It’s been nearly twelve years since the first Knights of the Old Republic game was released on the original Xbox. When the game hit in 2003, we were in the latter of the Star Wars prequel/ enhanced version malaise. The doctored originals gave us Greedo shooting first, and a musical number from the Muppet Show and the prequels gave us Jar Jar and more blah than deserves to be mentioned. KotOR was a relief and beacon of hope for many.
What Worked
Character creation for Knights of the Old Republic, while a little bare bones by today’s standards, was pretty good. Players got to choose between several male or female models of various ethnicities and three different classes. Stats, skills, abilities, and powers could be chosen when a player leveled or could be done automatically if it wasn't something the player didn't want to fool with.
The Story was amazing. [SPOILER WARNING] The part that really stood out about KotOR is the story. The basic jist was the rise of the Jedi hero, Revan, his or her fall to the dark side, his or her return, and his or her triumph over Darth Malak, Revan’s former apprentice. What makes this story so remarkable is how much better it was executed than Episodes I, II, and III. Revan’s fall from grace was a classic example of the road to hell being paved with good intentions. Part of the backstory for KotOR has it that Revan defied the orders of the Jedi Council to fight the Mandalorians who were waging a brutal occupation of the Outer Rim. The war was costly and bloody, and in Revan’s desire to save the Outer Rim, the horrors of war, and the cost of victory were too high. As Friedrich Nietzsche warned, “Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster... for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you.” Revan’s redemption or embrace of what he or she became is ultimately up to the player.
The Story was amazing. [SPOILER WARNING] The part that really stood out about KotOR is the story. The basic jist was the rise of the Jedi hero, Revan, his or her fall to the dark side, his or her return, and his or her triumph over Darth Malak, Revan’s former apprentice. What makes this story so remarkable is how much better it was executed than Episodes I, II, and III. Revan’s fall from grace was a classic example of the road to hell being paved with good intentions. Part of the backstory for KotOR has it that Revan defied the orders of the Jedi Council to fight the Mandalorians who were waging a brutal occupation of the Outer Rim. The war was costly and bloody, and in Revan’s desire to save the Outer Rim, the horrors of war, and the cost of victory were too high. As Friedrich Nietzsche warned, “Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster... for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you.” Revan’s redemption or embrace of what he or she became is ultimately up to the player.
KotOR was one of the first console games where player input decided the outcome of the game in such a major and significant way. The fate of many of the NPC’s in your group also hinged on your decisions. This went a little further than alternate endings or the usual variations a few games offered at the time, where doing one action changed the endings, but little else in the game. Knights of the Old Republic’s entire storyline was affected by your decisions.
I also got to visit other worlds that I had never heard of before. It was every Star Wars fan’s dream come true, short of blasting a few holes through Jar Jar.
The exploration was wonderful. As a long-time Star Wars fan. I always wondered what Dantooine was like, I got to learn the origins of the Sand People (still didn’t get to see one out of their mask), and I walked on the surface and amongst the giant trees of Kashyyyk, the Wookie home world. I also got to visit other worlds that I had never heard of before. It was every Star Wars fan’s dream come true, short of blasting a few holes through Jar Jar. While the graphics are dated, they still look pretty good for being over a decade old.
The characters were well written and memorable, and not just the main party members. Many of the minor NPC’s aren't all that easy to forget. There are too many to really go into, you need to play the game if you haven’t, but when a certain protocol droid says, “Please kill me,” you kind of wish did it when you had the chance. Also, there are no gungans to be found in the game.
The characters were well written and memorable, and not just the main party members. Many of the minor NPC’s aren't all that easy to forget. There are too many to really go into, you need to play the game if you haven’t, but when a certain protocol droid says, “Please kill me,” you kind of wish did it when you had the chance. Also, there are no gungans to be found in the game.
Next: What didn't work + Verdict