Star Wars:
Knights of the Old Republic
Developed by BioWare and
Published by LucasArts, "Star Wars KOTOR" is just what us Star
Wars fans have been waiting for...an RPG. Finally mega-RPG-developer
Bioware has raised the bar with this new, inventive, and challenging RPG
game with all the things we've come to expect. With excellent
graphics, great sound, plenty of levels to explore and puzzles to solve,
"KOTOR" is overall just a great RPG game. Voted Xbox
"Game of the Year", KOTOR will certainly more than satisfy your
cravings!
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...4,000 years before the
Galactic Empire to be exact, the Republic is on the verge of collapse. The
young apprentice, Darth Malak, of a Dark Lord has gone and unleashed his unconquerable
Sith armies upon the unsuspecting galaxies. Once Jedi themselves,
Malak and his ruthless boss Revan have been corrupted by the dark side and
their war of conquest has left the Jedi scattered and defenseless as many
are killed or turn to dark side in hopes of survival.
Starting the game, you will need to choose your character. You can
choose either male or female from three different classes: Soldier,
Scoundrel, or Scout. Personally, I chose the Soldier, simply because
I wanted to kick some Sith ass! After choosing your character, the
game begins with an impressive cutscene of a battleship being attacked
by the Sith fleet on the Outer Rim and over a planet called Taris.
Woken unaware of where you are let alone "who" you are, you must
quickly find your way off the damaged ship, AND help the Republic recover
one of their most prized possessions...a Jedi named "Bastila"
who has already left the ship in an escape pod. Once you and your
soon-to-be sidekick Carth (another member of the crew) crash-land on Taris...the
real fun begins.
Like most RPG games, which character you choose also determines what you
will and will not be able to do in the game. Each character has
their own abilities and each class of character not only determines how
fast you will "level up" in their abilities but also how slow
they will progress in others. So choosing your character carefully
is a must.
Your "home base" is a run-down apartment in a building that
houses mostly aliens and those hiding out from the Sith. This is
where you can restore health, upgrade your weapons, and gather a few
supplies for your quest. You won't be equipped with much at this
point; however, make sure you look in EVERYTHING! Scattered
throughout the levels are footlockers, supply canisters, and even alien
merchants looking to sell you the latest gadgets...if you have enough
credits of course.
Upon first inspection, Taris has alot to explore. From the top level
down to the "UnderCity", meeting your objective and getting off
this planet is a challenge in itself. In-game menus help you keep
track of your character and/or characters (you are allowed to take Carth
with you on your journey) and later in the game others join your party as
well; however you are only allowed a total of three members in your party
at one time. Choosing those characters carefully as well is a
must. Depending on what level in the game you are on, you will need
to use certain abilities of the characters you choose.
In-game menus include the "Equip Screen"; this is where you will
be able to equip your character with weapons and clothes. You
certainly don't want your character running around half naked with no
weapons!; "Party Inventory"; this menu shows everything that you
and your party are carrying that is not equipped by the character or in
use. All of the inventory is shared by the party and any character
in the party can access items from the inventory screen as long as it is
not restricted; "Character Info"; this menu shows the
character's "vitality" points (when this hits zero, you're
dead), force points, attributes, experience, and the light and dark side
meter (depending on HOW you interact with the AI in the game affects this
meter).
While these are only a few of the menu screens, learning to master the
controls of your character and the menu screens is not as difficult as it
looks from first glance. As you progress through the game your
character(s) will earn "level ups" allowing them to upgrade
their skills, attributes, and feats they can perform. Weapon
upgrades also become available and as the levels get more challenging,
upgrading your weapons becomes a valuable resource. Not only that,
how you interact with the AI during gameplay and what scenarios you choose
also affect the outcome of the game as well.
Overall BioWare has certainly taken advantage of the Xbox capabilities by
making a superb RPG. Graphically the game is outstanding, the
environments are extremely well detailed considering the expanse of the
game and the colorful surroundings only add to the overall experience of
the game. Developers spared no expense in the sound department as
well. With original music tracks, outstanding voice-over acting, and
background sound effects such as ships flying overhead, it quickly takes
you right into the middle of a living city. In addition, with arcade style controls that are easy to
master, most players should have no problem jumping quickly into the
action. As if that wasn't enough, Xbox has also added online content
available through Xbox Live...can it get any better?!
Star Wars: KOTOR is just a great RPG game. The storyline was fantastic, and there is a ton of replay value here based on two alternate pathways to follow and again, tons of side quests. So whether you choose to be a Jedi and save the Republic, or play as a Sith and look to gain power and be a conqueror, may the Force will be with you!
Overall Game Rating: 9.8 out of 10
Official
Xbox Website:
http://www.xbox.com
Where
to find XBox Cheats:
http://www.xboxcheats.com
