Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

"One of the Greatest Games Ever Created"

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic was a highly anticipated game that received alot of hype since the information about it was released. It came out during the summer and sold over 400,000 copies in the first few days (I was one of those 400,000 customers). But is it as good as they were saying it would be. The answer? No. It's better. It beats out every other game in a lot of different ways, and it's fun to play. It is one of the best games on Xbox (it's also on the computer, but I don't play computer games so I am not going to mention anything about that.)
Graphics-10. At first glance, the graphics look pretty good. They aren't blocky, and everything moves pretty smooth. But, I was reading a review for the game and in it they said that the graphics could have been better. That's when I started to see things. The graphics, while good, aren't the best. So, why am I giving them a ten? Well, when you see for yourself the way the lightsabers shine on the sand on Tatooine, or when you got 50 laser blasts flying past you, or the way your character transforms depending on your light side/dark side characteristics, then you will know why. Hey, it's no Splinter Cell, but it is still really good when it comes down to the nitty gritty details. The overall appearance needs work, but it's the smaller things that should be appreciated. And even though the overall isnt that good, it is still pretty good. So I am giving KOTOR a ten in graphics.
Sound/Music-10. There isn't much to say about sound. The blasters sound the way they should, and the lightsabers sound cool when you swing them around and start slashing things. But the real reason to give this game a 10 is the voice acting. Some of the voice acting in this game makes some Hollywood movies look bad. Pronunciations are correct, they talk smooth and they really put feeling into what they say. You know how in some games, just the main characters talk and the rest have the words go across the screen? Not in this game. Everything is spoken, whether it be by droids, aliens, your own party members or people walking on the street. The only one who doesn't talk is your own character, you just choose what he says and he says it. And of course the music are either remixes of original Star Wars music or just brand new pieces that fit the environment.
Story-10. I'd give this a 30 if I could. This is one of the greatest stories I've ever seen in a videogame and is 10000000000000000000 times better than the stories of the past few movies. IT takes everything that made the original Star Wars trilogy good and combines them, and expands them. I don't want to give anything away, but you start off by creating and customizing every aspect of your character before waking up on a republic starship that is under attack by the sith. Eventually, you gain a bunch of party members and go to Dantooine where you train as a jedi and are sent on a mission to stop Lord Malak, Dark Lord of the Sith, from taking over the galaxy. Along the way, you face choices that decide your fate and either turn you to the light side or the dark side of the force. The story has more twists and turns then a roller coaster. A little past halfway in the game, you are faced with a brutal plot twist, one that is both shocking as is hard to believe. This was one of those moments in gaming that sends a little chill down your back, one that you normally dont find in most games. There are alot of things in this game, that is what makes it a great game, A little past that, your faced with a choice that truly decides your fate. It is a hard decision for anyone to be faced with it. Besides the main plot, each character has a subplot that you can uncover, and each leads to another sidequest. Your characters all have a story to tell, so talk to them, be nice to them. And speaking of characters, you'll love HK-47. He is a droid you get on Tatooine. He is obnoxious, annoying, but he's wicked funny. You'll have loads of fun with him, and you'll enjoy having him as a companion. He is an assassin droid, one that is evil and funny, and if your following the dark side, he'll love you just as much as you'll love him. Besides HK, there is also T-3, a utility droid that reminds you of R2-D2. You'll also have 3 other jedi with you, one a stuck up but famous girl named Bastila, a Cathar named Juhani, and an old hermit named Jolee. There's also a republic war hero named Carth, an old Mandalore merc that fought in the Mandalorian Wars, a Twilek named Mission Vao and your wookie friend, Zaalbar, not to mention your own character who is cool because it's based on you.
Gameplay-10. This game is an RPG, and it has a unique battle system. You can choose from a long list of moves, and you can either choose to use it right away or wait and put it in a line of attacks waiting to be used. This system is both easy and fast, and it's a nice change from boring turn based battles found in most RPGs. This battle system is easy to pick up but tough to master. Since there are no complicated controls in this game, you'll hardly ever find yourself fumbling around during battles, and it really lets you get into the game. Bioware did good with this one, and it proves that they really know how to make a great game. You can talk to anybody in the game, and most conversations give you choices. Most usually have a choice that would 1.give you light side points, 2.dark side points, or 3. it wouldn't do anything at all. It is truly like nothing that I have ever seen before. Since the controls aren't that hard, I am going to include them in this section. There's basically a button that lets you choose your attacks, one that ques them up, and one that gets rid of them. You can press the white button to pause the game during battle, making it easier to choose the attacks without getting pummeled (the battles are real time, after all.) The directional pad lets you choose your attacks, and the L/R buttons let you cycle between targets. When not in battle, you can still pause it and admire the surroundings without worrying about fighting. There's also a button that allows you to swing your weapon around. Not a needed thing, but still cool. You can use the directional pad when not in battle to choose an ability like a force power that helps you, like boosting your defense or healing you. You can also choose an item, like a medpack or an ability stimulant. Yeah, that's right. You take steroids in this game. Well, I shouldn't say that. They're not steroids, I mean they arent portrayed as drugs or anything, but they boost your abilities, health, or strength. They really helped me in a number of situations. Also, the RTS (rapid transit system) is one of the coolest and most helpful features that I have ever found in a video game. It lets you warp at any time back to your ship (yeah, you have your own ship that your free to walk around in) and it heals all your characters. This feature is totally cool, and you can warp right back to your position that you were in. You can also change your party members almost anywhere, which is cool. You also cuxtomize every aspect of each and every party member, which is really cool. For example, when you put on armor, they'll wear that armor, unlike in some RPGs where they just wear what they normally wear.
Playtime/Replay Factor 10-Playtime isnt a problem, that main quest packs in around 30 hours. And if you spend time doing the large number of side quests, we're talking a good 60 hours, that is if you do everything and explore. The replay factor gets a ten because it's fun to play the game over and over (I've been through six different times) and, given the different choices, you never have to play through the same way. And even if you do, it's still just as fun to play.
Overall-10/10. It's just a great game, one of the best. If you hate RPGs, you'll like this one. If you hate Star Wars, youll like this one. It's fun for everyone.
Buy/Rent-Buy it. It is a great game, and there is no way you'll be able to beat it in a week and still find every secret and complete every side quest. There is something for everyone in this masterpiece of a game, and I know that you will not be disappointed when you play this. It's one of the only games where you'll find every category has a ten.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/10/04