Caveat

Some reviewers relish in spoilers and suggest that a review must contain them because if you read a review you obviously want to have them.  Sometimes spoilers are impossible to avoid, but when I can avoid a spoiler I do. 

Introduction

This is a game that I have been waiting for…for a long time.  When it came out on the Xbox before the PC I was severely disappointed, mostly because I had to wait months on end for the PC version to arrive.  This should have been a harbinger to all the things I wound up not liking about Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR).

The Mechanics

Gamers will be happy to see that a simplified D20 system (akin to the Star Wars pen and paper RPG) is used for the game mechanics.  Note the key word: simplified.  This is particularly noticeable with character classes.  Your character’s class is locked into two modes.  Your class before jedi training and your class after jedi training.  Your NPC’s will be locked into their respective classes the entire game.  Given there are a very limited number of classes (3 non jedi, 3 jedi, 2 robotic) it would have been great to be able to mix and match a little. 

There are certain feats that would have been nice to have had in the game, given its melee combat focus with jedi knights.  Specifically cleave and its enhanced follow-up feats leap to mind.  The feats are also a little sparse, which leads to many characters resembling each other in feat selection.

There is nothing fantastic about the D20 implementation in KotOR, but it is consistent and a rules set most gamers are familiar with.

The equipment is KotOR is well done.  There is a large variety of equipment to pick and choose from for your character and their followers.  Some equipment is better than others and can be upgraded to boost their ability to damage, protect, resist or hit.  Lightsabers have the most variety as there are many different gems that your character can insert into a lightsaber to give it a variety of abilities.  This is particularly great when using two light sabers, as one can be a defensive oriented one, loaded up with crystals that aid in blocking and your primary weapon that will allow for devastating attacks.

As your character goes up in levels they gain feats, but also for the jedi powers are gained.  There is a good selection of powers and you can differentiate all the Jedi in your party.  I recommend leveling up characters manually because the AI has the bad habit of choosing the same feats and powers in a cookie cutter manner.

The Plot

The plot of KotOR takes place thousands of years before the movies, which is refreshing, but it is almost painfully linear too.  You have a number of quests that funnel into being trained as a Jedi, then the main plot line to track down an ancient artifact is enabled.  There are a number of worlds to explore, so your campaign does not have to go in any specific sequence.  I would be curious to see if the game adjusts the difficulty of various worlds depending on what route you take.  There were only a few encounters that proved REALLY challenging, which is unlike most Bioware games.

Along the way though are a number of side quests and activities that your character can partake in, which makes up for the paint by numbers overall campaign.  You can gamble (which is almost a requirement as you never seem to have enough credits), become a swoop racing champion, be a bounty hunter, or simply pick up the side quests that are abundant.

The one plot twist in KotOR was a surprise, but it goes a long way to explain some of the questions early on about your character that seem like plot holes.

I went with a lightsided campaign, but there is also the option to be neutral or turn to the dark side of the force.  I suspect the campaign plays out along the same lines, just your motivations change from trying to stop the bad guys to usurping them.  The plot certainly leaves room for this to work.

The Art, Acting and Graphics

One thing that impressed me the most about KotOR is the graphics, particularly the exteriors.  The scenery is so good that it gives an almost immersive quality to the game that most CRPG’s do not have.  The character graphics are solid both in animation and equipment.  The only knock on the character modeling is that the NPC’s do not have a tremendous amount of variety.  It would have been great to have seen more of the funky aliens as seen in the movies beyond the dozen or so that are in KotOR.

The voice acting in KotOR is very good, perhaps the best to have been in a CRPG to date.  There is definitely reuse of a lot of the voice actors, but they are parsed out in such a way that it is not repetitive. 

Over the course of the game, the animation is great.  When the auto pauses are put to a minimum the combat flows very much like the Star Wars movies.  The lightsaber fighting is particularly great, with the acrobatics, swordplay and bolt deflections.  The only knock seems to be the AI’s decision to sometimes close on enemies when they are using ranged weapons, which looks goofy and is tactically unsound.

The Console Problem

Knights of the Old Republic is a great CRPG on the Xbox.  Despite graphic improvements to the game, on the PC it still feels like a console game in play style and interfacing.  This is particularly noticeable with the inventory interface, which is clunky without reason, save it was designed for use with a gamepad.  The biggest problem though is the linear plot, which is not unique even in the PC realm.  But in the console world that seems to be the rule rather than the exception and is something that KotOR on the PC could not shake.

The Good

Has a Star Wars look and feel that is the best to date

A good plot twist for your character

Great voice acting

Good selection of NPC followers

Ability to be focused on the light or dark sides of the force

The Bad

Feels like a console game

Linear plot

Some gaps in the D20 implementation (classes, feats)

Overall

Knights of the Old Republic is a good game, regardless if you are using an Xbox or PC.  It could have been a great game had the mechanics and plot been opened up to take advantage of a good game system and awesome setting.