high end video card, the game is beautiful to look at. The level of detail in the graphics is astonishing. The on-screen appearance of your character and your companions changes depending upon what you equip them with, and your physical appearance actually changes depending upon how good or evil you behave. The environments are immersive and realistic, and also varied. You fight on grass-covered plains, beautiful beaches, desert, and even a bit underwater. The grass and the trees sway in the breeze and sand kicks up when you run across the beach. Combat is equally impressive to watch. Lightsaber battles are reminiscent of the big one at the end of "The Phantom Menace". You watch characters thrust, parry, feint, kick, and slice with their lightsabers. And then there's the force powers - oh the force powers. They are fun to use, and dazzling to look at.

Every NPC line in the game is voice-acted. Every single last one. And it's all high-quality material. I can't state how great this part is. It's like getting to play through a 40-hour epic movie. Some dialog trees are huge and go on for minutes at a time. Your NPC companions are fun to click on just to see if they have anything interesting to say, and they usually do. They are deeply developed, unique, and have interesting stories to tell. One of them, a homicidal droid, provides a lot of comic relief. Another is brutal mercenary who tells interesting war stories. Chances are, you will want to take different party members with you on different quests just to see what they have to say. Lots of NPC's have their own side plots, which are woven into the game.

The storyline itself is not that great, but it's the way that the story is told that is so great. The themes of Good vs. Evil and Light vs. Dark are shown to you over and over again. These concepts are not explained to you. Instead, you experience them for yourself. You get to witness or perform good deeds, as well as atrocities. If you are playing a good character, then by the end of the game you will have developed genuine feelings of distaste for The Sith and their Dark Lord, Malak. If you are playing as an evil character, than you will have an opportunity to commit some truly heinous acts against helpless civilians, or your friends. All of this gives you a true sense of role-playing that is unparalleled since Planescape: Torment.

The role-playing system isn't as robust as D&D, but there is still a lot to it. There are hundreds of goodies like armor, weapons, and accessories that you can equip your character and companions with. Chances are, you'll play a certain way one time, and then want to try some different setups the next time that you play. You can change the color of your lightsaber, and change the crystals in it to upgrade its properties. You can wield just one lightsaber, a double-ended staff sabre, or one in each hand. You can also choose between brute force or finesse, but brute force seems to be an easier path. As you progress through the game, there is a true feeling of power progression. You can feel yourself changing from a lowly soldier to a godlike Jedi who at the end of the game slices through hordes of powerful enemies like a hot knife through butter. That feeling of progression is what makes great RPG's like this so addictive.

It's simple. This is the best RPG since Baldurs Gate 2 (another Bioware title). If you like Star Wars, or if you have liked any of Bioware's other role-playing games, then you must give this game a try.

I'm a girl gamer and although I am not a big fan of Star Wars, I LOVED Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic game. The graphics were beautiful, the plotline awesome, and the character models simply amazing. There are dozens of ethnic models to chose from, and you get to play as either a male character or a female character. Both genders have several unique subplots, including a small but sweet romance. (Oooh, gotta love that Carth).

My only peeve? The turret game! I might've been able to ace this one on the console, but it was super hard on my laptop trackpad. Since the game is mandatory and not 'skippable' I washed out several times before I hooked up an external mouse and learned that you need to aim your 'cannons' in FRONT of the ships you're trying to shoot. This allows for a greater margin of error. Still, I did find this a minor annoyance in an otherwise BEAUTIFUL game.

What a fun and entertaining game! Oh, and shall I mention the landscape of the "Forgotten World" was one of the most beautiful digitized landscapes I've ever seen in a video game? Really cool!

5 STARS for hours of enjoyment.

I have played this game through to the end, twice. I must say, I had great anticipation for this true, Star Wars open-ended roleplaying game, and that anticipation was well deserved.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is one of the best roleplaying games currently on the X-Box. This game holds it's own against Morrowind and several other hot titles from Microsoft's console system.

The story follows you, a soldier on a ship attacked by the Sith army, and your adventures from there. You'll see many planets mentioned in the Star Wars cannon and Expanded Universe, along with their associated wild life. You'll meet several new companions of different races, such as a wookie, a twi'lek, a Mandalorian, several Jedi's and droids. All of these elements, along with a completely voice acted script and cinematic sound, appearance, and feel make this an truly immersive game. Along with the choice to fall to the darkside or uphold the light, this game ends up showing an incredible replay value. A possible 40+ hours of gameplay, along with all of the side quests and main quests make this game interesting, as your choices to follow these quests can affect how the game ends.

Keep in mind, this is the Star Wars universe several thousand years in the past. You won't see a Darth Vader, mentions of a new hope, limited numbers of Jedi and Dark Jedi, etc. That doesn't hurt the game, however, as this helps disconnect you from the cannon, and believe it truly is your own adventure and you're not reliving the ones of Luke Skywalker and company.

All of the things I've mentioned, along with the evolved engine and system of Bioware's previous games, make this an excellent game. All X-Box owners should own this game, and this is one that definately makes it worth having the system. And PC gamers won't be left out for too much longer as well, since this game will also be released on the PC platform in the next few months.

I have played both the X-Box and PC versions of this game and I fell in love after the first 10 minutes. This game is very well crafted from the ground up! Graphics on both versions are very good and the original soundtrack and voice acting is far above average for a video game.

As an RPG, it is very well rounded. Character creation and development is easy to understand but still flexible enough for you to really tweak out your characters.

The game itself is very well planned out. The story is generally linear however you still have a very high degree of freedom within the game to make your own decisions and see the consequences of those actions. You have total freedom to drive your character into a goodie-two shoes Light-side Jedi or an evil and sadistic Dark-side disciple. The different ways the story and your character can develop really add to the replay value of this game, I still play this game frequently after owning it over a year.

The story and the characters are top-notch. Maybe Lucas should consider hiring some of Biowares writers full-time, seriously. They worked magic with the Star Wars mythos. The characters who will join you are a treat. It's a lot of fun to see how they react to eachother in the story and how they react to you. The relationship your man character has with the Jedi Bastila is very flexible...you can treat her like total garbage, or you can fan the flames of romance. My favorite character by far is the Homicidal Assassin droid HK-47. His reactions and comments are classic and are worth the price of this game alone! I wish Lucas had thought of him first and stuck him in Episode 2! My favorite part is when HK-47 acts as your translater with a Jawa:

Jawa: Batta batta batta!
Me: What did he say?
HK-47: There is a 99% probability the miniature organic is seeking your assistance in recovering some lost members of his tribe.
Me: what about the other 1%?
HK-47: There is a 1% probability the miniature organic is just looking for trouble and needs to be blasted...but thats probly just wishful thinking on my part Master...

There are loads of great HK-47 moments like that, but I'll leave them for you to discover for yourself! I wish there was an HK-47 fan-club!

The other characters are still a wonderful part of this game, and exploring their personal history's and how that affects your quest is wonderful. The interesting characters are well placed in the main story-line of this game. I found myself wanting to stay up all-hours of the night playings this game, not just because it was fun, but because I was hooked on the story and I actually cared about what was happening. This quality of story-telling is rare in a video-game, it's better than a movie!

I put this in my top-3 Star Wars games of all time! Up there with Dark-Forces 2: Jedi Knight and TIE Fighter. A MUST buy for a fan, and should be considered by any RPG player.

KOTOR is what you could ever want in a Role Playing Game, and with over 35 awards for very good reason.

Easy game play is what sets this beauty lightyears apart from rivals. Don't attempt to play stuff like Morrowind, Neverwinter and especially Baldur's Gate 2 if you've never played a "Dungeons and Dragon" type game. Governed by strict game rule, many of them aren't designed for first-timers unfamiliar with interfaces.

KOTOR features game play so quick and simplistic only the determined fool will fumble. Right from the start you're guided how to move around the environment---unlike Baldur's Gate 2, which hurls a million spells and items and faces at a first-timer game developers think are conversant with complex D&D rules.

Don't let the Star Wars masters fool you: there's more to their precious franchise than yet another precious movie-focused game. Look how many books, comics and comp games they're STILL focusing on the original movie era. Set 4000yrs before their holy Episode 4, KOTOR is fresh air in a Hutt's mouth. 40yrs after Exar Kun, ambitious Jedi through unknown means have founded a menacing Sith Empire that has the Republic in dire trouble.

And when you discover the game's shocking secret, you'll understand how you figure into all this!

The combat style is turn based: as you fight an opponent you each take turns to make a move. The game autopauses within detection sight of threats; a simple mouse click selects your attack, Force power or grenade. Unlike BG2's inadequate controls, you can unpause with both a spacebar tap and clicking on the screen's threat notice. You can play with just your mouse hand at times.

The rounds flow so swiftly even a queue of five actions finishes in seconds. You must constantly monitor the situation and issue commands. While you don't directly control the action like Jedi Outcast, you don't want to. Sit back and watch your brave players twirl their swords, somersault and kick in a variety of martial moves like Darth Maul! And when they face off wielding a duel-bladed sword or two swords, your grin gets broader.

Music is stunning. Jeremy Soule's compositions have the range, depth and intricacies of a full symphonic orchestra.

Originally unique to PC players now available for Xboxers is the Yavin Station, featuring a great entry/exit cutscene and some dangerous Trandoshans. Little more than a short corridor, the fella inside offers exclusive equipment, two special saber crystals, and gambles the game's highest money.

As though Twi'leks and Rodian weren't ubiquitous enough in Star Wars material, they're everywhere in the game. The humans and aliens are designed from only a few templates with facial hair variation. Additional species include Duros, Tusken, Wookiees, Selkath, Nikto, Gran, Quarren and some exotic chap.

The depth of humour is extensive. You'll get a kick out of Jolee's stories, HK-47's constant need to kill, anything a shopkeeper or citizen could say at any given moment. Even the equipment descriptions are witty, like how a paranoid killer modified his armour to the sky, only to accidentally drown in his bathtub.

Graphics range from cutscenes that rival any Star Wars movie to fancy in-game scenes. Attention to detail is amazing; rooms are dotted with all manner of furniture and ornamentation. There are some commendable landscaping but also some average graphics here and there. It's a treat to see so many dark skinned people, and see female Wookies and Tuskens. Unlike Jedi Outcast's horse mouths, faces and lip speech are smooth, but clothing is utterly flat on the body. Animation is passable, but certain gestures are horridly choppy, insufficient frames.

But with such brilliant voiceovers who cares. Be it the Mandalorian's haughtiness, Jolee's grumpiness, Mission's teenage exuberance or Bastila's seductive but prissy tones, it's exceptional; you'll get some Asian and Russian accents too. A mere Sith trooper on patrol oozes arrogance. Alien speech, unfortunately, is so dull you'll just read their lines and click to the next; Wookies in particular seem to romf and roar longer than their sentences seem! If anything, there is too much talking. Unlike BG2, even Starcraft had full dialogue audio.

Choose your main character's name and face from a wide selection of ethnic portraits which will appeal to players who aren't just American; none of the female faces are particularly attractive, though. Start out as scout, scoundrel or soldier, with their areas of expertise. Your later choice of consular, guardian and sentinel Jedi classes will decide if you emphasise Force fighting, melee fighting, or a balance of both. Your lightsaber blade colour and crystals affect performance. Tons of different armour and weaponry, bladed or blaster, implants, enhancers, apparel (or not). Unlike BG2, you can carry infinite items anywhere.

Unlike the rigid Jedi Academy, you can make light and dark side choices at any time. And while it's fun to charge someone not to kill them, stealing from a street beggar will evoke such emotional reaction you'll even feel guilty. And sharp reprimands from your companions to boot.

A GeForce 4 graphics card is essential; you won't play efficiently or long without one. It makes grass waver or gives surfaces an iridescent shine, etc. Depending on your comp, exceeding all system requirements may not be enough. Downloading the latest patch obviates many system problems, but not annoying technicalities like the harsh Force lightning noise, waiting for lagging companions, or them backing you into a corner, etc.

Of the three mini games of card gambling, swoop racing for money and turret shooting, the latter isn't optional; you either blast those Sith fighters or be blasted. Laptop users may find that challenging without a mouse.

You'll play this game three times: male and female, light and dark side. And you'll know how to access stuff you missed first time, and level up your player properly. It's harder, but levelling up after Taris gains you eight more Force powers later!

Immersive storyline, excellent audio dialogue, outstanding music, great range of Force powers, what are you waiting for?

Trust me on this, I am an extremely picky gamer. I have countless game CDs collecting dust on my shelf, because I just don't take a liking to games that easily. Once I find a good one, I hang on for dear life.

KOTOR is one of those games. KOTOR blew me away. It is the best game I can remember playing in ages, and I mean that. The game is extremely well designed and has elements of genius in it.

Combat System: You can play it turn-by-turn like a classic RPG, just by using the pause button and qeueing up commands and analyzing dice rolls, OR you can just forget the dice rolls and numbers, and just let it rip and issue commands on the fly real-time. It gives you the feeling of TOTAL control over the battles, and never leaves you bored. Of course, don't expect Mortal Kombat-style kicks/punches/etc, it's not that kind of game.

Storyline: It's very, but not totally, interactive. You can highly influence the storyline at times by your choice of responses. For example, because I was evil, I accidentally ended up killing a jedi who I later found out could have been one of my party members, had I let her live. I got lots of Dark Side points, but later, I regretted not having another jedi in my party. And of course, you have 2 different endings: Light Side and Dark Side, all driven by your choice of responses. Now THAT is cool. Of course, other times, I noticed, no matter how I responded, I always got the same/similar replies and outcomes. But Bioware still did a great job widening the possibilities. After all, the story does have to progress in a roughly linear fashion.

Character Development: I really love the Diablo 2-type character development in this game. You have attributes, feats and force powers. So so many choices to make. Which force trees should you develop? Which feat trees are most important? I played the game twice, and each time realized ways to improve my characters for the next time through. Now that makes for a DEEP and highly REPLAYABLE game. You can play as a man or woman, evil or good, all of which lead to 4 distinctly different game experiences. For example, different non-player characters will come on to you, depending on your gender.

Challenge: Now, I played most of the game on Difficult setting. I still had little trouble with the enemies, that is until reaching the end, when waves of Dark Jedi would choke me, whirlwind me, and cryoban nade me. So then I would end up watching them hack away at my helpless jedi and get frustrated (I should have gotten Force Immunity...note for next time...). On normal setting though, I had little difficulty finishing the game. 38.5 hours or so to do it, and that's doing all the side quests too. However, keep in mind, I did lots of research on the Internet, so I had some idea how to develop my jedi prior to the big battle. Most people say the game is a bit too easy, I thought it was just right. Besides, I loved watching hordes of enemies being blown away and stunned by my Force Wave, over and over again, til dead.

Graphics / Sound: No problems here. The game crashed on me about 2 times, not sure why. At one point, the music got stuck on a 3-second clip, playing over and over again, so I had to quit and restart. Minor bugs aside, the graphics and sound were great! Not the best I have seen, but definitely above average. This ain't the strongest aspect of KOTOR, I think that would be the storyline/game mechanics. But the graphics / sound are no letdown either. Caution: make sure you have a top-end gaming machine. I have heard some complaints voiced, specifically about the ATI Radeon 9600 cards. I have a 3.2 gig P4 / 1 gig DDR RAM / ATI Radeon 9800XT / Creative Audigy 2 ZS --- so I obviously had no problems whatsoever (other than above minor bugs). For me, the graphics were fluid and I never experienced slow framerates.

OVERALL: 10 / 10 across the board (but 8 / 10 for graphics). This game is a real achievement. It's an instant classic that is destined to be remembered as a watershed in RPG gaming history.

KOTOR is the award winning game from 2003. And it is with good reason. KOTOR is an RPG set 4,000 years before the Star Wars Saga begins and it is one of the best Xbox/PC games around.

In KOTOR, you create your own character, however there are limits. You can choose what class they are (Scoundrel/Scout/Soldier) and later the Jedi class (Guardian/Consular/Sentinel). Building your character isn't as good as say The Sims 2, but the gameplay makes up for it.

All Star Wars games usually start with a great beginning and this is no exception. You start off on the Endar Spire, where you learn the basics of moving, attacking, etc. There you meet Trask Ordo, the first character with you in your party. Your party is easy to understand. Your party builds up to nine people, you can have two others with you.

Afer the first level, you meet Carth Onasi, with whom you go to Taris with. On Taris, this is where things get exciting and is a good way to get easy Light/Dark points. By the time you leave Taris, you should have five more party members with you, which includes your ship, the Ebon Hawk (Like the Millenium Falcon).

From there you become a Jedi (Or Sith depending whether you want to be Light or Dark), learn the ways of the Force, build your Lightsaber and it goes on from there.

The gripping storyline should keep any RPG or Star Wars fan want to play this. And if you like the game, then you can get it's sequel, KOTOR II: The Sith Lords.

Thank you for reading this review and I hope this has helped you.

Jake Potts

PS: This is my first review on Amazon, sorry my review is long and if anything is spelt wrong or doesn't make sense. I also try not to ruin any storylines for anyone.