"Like RPG's or Star Wars games??? Then read this now!!... Please?"

Firstly, I'll just do a brief summary of the game you MUST buy. I myself have never played the last game KOTOR but the moment I started playing I was engaged in a great game with a simple but nice plot. What I mean is, is that you can pick it up and start playing straight away without need of any background being explained to you. Imagine some cool game play, good visuals, hacking into terminals (and alien heads for that matter :)) and a hell of a lot weapons and you've got KOTOR II. It also has good characters and a unique fighting system, which I shall go through in a moment.

When you start the game, you are immersed in a fun prologue were you a little droid “walking” around the ship doing little odd jobs repairing the ship as it has taken a rather unfortunate beating by a Sith cruiser. In itself the level is fun and like something I'd never played before. Next there is a level on an asteroid belt called Peragus which is undeniably fun, but is a bit too long for its own good.

Now more about that fighting system. As I said previously, it is unique, it is kind of a mixture between real time and turn based. You basically switch the target onto the enemy and then press the (A) button and sit back and enjoy (except for when you're getting smashed by the enemy). To select the skills or moves you want to use (e.g. force powers, items, special moves……) you just use the directional pad to move through the menu on the bottom left (more about that later) which displays all the available actions.

Enough introduction, now we'll get to the ratings.

Ratings

Visuals 9/10

Some nice flashy light sabre effects and super heated plasma bolts strewn across the screen can't go too wrong. Good textures on the characters and basically everything else. The only let down is that it can be a little hard to see at some points when it is dark, but nothing closing the curtains can't handle.

Sound 9/10

The droning sound of blasters going off, swords slicing enemies shrieking, just what you'd expect from a battle based game. Some good music that really suit's the mood of the game, like when you are fighting there is fast paced active music, or suspenseful tense tunes when your creeping through a giant mutant spider inhabited cave. Also some sound effects are pretty good. Like when you hack into a security terminal or speak to a weird alien. It really makes you think you are there. In a way. Some voices can get pretty annoying in conversations as well but that is not much of a problem.

Gameplay 8. 5/10

The gameplay is great. The fighting is fun, as I already have mentioned, and it's a well spaced out game, I wasn't bored for a second. In the game there is a small bar in the bottom left corner of the screen. It shows different actions depending on the object or character the target is focused on. For example, if the target was on an item like a door there would be actions like open but if you put it on an enemy then attack and the grenade icon would come up. If you focused it on a member of your party or a NPC (non playable character) then dialog (speak) would come up. Also in the game there is a meter on the pause menus. Nearer to the top it is blue, and bottom it is red. On this meter there is a little pointer. Depending on the actions ,decisions and speech choices you make in the game you will move up or down the metre. When you gain light side points then you move up the meter. When you get dark points however, you will move down the meter. Your choices not only affect the meter and your physical features, but also your companions.

Replayability 7/10

As I mentioned in Gameplay the game has a meter which corresponds to your actions so you can be on dark or light sides. This itself has a good replay value as you will find yourself playing it again to be on the other side. The game could do very well with an internet service however and could have great potential as a co op game on XBox Live.

Immersability 10/10

Immersability as you might have already guessed, is not a real word but I have made it up as an add on of the word immerse, which means when you get stuck into something (metaphorically not literally). I have given this game an immersability of 10 as when I got this game I could not stop! I was on it for about 4 hours straight, completely ignoring my hunger.

Overall 9/10

A cool game, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys RPG's or Star Wars games. If you liked the sound of it then I would recommend buying it. But if you do not like any of the aforementioned (or a turn based battle system) then this game is not for you. But you are missing out!! :)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/06/05