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

"While being more than disappointing, it is much less than perfect."

One year ago, the RPG genre was redefined. One year ago, the name "Star Wars" was redefined. One year ago, I, as a gamer was redefined. The game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic set a new gaming standard for both Star Wars and RPG fans alike. One year and five months later, these standards were expected to be raised by its sequel, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. I'll tell you now that these standards had not risen.

They were just matched.

Lucky for some, a great sequel, whose original game had been released just one year before, proved to be yet another great experience that sort of re-flamed the small sparks left in the minds of the players of the original game. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords does not disappoint. The great and improved gameplay is offset by the fact that the game's story just doesn't capture and invigorate minds as easily as it did the first time around.

Not to say that the story isn't excellent. You begin the game on Revan's old vessel, the Ebon Hawk, as the lone astromech droid, T3-M4, who seems to be the only surviving crew member of the ship. After your little tutorial, the character you created in the first place (I'll get to the outstanding customization system later) is thrown into the Peragus Mining Facility, without any memory of how he got there. Your goal, while at the beginning of the mission is unclear, will become clearer as you progress through the facility. The history of you character is completely unknown, which may either interest you or, as it did to me, annoy you to incredible amounts. It really got me irritated because I found myself choosing dialogue options I didn't even know were true, even though you're supposed to learn more about your own past as you progress through the game. The story's biggest problem, though, is how it's missing that linear and more appealing feel that 2003's game had. I doubt anybody would fully understand the story after playing it once, and I also doubt that most people would have patience enough to go through the game one or two more times just to get it. I should also say that you just don't start feeling like a Jedi till pretty late in the game. I won't spoil the end for you, but I'll just say that it's got more holes than Peragus itself.

Like the first game, along the story of KOTOR II, you will stumble upon several new (and old) faces of the Old Republic. And like the first game, some characters you meet will actually follow you on your journey. The first character you come across in Kreia. Kreia is a Jedi, who seems almost as detached with the order as you are, but nowhere near as detached with the Force. Kreia plays the role of mentor for the rest of the game, and is possible the most important companion of yours. The next you meet is Atton, who seems like a much better Han Solo than Carth was. As I said, you will stumble upon many characters in your quest.

Possibly the most interesting addition to the KOTOR series is the influence system. When speaking with your party members, unlike last years game, you actually have the chance to sway your teammates to the Light or Dark side of the Force. I'm not gonna give away all of my techniques, but I'll make a note that it is MUCH easier to push. your teammates to the Light side rather than the Dark side. The way to gain influence is by giving compliments, which is a bit disappointing, because I was really looking forward to seeing that pure and innocent Handmaiden go dark....

Conversation isn't the only way to gain influence. Some of your conpanions will respond to the way you act. Most respect kindness and helping, while others respect power, and brutality.

The gameplay is where the game really shines, even though this is mostly a story driven game. Last year a system very similar to the system of D&D games and such was introduced to players. It was something of a turn-based combat system that didn't look like so at first glance. The game used a dice-rolling system to determine important things like whether you hit or miss an enemy, or whether you dodge or get hit, and small things like whether you got that one little lock open or not. When you understand the system fully, it only makes the game more fun.

The same system is back in KOTOR II, had those d20 veterans will feel right at home. Some new little things here and there were added to make the gamer feel more at ease. You can actually set your companions to a stationary mode so you can stop them from running straight into mines like idiots while heading to attack an enemy. The game also adds several new feats and force powers which will no doubt excite gamers. Some feats are character-specific, like Atton's ability to only die as the last man standing, or Visas' ability to see through walls, etc., etc....

The customization system is back and for the most part, the same. You choose one of three Jedi classes, one being proficient in combat, another proficient in using the Force, and one to balance the two out. You chose your attributes and advance them more and more as you level up. It would probably be smart to focus on one attribute, but hey, you're the boss, which is the best part. Later in the game you get to choose one of three "prestige classes." Here you can have fun by mixing up classes, like turning a Jedi Guardian (pure warrior) into a Jedi Master (pure Force user. This may not be the smartest thing to do but hell, it's fun.

The fact that you begin the game as a Jedi is probably what makes this game all-around more fun to play. By the end of the game you will pretty much be all-powerful and just a better combatant than you were at the end of the original KOTOR.

Graphics are less than great. While the lightsabers look unbelievable and some environments look pretty good, you just can't help feeling that all of this was so much better in last years game. And before long, I was getting sick of seeing that one guys face on just about every side character in the game.

Once again, the sound and voice action is where the game probably impresses the most. The voice acting is extremely well done, and the music is just incredible. You can now listen to songs and themes of KOTOR II by Mark Griskey via the "Music" option at the main menu. I loved the original Star Wars music of the movies, but I was honestly getting pretty sick of that John Willams score in the video games.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is a great game with a few drawbacks here and there that shouldn't be missed by RPG players, and should sure as hell be played by any Star Wars fan.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/20/05