Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

"Quite possibly the best RPG I've ever played"

When I bought this, I didn't play the first one, so I really didn't know what to expect. I heard of all the original's Reviews, and I was hoping for an awesome game...It was better than I had hoped.

Graphics - 8/10

Not the greatest graphics I've ever seen, but they more than suffice for an RPG. Robes realistically flap in the breeze as you run, swords spark as you block, and the force powers are awesome. I see only 2 relatively minor flaws. I don't want to see my face on some 40+ other people in the world. Also, all these effects can take its toll on the xbox, as framerate can drop after using powers, from time to time.

Sound - 7/10

The familiar clang of swords, the ominous hum of a lightsaber, and the powerful whoosh as you use the force to bring lightning down on your foes. The effects are superb. Voice acting is great, but it gets repetitive if you ask similar questions to similar people. Also, in battle, the few phrases your allies say can grow tiresome, especially with the huge amount of time needed to complete the game. KOTOR uses the familiar Star Wars music we all know...with a few rather large problems. The music is too slow paced, and too repetitive, to the point, where it detracts from the overall gameplay experience. It picks up pace when battle starts, but when you are in one area for a real long time without battle (which happens a lot); the music begins to get to you. Almost to the point where you'll want to ram your head through a brick wall, rather than continue the game. I just turned the music off, and turned on the radio.

Gameplay - 8/10

Trying to keep this as simple as possible was difficult. There are so many different aspects to the game; I'll need a lifetime to explain it all to you. The game is based on a d20 (dice-based) system. Anyone who played with this system, either in board games, or other video games, will know it well. You can find more about on the web. This does not work well, for real-time combat, because you can't control the attacks of everyone in your party at once, but thankfully, you can change it to Turn Based combat (where the action pauses after each combat turn). The game sucks in the beginning, because the in-game menu is cumbersome at first, but you get used to it. Also, because most of the time, it's just one-on-one battles, and you only have one attack skill to choose from, so you just watch and see what happens. But as the game progresses, you gain more companions, you get more types of attacks to choose from, and the scale of the battles grows. It makes for a very fun and exciting game.

There are up to 12 different people that can join you on your quest. The ones that actually do are based on your decisions. You can only have 2 (in addition to yourself) with you at any one time. You can change your party at any time to better suit your needs.

But the REALLY cool thing about this game is, you can choose whether you are on the dark side, or the light side. This doesn't happen with one decision, but over the course of the entire game (which is LONG, 30+ total hours of gameplay). If you are cruel, and are basically a jerk to people, you will gradually fall to the dark side. If you are kind, and are nice to people talking to you, you will align with the light side. Conversation choices change, and overall gameplay changes with your character's alignment. The people with you on your journey also change alignments. How much their alignment changes is based on how much influence you have over them. The more influence, the more closely they are aligned to you. The game even has two different endings based on what alignment you are. You can even teach some of your companions the way of the Jedi, or the Sith (if you have enough influence over them), and they can use their force powers in combat.

The game also lets you choose the planets you can go to. This makes the game fun everytime you play it; it's never the same twice.

There is one problem...framerate. In heated battles, and even some small skirmishes, the framerate can chug almost mercilessly at times, and the game can even crash! (I'll never forget the one time when a group of Sith with lightsabers ambushed my party. They drew their lightsabers, and after a conversation, the battle started...the screen went black, but I could still hear the sound of them battling...I figured it was a cutscene...5 minutes later I decided to restart the xbox)

Story - 9/10

The story takes place several millennia before the events of the Star Wars movies. It is just after the events of two violent wars. The galaxy is crippled to the point, that a single event can cause the Republic to be ruined. The Jedi has been entirely eradicated, save one. You. You are being hunted by the Sith, and somehow, have ended up at an ominously empty fuel mining facility. You must choose to fight as a Jedi and save the republic, or fight as a Sith, and destroy it.

As you progress through the story, you gain allies, solve ancient mysteries, and learn about your past. KOTOR II's storyline is one of the best I've seen in a game. The thing is, it is never the same storyline twice. Also, you don't need to have the original KOTOR to know what's going on. The events of the first game are explained to you throughout the game. The story changes based on your decisions, your alignment, and even the gender of your character. There are some shortcomings, however. The ending is also pretty bad. I was expecting a huge twist, like in KOTOR I. Instead it is a series of small twists, followed by what would be a large twist, except you can spot it a mile away (on the 1st or 2nd planet if you pay close attention to small details) Also, the ending is too open for my liking. Once the final battle is over...well I won't spoil anything for you, but let's just say, That's it. I was hoping for some cutscene showing me getting mass praise for saving the Galaxy, or something to show me dominating the galaxy. Sadly, there isn't. There is many questions left for you to answer yourself. You don't even know whether you get the girl or not! Oh well. Not as bad as Halo 2's ending, but it's close. There is also a problem with character development, and interaction. Don't get me wrong, all your companions have their backgrounds, and mysterious pasts, and one can even fall in love with you (If your character is male), but it doesn't cover the entire length of the game. After you reach a cirtain influence with them, that's it. There is nothing else to do. The conversations don't change. If they're was more dialogue options as you continue your quest, then I would bow down, and worship it (not really). But sadly, there isn't.

Replay Value - OFF THE CHARTS!

If you like it, you'll still be popping this game in a year or two from now! The story is never the same twice. Combine that the 30 hours of playing time required to beat the game, and you have a fun game that never gets old.

Rent or Buy - BUY!

You'll never finish if you rent! And if you do, you'll want to play as the dark side!

Bottom Line

If you like Star Wars, good RPGs, or are just looking for a good game, then pick this up. If not, then try it. You won't be disappointed.

Recap

+++ Game is not linear...in fact, it ranks up there with Fable.
++ Easy to Learn gameplay that will still challenge hardened vets.
+ Sound Effects and Voice Acting
+ Graphics
+ Lightsabers, and Jedi Mind Tricks

--- Game can crash at times, sometimes way after you last saved.
- Framerate
- Companions conversations can get boring
- The Music
- The Ending
- No R2-D2

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/03/05