Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

This game is awesome. I'd just like to get that off my chest.

Let me tell you why. Firstly, Bioware have produced the greatest storyline ever achieved in video game history. Who would've imagined a star wars game to have a storyline instead of non-stop stormtrooper shooting like all the others? The story is dark, deep and has more twists than a virgin's knickers. You will become so damn engrossed with the story that you will forget real life, and for that i don't blame you. With this game, it comes as a right.

Secondly, the gameplay is the best i've ever encountered. I could spend the whole day walking around and talking with npcs. The npcs are so detailed and every one has a background story, or a task that they would like you to perform. The fight sequences are brilliant, mixing turn-based action and strategy together to form a perfect mold. You have to prepare yourself before each fight and choose your moves carefully, which is reminiscent of final fantasy. Also, the fact that one decision could change your path from light to dark side is a power to behold. Every decision matters.

And lastly, the graphics are consistently gorgeous. For such a huge game you may think that the graphics department would be lacking, but Bioware are perfectionists, and thank god they are! For never in this game you will want to look away from the screen, the beauty of it will grab hold of you and refuse to let go.

This game is a masterpiece. It is the most significant game since Doom and the best game ever made! Explore 10/10

I've been a fan of Star Wars for many years, and I've played many of the franchise's games. Some of them provide excellent action ('Republic Commando', 'Jedi Academy'), but none of them are memorable in the way that 'Knights of the Old Republic' is. In fact, the only Star Wars game which I think approaches it in terms of quality is its sequel. The premise of 'KOTOR' is fairly simple: You play a soldier whose mission it is to stop a powerful Sith Lord, and in order to do so you have to find several components of an ancient map. It may sound like a cliché RPG, but on your travels you'll encounter so many interesting people, fascinating stories and incredible quests, you'll never want it to end. I know I didn't.

A great video game worthy of the Star Wars title, Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR for short) brought us an RPG (Role-Playing Game) of astronomical proportions. It starts almost four thousand years before the events portrayed in the movies, when the threat of the Sith is more obvious. In fact, there is a apparently invincible Sith armada trying to destroy the Old Republic, led by the Dark Lord Malak.

This game starts with a traditional text crawl, and then the traditional space scene. In this scene, we watch as a Republic ship is being attacked by a Sith fleet. The main character (that's you) is a passenger and crew member aboard this Republic cruiser. As soon as this scene ends you are thrust into the action as you attempt to defend your vessel.

But it will not be so, and you soon find yourself crash landing on a Sith-occupied planet called Taris. Now you must meet up with with other party members and find a ship, while avoiding the detection of the Sith Guards. It will not be easy, and you must risk your life many a time to escape this planet. But what path will you take? Do you aid the Undercity Villagers and help them find what they believe to be the "Promised Land", or do you sell their only hope to the local merchant? Do you give money to a man with a bounty on his head or do you kill him and collect the bounty yourself? In this game it is your choice, and each action affects your affiliation with the Force. If you choose to collect that bounty, your Force Meter is pushed down toward the Dark Side. But if you give him the credits your Force Meter rises toward Light Side.

And after many, many hours of play that one would expect from an RPG, one notices that this is no ordinary video game. Time was spent wisely, as the graphics, storyline, dialogue, combat system, etc. of this non-linear game are superb. This game is truly worthy of it's Game of the Year stature, and then some. Check it out! And when you are done with it, play it's sequel, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, another superb Star Wars game.

Another fine product from Bioware. The people who brought you the Baldur's Gate series, Icewind Dale and Neverwinter Nights have struck again. In fact the game is remarkably like Neverwinter Nights but excels in so many different areas than it's counterpart. And the fact that it is Star Wars, which has so much more appeal to the regular joe than a D&D game, just adds to the factor.

Let's talk about plot. Yessir, please. This is the greatest plot ever put into an RPG game. The major plot twist ranks up there with the Usual Suspects. To those readers out there who haven't played the game, I am not exaggerating. To you newbies, pay attention to the dialog in the game and the unfolding plot rather than concentrating on the action. You will smile at the coolness of it all when IT occurs.

Not to say the action won't keep you salivating. From the get go, you are thrown into battle with a whole series of choices for your character to make. The character creation is reminiscent of the third edition D&D game, but is still not too overwhelming for a newbie. Plus half the fun is juggling your choices on leveling to see what the outcome might be. This gives it major replay value. If you have a high end computer, sit back and watch in glee as the battles unfold especially aboard the bridge of an Imperial ship. Your character somersaults, twists, turns, ducks as sparks fly when lightsabers crash all while laser blasts criss cross in the background. Great stuff! Another advantage this game has over Neverwinter Nights is the choice of two henchman whom you can level as you please. There are a lot of choices for henchman, each with their own engaging story and quests. Play them all. I am sure you will.

The game has a variety of planets from the Star Wars world to visit on your Millennium Falcon like spaceship, the Ebon Hawk. Visit Kashykk, the jungle like planet of the wookies, the desert world of Dantooine, the waterworld of Manaan or the barren wasteland of Korriban, home of the Sith.It has mini games such as Pod Racing (great fun) and gambling in the cantinas with a game called Pazaak. It has a huge variety of armor, weapons and items. Then there's the lightsaber. You can find various crystals in the game that increase the power of your saber which I found very exciting as my character explored his surroundings. My choice to dual wield made the game that much more fun.

Play this game soon. Immerse yourself in the Star Wars world for at least 24 (maybe more) solid hours of game play. I am sure you will be swept away into the epic of it all and make you cry out for more.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR for short), has been heralded by some as being the greatest Star Wars game ever made. After having played this game, I think that the people making those claims may be right.

The events in KOTOR take place about 4,000 years before the events in the films. It is a time of galactic war, between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. For me, at least, the setting is what allows the game to be so rich; instead of being bogged down by having to tie into the films, it can have its own unique story, while still retaining most of the familiar details of the Star Wars universe. The aspect of KOTOR that so many have found most appealing is the ability to play as light or dark. It give the player the ability to develop the already unique story in the way they see fit, bringing the player as close as they have ever come to being their own Star Wars saga. There are thousands of choices to make, and they can affect your alignment, the story, and the gameplay.

The gameplay of KOTOR is an interesting experience. While it is an RPG, the combat takes place in real time, with the all the calculations and dice throwing taking place behind the scenes (though that information is readable). The attacks are basic, so the character building often has more to do with statistics and equipping. However, you and a few other characters play as Jedi, giving you Force abilities which can have a range of powerful effects. However, using the Force drains your Force Meter, which recharges gradually. Also, force alignment affects the cost of using the powers; using the Force to choke the life out of your opponent will cost more if you are playing on the light side. There is a pretty quick and efficient targeting system, but going through the inventory and using items is not all that fun, especially in a battle. There are a few out-of battle statistics as well that allow you to open locked doors, disable mines, and hack computers, but those duties generally fall on NPCs. There are also three classes to choose from, both at the beginning and when you become a Jedi, and both affect gameplay.

The main quest of the game takes you to several different worlds, inhabited with many different characters. Coming along to help you in your journey is a variety of NPCs: Bastila, a young Jedi with the power of "Battle Meditation", Carth, a Republic soldier who isn't quick to trust, Mission, a teenaged Twi'lek, Zaalbar, her Wookiee friend, Canderous, a Mandalorian warrior turned mercenary, and T3-M4, an astromech droid. More characters will join your party later, but I don't want to spoil the story.

There are many sidequests within the main story, and their are several choices and endings in each of them, as well. Most of the NPCs have their own character-specific sidequests as well. You gradually learn more about each character's past through talking to them, and you can pursue either Carth or Bastila as a romantic interest depending on which gender you selected for your character. Once again, you determine your relationships with the characters.

This game is full of dialog, all of it scripted and spoken by actors and actresses (except for your character). In many instances you can be talking to aliens and they will use the same generic alien sounds over and over to convey different meanings, but at least there are unique words for every character, and an extensive dialog branch for each. And of course, there's the classic Star Wars music, which is always great to listen to. Throughout the game, you get to experience a big taste of what the Star Wars universe is like. You discuss the matters of the Force with other characters, and learn about the recent history of the galaxy. Each world has its own history and problems that you learn about, and you often get to directly experience the native cultures in interesting ways. While I said before that KOTOR creates its own story without tying in directly to the movies, some of the things you learn during the course of the game can actually help you understand them better.

You may have noticed I did not mention the game's graphics or level design. There are some nice-looking indoor and outdoor environments, and flashing lightsabers, but many characters look the same, and the in-game animation doesn't always look that great. The levels do not allow for extensive exploration, and they always lead you back to the story.

Which is why I guess I really love this game. It is totally driven by a story that you create, a story that takes you to places you've never been before, yet are so familiar that you may find yourself wanting to learn all that you can about them. It's a quest across space to save the galaxy, and for the very first time, it's starring you.