– Adventure/RPG; Squad Tactics
a spoiler-free review

Rating: Recommended as Essential


You wake up on a battle cruiser during an all-out firefight, find your way to the escape pods when it gets severely damaged, fight your way through enemy soldiers and crash-land on an unfamiliar planet. Knights of the Old Republic [KOTOR] takes place some 4,000 years before the events of A New Hope; Yoda, Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker are names of no consequence in the Star Wars universe. You are in completely new, unfamiliar territory here.

Star Wars fan or not, KOTOR is a game that everyone should play. A companion system ahead of its time, multiple storylines, rich dialogue and backstory, YELLOW lightsabers and a unique tactical approach to combat allow this installment in the Star Wars series of games to really shine.

- Companions -
You will meet several unique, diverse characters in your travels; a few of them can join your party. Grab two party members of your choice and your main character and hit the streets (or dunes, or forests, or whatever). These characters come with set attributes and skills, but when they level up (yes, there is a leveling/experience system; this is an RPG), you control how they improve.

- Story -
No spoilers here, don’t worry. There are a multitude of side-quests to complete that complement the main quest, backstories to explore for each of your party members, fascinating lore on the origins of a few prominent species and multiple storylines. Depending on dialogue decisions, you can earn either Light Side or Dark Side points, determining the final path your story takes.

- Cons -
Not too many of note. I clipped through the floor a couple times. A number of seemingly random fatal crashes. This game was put out in 2003, so it’s a little behind the times in visuals and the cutscenes are really cheesy. The camera is a bit tricky to figure out at first. If you’re not expecting tactical battles (give orders rather than do battle yourself), it can be quite confusing. The biggest thing is that your companions will, at times, slow down or stop when you’re not looking for no reason, preventing you from entering the next area.
The Bottom Line: None of these presents anything more than minor frustration; the game is well-built.

Well, that’s all I have to say about KOTOR. An aged but timeless classic that any Star Wars fan (and quite a few non-Star Wars fans) will enjoy.

Not Recommended
Recommended With Caution
Recommended
Highly Recommended
- Recommended as Essential


Fun Facts:
Developer: BioWare (Dragon Age: Origins, Baldur’s Gate, Mass Effect)
Release Date: July 18th, 2003
Soundtrack Composer: Jeremy Soule (The Elder Scrolls, Guild Wars 2, Total Annihilation)
Prominent Voice Actors: Ethan Phillips (Star Trek: Voyager, Benson), Jennifer Hale (Mass Effect 3, Baldur’s Gate), Steve Blum (Wolverine and the X-Men, Metal Gear Solid)

[h1]STAR WARS™ - Knights of the Old Republic™[/h1] – [b]Adventure/RPG; Squad Tactics[/b] [i]a spoiler-free review[/i] [b]Rating:[/b] [i]Recommended as Essential[/i] You wake up on a battle cruiser during an all-out firefight, find your way to the escape pods when it gets severely damaged, fight your way through enemy soldiers and crash-land on an unfamiliar planet. [u]Knights of the Old Republic[/u] [KOTOR] takes place some 4,000 years before the events of A New Hope; Yoda, Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker are names of no consequence in the Star Wars universe. You are in completely new, unfamiliar territory here. Star Wars fan or not, KOTOR is a game that everyone should play. A companion system ahead of its time, multiple storylines, rich dialogue and backstory, [b]YELLOW[/b] lightsabers and a unique tactical approach to combat allow this installment in the Star Wars series of games to really shine. [b]- Companions -[/b] You will meet several unique, diverse characters in your travels; a few of them can join your party. Grab two party members of your choice and your main character and hit the streets (or dunes, or forests, or whatever). These characters come with set attributes and skills, but when they level up (yes, there is a leveling/experience system; this is an RPG), you control how they improve. [b]- Story -[/b] No spoilers here, don’t worry. There are a multitude of side-quests to complete that complement the main quest, backstories to explore for each of your party members, fascinating lore on the origins of a few prominent species and multiple storylines. Depending on dialogue decisions, you can earn either Light Side or Dark Side points, determining the final path your story takes. [b]- Cons -[/b] Not too many of note. I clipped through the floor a couple times. A number of seemingly random fatal crashes. This game was put out in 2003, so it’s a little behind the times in visuals and the cutscenes are [i]really[/i] cheesy. The camera is a bit tricky to figure out at first. If you’re not expecting tactical battles (give orders rather than do battle yourself), it can be quite confusing. The biggest thing is that your companions will, at times, slow down or stop when you’re not looking for no reason, preventing you from entering the next area. [u]The Bottom Line:[/u] None of these presents anything more than minor frustration; the game is well-built. Well, that’s all I have to say about KOTOR. An aged but timeless classic that any Star Wars fan (and quite a few non-Star Wars fans) will enjoy. [strike]Not Recommended[/strike] [strike]Recommended With Caution[/strike] [strike]Recommended[/strike] [strike]Highly Recommended[/strike] [b]- Recommended as Essential[/b] [u]Fun Facts:[/u] Developer: BioWare (Dragon Age: Origins, Baldur’s Gate, Mass Effect) Release Date: July 18th, 2003 Soundtrack Composer: Jeremy Soule (The Elder Scrolls, Guild Wars 2, Total Annihilation) Prominent Voice Actors: Ethan Phillips (Star Trek: Voyager, Benson), Jennifer Hale (Mass Effect 3, Baldur’s Gate), Steve Blum (Wolverine and the X-Men, Metal Gear Solid)