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They Were Clearly Rushed At the End

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: January 03, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I will write this review from the perspective of someone who played--and loved--the original KOTOR, because if you don't have that point of comparison you will simply find this game stupendous in comparison to the large body of re-hashed garbage that forms the bulk of the videogame universe.

In comparison to KOTOR I, the story is in some ways better and in some ways not as good. The original KOTOR always had, to me, an episodic feel. It always seemed as though the game was simply stacking mission upon mission onto the main character in order to pass the time. In KOTOR II, the writers have done a better job of integrating the missions into the main story arc. Also, the worlds are bigger and more populated, giving them the game play a more open and unstructured feel. Also, a lot of the minor NPCs act more rationally and make more sense than in the original KOTOR.

That said, however, the main story arc is cryptic to put it kindly. Without giving anything away, a number of the main NPCs reverse their statements and strategies throughout the game in ways that I think were intended to be "plot twists" but that in the final analysis just don't make sense. These problems blossom into flat-out inconsistencies in the finale of the game, where a number of events occur for no apparent reason and with no apparent resolution, making me think that they were rushed to meet a Christmas release date and so just dropped some plot conclusions at the end that they didn't have time to finish. Also, I agree with any reviewers who found the final battles anti-climactic; in terms of difficulty and suspense, none of them matches up to Malak. Again, I am tempted to credit this to a rushed finish. Regrettable to say the least.

In terms of character development, the game is a big improvement over KOTOR I. There is no cap on progression. Let me say it again: there is no cap on progression. You can keep gaining experience and adding force powers until the cows come home. Also, they have added new prestige classes and powers that keep the progression interesting toward the end of the game; it wasn't until the very end that I felt I was just adding powers to add them.

In terms of difficulty, if you are an experienced KOTOR player, the "normal" difficulty level will be disappointingly easy.

In terms of game play, KOTOR II uses the same engine--hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

But these complaints, such as they are, reflect merely the predictable gripes of someone who viewed KOTOR I as one of the best videogames of all time (in the pantheon with M.U.L.E., Wizardry, Civilization, the Ultima franchise and...Halo I). No sequel could have matched up. Buy this game.

Sequel's not as good as the original

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: January 04, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Unlike the original Star Wars film trilogy, the second game in the Knights of the Old Republic series is a disappointment when compared to the first game. The storyline and plot made the first game truly gripping, but this time the plot is convoluted, full of holes and the storyline is extremely confusing. No huge revelations like the identity of Revan in the first game. Just lazy writing. The opening levels of the new game are WAY too slow and by the end of the game you become so powerful that the bosses aren't even a challenge. I just breezed through the Sith Academy. The Dark Jedi might as well have been statues for all the fight they gave me. VERY poor NPC AI. Also there were a few glitches here and there, one of the most frustrating being that characters sometimes reversed gender in dialogue when speaking about Revan even after you set a gender for Revan. Plus, there is no payoff at the end of the game -- no movie for completing the game, just a longwinded boring monologue. And don't get me started on the characters. The first game had characters you really cared about. When you played the first game in Dark Side mode, it would almost physically pain you to cut down Jolie or turn the Wookiee against Mission. They were likable, fully developed characters (with maybe the exception of HK, though funny, and the war-story-spouting Mandalorian guy). This game's characters are mostly annoying and are one-dimensional. There's really not much to them and very few opportunities to find out much about them. The new game also seems more linear and directed than the first game. On the whole, I think it suffers from a lack of creative vision. The team that wrote the first game didn't do this one, and it shows. I would love to play another KOTR game put together by the first team. It just makes no sense why they put a winning Game of the Year franchise in new -- and not as capable -- hands. What a letdown. I can say that I am looking forward to the Jade Empire RPG by the old team, though.

A worthwhile sequel

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: January 07, 2005
Author: Amazon User

My anticipation for this game was high, as I considered the first game to be easily the one of best computer RPG's I've ever played (and I've played a lot of them, going back to Ultima III on the Commodore 64.) I was not disappointed.

It is definitely a different game. The engine is largely unchanged, and what changes there are were for the better. The plot, though, is much more...philosophical, for lack of a better word. Perhaps its best to call this a more "adult" game. Not adult in the pornographic sense, but adult in the sense that story is simply more likely to be appreciated by someone who's past high school. Kreia, the game's "Mystery Jedi", presents you with some moral questions about whether your actions are really "good" that are really thought-provoking.

The game does lack the big shock revelation of the first. That could be viewed as a flaw, but I suspect having another "oh my gosh, you mean I'm really !" moment in this game would have felt like a cheap attempt to imitate the original.

Many characters return from the original game, though not all of them are playable. Fortunately, everyone's favorite sociopathic assassin droid, HK-47, returns and is playable. I personally would have liked to see the cantankerous old Jedi coot Jolee Bindo return, but I can live without him. The extraordinarily annoying Carth Onasi does return, but thankfully only in small parts.

The game's new characters are all entertaining, though there are none I felt particularly "attached" to, like I did with HK-47 or Jolee Bindo in the first game.

The worlds to visit are all interesting. I especially enjoyed Onderon, which took at least part of its inspiration from the classic movie "Casablanca."

There are some valid criticisms. Framerate does slow, almost painfully, at times. And again, by XBox standards, the graphics are unimpressive.

And there's rather annoying teasers for a sequel, unlike the first game, which ended firmly. Nothing is really left "dangling", but there's character statements near the end that imply there's one more story. Now, I look forward to KOTOR III, but teasers annoy me.

As to the obvious questions of whether its "better" than the original, that's hard to say. They're different enough in tone that asking which is better is like comparing Grand Theft Auto and Super Mario. Suffice it to say that it is equally worth playing.

When I reviewed the original, I said that it was almost worth buying an XBox just to play the game. It is definitely worth the price of the XBox to play both games.

i am now a sad person

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: March 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

ive taken to sitting into the late hours of the night, drinking scotch from the bottle and not shaving after this. i loved the first game, and played it four times; what the hell happened? they just cooked up a quick story full of dissapointing half-ties to the last game, and far too many glitches. i dont save much, and when you've been playing for two hours without having saved, and suddenly the game freezes, its time to bite your hand furiously and grab yourself several zombies at your local tavern. after suffering through the first playthrough, i tried, but in the end simply gave up on doing it again. rent it a couple times i say, dont spend your fifty on it, the replay value is far too little.

Okay game... really bad sequel.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: March 17, 2005
Author: Amazon User

We all know the first KOTOR was a phenom - enough said.

If we compare KOTOR 2 to the first we will find ourselves twitching and jibbering in a state of apopletic shock at the horrible job that was done. The game is slow and choppy, the story is fragmented and difficult to comprehend, and there are holes bigger than the space slug's mouth. That is in comparison to the first KOTOR. If you're looking to enjoy a sequal I have to recommend that you avoid KOTOR 2 unless you can buy it at a steal.

If we view KOTOR 2 as a stand-alone product - which is conceivable - then it has some qualities that are worth playing at least once through. First off there is a great inventory system with a seeminly endless cornucopia of cool gadgets. Character development is rewarding and fun. Although the story is hard to follow, but you can play this game just for the action if necessary. The controls are easy to use once you understand them. And some of the character interaction is humorous, sad, and involving - to a degree. Perhaps the best selling point - to me - is the long gameplay. I think a novice player who takes their time could go 50+ hours on this game.

So it's all in your viewpoint. If you're looking and expecting and wanting a sequal then get the wretching and revulsion over with before you play this - it doesn't meet or exceed the first KOTOR. If you just want to play a game without any attachments to the first one (hard to do if you've already played it) then you may enjoy this game...

I am glad I didn't listen to the negative reviews

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: March 26, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I played the first KOTOR and enjoyed it immensely. When the second game was released, I started reading all these reviews about how the game is buggy, the load time is too long and the story is weaker than the first and how it is a big disappoinment. So I decided to wait until the game goes Greatest hits status sometime later on in the year and pick it up for 20 bucks. But after going through GTA-San Andreas and the second Metroid Prime (yes I own Xbox, GC and PS2), I couldn't resist playing the sequel and decided to take a chance.

Let me just say I have been playing this game non-stop for the past two weeks. This game is still a lot of fun. It is true that the story is not that strong compared to the 1st but I still think it is pretty good. The dialogue between you and the other members in your party is not as deep but I am not playing games to have a virtual relationship. The interaction I got from them was enough to develop favorites. The game engine didn't change much and this is a good thing if you liked the first game. The game was a bit buggy (for instance, I was able to go through a door without opening it) but there is nothing that affects the overall gameplay. The frame rate dropped significantly too when there were too many enemies on the screen but again, this is a minor annoyance. The biggest pet peeve I had was the load time. This was especially true for swoop racing. 1 minute load time to start the racing, 1 minute load back into the main game after the run and another 1 minute load time to get back into the race if you choose to race again because your time wasn't good enough. I almost wanted to throw my controller at the TV when a particular time was extremely tough to beat. The 10 tries it took me to beat the best time at one swoop race meant 20 minutes in load time. This was truly maddening and if there is a third game, the game designers should seriously consider changing this format.

To sum up, if you liked the first game because you liked slicing through enemies with lightsabers, you liked using Jedi mind tricks on people and also liked to whole light/side dark side game element, you will still love this game. On its own, this game is awesome. Compared to the first game, it is only slightly worse. But to think this game is not worth your time, that would be like saying that the first Godfather is a terrible movie because Godfather 2 is better.

Better than the first.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: July 20, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Why? Well, first off this game goes on to a much darker story than the first one. The galaxy is nearly destroyed and there is no sign of Revan. The Sith Lords have killed nearly all the Jedi and those not killed are in hiding.

Forget what you think you know from the first KOTOR because this game will turn it all around. Kreia the witch who accompanies you is in constant need to question the motives of both Jedi and Sith. To tell you the truth this game is leading to a war that Revan knows about and you the exile will probably be a part of.

Possibilities for a third KOTOR. Friends of mine have come up with ideas for a Bounty Hunter hired by the Republic to find Revan. As the Bounty Hunter goes along he/she learns the way's of the force. They should bring back a council too, which should have Atton, Visas, etc.

Overall, this game is better than the first because it isn't so Hollywood. This game has a better plot than the first and the only thing that was dissapointing was the ending. Which, I understand, was rushed because of a deadline. Really the best part of the first KOTOR was it's originality and the twist it had half way through the game.

So don't rent, buy! Buy! Buy! Buy! and not only will you be helping the economy you'll be getting a game that isn't mindless button pushing.

KOTOR II is a great Star Wars game (not just for fans)...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: November 30, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game starts you off with very little force powers and the choices you make (in the game) shape your character as well as your friends... You may choose the good path or the evil path, either way this game is very customizable... You can build your own lightsaber, too!

Im a HUGE SW fan and I couldnt believe all the small details the designers put into this game... Great fun swashbuckling around 6-8 different worlds solving puzzles, trading goods and straight up lightsaber slashing!

Caution for impatient brawlers! This is a turn based game. You have wait your turn in combat. So if you want to button mash, this game will be frustrationg to you... I just hit the pause/menu to fight with a clear head. So keep your wits about you and alot of patience to kill all your enemies...

Enjoy!

40+ Hours and never boring...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: August 06, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game is delightful the choices of dialouge are great you can turn most conversations in to hillarious situations. There are so many options to what class of sith you would like to become if you go down the dark side, or what class of wimpy jedi you would like to become if you choose the light. Either way the game is great, and if you become a sith lord and get the power to perform a "force Crush" on your opponent you are very lucky... Give this game a whirl!

Still haven't slept

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: December 16, 2004
Author: Amazon User

No, but really this is an excellent game to follow the 2003 Game of the Year. KOTOR II brings back everything from the original, and spices up new and old options. New feats, new force powers, new characters (original KOTOR character apperances), new planets, and best of all you don't have to wait around forever to become a Jedi "YOUR ONE RIGHT OFF THE BAT." Besides some minor flaws in audio (NPC's often repeat dialouge), and gameplay (can sometimes slow down in combat for some time until you go in a mad frenzy making you want to kick your xbox). Props to Obsidian for putting their name on the chart. If this game dosen't win RPG of the year i'll probably have to kill myself. But if you haven't played the original KOTOR get that first. Its better than the second, but not by much.

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