Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

[Max Jenius]

K, since someone requested it, I'm going to post this. Plus we're thinking of re-arranging the forums anyway.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

BioWare/LucasArts

I can't possibly describe how incredibly happy I am. This game grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let go, which is rare for most RPGs. The story is excellent and as usual in recent SW games, your actions determine which side of the force you lie on, as well as some story elements.

The graphics aren't the best, however the most important elements(lightsabres, liquid effects etc.) look pretty darn good. The combat system is pretty cool as well, its rare that taking down an enemy will ever happen the same way twice. The game is played in a third person view, and the interface is very smooth. I don't know how it played on the X-Box, but I'm going to assume that the PC control is a little more smooth because the mouse helps out a lot.

If you like Star Wars, pick this title up and you will not be disappointed.

[zorprimal]

My review:

Max, did you find out that replayability of this game is extremely high? I haven't gotten tired of this game yet.

You chose a character in the beginning. You can have the computer generate stats for you, or do it manually. I choose the latter. You can pick a character class of scoundrel, scout or soldier. Once you get to Dantooine, you add Jedi classes to that. They are: Guardian, Sentinel and Consular. Your choices here will indicate your strengths and weaknesses.

As Max mentioned, you can play light side or dark side. There are 3 endings I heard. One dark, one light and one unknown. Still haven't figured how to get to that last one.

I have the xbox version. Layout to this game on the controller s pad is really easy to use. Actually, I thought the layout of the pad to this game to be very intuitive making it easier to use

[Max Jenius]

It took me forever to become 100% light. . . but I just got off of Dantooine and I am 100% dark.

Its definitely fun being bad.

[Hoptimus]

Yeah this game is great. I played it on my Xbox. I think I need to play it through again though as a female.

[bsu legato]

Hopefully, KOTOR marks the beginning of a return to greatness (or even goodness) for SW games. Too many mediocre games over the past few years have made the Star Wars name a joke.

[zorprimal]

It took me forever to become 100% light. . . but I just got off of Dantooine and I am 100% dark.

Its definitely fun being bad.

"Is the dark stronger?"

"No, quicker, easier, more seductive."

And that's how this game plays. It is actually more work to stay on Light side, than it is on the dark.

But yeah, it is fun

[Max Jenius]

Yeah this game is great. I played it on my Xbox. I think I need to play it through again though as a female.

My buddy says that Carth hits on you or something...

But in KOTOR I only have eyes for Bastilla. I got the sweetness from her as a Light Jedi, now I'm tryin as a Dark Jedi.

[zorprimal]

Yeah this game is great. I played it on my Xbox. I think I need to play it through again though as a female.

My buddy says that Carth hits on you or something...

But in KOTOR I only have eyes for Bastilla. I got the sweetness from her as a Light Jedi, now I'm tryin as a Dark Jedi.

heh heh heh

Since the Jedi says it's wrong to fall in love with her, I'm going to do it.

Then, when the time comes, I'm going to do something really despicable. That ought to get me a lot of dark side points.

That what you you going to do Max?

Edit: Does anyone else here find Carth a major pain, no matter what path you chose?

Edited December 5, 2003 by zorprimal

[Roy Focker]

[Uxi]

I have the XBOX version and liked the story and LFL SFX... but I abhore the rpg mechanics. I wish they'd have used a mod of the Outcast/Academy engine myself...

Is the PC version a great improvement over the XBOX?

[Effect]

I loved KOTOR on the Xbox. Great story, effects, etc.. As for the PC version being better honestly I don't think so. Its has the potential to have better graphics but that all depends on your computer and graphics card. The PC also has added content like weapons, armor, and one more extra location. A station orbiting Yavin 4. That content is going to be released on the Xbox Live and I also believe on the DVDs that come with the officiel Xbox mag. At least I was told that is how some of the Xbox content is given out if you don't have the Live connection. Both versions have their problems with bugs as I understand it but with the PC version you also have to deal with things like you would with every other PC game. Slow down, blue screens, etc....

Personally I perfer the Xbox version, I love using the controller for the game and just thinking of using the keyboard just seem strange. Especially you are are through commands out on the fly. I'd much rather lay back in a chair and enjoy myself. I'm just like that when it comes to RPGs.

I can't wait for Knights of the Old Republic 2 to be released. http://xbox.ign.com/articles/454/454215p1.html

[gnollman]

Love this game....

But yes, it is much more difficult to get 100% light than dark... there's just so many more opportunities for dark points than light points.

And is it just me, or is cash incredibly hard to come by as a light player?

[GobotFool]

One thing I am curious though, what kinda bugs did you run into? I heard this game had alot of them (both X-box and PC editions). Has a patch been released yet that adresses these bugs?

[Effect]

Honestly I didn't run into any bugs when I was playing KOTOR(Xbox version). Though I do know others have. I might have encountered a bug or two but I didn't noitce them and these are suppose to be pretty noticeable. I didn't even know there were bugs until I beat the game and then decided to check out the forums(I tried to stay away from then till I got the game and beat it).

[David Hingtgen]

Love KOTOR. Played once as a light guy (wanted to be like Qui-Gon but nobody was to close), and like 3 times as a dark female. (Way more fun). Also, started many games and only played enough hours to see how various character models looked when "totally dark". (Fastest I've ever been totally dark is like 3:20)

bugs: well, a guaranteed bug is playing KOTOR, then resetting the Xbox without powering off, then starting a new game of KOTOR. There's really no need to reset, since you can re-load at the save screen, but if you happen to reset(due to FMV's stuttering, voice clips being off, etc), it'll happen. Once or twice the game took like 20 secs to load a voice clip in a cut scene, but strangely, ALL bugs only happened in my first game. Everything since has been fine. The infamous "Carth bug" is easily avoided by picking Juhani. (I mean c'mon, the only 2 choices are really Juhani or Mission----and I'll always go with the Jedi Guardian vs 14-year-old-girl) FMV playback is dependent upon planetary alignment, time of day, and room humidity it seems... (Having played though several times, and the first few hours many times, FMV's can either stutter like crazy, or be silky smooth---it's just how the Xbox is feeling that day)

And replay value is insanely high. Finally, this is about the only game for which I prefer the old huge controller. Start/black/white button placement, since you use them SO often in this game.

Edited December 6, 2003 by David Hingtgen

[Ladic]

I think I'll buy this game this weekend.

What kind of system do you need to run it well for PC?

I have

XP 2500+ Barton

512mb pc2700

gforce 3 ti200 64mb

is that enough?

[Abombz!!]

I liked the game too... problems aside. I beat it 3 times... all light side, don't really see the point in playing dark side, though... the control mind skill was insanely useful.

I found some of the attack skills to be largely useless. Power Attack was the only skill that really did anything other then just cause the fight to look pretty. I wish they had added some more open endedness to the game. Doesn't matter if you play the dark side... you still part of the Jedi Order? WTF? I wish we could actually join the sith. The story was nice, and so were the characters. The music was very nice too, but it was over played. The graphics on the Xbox version were.... appropriate, though I found Mannah to be really "jaggy".

I also hated Carth.... I swear... if he had hit on my character I would've gutted him on the spot. The crazy robot was the best... and Mission was nice too. The Jedis in the game were so-so. Bastilla was a tight assed bitch in my opinion. Juhani was.... uninteresting to say the least. The old guy was annoying too. Didn't really play much with Ordos or Zalbag(sp) to have an opinion about them. The little robot.... meh.... it was just there.

I also found the FMV to be surprisingly low quality, and the game to be awfully dark. Now... I know I can reset the brightness, but when you do, the whites look so damn bright. I lost my entire equipment in the Mannah underwater level if I had an all jedi party (just before I chose to either kill or not the giant Shark), and that happened in all 3 games. My main character lost her equipment in the first 2 games just before fighting Malak. Even reloading wouldn't solve.... I had to relaod a previously saved game to solve the problem.... and it was a 3 hours prior saved game. FMVs didn't play properly most of the time, and I had problem with in game voices too. Sometimes the game would freeze when I opened the menu or saved a game.... 75% of the time it would unfreeze.... while the other 25% I had to reboot the Xbox.

My only non bug related gripe though.... was it really necessary to have all character faces so ugly?

Bugs aside..... 2 thumbs up. For SW fans? 2 thumbs... plus big toes up!

And is it just me, or is cash incredibly hard to come by as a light player?

Not at all... if anything... I had an easier time getting money as a light side player.

Edited December 6, 2003 by Abombz!!

[Abombz!!]

I think I'll buy this game this weekend.

What kind of system do you need to run it well for PC?

I have

XP 2500+ Barton

512mb pc2700

gforce 3 ti200 64mb

is that enough?

Sounds perfectly fine.... except for the video card. Don't know how a GF3 would handle this bad boy.

[GobotFool]

I heard ATI 9600's have serious problems with KOTOR.... <_<

Edited December 6, 2003 by GobotFool

[Abombz!!]

I heard ATI 9600's have serious problems with KOTOR....

They are going to be fixed on the soon to be released patch.

[CoryHolmes]

As a fan of the pen-and-paper D20 SW RPG game, I was a little apprehensive with how well those mechanics would translate over to a computer game.

I should've have even bothered worrying.

FANTASTIC is the only word that really comes to mind whenever I try to tell someone about the game. I really like the ability to pause the game in-combat and queue up the moves. I tell you, the hardest part for me to get used to was rushing into combat, and not immedially button-mashing to attack (like in Outcast or Academy). The lightsaber combat was everything that it should be, even far above Outcast/Academy.

I never once hit any bug in my XBox version. None. Well, the only bug I did hit was the one mentioned above: the game itself

I hope to see another SW game done this way. Nothing short of fantastic.

[Max Jenius]

I found some of the attack skills to be largely useless. Power Attack was the only skill that really did anything other then just cause the fight to look pretty. I wish they had added some more open endedness to the game. Doesn't matter if you play the dark side... you still part of the Jedi Order? WTF? I wish we could actually join the sith. The story was nice, and so were the characters. The music was very nice too, but it was over played. The graphics on the Xbox version were.... appropriate, though I found Mannah to be really "jaggy".

Man that sucks that the X-Box is buggy like that.

Oh, and Power Attack is a waste of points, only a retard would use it exclusively, but my characters had a nice combo. Flurry+Master speed = teh pwn. I mad Jolee focus on critical strike and that made for some entertaining fights.

It must be a really good game for you to play it so much despite the bugs. ... especially everyone with X-Boxes if the bugs are as prolific as I hear.

[Effect]

That's the thing though. Not everyone is getting the bugs. Groups of people are, yet at the same time there are a good amount of people that aren't getting hit with the bugs at all which is really strange since we are all playing it on the same system when it comes to the Xbox version. There shouldn't be any type of conflicts that are causing the split between players. Very strange. Like I said I didn't even have a clue that people were having trouble. Till I started checking the forums more.

Edited December 7, 2003 by Effect

[David Hingtgen]

Yeah---I never had any menu/load/save problems. But had serious money problems as a light-sider!

Hint---use all those stimumlants/adrenal stuff etc. Especially bosses. I can kill the final boss in TWO rounds if I just use everything. (Use one of everything, and it's like +20 to all stats, +120HP, etc) You can use the basic, hyper, and battle version of everything all together.

Ok, one more hint. While most places tell you that the lightsaber is unique among weapons in that either dex or strength determines its hit(whichever is higher), that doesn't affect damage. Regardless of what your other stats are, the lightsaber depends on strength for damage. So really high dex still isn't as good as really high strength, despite the "dex vs str" trying to even it out for non-Soldier jedi.

Final hint: customize a character, don't dare go with a created one. Intelligence=utterly worthless.

Also, charisma DOES affect most force powers, though just not quite as much as widsom. If you're going dark, bump up both. Weak Force Lightning is no fun at all, versus zapping entire groups in a single shot for instant death.

[Max Jenius]

Fully.

Though I managed to kill Malak in 2 rounds w/o stims. Musta rolled lucky.

[McJob]

GF3 Ti200 64 mb should run the game just fine, as long as you have a decent processor and RAM. I have a AMD 1700+, 512 mb PC2100 RAM, and a GF3 Ti200, and I was running at 1024x768 without any problems.

The only thing that I don't like about the PC version is that there is no way to turn your non-Jedi NPCs into Jedis. There was nothing better than putting Canderous into the Cassus Fett armor and letting him just rip through just about everyone after I put everyone in stasis.

Otherwise, I think the PC version is superior. The game looks better, even when you're running the game at just 800x600. The ability to skip through most of the non-story based cinematics (how many times do you need to see the same clip of the Ebon Hawk being chased by the Sith fighters, jumping to hyperspeed, and landing/departing from a planet? I think I like the interface better on the PC as well, because you go to specific pause menus a lot better as well, and you don't have to worry about throwing a grenade or something when you're searching for a force power.

[GobotFool]

I heard ATI 9600's have serious problems with KOTOR....  <_< 

They are going to be fixed on the soon to be released patch.

Keen!

Any idea when this patch is coming out?

Edited December 7, 2003 by GobotFool

[Ladic]

I think I'll buy this game this weekend.

What kind of system do you need to run it well for PC?

I have

XP 2500+ Barton

512mb pc2700

gforce 3 ti200 64mb

is that enough?

Sounds perfectly fine.... except for the video card. Don't know how a GF3 would handle this bad boy.

thanks, I was thinking of picking up a new vid cards for Xmas anyways.

I'm gonna trade in some PS2 games at electronics boutique and buy it tomorrow.

[David Hingtgen]

Heh heh. My latest character was the buffest ever--I should see if I can do 2 rounds without stims, too.

[Hoptimus]

Carth is lame. I wish I could kill him.

[Abombz!!]

Man that sucks that the X-Box is buggy like that.

Oh, and Power Attack is a waste of points, only a retard would use it exclusively, but my characters had a nice combo. Flurry+Master speed = teh pwn. I mad Jolee focus on critical strike and that made for some entertaining fights.

The thing about Power Attack... is that it damages the enemy no matter what. If you have double light sabers you do twice the damage.... even if the enemy parries. With Flurry.... all that I could do is get killed because the counter attack would do alot of damage to me.... considering the insane defense penalties that attack causes.

As for Malak.... all I did was use the save game bug. Every time I would save a game, I would just hold the analog stick to the oposite direction of where Malak was. When I unpaused, my character would get this crazy speed bonus, and I would be well out of range from Malak. I kept using saber throw while he was playing catch up. Took me 2 minutes to beat him.

The thing about bugs.... its almost as if they depended on the Xbox mood. Really, there would be times when everything would work perfectly, and times when everything wouldn't work at all. And my Xbox is fairly new, and no other games have trouble running.

It must be a really good game for you to play it so much despite the bugs. ... especially everyone with X-Boxes if the bugs are as prolific as I hear.

Well.... see.... when you are in a place where the average daily temp is 125 degrees.... with AC, you are so hot that not even bugs that cause you to lose everything for the past 5 hours will bother you. And besides.... this was the only new game I had over summer vacation, so I couldn't really complain.

Edited December 7, 2003 by Abombz!!

[Abombz!!]

I heard ATI 9600's have serious problems with KOTOR....   

They are going to be fixed on the soon to be released patch.

Keen!

Any idea when this patch is coming out?

Gamespot says its coming out on tuesday.

[Max Jenius]

Yeah, but with Flurry, you get an extra attack... so that's 3...

then with Master speed you get 2 extra attacks plus a defense bonus.

=

OWNED

[Abombz!!]

Yeah, but with Flurry, you get an extra attack... so that's 3...

then with Master speed you get 2 extra attacks plus a defense bonus.

=

OWNED

True. But I found Flurry to be easier to dodge/parry then power attack.

[Golden Arms]

I love this game as well. I have the X-box version and haven't experienced any of the aforementioned bugs. If they make a sequel to this game (which they should) what types of things would you like to see improved, changed, addded, etc? I think it would be cool to play with a Yoda type character. I don't know what his species is referred as, but they would make neat additions to your party.