Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords

Added January 4th, 2005 by Dakota Grabowski

Introduction:

How do you take the game of the year for 2003, and quite possibly the best role-playing game of this generation, for any console, and improve it? The simple answer would be better graphics and a bigger and longer game. With Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords the task was quite difficult, as the time frame for development was just a short year from the predecessor’s release date. With limited time and such high standards to overcome, does the sequel surpass or even match the first on any level?

I am pleased to say that Knights of the Old Republic II doesn’t disappoint at all. I was completely hooked with the original from start to finish. The sequel keeps up the pace with never a dull moment. From the beginning stages, the story dwells on deception and mass confusion. You are constantly trying to figure out this compelling story. Before I jump right into the meat of the review, I will first talk about the potatoes as if comparing this to a full course meal. The potatoes would, in this case, be the development team and their handling the creation of a superb game such as this.

Bioware, the renowned Canadian developers, created the original masterpiece of Knights of the Old Republic. When Bioware was finished with the original last year, they decided to move into a project that hopefully would turn out to be bigger than KOTOR itself with Jade Empire. With Bioware out of the picture, LucasArts had to find another developer that could produce a quality title with a high priority license such as Star Wars. This is when Obsidian Entertainment stepped in to take over the helm. Obsidian was ready to attempt to surpass the hype riding on their tails of putting forth a great game. Obsidian was picked due to their history of great games, along with their ties to LucasArts and Bioware. Doubts, of course, set in with the series’ fans when they discovered Obsidian was developing it, rather than Bioware. I can safely say that no one should worry about this sequel. Obsidian Entertainment’s debut title should be a game that all will thoroughly enjoy as well as keep playing into late spring of 2005.

Gameplay:

If you finished the KOTOR, you should have no trouble playing KOTOR 2, as the game play is very similar to KOTOR. Leveling up your characters after attaining experience points from killing enemies, picking locks, choosing the right dialogue options, breaking into equipment boxes and much more will keep you interested in just how skillful and crafty your character is. Of course, the Skills are still open to level up such as Demolitions, Security, Persuade (the best Skill for your character), Repair, Treat Injury (another personal favorite one to level up in), and a few others that were available in the first. Also returning is the Attributes, Feats and Powers that are available when leveling up your characters. Attributes include Strength, Dexterity, Will Power, Constitution, Wisdom and more that make the game even more complex. With Feats, there is a wider range to choose from, which makes it far more interesting as you choose what you want to be in the game. If you want to be a hand-to-hand combatant, you pick feats such as dual wielding, finesse with melee weapons and lightsabers. If you want to be a ranged weapon user, selecting anything with the gun symbols will make you that much better (also make sure you have high dexterity so you have great reflexes). The last leveling up option is the Jedi Powers selection. Jedi Powers are varied from Light Side, Neutral, and Dark Side powers. Light Side players look to heal and buff your partners while the Dark Side players will look for force lighting and choking your enemies. Neutral ones include Force Push and some individual buffs that create a much more presentable character on the battlefield.

Now that I had a chance to talk about features that returned from the original, it’s time to explore what Obsidian took the liberty in adding to the game. At Level 15, look forward to selecting a new class of Jedi to advance yourself to. That’s right; when you start the game you will select a Jedi Class (such as Guardian/Sentinel/Consular). When you reach the required level, you then have a choice for a Prestige Class to choose from. I personally went with Jedi Weapon Master, but also available for Light Side Players are Jedi Watchman and Jedi Master. If you favor the Dark side, don’t fret, because Obsidian made sure you are pleased as well. Sith Assassins, Sith Lords, and Sith Marauders are available for those who choose to play as pure evil. The Prestige Classes add so much more to the game that it’s even easier to pick up and play again. Obsidian also opted to add more selectable faces to create your character as your own. The new faces assist in differentiating what role you will take in the galaxy power struggle set before you. My favorite addition to KOTOR 2 is the selection of over 12 different characters that will join your quest for either conquering the galaxy or maybe even saving it from the clutches of the many Sith Lords that will be hunting you. The few characters are interchangeable according to gender and your stance with the force (light or dark side).

Since I have jibber-jabbered on the additions to the game, some may be wondering what the game is even about this time around. I mean, we all know Jedi fight Sith, that there is only two Sith at one time, the Republic fails at saving its planets, and there’s always a tyrant from within the Republic screwing up the plans for the Jedi. What would make KOTOR 2 any different you ask? Well for once, we get to see more than two Sith (master/apprentice), as there are several included that you will encounter throughout the story. They are hunting you due to the fact that they are lead to believe you are the sole living Jedi in the galaxy. What could be said about the Sith is that they are even more of a menace than in the original. They seem to always know your whereabouts and are mysteriously lurking in the shadows watching your every move. Darth Sion will either be the new Darth Maul as a favorite from Star Wars fans or be the new Sith that people call carbon copy of Darth Maul. Sion’s anguish to kill you is among my favorite moments in the game. The battle with him is far better than the other two great battles you will experience with other Sith Lords. One I can comment on, without spoiling the story, is Darth Nihilus. Darth Nihilus is quite possibly the most original of the Sith in the game as he turns out to be more than a Sith with the power he possess and how he lost his connection to whom he is. Darth Nihilus single handedly made this game for me. I am always infatuated with the Sith Lords that I will meet upon my journey of saving the galaxies in Star Wars series. With all this said, KOTOR 2 not only lives up to all my expectations, but surpassed them with ease.

Graphics:

What could be disappointing to some is the lack of progress with the graphics over the first KOTOR. The graphics are prettier and seem to be good just on the surface, but as you delve into the game, you notice that they haven't advanced at all. The models may have had the biggest improvement over the original, but even then the models love to collide with each other, creating annoying glitches that could have used another two months to work out. The environments are lush and extraordinary. There is foliage scattered on the ground and gives you a more complete feeling with how the worlds look. The worlds are more authentic. The graphics and glitches are easily overlooked as the best voice-overs and soundtrack to be found on the Xbox are all in this game. They quickly won me over, pushing aside the mediocre graphics. You will thoroughly enjoy the game, no matter how pretty or ugly you feel the game is and I feel that is the honest truth with such a masterpiece as the KOTOR series.


Audio:

The audio has never failed to disappoint me with LucasArts games. I mean this is a company that is backed by George Lucas who knows absolutely everything needed when it comes to adding suspense and build up for scenes with the music. With the first setting, the precedent of great voice acting, I was expecting that the sequel would follow it up with pretty much the same type of voice acting. What I didn’t expect was audio that topped the original. All the NPCS sound unique and tell a tale of their own. I never became bored chatting with the locals. I would love to own the soundtrack as it is worth being included in any movie found playing in the theatres. Audio may be the strongest compliment to the game and that it will always be among the best on any console game ever.

Controls:

KOTOR 2 plays identical to the original but only a little buggier. You will find yourself running into walls and maybe even sometimes thinking that you are playing an MMORPG rather than a standard RPG. The feeling of lag being ominously present in the game. In terms of how you control your character, nothing is changed. For those that didn’t have time or for some reason didn’t play the first, here is the layout of the controls.

Left Analog Stick- Move Character
Right Analog Stick- Move Camera
D-Pad- Cycle through Action Menu
A Button- Action Button
B Button- Cancel Action/Combat
Y Button- Delete Action from Queue
X Button- Add Action from Queue
Black Button- Cycle through selectable characters in party
White Button- Pause Combat (very useful if you are a beginner to RPGS)
Left Trigger- Cycle through Targets
Right Trigger- Cycle through Targets
Start Button- Access Menus
Back Button- Go into Solo Mode

Replay:

It took approximately 40 hours for my first time through the game, so the length of the game is in no way disappointing. I’d even suggest playing through this at least three times, as there is so much replay value in KOTOR 2. You can play as a male or female, both of which have different experiences throughout the game. Other options that increase replayability include the huge amount of dialogue and additional characters that will join your quest. You can also choose the light or dark side of course, which adds yet more to this game's immense replay value. Either one gives you a totally different story to travel through. With the addition of Prestige Classes, you have even more reasons to keep this in your Xbox after the first run through. I would also suggest you pick up the official strategy guide to help direct your first run through of the game (so you don’t miss secret items like Darth Malak’s lightsaber). The longevity of the game is endless. With the possibility of downloadable content, this game is boosted with even more value thanks to additional bonuses promised for the future.


Overall:

What’s left to say about the follow up to the hit game of last year, KOTOR? The story is more of a mystery and allows for a third and even fourth or fifth entry into the series. Fans will be pleased with getting more games from this franchise in the future. With LucasArts/Obsidian having said that downloadable content will be available in the future (even though it’s not on the back of the box this time around), it will be a huge plus to have the ability to play it again with new content. If you have a chance to pick up KOTOR 2 you shouldn't pass up the offer, as this game could be the sleeper hit of the year with the lack of advertising and marketing on the title currently. This will be in my collection forever and is already one of my favorite RPG's of all time. Don't miss out on this instant Xbox classic.