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If only George Lucas would play this game...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 20, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I was recently given an XBOX by my girlfriend. After reading myriad glowing reviews, I decided to purchase KOTOR. Well, folks, the reviewers are right. This is a must-have. In fact, it is, along with HALO, reason enough to own an XBOX.

The story is amazingly complex. The characters are fascinating. The non-linear play is stimulating. The possibilities are virtually endless. Whereas most games will give you 10-20 hours of play, KOTOR can give you upwards of 50, if you follow all the quests. Plus, you'll want to turn around and play it again, choosing a different path (you can play light-side, dark-side, or anywhere in-between). To tell the truth, although it's idiotic and I laughed at myself, I actually felt kind of guilty when playing the dark path--especially the Zalbar/Mission ending. (No spoilers; I promise).

In any case, a previous reviewer said that this beats the 'Prequel' movies. That reviewer was right. If only George Lucas would give KOTOR a spin, so he could see what a story told with real passion and imagination could be like (as opposed to one filled with endless exposition and turgid dialogue). In fact, I wish he had hired the game's writers to 'help' him out with the last prequel (I know it's too late). It's no wonder 'Empire' was the best film in the series--he didn't direct it, and he only co-wrote it!

Pros:
* Too numerous to mention
Cons:
* Can't continue the game after final showdown (it would have been nice to finish missed quests, etc.)
* Occasional bugs (sometimes the main character decides to run around in a circle without gamepad input.)
* The mythical XBOX Live downloadable content has yet to materialize

Final analysis: Buy it. Don't ask questions. Don't try to justify it. Just buy it.

Nearly Perfect Offline RPG

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 28, 2004
Author: Amazon User

SW:KOTOR is, simply put, one of the finest computer games ever made. Graphics, story, gameplay, length, fun factor ... it suspasses expectations in all areas and frankly sets a higher bar for the RPG genre going forward.

You may notice some reviews here comparing the game unfavorably to the Jedi Academy series of games. In my opinion, these reviews result from a failure to appreciate the difference between a role-playing game and an action/adventure game. The Jedi Academy series is a fine series of action/adventure game ... you are not playing a role, you control minute character actions yourself and there is a ton of fighting and action. KOTOR is a role-playing game ... you play a character that you create as a part of a larger, interactive story (here it's more like an interactive movie, really), the success or failure of your actions does not depend on how many keyboard combinations you have trained your fingers to complete, but simply on your skill level and tactical position when you attempt the action. KOTOR is a very faithful rendering of Wizard of the Coast's pen and paper SW role playing game based on the same D20 system that underlies Dungeons & Dragons, and which underlies other games like Neverwinter Nights. Take my word for it, if you like role playing games, you will absolutley love, love, this title.

Such wondrous attention to detail in everything from the score to the graphics to the character conversations (again, setting a new standard in this area), this game is an instant classic, clearly one of the top 2-3 titles ever made for the PC. If you like RPGs, run, don't walk, run and pick up this title! It will be some of the most fun 80 hours or so you have ever had!

Wow! What a game.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: September 08, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I picked this game up from all the praise that it recieved from a couple of years ago. In my opinion it is one of the best role playing games right up there with FF VII, Chrono Trigger, and XenoGears.

This game falls into the category of an action role playing game since you are able to move around in combat rather than just standing and exchanging hits.

In this game you can create what character that you want to be. This was the RPG for the X-Box that you decided your own fate. Like any other RPG you pick up characters and weapons/items along your journey. Along the way you'll have questions answered that takes this game for a wild turn. In other words, this story line is one of the best for any Role playing game in quite a while. This game is so much fun that words cannot describe.

My only complaint of this game was the controls. But like any other game, the more you play the more you get used to.

This game is worth the purchase. It also sets up for the sequel quite nicely.

GREAT GAME

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: May 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I searched for online games and this came up, it is NOT an online game its a RPG, but a great one!!! Honestly what RPG'er isnt a Star Wars fan...I dont know any, but what a great game this was!!

amazing

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: June 10, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This is not only the best Star Wars games, but it is one of the best role playing games period. it gives hours of playtime, the possibility of replay as either light or dark again(depending on what you did first time around). The story is interesting and adds to the universe. Characters in the story all have their quirks and depth. Plus there is a lot of interesting easter eggs and extra missions you can uncover.

I am eagerly awaiting the sequel which is already in the works.

Modern Masterpiece

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 03, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a fantastically engrossing game. The visuals are everything you've come to expect from the Star Wars universe, the story is unexpected, and it all meshes together in interesting ways.

Mechanically, the game is rather simple. Based on a simplified set of d20 (pen and paper RPG) rules, even a cursory knowledge of how the system works is enough to grasp the benefits and limitations of different feats and bonuses you acquire. Without some knowledge of the Star Wars d20 game, however, the rules can be rather confusing. There are a few bonuses in the game (notably the Light Side and Dark Side mastery bonuses) which are completely undocumented.

It might seem strange for me to say, however, but that lack of documentation doesn't really matter so much. There are no 'bad' feats to get, and the beauty of the d20 system is that it easily scales to match the level of the party.

Therein lies some of the storytelling beauty of this title. The quests - and even the main plot - are very open-ended. If you have a list of places to go to, there's no prescribed order in which you need to visit them. The difficulty of each seems to scale, so no matter how early or late you visit these places, the challenges are appropriate.

While few of your choices change the actual plot in any way, they all affect the storytelling. Encounters happen when they are appropriate to the story, not necessarily based on where you are, so no matter how you play, the story unfolds as though that was exactly the right way to play the game. Allowing the player so much control over the telling is a very rewarding experience.

Side-quests and party interaction give the game some replay value, as it's interesting to see how different non-player characters react to the choices you make and influence events. And, of course, there's always the choice of going light or dark side, which changes the way you play pretty significantly.

There are a couple minigames. I don't understand the obsession with games inside games lately, but the ones in KOTOR are both unessential and not too difficult, so it doesn't detract from the game, and gives you something to do between bashing baddies.

Bioware added a great feature that I, at least, have not seen in CRPGs before: the transit system. From any 'safe' area, you can go to your hideout instantly, then transit back to where you left. This lets you swap out party members, build item improvements, and swap equipment between members. Unfortunately, there's no point-to-point transfer. I've found myself using force sprint just so that I don't have to spend so long running through empty screens I've already cleared. It'd be nice to be able to click on a cave on the transit map and just go there, assuming I'd been there already.

The game is not without its problems. Two that I've had are just random lockups and crashes to desktop (probably one every 8 hours of gameplay or so), and the infamous 8s bug. Every once in a while, when trying to level up a character, all their attributes will record as 8, which robs you of valuable skill points. If you save before doing the level-up, though, you can exit the game and come back in to fix it. Another problem I have on my system (2.8 GHz P4, 1 G ram, but only an FX5200 in it) is that explosions cause a massive framerate drop. There are options to turn off a lot of graphical bells and whistles, but nothing to put in low-quality smoke and fog effects.

Don't let ending this review on a down note dissuade you, however. The game's fantastic, and I'm currently on my third time through it.

Grab Your Lightsaber And Experience The True Power of The Force!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 03, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is a fabulous game!

Many here have said the same and all I can do is second their opinion and thank them all for leading me to SWKotOR!

To be honest this is the first RPG I have played in a very long time. And it does not disappoint in the least! You truly feel like you are in the Star Wars universe and that you are the leading character in some spectacular Star Wars movie.

I just finished playing through the entire game for the first time and it was thrilling. Since I didn't know much about all the various skills and feats and force powers and such, all i did was to "auto level-up" everytime (basically allowing the game itself to choose how my increased experience formed my character traits) and the game was still incredibly fun and playable. after playing it, i am sure that i would choose force powers and other skills differently but that won't be a problem at all because you can go back and play this game as a "dark side" character the next time out for a completely different experience. or you can change to a different class (soldier, scoundrel, or scout), or play as either male or female.

another nice thing about this game is that it shows you the ropes in a fun way to begin the game. you don't have to go through some "academy" to learn how to play. you are thrown right into the action immediately but in such a way that you still have fun and learn the controls without being overwhelmed.

there are fun mini-games within the game and the characters and storyline will drag you right in and make you feel a part of the experience very quickly.

and even though this game is 2 years old, it still is very impressive even on a 3 year old PC. all i have is a P4 at 2Ghz with 512mb RAM and with a FX5200 Ultra with 128mb and the game runs very smoothly with only a slight reduction in graphics detail.

so for about $20, you really can't go wrong with this game.

give it a try!

A Fine RPG and Involving Star Wars-Themed Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Arguably more immersive and truer to the spirit of the movies than the MMORPG from Sony, Knights of the Old Republic is the latest triumph from the RPG masters at Bioware.

Set thousands of years before Episode I, KOTR allows you to develop your character to the ways of the Jedi--be it light or dark--in a story that encompasses both the politcal machinations and good and evil struggle that have become trademarks of the Star Wars universe.

While the story follows a somewhat linear path highlighted by several critical crossroads, there are many different choices offered to your character which affect their alignment to either the Jedi or Sith. In addition, there are a number of side stories, and many different items, skills, and experiences for your adventurer as well. What this means for diehard gamers is extended replayability and a much better roleplaying experience. The levels of socialization that the game allows your character to explore are among the highest done yet in a game of this type. You may find yourself with some very difficult choices to make and some interesting consequences to bear.

Summary:

Graphics: Very good. The models, textures, and backgrounds are solid, if not especially detailed. The animations and effects capture the essence of the Star Wars theme.

Sounds: Also very good. The amount of speech in the game is incredible, and voice-acting is professional and well-done.

Music: Not quite the level of impact of the original John Williams score, but still appropriate to the atmosphere.

Gameplay: As with most RPGs, controls are basic and designed to get you where you need to go--no need for fast reflexes or pinpoint accuracy here. The interface is fairly intuitive and should be recognizable to fans of this genre. The third person camera perspective is not distracting.

Pros: Excellent story, you'll laugh, you may or may not cry, but you'll be satisfied; lots of character development both in personality, and in the RPG-stats departments; lots of atmosphere and immersion.

Cons: A few bugs that may affect gameplay; framerate a little disappointing; turn-based combat and "RPG" rules may disappoint some.

Overall, this is an excellent game. Highly Recommended.

Exciting start to finish

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 06, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Pros: Just the right difficulty, easy to keep the game moving
Cons: Stability was occasionally a problem but PC performance brings PC problems.

A great story line and flashy graphics are a Lucas Arts standard, but what really impressed me was turn based combat with just the right amount of complexity. Spend a few moments planning your combats instead of learning a clumsy action interface for hours, and your done. Worst comes to worst you can read the full numerical details of the combat (I only needed to do this twice) and you can find what your character is lacking and move on. Not that this game is easy, but it was just the right amount of difficulty.

Who wants to write notes for days and days about who you met and what quest you are currently completing? It sure is not me. I love the active quest log feature where the details of who where and what you agreed to and a non-spoiler hint on where you can find them. There is even a completed quest log, if you skip through a conversation too quickly and missed what happened, you can read the quest log instead of going back to a save. The organization in this game allows you to keep the momentum moving foreword.

High requirements, but worth it

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: September 26, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I'm not a Star Wars fanatic, but I really like KotOR. The thing that got me was the interation with other characters. You can talk to each person in your party to learn about their background (although some will say less than others), and just about anyone you see outside of battle. They each have interesting things to say. They may tell you how helpful Jedis are or tell you that you suck, or give you information on how to complete your quest. It's alot of fun.

The combat isn't really exciting, though. You click on what kind of attack, ability or item you want to use and wait until the enemy dies. You can use many different types of weapons and armor, ranging from blaster pistols to light sabres to headsets that increase your stats. There are items to heal and to boost your stats in battle. There isn't an extreme amount of fighting when you're in the field, so it doesn't get too annoying like it can in some rpgs. But there is enough to make money or find items, and to keep you occupied.

The only real problem I had with this game is that it doesn't run well. My computer's decent, since my dad is a computer technician and he keeps it in good shape, but the game still has a lot of slowdown when it gets hot. During the summer, if you don't have air conditioning, you may not be able to play at all. Now its fall and its fairly cool, but I can only play the game for about an hour before I have to stop. So, unless you have a really souped-up computer, you probably won't be able to play for very long before giving your computer a break. If you have a crappy computer that freezes up a lot or moves really slow, this game will be of no use except maybe as a paperweight or gift.

Final verdict: Definitely buy if you have a great computer, but if you have just an alright computer, expect slowdowns.

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