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Behold: a game that lives up to its hype.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: June 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Before buying KotOR, I had gone through all the reviews. They were all good, and praised this game unlike any I'd seen before. Most of them mention that this is "the best Star Wars game ever". Well, they're right. Being a Star Wars geek since around '96, I've seen my fair share of games from the franchise. And we all know how bad most of them are. Knights of the Old Republic easily takes crown as the best Star Wars game to exist on any console.

Unlike 99% of RPGs out there *looks over at almost everything Squaresoft has made*, KotOR has actual character development. Sometimes you'll be walking around a town or base, and two of your party members will get into an argument. You can join in and take sides if you want, but it's moments like these that really have that Star Wars feeling that's missing in the other games. Of course, how some of the characters develop depends on if you're going toward the light or dark side. But every character will go through changes, and depending on the gender of your character, you can even have a romantic relationship with some of your party members. It's great the way some of them react when you give them a compliment, only to call them a pervert a few seconds later.

There are a lot of cool plot twists here and there, especially one regarding the origin of the main character, so I won't ruin that. Even I didn't see that coming and I can usually predict what happens to who in RPGs. No characters get left out here, which is something most games of the genre miss out on. And there are hundreds of side-quests for you to take care of if you're one to complain about games with lack of replay. KotOR isn't as bad as Morrowind, you'll actually enjoy doing the different side-quests. You can help out the Jawas and put an end to the Sand People, reunite a party member with his lost son, help another one get her revenge, save a Wookie village from slavery, and much more.

Combat is a little confusing for some people at first...I know it was for me. While it seems like it goes in real-time, it's really turn based. But it moves fairly fast. You can stack attacks with 'x' if you want to use the same one over and over for one character, while switching to another to heal them if necessary. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be getting in fights just to have some fun since it's so enjoyable.

The whole light side/dark side thing is nice. You don't want to help an old man pay a debt he owes? Then bust caps in 'em. You want to not be banned from a town? Then do the right thing in a given situation and you'll be fine. What's really cool about the light/dark side affiliation is that the more you lean towards one side, the stronger you'll be with powers from that side. Force Lightning and Choke are dark side skills (duh huh poridge), but if your character is high on the light side rank, it'll cost more force points to use either skill. While if you used Heal/Cure, it wouldn't cost as much. Of course, you could always not be light or dark and remain neutral (like my neutral character: Mr. Switzerland). It's all up to you. And yes, some of the decisions drastically change the story. You can kill off some of your party members at one point if you really want to go down the dark path.

I only have a few small complaints: the level cap is set at 20...so you won't be wanting to level up a lot in the beginning of the game. If you level up more after you become a Jedi and get your lightsaber, you'll be able to get more Force powers. The "difficulty setting" just changes how much damage you take (though I wasn't expecting much from it), which is kind of stupid and lame (stupame even) because you can set the difficulty to 'easy' during a boss fight and waste 'em in 2 hits. Yes, you can change the setting at any point in the game. Also, the endings suck...the dark side ending in particular. It isn't that dark of an ending, and not a whole lot happens. The characters you let live to get it don't even show up. The light side ending is at least enjoyable since it's similar to the ending of A New Hope.

Either way, Star Wars fans will love this one. It takes around 23 hours to complete without getting every-single-thing, and from what I hear, it takes 60+ if you want to complete all the side-quests. But then again, you'll still want to try out the different ways to do things. I'm on my 5th play already and it still hasn't gotten old. This is one game that's going to last a long time.

ever since tie fighter nothing deserves the name star wars.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: July 21, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I haven't seen a game since tie fighter that was worthy of the star wars name. Scratch that Dark Forces wasn't bad.(The first game) Until now. This game has everything a fan of this genre could hope for. The story line is interesting. The game play rocks. You can choose between real time and turn based play. The turn based is a little more hands on then in a game like final fantasy though. In order to copy it you have to pause the game like baldurs gate and then assign each character an action. This can be tedious but you are able to give the character up to 4 actions so you don't have to constantly pause or switch between characters. The graphics aren't amazing but they are still nice to behold. The score is in my opinion quite good, add to it the best voice acting I've ever seen in a star wars game and you have not just the best star wars game in a while but one of the best games of the year..

Simply the Best Console RPG

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: November 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I bought the game because who can resist fighting double handed with light sabers? That and using the Jedi Mind Trick to make freinds and influence enemies...

It kept me because it is simply the best role playing game on a console I've ever encountered. It had to be, because you don't actually get your hands on a saber until you make it off the first planet.

What you do, REALLY does influence how the game progresses, how the other characters interact with you and how your relationship with them develops. The Force is with you, and how you react to the other characters and resolve problems affects where you are going.

THANK YOU also Lucas Arts for realising that females play RPGs too and customizing the game to allow for either a male or female leading character.

I consider this game to have a major replay factor. I went through the first time as a female, wearing a halo. Going through the next time as someone so low down, dirty, rotten, evil that old Darth V himself would get a heebie geebie talking to me.

Nice plot twist in there (I'm not sayin' so don't avert your eyes) and the subgames and subplots are cool enough to make you hunt down everyone and anyone just to see what they might ask of you.

The only lamentable thing for me was that I realised too late that if playing light-side to the hilt, failure to max out an offensive light side force power by the last battle was like shooting yourself in the foot.

It's the reason I got an XBox, and the game did not dissappoint.

I am a Jedi!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: June 07, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is beyond a doubt the greatest example of what a Star Wars game should be. I'm sorry, but the first person shooters put out by Lucas Arts (Jedi Knight series) as well as the lackluster Battlefield games do not even match this original take on Star Wars canon. The ability to customize your character, build a party for exploration, venture on a quest of galactic importance: this game is a cinematic experience and you are out the center. Excellent voice acting, graphics, and controls.

To be blunt, this game is simply phenomenal.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 8
Date: July 18, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Ah, the realm of Star Wars... Filled with so many good - and bad *cough hayden christensen cough* things. And to not name Knights of the Old Republic amongst the good should be punishable by law. To be blunt, this is game is simply phenomenal.

As it should be in any good RPG, KotOR features an insanely good plotline. You'll begin your journey at one of three "professions." Soldier, Scout or Scoundrel - all either male or female. It's up to you as to whether you'd like to customize each aspect of your character or just have the computer create a quick one for you. You're stationed on a Republic Battle cruiser - the Endar Spire. From here, it's up to you to escape your doomed ship and make it off to Taris - the planet you're in orbit around.

Right from the first minutes of the game, you're choosing your side - or path if you will - which will ultimately result in your fate and place in the galaxy. It comes down to you to choose through your actions and dialogue whether you will side with the Republic - or the Sith.

Those who are not very familiar with RPGs (as I've noticed in some of the other reviews) sometimes find the combat style of Knights to their disliking. I myself am a fan of first person shooters like Halo. You'll soon find that Knights in the COMPLETE opposite of Halo when it comes to combat. Combat is turn based and auto- targeting and while you might formulate a picture of a slow tedious time watching the computer aim, fire,miss aim, fire, hit... it's quite the contrary. Utterly unlike Halo, combat doesn't resolve around pumping your opponent with as much lead as fast as possible (which is awesome, don't get me wrong) but around strategy. You main characters and accompanying party members each wield different skills. A Jedi might use a skill like force choke to mercilessly drain the life from an opponent while a soldier might use grenades and the rapid fire skill to take out targets. Trust me, if you're willing to try it and get into the game, combat is far from a con.

On top of the stellar storyline, combat, and the ability to decide how the game's going the end - Knights wields additonal positives. One thing I was impressed about right off the bat - before I even got into the storyline - was the sound and graphics. The voices of each of the main characters are performed by actors who do a great job with tone and rate. The sound of a lightsaber springing to life or a blaster going off are instantly recognizable. On one particular planet, you can hear the breeze blowing across the plains. The music is decent. The most important things is that it doesn't get really annoying after a lot of gameplay time. It changes accordingly during exploring time and time spent in combat. The graphics are impressive. Those displayed during the various movie clips are better than the in-game ones, though the in-game graphics are still satisfactory.

Finally - plus the graphics and sound, Knights features great replayability - something that sometimes hard to find in XBox games. The variation of games you can play are stunning. You might play your first game as the Light Side male soldier while you take a couple side quests because you're still getting the hang of things. Then you may go back and play the game as a Dark Side female scoundrel with a completely differnt set of powers and storyline. You may take a few more side quests - opening up further possibilities. Depending on the side quests you take, game might anywhere from 24 hours to 40 hours.

Overall, I'd go back and shell out $100 dollars for this game. I can't say enough about it - as is obvious by the above.

Hope I've helped give you some insight into one of the best games I've ever played! (BTW, look for the sequel on December)

The best RPG ever!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: November 19, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is a must own for all RPG fans. It has great gameplay techniques. The button placement is great. And you will only have to use like 5 buttons the entire game. You start out making your own character. But you don't get to choose from anything but a human being as a Scoundrel, Scout, or Soldier. I chose soldier. You play through the game making decisions that could bring you down the path of light or dark. Every decision could change the entire game plots. Your party consists of 9 people. Jolee Bindo (an old senile) Bastilla (a young jedi female) Carth (a decorated soldier for the republic) HK-47 (a bloody droid who calles humans "Meatbags") Juhani (a jedi cat woman) Zallbar (a wookie who is to fragile and flimsy) Mission (a twilek who is always complaining about her brother's girlfriend Lena) Canderous (a mandolorian who is a mercenary working for a crimelord) and a utility droid (a stupid little droid who never answers questions for you). As you progress later into the game you will find out about you and Malak's dark history. You can also turn KOTOR into a love story by saying certain dialog. You will also find out about your droid's history. The weapons are very cool. You can build your own lightsaber and modify your guns, armor, melee weapons and lightsabers. And unlike other games the dialog isn't the same thing over and over and over again. The dialog is different every time. And if you say one certain thing at one certain time then you could trigger plots. There is only one Con...the fighting. You are not able to control the direction you are shooting and when you are using a melee weapon you can't control where you swing it. For example, when you take out a sword and attack somebody or something the sword will swing to the left, right? You will never know. The graphics are the best ever!!! They even compare to Halo!!!! A must own for Star Wars Fans with XBOX. You will get more than you pay for!!!!

A good game but somewhat disappointing

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: December 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I got this game from a friend recently and I'm kind of glad I didn't buy it. Don't get me wrong, it's a good game, or at the very least a good concept. The problem I have mostly lies in hte combat system. I've played D&D and many other D20 based games, so I understand the kind of RPG system they are trying to incorporate and I'm a big fan of it, but combat is boring, repetative, slow and very very unrealistic.

This is not a new problem by any means, just an old one rearing it's ugly head in the RGP world again. The problem is this: Trying to work a turn bases system into a real time game. You end up selecting attack actions, and waiting for your character to do them over and over again mindlessly.

On the good side though there is an extensive role playing story line with a real cool light side/dark side choice system in place that lets you develop a character a lot better than most games which claim to be RPGs but completely lack the RP.

"Gaining EXP and levels does NOT autoamtically make an RPG!!!!"

SO in the end, good combat and graphics have been scrificed for some serious RP, the choice lies in how you like to play.

Who said this game was turn-based?

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 11 / 21
Date: June 18, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Who said this game was turn-based? Well I got lucky to play the game at e3 and trust me it's not turn based. But wait there is an option if you're a Final Fantasy Fan you have an option switching it to a turn base battle mode or read time, and you should be pleased that you can switch between the two as much as you want. The game conventional D&D type game has the same set of rules with feats and powerful force skills. One of good things about this game it's not a conventional Neverwinter nights or Baldurs Gate type game where you have to read all the boring dialogue, but all the NPC and all the aliens all has a fully dialogue voice script so no more reading is necessary. Over 120 hours of dialogue. I'm not saying you should buy this game but, you should at least consider renting it. "If it's your type of game, heck ya you should buy it".

...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 22
Date: December 06, 2002
Author: Amazon User

...this promises to be a very good game.

Bioware (the developer or author, LucasArts is the publisher) has a track record of very good games like Neverwinter Nights and the Baldur's Gate series.

Most console video games are for people with good hand eye coordination. This will be different. It is not how fast you push the buttons or how carefully you aim the cursor that counts, but rather how you think about how to approach a puzzle, problem or battle. This is the game for people who like a rich story, good dialogue and an rich world to explore along with their adventure and excitement.

...

A new type of RPG dosen't let down!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: January 31, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I have to admit I was skeptical of a Star Wars RPG that was strictly turn based, but due to lack of good RPGs on the XBOX I bought it before renting it. Well good thing I did, because this game continues to wow not only myself, but critics as well. While the idea of a turn-based RPG may cause classic (Final Fantasy) RPGers away I bid you to stay. When playing this game you hardly notice the turns, because everything is done in real time, yet you can pause the action and set up all your actions such as heal, attack, defened, etc. With a create-a-hero at the beginning of the game you can play the game with a different character almost every time. It's the standard Star Wars plot minus the big-screen names (Luke, Han, Darth Vader). Good versus Evil, Light vs. Dark, Hero vs. villian, but the best thing is that you can pick any one of those sides to make your character into. How would you like to save the galaxy from the evil, or how bout destroy the galaxy as the new sith leader. This game has you react in such a manner that you can have a different experience every time you play, because your actions affect the game. If you want to be a jerk to one of your crew members don't be surprised if she attacks you or turns to the dark side just to spite you. A very impressive overall display with HDTV graphics and surround sound, I can gurantee that you will become one with your character, feeling emotions (love, hate) and with 50 + hours of gameplay you will have plenty to experience in the best Star Wars game ever.

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