User Reviews (1 - 11 of 206)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

Disappointing

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 111 / 142
Date: December 17, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Knights of the Old Republic II is a good game. Maybe even a very good game. Which is a pity, because its prequel was one of the greatest games of all time. The sequel doesn't live up.

The game mechanics are virtually identical to the original, which is fine. There are a few minor tweaks. The workbench can now be used to create items, not just upgrade them, and there's a new "lab station" that can make medical items and explosives. Both of these stations are much more common than the workbench was in the original. You can now switch among several "forms" which give bonuses to some attributes and penalties to others. Pazaak has been improved with the addition of some new cards, plus the first play alternates between the contestants. Other than that, there's not much in the engine that's new.

Which, again, is fine. The original's mechanics worked well and there's no need to change them. But the original achieved legendary status by building a powerful and compelling storyline on top of those mechanics, and here the sequel falls short.

The characters aren't as interesting. Your character's motivations are far less clear. There are times when a character's actions become cryptic for nothing more than the sake of being cryptic. The game shows you many cutscenes where your main character is not present, so you will gain knowledge that your character is unable to act on, which can be frustrating.

I found KotOR II much easier than the original. Virtually none of the enemies provided a challenge. I frequently found myself opening a door, facing up to a dozen foes, and slicing through them like butter, only to open the next door and do it all over again. There is an adjustable difficulty level, which I left on Normal... I can't imagine what Easy must be like.

While leaving the engine pretty much alone, Obsidian abused it by throwing more at it than it can handle. Occasions where the frame rate drops are frequent, sometimes unacceptably so. In a few instances, it dropped to less than one frame per second. I also encountered one hard crash while playing. Fortunately, the game autosaves frequently.

Ironically, I was compelled to play the game almost continuously through and completed it in a single weekend. This was because I kept waiting for it to get better, waiting for the dramatic improvement that would make it a worthy sequel. It never came, and the ending was as disappointing as the rest of the game.

My advice to those who played and loved the prequel is to play KotOR II, but keep your expectations low. Perhaps then the disappointment won't be as bitter.

The Sith Strike Back: Return of the Exile

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 64 / 73
Date: April 04, 2005
Author: Amazon User

A New RPG

The first Knights of the old Republic (KOTOR), was one heck of a game. It took everything that people loved about the classic trilogy and expanded universe of Star Wars, and packed it neatly into an epic RPG where everything you did had either light side or dark side properties. Sure there was light-saber combat, but the game was more about storyline and immersion than anything else. The countless hours of voice-acting and intriguing dialog choices, to say nothing of conversations that would or would not take place depending on what you did, created an experience that sent shockwaves through the video game world. Of course there were also some bugs to be found (okay, a LOT of bugs), and some of the mini games were pointless (anyone else get tired of playing gunner when it's almost impossible to lose?), but on the whole, that game was awesome, giving you everything from jedi mind-tricks and choking of smart-mouths with the force to dancing with twileks and finding out your own dark "Luke, I AM your father" secret. So naturally, the second KOTOR has a lot to live up to.

You Should Not Have Come Back

If the first KOTOR was A New Hope with the plot twist from Empire Strikes back, this one is probably Empire Strikes back with the plot and pacing of A New Hope. In a move that sits particularly well with me, the dialog and plot are both much darker and much funnier this time around. I knew that from the moment I found myself half-naked tallking to a prisoner in a cell in a station where hundreds lie dead on the ground and psycho droids roam the halls. As the title of the game suggests, this time around everything revolves around the Sith (well, that and finding out why you were banished in the first place). Pretty much the whole has you playing cat-and-mouse with the Sith, trying to figure out who exactly the real bad guys are. Is is the tortured zombie Darth Sion, who is only kept alive by his own hatred and dark-side power, lusting for revenge on his old master? Is it Sith Lord who wears the creepy Sith Mask, so consumed with hunger for force energy that entire planets are devoured by his hunger as he roams the galaxy in his ghost-ship? Or is the true villain the one who manipulates these Sith fools, using them to make YOU stronger?

Pluck of an Old (Fashioned) Sith

Instead of the same old questions of simple "Do I kill the guy or give him ALL of my money" good and evil, a lot of situations in this game are grey areas. You COULD help someone, but it may hurt them more in the long run. You COULD listen to someone's innocent comments, only to discover that they are pure evil. And you COULD hurt someone very much by allowing them to get too close to you. Really, if there is one thing that makes this game fascinating, is the way that puts such a wonderful spin on things, making you repeatedly question your actions and why you are doing the things that you are, forcing nice people to kill when YOU are the good guy, making people betray their master to serve YOU. Perhaps the ultimate question of the game (and it's proved by the very end) is just how far are you willing to go in order to help someone you believe in or destroy something that you hate. Far more is at stake than just the Jedi and the Sith, or even just the Republic. What will you do? Sacrifice your soldiers or save the galaxy?

The Weapon of a Jedi Knight

Some people will undoubted become irked at the fact that they can't have a light saber from the get-go. But storyline is key here, and now that almost all the Jedi are dead, and most of the Sith as well, light sabers are becoming a little rare. And what with people hunting Jedi down and all, well you get the picture. Consider this though, what is a Jedi without his light saber? Have you ever thought about it? A jedi who's an expert marksman would be a dangerous foe, and a jedi with a sword is kind of like a samurai... And much to my delight, when you begin the game you DO have force powers.

I Want to Learn the Ways of the Force

When I heard about how this game was going to have all these new force powers, at first I was irritated. Great, more confusion, more head-scratching and decision making distracting me from the game. But as the game progressed I discovered something wonderful. Instead of forcing you to choose, the game helps you along by making the choices far more obvious. Certain types of Jedi gain certain abilities automatically (bonuses that come from leveling up in a certain style), and certain super-cool powers can only be obtained by types. In other words, a weapons master can't throw lightening around like a jedi master. More choices, but the impossible ones aren't shown, and the crucial ones are automatic. Nice.

Fastest Ship in the Galaxy

Really you've got to love most of the changes that have been made in this game. The card game has been expanded and so has the racing (and both have gotten a lot more sophisticated). You can break down components, build new ones, create upgrades, choose fighting styles You have three extra levels of Jedi on top of the old for dark side and light side, and dialog options change depending on your skills. Of course the game is also a lot easier on normal now (which some may not like), and there is a lot more soloing this time (which adds to the narrative, but forces you to use certain characters). I particularly loved the fact that Jedi can now equip armor of certain types and still use force powers. That and the fact that I never ran out of money (like I frequenly did in the first game the first time around).

From a Certain Point of View

What really makes this game shine though, is the story. Granted, it may not be as ambitious as the first game, and a few critical moments could have been better (I wanted a LONG battle with the main villains, not a quick death for one of us), but on the whole I think the story of this game is better. Essentially you start the game full of questions and end it in a similar way, but along the way to the answers to your main questions you pick up a variety of characters who are just full of surprises, and keep you guessing as to how you should play things out.

You can try to get close to one character or another, but inevitably you're going to alienate someone, and as certain characters will give you bonuses as you teach each other various techniques, you're likely to quickly start playing favorites. While some characters will just plain shut up if you have nothing to talk about, and others will allow you (glitch time) to have the same conversations over and over again, on the whole the character interaction is incredible, augmented by some wonderful voice-acting. Depending on what you say and do, you may find yourself with not only a love interest, but a love TRIANGLE, and in this game no one is quite what they seem (even the droids).

While the influence you exert over others (turning them light or dark side and opening them up to you) is great, many will doubtless be delighted with the prospect of training their own apprentice(s) in the ways of the Force. There is just something insanely cool about training your own private army of Jedi, don't you think? Of course it can go so many ways depending on how you play...

It also seems to me that the characters in this game have a much stronger sense of identity and personal agenda than in the first game, and the conversations feel more personal. In particular I found the new female characters fascinating, as the manipulate Kreia tries to teach you, protect you, and control you, the Handmaiden tries to preach to you, learn from you, and respect you, Mira tries to decypher you, and Visas just plain worships you (or does she?). The frustrating but interesting thing about the characters is that you'll only get certain ones if you are light side/dark side and you can only figure out what they're really up to if you use your powers of persuation in a concentrated effort. And of course there are also characters that will or will not join you depending on whether you are male or female (how about that?). Some people will comepletely overlook this part of the game and not talk to anyone, but they will never understand the true motivations of the characters, and certain won't have any padawan learners to educate in the ways of the force.

All in all, the story and characters are pretty great, and definitely worth playing the game through more than once to see the full scope of. Your fist time through will doubtless still leave you wondering about the future at the end of the game, as some big questions are still left unanswered (can you say KOTOR III?).

The Droids You're Looking For

And then there's the droids. Is it possible for our psychotic assasin droid to get any more sarcastic and cynical (and demented)? And what about our little astromech droid? Now you can converse with the cute little guy the way Luke and Obi-Wan did with R2 (how cool is that?). In addition to these guys though, you also have a floating orb that follows your resident mechanic/melee expert, and a new floating torture/assasin droid that is more than he seems.

What a Piece of Junk

Alright, I'll admit it. While this game has better facial detail and probably more terrain detail than the previous game (and better battle animations to boot), there are some glitches that are simply inexcusable. Yeah, there are a LOT of load times that shouldn't be there (the ones for races are particularly bad), and while you get used to them, they still are irritating. But that's nothing. During battles with vast amounts of baddies, the frame rate occasionally drops to about 0, and you'll have no idea how you (or someone else) just died. Sometimes (and I thought this most irritating of all), the dialog will be cut off and the cinematic (in-game not pre-rendered) will go black. Ugh. THAT ruins drama. And then there's times when your characters will just stand and do nothing in a battle (not good), or someone who is supposed to follow you won't (ARGH!). And of course the graphics aren't exactly state-of the-art. I mean they are better, but they're still look more like something from the N64 or Playstation than the X-Box. Do these flaws (and others) make the game unplayable? No. But they do take away that vital fifth star...

I Have a Bad Feeling About This

There were times early in the game where I was so incredible sucked-in that I could think of nothing else except that I hadn't played a game I enjoyed this much in ages. The storyline really is that good. There were moments when I thought this was going to be the greatest game I ever played (the flying creature from The Phantom Menace who faked being fooled by my mind-trick was one for the ages, as was Mira's description of how to deal with a guy that a girl likes). Some of the lines characters said were so close to classic Star Wars lines I was laughing hysterically (not to mention some of the wacky things you could say in reply). And no matter how slice it, saving the galaxy, fighting dark lords and wielding light sabers is mighty cool. Sadly though, glitches, gameplay flaws, and weak confrontations with the biggest bosses left this one a bit short of perfect. It's still definitely worth playing though. Especially if you liked the first KOTOR. It's also nice and long. It took me 50 hours to beat the first time through. May the force be with you...

You won't have to force the fun.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 18
Date: December 18, 2004
Author: Amazon User

If you love KOTOR (Knights of the Old Republic) you will love this. Might be because this is KOTOR 2. It has the qualities that we loved from the last game. However, there are a few changes. For one I have not noticed any dialogue between my party while traveling. All dialogue between party members is now done on the Ebon Hawk. Workbenches now creat items as well as customizing them. Skills have more use now because they are used to create better items in the workbench. Speaking of customizing lightsabers are now much more customizable with 5 slots for upgrades. Party memebers gain or lose influence points depending on how you treat them and if they agree with you. The more influence you have over them the closer their alignment is to yours and also other benefits may arise.

Well I think you must've heard plenty of good things about this game, but here are a few things I didn't like. The biggest of which is the ending. Don't worry I won't give it away. Suffice to say that it was highly anti-climatic as well as being a cliffhanger. In fact it is anti-climatic in a few more areas other than the ending. However, the story was still engaging if you can follow it. It is a bit cryptic at times and confusing, but if you could follow Metal Gear Solid 2 you can follow this. Another big problem is that it is glitchy. I didn't have any problems, but I've heard many others complain about it. Especially those with modded Xboxes. The romance options in this game never really come to fruition. Except for one, there never seems to be any resolution to the romances. Also you do not get your lightsaber until a good long way into the game. This wasn't a problem to me and added a sense of importance to obtaining one. Also lightsabers are much more powerful than in the first so it makes sense to make them rarer.

Despite all that this game is great! It is definitely worth buying if you are a fan of Star Wars and the first game. The quests are new and interesting. There are quite a few moral dilemmas. Not much if any of the quests from the previous game were recycled. Which is a good thing...

LOVE THE FIRST ONE YOU'LL LOVE THIS ONE TOO

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 23
Date: December 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I just started playing last night, made it to level 4 before going to bed, I put in about 2 and half hours or so. This game just has you wondering what is going on right from the get go. It may feel like deja vu, but I'll tell it to you like this, if it's not broken don't fix it. There are so many new force powers and feats it's like how do you choose. The story line is orignal and intriguing. Plot: you barely escape with your life and wake up on a mining conlony in sick bay, you a fallen jedi who ran with Revan Mr. BAD*** himself during the mandlorian wars.

JUST SOME TID BITS
The engine is the same.
Same screens with a make over. stats, feats etc.
Load times are about the same, but hey this is a console game, have you ever heard of compression, duh so get over it.
There are 11 different fighting styles for lightsabre and can be change during combat to better hand your opponent or opponents that can of whupa**, is that the s*** or what.
To start you choose from the main three jedi classes, consular, guardian, or sentinel later in the game there are sub classes three for light side and three for dark side(IT'S GOOD TO BE DARK).
But hey buy the game and judge for you self I don't think you'll be disapointed. KOTOR I and II RULE!!!!!

The Pressure to Make a Buck vs. A Quality Product

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 11 / 13
Date: January 16, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I would be lying if I said this game was a total waste of time that should be overlooked. It has a few virtues, though I am vastly disappointed with Obsidian's stewardship over this product. And, I think you will be disappointed too when you find out what we all missed out on. If I were the maker of this game, I would be ashamed to have my name attached to it. Why? Because it would mean that my work was rushed to the market before it was completed; I caved into the pressure to make an extra buck for the 2004 holiday season at the expense of making what could have been a classic game. Without dropping any spoilers, I can truthfully, tell you that I was pleased with the first 60% of the game, but after that, the game deteriorates into nothing more than a hack job. The bugs become frequent and obvious, and early plot developments are left unresolved. These faults have been documented in several websites that one can find easily on the internet if one were so inclined. Some affect gameplay, and others don't. Despite that fact, the careless crafting becomes painfully obvious when you can literally see areas of the map you were originally intended to explore, but they were "closed off" ungracefully because there wasn't time to finish them. Entire planets have been left off, and the outworking of the story after the climax is totally unacceptable to me. I for one enjoyed the game but then grew very disappointed when I realized what was happening. So who is to blame? I can only point the finger at myself and the folks who produced the game; not the programmers mind you, but rather the executive producers who take advantage of the obviously large demand for this game. If folks like me had not been so eager to buy it in the first place, perhaps Obsidian would have spent more time actually finishing what they started rather than wrapping it up and regurgitating it into the market. I believe if this game was under development for another 6 months, it would have truly been an experience to treasure, right up there with some of the all-time classics.

As I mentioned out the outset, this game does have a few virtues. Some may view this as a negative, but the d20 system from the first KOTOR has been overhauled and turned into to some kind of hybrid system that works much the same way but allows you to level up your characters all the way up to LEVEL 50. You can do this by taking advantage of some of the bugs in the game. However, this side effect allows you to create a more diversely skilled character. In addition, I really enjoyed the ability to influence others in the game. An added benefit would also be the ability to create new upgrades and modify nearly every weapon and armor you encounter in the game. This adds a serious level of depth to the game, and I also liked some of the numerous cameos in the game. The graphics and frame rate are at least a notch below the original game, but I was amazed at the amount of voice over dialog in this game. The plot makes the most sense if you play the game as a "light-side" Jedi and not so much sense when you play as a "dark-side" Jedi. Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the game are some of the humorous conversation options that appear. Three conversations in particular were absolutely hysterical. In these areas, KOTOR 2 has made a step up from the original.

I closely followed production of this game, and I know several items that were left out because of time constraints. Furthermore, I experienced several flaws in the final product also linked to time constraints. To me the time constraints are unacceptable because they affected the quality of the game. Sure, there are some really terrible games out there right now, but this is an OK game that could had potential to be one of the best games ever. That potential was wasted, and for that I will never trust this studio's products again. I will not buy the sequel (KOTOR 3) to this game unless it is a used copy.

If you have not bought this game yet, my advice is to buy it used. You may still enjoy the game, but at least Obsidian will not have it's apparent greed unsatiated.

The Force shall free me. . .

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: November 09, 2005
Author: Amazon User

If you liked Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic at all, you should already own the sequel. If you're on the fence, just buy the darn thing; it's easily more than worth it.

Even though only a year passed for development time, and a new developer took over the series, KOTOR II: The Sith Lords still manaages to provide a high-calibur and enjoyable role-playing experience, rife with replayability. The story is set 5 years after the fall of Darth Malak and the Jedi Civil War, and you take on the mantly of the only known surviving Jedi Knight, final target of the Sith. As the Dark Side of the Force grows in strength, the Sith have been waging a silent war against the Jedi Order, already weakened, and have not hunted it nearly to extinction.

One of the main advantages this game has over its predecessor is the characters, the main character especially. While there isn't a "Vader is Luke's daddy" level plot twist in KOTOR II, your main character is a very compelling individual, while still maintaining a high level of player customization. Your character has a definite past, but nearly everything about him/her is up to you. Once again, you have the choice to follow either the Dark or Light side teachings of the force, creating a savior of the Republic, or a champion for the Sith.

However, this time, you'll take your party with you. Employing an Influence system (through the game's multiple conversations), you can transform a goody-two-shoes idealist into a cold, brutal killer, or a student of the sadistic Sith into a paragon of virtue and truth. . . provided you have enough influence over them. This plays out in dialogue trees (which you'll be familiar with if you played KOTOR), and feels like a very natural extension of the first game's mechanics.

Which is pretty much the mantra for all of KOTOR II. The combat, the pacing, the character advancement, and even the visuals are very obviously building off of the foundation of the first game. However, as far as improvements are concerned, the devil is really in the details. For one thing, the game's Influence system makes managing your party far more enjoyable, as what you do affects their actions as well. Additionally, there have been tweaks to the combat, the menus, and the graphics that really streamline and improve the experience. Facial models are better, cloth looks much more realistic, the weather effects are better, and there are more options during combat, more skills and Force Powers, and more options for equipping and customizing weapons and armor.

That's not to say the game is perfect. There are still the issues with friendly AI that KOTOR had (they seem to really love running over mines), and sometimes the dialogue will get into annoying loops. Additionally, while the graphics have shown some minor improvements, there are still some nastily long load times, and noticable slowdown in large areas or during hectic combat. It's not horrible, but even with only a year, it would have been nice to see more improvements on the game's engine.

Also, as previously noted, the plot doesn't have the same kind of "Holy crap?! No WAY!!!" plot twist moments offered by the first KOTOR game. The narrative is still interesting, engrossing, and well-paced, but it lacks some of the punch and originality that its predecessor offered. And where KOTOR started out with a bang and a half, the first couple hours of The Sith Lords is fairly slow, and can get pretty tiresome and confusing. In addition, the villains this time around are slightly underused, though they are far more interesting than Darth Malak ever was.

Overall, while KOTOR II isn't a ligh-year-sized leap forward for the series, it's still a highly enjoyable role-playing romp through a galaxy far, far away.

The Old Republic begins to crumble

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: June 07, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Much darker than the first game, this sequel takes place not long after the events of the first. Revan has vanished, the Jedi have nearly been wiped out, and you are the galaxy's only hope. I won't lie, I found the characters in this game to be even more plausible than in the first incarnation. They are much more flawed (the backstories of some are literally not for children). There seems a greater sense of urgency in this title with the battles being larger and much more action filled. There is also an excellent wrinkle added to the game in your ability to now not only influence your character's path between the light and dark side but also those in your party. Making the right choices help to unlock the mysteries of those traveling with you as well as other points in the game. My only quibble is the ending. It is too ambiguous. I understand the need to set up a sequel, but I require some sort of closure!

Good Universe, A Few Flaws

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 12 / 18
Date: December 19, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Talk about a long title! The full name of this game is Star Wars - Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords. As you might guess, it's a game based on an early Star Wars timeline.

We're about 4 thousand years before the events in the Star Wars movie series, when the sith (bad force users) and jedi (good force users) are battling it out for control. This game is 5 years after the first KOTOR game. You are of course one of these force users, choosing between good and evil. Much as in Fable, your choices affect the way you look - and the way your friends look as well.

You begin by customizing your character. You can be male or female, and choose from being force based, saber based, or a balanced type of character. As you move through the game, you get pieces to build a light saber, increase your skills, build out the plot, and make choices that have sometimes unintended consequences.

I enjoy the KOTOR series because, since it's so far in the past, you don't start with a preconceived notion of what "should" happen. You have the fun universe of Star Wars to enjoy, but without the extremely well defined plotline.

The graphics are quite good - you have translucent objects, sparks and smoke from damaged items, and good detail on robots. The sound plays themes that are fully traditional Star Wars, with matching sounds for doors, robots, and other items.

If you enjoyed the gameplay of KOTOR, you'll enjoy KOTOR II as it's pretty much exactly the same. In fact because of the plot progression I highly recommend playing KOTOR first, before buying and playing this one. That will fill you in on the characters and situations, many of which play a role in this sequel.

That being said, I don't think KOTOR II is nearly as rich as the original. KOTOR gave you a great sense of accomplishment as you moved through the missions, and a sense of completion when you reached the end. If anything, KOTOR II seems more of a 'transition' to rush you along to a spot from which you can buy KOTOR III. I had the exact same issue with Halo II, so maybe it is a common failing. Still, it is very frustrating.

Highly recommended as a member of the KOTOR world, but not necessarily a game to rush out and buy immediately.

GREAT GAME RUINED BY BUGS

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: December 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

The original KOTOR is my fav. game of all time, but I bought Halo 2 and KOTOR 2 and Halo 2 is blowing KOTOR 2 out of the water (but it wouldn't if there wasn't so many bugs and I could actually enjoy the game). THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY BUGS AND GLITCHES. I CAN'T EVEN GET PAST A VITAL POINT IN THE GAME. BUY THIS AND PRAY THAT YOUR COPY ISN'T BUGGY.

Loved the game, HATED the ending.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: December 11, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I won't spoil the ending for you, but it feels like the writers weren't done, and some boss said, just make some crap up and finish it in the next 15 minutes. Awesome game, awesome gameplay, crappy crappy ending. Also, it goes back and ruins the previously somewhat happy ending you had if you played the light side in the first game. I have never felt so betrayed by a game. I was so excited to get it, and so in love with the whole gameplay, plot, everything... then the ending destroyed it. I hope that the sequel (if any) can repair the damage, because I just heard thousands of angry voices cry out, then suddenly get silenced.

Surprisingly, I just played a game with a worse ending: Dreamfall, the longest journey. My review on that is another story.

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next 

Actions