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I am not into RPGs

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: July 22, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I have never had the patience for RPGs. I figure this would be my last hope. I like Star Wars games so I figured if I fail to like this game then I would know for certain that I will never like RPGs.

At first it took some getting used to unlearning what I have learned from playing Jedi Outcast. The first two hours were spent figuring out the gameplay and wondering whether any of this could really be any fun. Frankly it wasn't fun because I was too engrossed with figuring out the gameplay.

BUT! once I figured it out, I couldn't stop playing the game!!!! It is so incredibly addictive. I keep telling myself, "I'm just going to walk down this one corridor and I'm going to quit and make dinner." -- Dinner finally got made, 4 hours later!

Pros:

Graphics is spectacular. Worthy of the Xbox's capabilities. The images you see on the web site is what you get in the game.
There is great facial animation when your character is engaged in a dialog. They switch camera views throughout a dialog sequence. These are all typical camera techniques from TV and movies but rearly get put into RPG dialogs.
When you run thru a field, the plants part and then slowly fall back into place. Not necessary but a beautiful addition.

Voice talent is superb. Even when the aliens speak in alien tongue you can tell from their intonation when they are speaking positively or negatively.

Very easy to learn interface, even for a non RPGer. Tutorial weaves perfectly into the game.

Which brings me to the 3rd major pro- the game has a very engaging storyline and quests that seem to fold well into the overall storyline. Some quests are not required but do seem to make sense in the overall storyline. I will probably play this game from the beginning again so I can try fulfilling those quests that I missed.

Gameplay is essentially turn-based but it means it frees you up to manage each of your characters during combat. This is important if you are to win against a strong opponent. The interface will let you chain a sequence of actions by using the X button. This is not in the intro tutorial but is in the manual.

Cons:

Seriously addictive. I have logged 9 hours and I only just got my lightsaber.

Average at best

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 25 / 47
Date: September 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Sure I know this review is going to get a ton of 'not helpful' voted but here's the skinny as I see it (and this is all opinion, just like everyone else's): I bought an X-Box JUST to play this game, that's how excited I was about it. I'm an avid Star wars fan and the advance buzz on this was incredible; how could it go wrong?

My problem is not with the gameplay, as the other negative reviews are; I'm not exactly skilled at combat games so the turn-based automatic combat suited me just fine. Sub-par graphics for what is a fantastic system turned me off automatically and the endless dialogue started to really cheese me off. Best story since ESB? Uh uh, not for me; the dialogue was as corny as people accuse the Prequels of being and I couldn't wait for it to end. And yet, I kept getting prompted to speak to my companions more when they truly had nothing interesting to say.

I also disliked the choose your own adventure style of the dialogue in that it's pretty obvious that if you pick 'I'm here to rob you', 'I'm going to kill you' or 'Get lost', it's pretty much guaranteed you're on the path to the Dark Side.

The open ended game play was fantastic and makes playing it again and again exciting as just the littlest touch can alter the course of events but sitting through that dialogue more than once is often excruciating.

I suppose I got myself too worked up about it, much like many fans did with the Prequels, and it just couldn't live up to my expectations for it.

More Star Wars than Star Wars

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: July 28, 2004
Author: Amazon User

It sounds funny, but it's true. As I remarked to a friend when I first played this game, "You don't play Star Wars, you LIVE it." In this game you really feel like you are part of the Star Wars universe. Truly, all of the things that people most loved about the original trilogy is here. There are aliens and bounty hunters eager to pick a fight, defenseless people in need of a rescuer, a Han-Soloish soldier, a Leihish Jedi (who sure acts like she's a princess), Sith Lords (including one who talks through a mask), a smuggler ship (probably the fastest in the galaxy), an old hermit jedi, a wookie companion, and a plot-twist to die for.

Boatloads has been said already, but it bears repeating: The combat system is awesome, as is the inventory management system. The voice-acting is FANTASTIC, and there's loads of it. The graphics are sweet (except for the jaggies and low-res full-motion video), the music is PERFECT, and the branching choices in conversations make it like watching a new movie where YOU are the star almost every time. Truly, the amount of choices you have in this game is staggering. Even if you only play this game in the four most basic ways (light-side male, dark-side male, light-side female, dark-side female), there are four different storylines! When you take into consideration all the different choices that you can make, and the fact that this game takes about 30 hours to beat the first time, you can see how so many people fell in love...

Much has been said in the past about the short-comings of rpgs, about how you always have to do things in a present order, and things don't change even if you change responses in conversations and whatnot. Well, this rpg changes all that in a major way. After about the first ten hours of gameplay you will leave the first planet, and then you are free to complete the rest of the planet in your quest in any order you wish! You can even leave a planet and come back multiple times!

One of the coolest things about this game is how you come to feel like you are a part of a living, beathing Star Wars universe. The people you take with you will talk to each other, and to people you meet along the way. People will treat you differently depending on how you dress and what your status is. And things in this game MOVE (as in ships taking off at starports and vehicles flying by).

Oh, and how ABOUT that light-side/dark-side thing? Every choice you make effects you either in a good way or in an evil way, making either your light-side, or dark side powers stronger. This just might be the first rpg where morality played such a huge role in the game. I also appreicate how many, many situtations in the game have more than one solution. Ever played a game where if you didn't do EXACTLY the right thing in a situation you died? Well we'll have no more of that! In this game you can hack computer systems, repair battle droids, or just plain go in guns ablazing! The choice is up to you...

Lastly, I must say that what really sent this game into the stratosphere for me was the INCREDIBLE character of Bastilla. Featuring incredible voice acting by Jennifer Hale, Bastilla is easily one of the most memorable characters in all the Star Wars universe (one conversation my character had with her was almost WORD FOR WORD the same as one I once had with my own sister...talk about frighteningly good script-writing!).

I could go on and on about the references in the game to Star Wars expanded universe, or how great the light-saber fights are, or about how cool it is to customize your character to be either strong with the force or strong with a light-saber, or about the psycho-asssasin droid the mandalorian, and how about that twilik teenager =)... or my favorite moment of all, the first time I used a jedi mind trick!

Suffice it to say that if you love RPGs, sci-fi, good games in general, and in particular STAR WARS, you must buy this game NOW!

Knights an excellent Bioware RPG

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: July 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

To those considering buying this game, something needs to be said right away: THIS GAME IS NOT A FIRST PERSON SHOOTER. I apologize for the caps, but this is important. The commercials make this game look like your average Star Wars FPS, ala Jedi Outcast, but this is misleading. This game is an RPG, almost identical to the style of Neverwinter Nights and the Baldur's Gate series. In fact, the same company who made those games, Bioware, makes Knights of the Old Republic. This should be the first clue that this is not an FPS. So I'll say it again: if you are looking for a first person shooter like Jedi Outcast and if you hate RPGs, then this is NOT the game for you. You have been warned.

Now, beyond the disclaimer, this game is long overdue for the RPG crowd. There was never a better idea than to combine RPG gaming, Bioware style, and the Star Wars universe. The game is amazingly addictive and the interface, though it has a learning curve, is quite intuitive for a console RPG. I had my doubts about this type of RPG on a console, but those doubts have now disappeared.

The plot is actually very well written (for a video game, it's not Tolstoy) and is rather open-ended. That is to say, you can be the character you want to be based on your choices in the game. The game will not demand your character choose any one particular outcome, there are multiple outcomes to all quests and it is the player's choice what path to choose.

The graphics are amazing; battle sequences are well animated and character design is excellent. Many of the background graphics are beautiful. Every once in a while take a time out from slaughtering your enemies (whomever you choose them to be) and enjoy the graphics, especially on planet Korriban. Never hurts to stop and smell the roses.

In true Bioware style, the game is at times outrageously funny. The designers and programmers have a real sense of humour and that transfers extremely well into this game. There are many many subtle and non-subtle instances of humour littered around the game and one time playing through is not enough to exhaust what this game has to offer (this applies to more than just the humour part, too).

The dialogue is wonderful; every single line is voice-acted and voice-acted well. Someone mentioned in a previous review that the acting in this game was better than the acting in the last Star Wars movie itself and I would be inclined to agree.

The real refreshing aspect is that this is more Bioware's game than Lucasart's. I think we've all seen what Lucasarts does to its games and the Star Wars universe in general. This game has Bioware written all over it and it is right.

I beat Knights yesterday and at the end logged about 45 hours of game play. That is with most of the sub-quests completed (there were a few I didn't get to). Impressive gameplay length, content, and quality for a console game.

If you liked Neverwinter Nights, you'll probably like this game as well. If you liked the Baldur's Gate games but not Neverwinter Nights (which is where I stand), I still say you would like this game. It was a good decision to put this on a console; I can't see liking it as much on PC (there is a PC version coming out in about six months for those w/out an X-Box).

Bold Statement: Any fan of Bioware RPGs will not be disappointed with this game. Highly recommended.

Final Disclaimer: THIS IS NOT AN FPS! DO NOT BUY IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A JEDI OUTCAST STYLE GAME! (Apologies for the caps).

Purchased an Xbox for this Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 21
Date: July 22, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Funny how last year the Playstation 2 was on top and the Xbox was considered a oversized paperweight that had one good game; Halo. Fast foward 12 months, several Xbox exclusive titles, Xbox Live, and the statement by Rockstar that both GTA III & Vice City will be appearing on the Xbox in the next year and you can easily see that the Playstation 2's days are numbered. Did I mention that the Xbox's graphics and processor speed also blow the PS2 out of the water? Knowing all this, I decided to purchase this fantastic system and few games to get started. I picked up Knights of the Old Republic last Friday and was I amazed! I admit I haven't had a chance to get really deep into the game yet, but I like what I see so far. You can choose from 3 different characters, male or female, and pick his/her traits and skills just like a traditional RPG. However, the game plays and looks more like an action title. A great mix between RPG and action along with a compelling story in the Star Wars Universe, you won't be dissapointed

What's not to like?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: July 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I certainly would not consider myself a fan of RPG's in general. Zelda for the N64 was my only real experience in the genre. And although I'm as big a Star Wars fan as anybody, the video games haven't been much fun since the SNES days. All that changes now with this amazing game. Not only is it incredibly easy to pick up for an RPG-rookie like myself, it's still incredibally deep. And the Star Wars license? Brilliant. The storyline is engaging and original, somehow entirely different from any previous Star Wars adventure, yet retaining the same Star Wars charm. In fact, the dialogue and voice-acting are top-notch, usually even better than the latest films. The graphics and load times are the only things one can possibly nit-pick about, but the game is so huge, there's no way for everything to be perfect. THe graphics are more than adequate, and I'll sacrifice Splinter Cell-quality visuals for such incredibally deep gameplay. And of course, being able to be a Dark Jedi is probably the most fun you can have in a video game. Period.

A "must-have" for Xbox

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: August 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I usually don't care for role-player games but the reviews of Star Wars:KOTR were so positive, I bought it. It is worth the money. The controls are easy to use and the tutorial is fantastic. I was up and running within minutes -- without reading the manual(I did later). The graphics are very detailed, the computer characters are good, the depth of the game is stunning. The fight scenes are very well done. The game has many puzzles and tasks. Example: A bounty exists on a character in the game. You can kill the character and collect the bounty, help the character, or other actions. I'm not a heavy Star Wars fan but I found it easy to keep up with the many, many character names, Jedi, and plots.

Drawbacks: Due to the depth of the game, there is a lot of "game loading" sequences. The game loads quick but it can become annoying.

I'd rank it #2 on the all-time list of best games for Xbox(below Halo, of course)

Unique, fascinating game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: November 19, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Overall, I was very impressed with this game. The gameplay is a bit like "Morrowind," but more organized. While you can venture off on side quests from time to time, there is a central storyline that allows more order to all the chaos (while "Morrowind" easily becomes a "how many people can my character kill before I die?" slash fest). The storyline itself is interesting and you feel like you really are in the Star Wars universe. In fact, this game put my interest back into the universe after it was lost thanks to Episode II.

It was also interesting to pump up my persuasion skills and get people to do as I want, and the Light-Side/Dark-Side was a nice touch too. Essentially, depending on how you go about your duty, you will either fall to darkness or continue with light. Its up to you!

Your side-characters have their own storylines as well, and some times you either play them into the game or talk with them (Carth especially...you'll feel like his school councellor before the game is done).

While I'll admit the turn-based system turned me off, I quickly got used to it and managed to take it to my advantage. Like I said in another review, turn-based games are a like-it-or-leave-it thing. If you don't like those types of games, don't play them. Its simple as that.

Best...game...ever?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: December 22, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is definitely one of the best two games on XBox (along with Halo), and possibly one of the best games for any system, ever. The storyline is better than those of Episode 1 and 2, and it really gets you involved in it. The game gives you total freedom to do what you like, and there are many different subplots along the way. The storyline can change depending on what character you pick and what choices you make, and you can get a different game experience each time you start a new game. A definite must-get for any XBox owner or Star Wars fan.

An Awesome RPG!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: March 23, 2006
Author: Amazon User

When I first bought this, it was about 2 years after the initial release. I had my doubts, I'm not a big RPG fan but I thought I'd check this out. I'm also a big star wars fan so that also helped, but now I can say that I'm hooked. As sad as it sounds, I've played this game about 12 times since May of 2005, and each time it was a unique experience. One of the best things about this game, is the worlds, if I want to stand around looking at the beauty of Dantooine, or the tranquil ocean of Manaan, I can! The graphics aren't the best ever but very pretty nonetheless.

The sound department is excellent! Birds will chirp, creatures will roar, and all the normal things. On Tatooine, a desert world, you will hear the wind blow as you walk across the sand as two suns glare on you. The music is mostly original and in this case that isn't a bad thing. Some of the music is quite beautiful and sometimes you will want to just go to a place to listen to it.

The RPG elements are very good too, customization of all your characters is very idepth. Will you use one lightsaber, or one in each hand? Or will you use double-bladed like Darth Maul? What color lightsaber crystal? Blue,red,yellow? You have armor you can wear and extra things like implants and belts that give you special abilities. Your party is quite interesting as well, each party member has a backstory and you should talk to them after levelng up (and even when you don't) to get a new part of the story. Each party member also has a unique sidequest involving them as well, so be sure to bring them outside the ship every so often. Speaking of sidequests, there's lots of them including swoop racing which can be very difficult although you never HAVE to do it (except in one part).

The NPC's are also quite indepth, some will not be able to actually converse with you but most will engage you in conversation, some very important others just want to play a card game with you.

One last thing, in this game you choose to do Dark Side things or Light Side things. For example, if a guys getting mugged you can kill the two thugs and then tell the guy to hand over all his money before you kill him or you can give the guy some credits and send him on his way. Your decisions affect not only what force powers you can easily use later on. Also, affecting a major part of the game (which I will NOT spoil). Which is why this game has lots of replay value, you can play one game fully light then one fully dark and you can be male and female so you can get the full perspective.

The overall rating of this game is: Buy it, NOW. (...)is pretty good and this is worth it for the amount of times you'll probably play at it. Happy gaming!

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