The original Knights of the Old Republic was undoubtedly one of the benchmark titles of 2003. It was the first Xbox RPG to achieve success both critically and commercially, and it came from an American developer, which was quite an accomplishment in the predominately Japanese genre. When Fable, the heir apparent to KOTOR’s throne, failed to seize the Xbox RPG crown, all eyes turned back towards LucasArts, and their highly-anticipated follow-up, KOTOR 2: The Sith Lords. LucasArts gave fans plenty of reason to worry- the shorter than average turnaround time for a sequel (an RPG sequel, at least) in the hands of another development team (Obsidian, while Bioware focuses on creating Jade Empire). There’s little to fret about, however. While it may not live up to the original in many regards, KOTOR 2 is, at the very least, more of the same role-playing goodness that got Xbox gamers hooked in the first place.
Story:
KOTOR 2 walks the fine line of appealing to fans of the original while not alienating gamers enjoying the series for the first time. All that’s required is a love for the Star Wars mythos, which, in this day and age, is commonplace. The story takes place a few years after the events of the first KOTOR, with the Jedi finding themselves on the wrong side of a slaughter. Your character is one of the last remaining Jedi in the universe, and you’re not the most loved one, at that. It’s up to you to decide whether you want to fight for the light side of the force and turn the tide for the beleaguered Jedi, or join the dark side and turn your back on the group that seemingly gave up on you.
Once again, the story is incredibly diverse, even if the character creator isn’t. For every honorable task and solution, there is an equally insidious act that can get the job done, too. On Telos, for example, do you align with the planet-serving Ithorians or the money-hungry Czerka Corporation? The choice is yours, and thankfully, you’re almost never tied into a task just because you’re entrenched to one side of the force. There’s always time to change.
Thankfully, KOTOR 2 is able to incorporate story elements and characters from the original without making them seem completely foreign to noobs. Most characters from the first are limited to a requisite “Hey, look, it’s _____!†cameo, while the two returning characters that have a place in your party consist of the most beloved character from the original, HK-47, and the other, more non-sentient droid, T3-M4. Speaking of T3-M4, KOTOR 2 incorporates an optional prologue wherein you control the silent droid as he attempts to repair the Ebon Hawk (the ship from the first game) and it’s human inhabitant (who is not). It’s a nice touch, considering you only had to have the character in your party for one measly event in the original KOTOR.
In terms of character design and development, KOTOR 2 has the original beat. Aside from the bigger roles for neglected characters like T3-M4, your character has a bit more depth (and memory of his/her past, though you still have to piece a few things together), and compatriots are bit less… Carth-esque. You forge more genuine bonds with these characters, and in this game, you can gain and lose influence with them, affecting their progression (or regression) from the Jedi/Sith orders.
If there was any facet of the story that could be criticized, it would be the pacing. While you can skip the half-hour long prologue where T3-M4 interacts with a lifeless ship and an equally quiet droid, the next 5-6 hours take place in a ghost ship on the Peragus mining colony. While you eventually find four characters to interact with on the craft, a lion’s share of your time is spent interacting with lifeless computers and watching non-interactive security logs. It’s not bad storytelling, mind you, it just could’ve been incorporated later on, when you’ve had plenty of previous interaction or, at the very least, a sizable party to talk amongst. KOTOR 2’s story may be a bit uneven at times, but it’s still one you’ll want to see to it’s conclusion(s), which is more than you can say for the last two Star Wars films.
Gameplay:
The gameplay additions to KOTOR 2 are minor, yet welcome. The first is the ability to switch weapons on the fly. Changing your weapon in KOTOR required that you enter the pause menu, scroll over to the equip sub-menu, and find your weapon. Now, by choosing a second weapon setup, it’s a simple command away. There’s only one alternate weapon choice, though switching through more than one other setup during combat probably would’ve proved tedious. The only viable alternative would’ve been mapping four weapon setups to the d-pad, which goes underutilized by most who play this game.
The other new gameplay element is the party member influence system. Although prevalent KOTOR (you could woo Bastila or Carth) there wasn’t really any mechanic that tracked what your fellow adventurers thought of you. Now, your dialogue choices when conversing with your compatriots affect their ability to follow you. Gain enough influence with a party member, and they’ll join the Jedi or Sith order with you.
Like the original, KOTOR 2 employs a real-time/turn-based RPG hybrid, fueled by D&D rules. Realizing that fans of Star Wars aren’t complete dorks (I keed, I keed), the developers of KOTOR 2 have made the D20 elements as extensive or limited as you want to make them. Want to increase your saving throws? Just grab a pencil, pad, and some dice, then traverse the hit details, dork! Not interested? You never have to know those rules, meathead! Just go out there and get a gun that shoots… uh…. good.
Perhaps the most influential and enjoyable part of KOTOR was the ability to move to the light or dark side of the force. While it has a bearing on the story (as mentioned above), it affects the gameplay in various ways, too. Certain characters are only recruitable when your character has a certain force affiliation, and the effective of certain force powers (aka- spells) varies with your moral values. While the gameplay is rather similar, lacking the innovations that other series (like Final Fantasy) embrace, the end result is a finely tuned RPG engine that is among the best in the industry.
Graphics:
One of the biggest complaints about the original KOTOR was the recycled character models. In a world filled with thousands of NPC’s, the problem was inevitable. The issue is remedied slightly in this game- you’re still bound to see the same faces from time to time, but not as frequently.
One of the reasons the character model complaint is so potent is because of the amazing character design George Lucas gave shape to a long time ago in a world far, far away. You’ll encounter many different life forms on many different planets, and they’ll undoubtedly remain in your memory.
KOTOR 2 may not be the best looking game in the galaxy- there’s actually little improvement made from the original in that regard- but it more than serves the Star Wars series right, with the (still) amazing expansive landscapes and excellent special effects.
Sound:
As the king of all videogame licenses, you expect the best voice acting and soundtrack from Star Wars, and luckily, KOTOR 2 doesn’t disappoint. Part of the reason you’ll become attached to the other characters in the game is the masterful voice acting of nearly every character (we’ll forget the annoyingly soft-spoken spike-headed alien you meet early on in the game, literally). You may wonder whether the alien language tracks are being re-used or genuinely translated but the fact that you’re unsure is a testament to how well done those are.
The soundtrack for KOTOR 2 is almost as good as its measurably shorter film counterparts. With a hearty mix of original compositions and old-school Star Wars classics, the music in this game is plenty memorable. The always enjoyable sound effects, from the vwoosh that unfurls from your lightsaber to the pitchoo that emanates with each blaster shot add another warm layer of familiarity).
With music, voice acting, and sound effects that appropriately fit the many different situations you’ll encounter during your epic quest, KOTOR 2 is one of the best sounding Xbox games available.
Replay Value:
With branching story paths at regular intervals, you may just want to play the entirety of KOTOR 2 all over again. At the very least, the two different endings ensure you will play the last few hours twice. There’s no multiplayer, though co-op would’ve been difficult to implement, and versus unnecessary. There’s no downloadable content this time around, which is a bit disappointing, but considering how much there is to this game, you may never run out of places to visit and NPC’s to talk to.
Overall:
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2- The Sith Lords may not reinvent the RPG wheel (nobody expected it to), but it does smooth over the rough parts, making for one great ride. A greater story, more memorable characters, and improved combat options make KOTOR 2 another intergalactic trip you’ll thoroughly enjoy.
