KOTOR 15th Retrospective
Introduction
On July 15th, 2003, 15 years ago today, a role-playing video game was released to the world & changed the Star Wars universe forever: Knights of the Old Republic. Knights of the Old Republic, or simply known as KOTOR, is a lot more than just another video game or a new Star Wars entry. To me, it's a lot more than that. KOTOR introduced us to memorable characters, musical themes, & of course introduced us to the galaxy taking place long before the movies. I was only 16 when I started the game. But when I finished it, I was a completely different person. Today, I'm here to give a retrospective on the game, along with the sequel & the MMO, & also my hopes & dreams for the future of the KOTOR brand. Even though the game has been out for 15 years, I must warn you that there are spoilers ahead & you have been warned. Otherwise, without further ado, let's go back a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
KOTOR
Let us begin with the game that started it all; my absolute favorite Star Wars game of all time. The story goes as follows: After crash-landing on the planet of Taris after a Sith fleet ambushed a Republic vessel called the Endar Spire, the main character (aka you) teams up with a Republic veteran with trust issues named Carth Onasi to locate a Jedi named Bastila Shan whom the Sith have been hunting mainly due to her remarkable gift called Battle Meditation. After locating her after meeting up with new companions, mainly Mission Vao, a Twi'lek teenager with street smarts who likes to explore the Lower & Under cities of Taris, & Zaalbar, a Wookiee who swears a life-debt to you after rescuing him from Gamorrean slavers, & doing some errands to enter & win the swoop race to secure her freedom, they enlist the help of a Mandalorian mercenary Canderous Ordo who was working for the local crime lord Davik who has a plan to escape Taris once & for all. They succeed by flying out in a Dynamic-class light freighter named the Ebon Hawk, but not before the planet was bombarded & razed by Darth Malak, Dark Lord of the Sith & former apprentice to the recently-deceased Darth Revan. Upon landing on the planet of Dantooine, the location of the Jedi Enclave, Bastila introduces the main character to the Jedi Council, where you learn that you are strong in the Force & are trained in the ways of the Jedi. Eventually you uncover & retrace Revan & Malak's steps to locate an ancient superweapon called the Star Forge & the only way to do that is to locate ancient holo-devices called Star Maps located on Tatooine, Kashyyyk, Manaan, & Korriban (George Lucas thought "Korriban" sounded too similar to "Coruscant" but I don't see nor hear any resemblance whatsoever). However just before they could get the final Star Map, the crew of the Ebon Hawk gets captured by Carth's former mentor, Saul Karath. Just before they could escape however, the player experiences the biggest plot twist not seen since "The Empire Strikes Back"...
...This whole time, the ENTIRE time, you were Darth Revan who survived the supposed "death", albeit suffered amnesia as a result. Even after you start up the game, you get subtle hints that your character is somehow special & qualified & even the Jedi Council will admit it, but you could never put your finger on it & always wonder why you were treated as if you were "The Chosen One". However, it turns out that the Jedi Council wiped away Revan's mind & reprogrammed with a new identity, but it turns out they were not entirely successful as the memories slowly started to return. But the Council expected that & had Bastila, who had bonded to Revan in a desperate rescue attempt, use the memories to locate the Star Forge & destroy it along with defeating the Sith menace that spawned from it. After locating the final Star Map, you have a decision to make: will you defeat Darth Malak & the Sith & destroy the Star Forge? Or will you kill Darth Malak, crush the Republic & take control of the Star Forge?
The story in this game is incredible & is among the first things when KOTOR comes to mind & it still holds up to this day. It has that classic Star Wars feel & you can easily tell that Bioware took a lot of inspiration & references from the movies. The characters are still beloved to this day & Bioware did a fantastic job to write them to be almost like real people with real emotions & intentions & along the way, you encounter people from their past to get character quests. Mission Vao encounters an ex-girlfriend of her brother, Griff, & finds out that Griff is not only a freeloading con artist but also indeed abandoned her to save his skin but learns to accept Griff for who he is, no matter how hard she tries to change him. Carth's trust issues stem from the betrayal of his mentor, Saul Karath, who defected to the Sith & not only devastated his homeworld of Telos but also destroyed his family, or so he thought as he realized his son, Dustil, is still alive but unfortunately is working with the Sith, thus he has to open Dustil's eyes to the Sith's true nature & reconcile with him. Juhani, a Cathar Jedi who you have the option to save & recruit, struggles with her rough upbringing, even despite her dedication to the Jedi although it is put to the test when she encounters a slaver from her past who still wants to make her his "pet". Zaalbar reveals that he still hasn't recovered from being exiled from his homeworld due to attacking his brother with his claws for dealing with slavers & hopes the player will stick by him & his people. Jolee Bindo, a former Jedi & veteran of the war with the Sith Lord Exar Kun & also imposed self-exile on Kashyyyk, acts as a secondary mentor to the player & shows that both the Light & Dark Sides are flawed while also explaining why he exiled himself on Kashyyyk for so long. HK-47, an assassin droid with a hilariously twisted sense of humor, suffers from memory loss &, providing the player has a high-enough skill in repair, reveals that his previous owners suffered the worst case of bad luck imaginable yet couldn't reveal his original master...all the while spewing the word "meatbag" to frustrate everyone. Canderous Ordo is a warrior who wants to return to the honor & glory of the Mandalorians from days gone by, but his honor comes into question from another who accuses him of betrayal & challenges him. T3-M4, well...I only used him to open the Sith Base doors on Taris, make some computer spikes when I need them (until I buy or acquire enough to not ask him) & is virtually useless afterwards (though he won't be in the next game).
Although HK-47 & Jolee Bindo are fan favorites & they have their own interesting backstories, I have saved my personal favorite for last: Bastila Shan, perhaps the second-most developed character in the entire game, if not the series. Now, I know a lot of people really don't like her due to her attitude, but hear me out. Her character is basically someone who is trying to be the "perfect Jedi" & is stressed due to the enormous weight on her shoulders, hence her "Jedi Princess" nickname given to her by Canderous, even when she appears calm & serene. However, underneath that willful attitude & headstrong demeanor, also after learning to know her better, you realize that in spite of her heroic accomplishments & rare gifts, she never wanted to be a Jedi & wanted to remain with her father whom she loved dearly, despite never getting along with her mother, Helena (note: Bastila's father's name is never mentioned ever in the game or other media, unfortunately, so from this point on, we're gonna refer to him as "Mr. Shan"). Speaking of her mother, Bastila's personal quest involves finding & doing one errand for her mother (which is finding the holocron that belonged to the late Mr. Shan), albeit with reluctance & with good reason; Bastila is devastated to hear that her father was killed by a Krayt Dragon & is still bitter towards her mother, originally thinking Helena lead Mr. Shan to his death. However, if you play your cards right, you can have Bastila & Helena reconcile & finally understand both points of view at long last, ending their hostilities at long last while Bastila urged her mother to seek treatment of her illness that she was indeed dying from. Although Carth can be a romance option for Female Revan (I have little to no experience with that romance & I know I just angered a lot of fans of that couple), I prefer the Male Revan & Bastila romance, since it's what the Prequels should've done in the first place. In fact, going back to Jolee Bindo, he ironically gives the best love advice period & the dialogue during the conversations with him virtually foreshadow what will happen near the end of the game.
The music is incredible & has that authentic Star Wars sound & feeling. Jeremy Soule brilliantly created a score that took a lot of inspiration from John Williams' score but also adds something new to the table. In short: familiar but different. From the creepy Sith theme to the calm & serene Manaan theme, the score has got it all. The sound is incredible &, like the music & even the story, has that authentic Star Wars quality. Although I wish they would add different hit sounds when using a lightsaber along with ignition & deactivation sounds since they're the same sounds over & over, although I will admit they're just minor nitpicks (nitpicks that were fixed almost a decade later, but we'll get back to that). Although the environments still hold up to this day, the graphics & models to me are unfortunately a mixed bag. At the time, Bioware & LucasArts wanted to make the graphics as realistic as possible. When the game was released, the graphics blew everyone away. Nowadays I feel there needs to be an upgrade & I'm not the only one, but we'll get to that. The animations these days feel a bit clunky & outdated while the animations used in conversations feel a bit limited, at least in comparison to modern games. However this is Bioware's first attempt at a cinematic experience & thankfully they've learned a lot since then.
But what helps to sell this game is who voiced the beloved characters in this game. Jennifer Hale was perfectly cast as Bastila Shan & although she now known as Female Commander Shepard in the "Mass Effect" series, I can't picture anyone else voicing Bastila but her since, as a secondary protagonist, Hale made Shan sound like a cautious yet thoughtful Jedi who is constantly wary of the dark side while strugging to deal with the massive weight on her shoulders, & as a secondary antagonist, made Shan sound like arrogance incarnate & literally believing that embracing the Sith as her new life ascended her to godhood just before reality in the shape of Revan showed her otherwise. Raphael Sbarge also does a great job bringing Carth Onasi to life as a respected yet emotionally-damaged veteran along with the late Robin Sachs who voiced his former mentor & nemesis Saul Karath. Catherine Taber as Mission Vao was also a perfect match as she gave the character her usual street smart spunk but also a sense of childish naivete at the same time. Courtney Taylor had Juhani sound just as emotionally damaged as Carth, if not more, but also gave her that never-give-up passion & dedication to the Jedi that conflicts with the Cathars' natural temper at the same time (although this won't be the only time she plays an emotionally-damaged character *cough*Jack*cough*). Kristoffer Tabori literally made HK-47 the assassin droid that we all know & love as no one else can say "meatbag" better than him (well, except John DiMaggio's Bender from "Futurama" but that's besides the point). The late John Cygan made Canderous sound like a man who was reduced to nothing after the Mandalorian Wars & wants to relive the honor & glory of battle along with the challenges it brings. Kevin Michael Richardson's legendary portrayal of Jolee Bindo gives off that hilarious "crazy old man" trope but underneath that is a wise old man who achieved balance the hard way. Ed Asner as Master Vrook also gives off that "cranky old man" vibe but he does it so well you can't help but like him. But all that is only scratching the surface, if not the tip of the iceberg.
Although Bioware has long abandoned the turn-based mechanics that go back to even before KOTOR, the mechanics at least help to keep the player strategize & use their companions to their advantage to take down challenging threats. A lot of people may be turned off since they do like more fast-paced combat but back then, this was somewhat standard for a lot of RPG's. Otherwise, what else can I say about KOTOR? It's earned it's 2003 Game Of The Year title & with good reason. Bioware may have made a name for themselves with Baldur's Gate & Neverwinter Nights, but KOTOR was the one that put them on the map. The PC release of the game that arrived four months later surely helped things. And it only recently became backwards compatible for Xbox One, allowing others to replay the game again & again just like old times. I've played this game a million times & I'll play it a million times again.
KOTOR II - The Sith Lords
With KOTOR getting praise from both fans & critics left & right, copies of both the Xbox & PC versions of the game were quickly selling out everywhere. Almost immediately after the game was released, people were demanding a sequel. And why not? When something is good, people want a sequel. But unfortunately, Bioware wasn't all that interested in developing the sequel, partly due to them being focused on their latest title "Jade Empire" & mostly due to LucasArts' tight scheduling. They personally suggested Obsidian Entertainment to handle the sequel, mainly due to their familiarity with their work & being on good terms with them. Obsidian obliged &, on December 6, 2004, the world was introduced to Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords.
The story goes as follows: five years after the events of KOTOR, the Jedi Order has almost been completely wiped out & the Republic was faring even worse than before. A new character the player assumes the identity of, called the Jedi Exile or simply the Exile, wakes up in a fuel mining facility on Peragus & has no recollection of how he or she got there. The Exile soon meet up with Kreia, a mysterious woman who is extremely strong in the Force, T3-M4, the astromech from KOTOR who now is more useful in this game, & Atton Rand, a Han Solo-inspired pilot & scoundrel who is excellent in hand-to-hand combat & is tougher than he looks...while having a strange obsession with the card game Pazaak. What is Pazaak, you ask? The card game from KOTOR that is basically the Star Wars version of Blackjack. They managed to escape Peragus despite the efforts of a new assassin droid named HK-50 & a Sith Lord named Darth Sion (who Atton humorously yet sarcastically dubs "sleeps-with-vibroblades") but not before Sion uses a hijacked Republic cruiser called the Harbinger to blow Peragus to smithereens.
Arriving on Telos (Carth's homeworld, briefly mentioned in the last game), the group is placed under immediate house arrest & things get worse for our heroes when they find out the Ebon Hawk was stolen by Atris, a Jedi Master who was hiding on Telos who is known for her icy attitude (if you're playing as a male Exile, it's hinted that part of her icy attitude is due to her feelings for the Exile). After leaving Telos, the Exile finds out about the surviving Jedi Masters (Kavarr, Zez-Kai Ell, Lonna Vash, & Vrook) hiding out on Dantooine (where the Jedi Enclave was located), Nar Shaddaa, Onderon (Dxun makes an appearance too), & Korriban (same place from the last game) & decides to either recruit them to help fight against the Sith or destroy them & take control of the Sith, as well as either have the worlds remain within the Republic or secede & let the Republic crumble.
I'll admit that when I finished the game when it first came out, I thought the story, along with the rest of the game, wasn't that great. In fact, a lot of people were disappointed when the game came out, mainly due to the fact that Obsidian rushed the game out for an early December 2004 release with the PC version coming out two months later, causing a lot of content to have been cut with bugs & glitches along with inaccessible areas & quests that can't be completed among other plotholes & unfinished arcs in the story. At first, a lot of the blame went to Obisidian Entertainment. But over time, I realized that a lot of the blame shouldn't have been on Obisidian's shoulders; they were under a lot of pressure from LucasArts to make a follow-up to the 2003 Game Of The Year along with working with a very tight schedule. When the game was announced, I originally saw that the game would be released in early 2005, which I was okay with. But when I picked up an Xbox magazine later, I was stunned to see the release date was in December of 2004, which worried me, since I wondered how Obsidian was going to cram all of that content in such short time. Had LucasArts decided to let the release date be December 6, 2005 instead of 2004, then it's likely that KOTOR II would've literally been vastly superior to KOTOR. In fact, I would've been okay with waiting an extra year so Obsidian could've made the game they wanted to make. Over time, however, a lot of fans actually appreciated what Obisidian was trying to do & a lot of people were able to point out the golden moments in the story that I originally missed. And I'll admit over time I grew to understand the story more & the reason for finding the Lost Jedi. Obsidian put a LOT of effort into KOTOR II & you can easily tell they really did their homework on everything that is Star Wars, including the Expanded Universe (now known as "Legends").
The characters are okay, though I've warmed up to most over time. Brianna or simply the Handmaiden I've always adored, although not for "obvious reasons". All she is doing is just wanting to understand what the Force is like while performing her duty to Atris & prove that she's not the "Last of the Handmaidens". Plus she's VERY handy in combat, with or without weapons. Atton Rand is pretty much our Han Solo; scoundrel, gambler, drinker, & scrappy fighter all in one. However he's pretty reluctant to talk about his dark past but at least with conversations (& enough influence but we'll get to that) he'll open up & come to terms with his past. Like the Handmaiden, he's pretty good in combat, with or without weapons. T3-M4 returns, but this time he's no longer open a door & just make computer spikes but do nothing for the rest of the game; no, they really put effort to actually making him a useful & vital character this time & boy did they really improve on him! Bao-Dur is a Zabrak who specializes in technology, but unfortunately other than his skills, all he is is just some loyal mechanic & companion who calls you "General" all the time...& that's about it. Now, I don't hate the guy, but I didn't connect with him as much as others did, though I could be missing something. After defeating HK-50...& other HK-50 clone copies, you have the option of repairing HK-47, who returns & is just as hilarious & bloodthirsty as the last game. Even before arriving on Nar Shaddaa, you hear of a criminal called "Goto", but when you escape his vessel, it turns out he wants to join your party & all this time...he's just a droid called G0-T0. And not just any droid; he's a droid who wants to "stabilize" the Republic or the galaxy...& he's certainly got an attitude problem. Of course he wasn't the only one you pick up on Nar Shaddaa; if you're light side or neutral you get another bounty hunter who's spunky but has a good heart named Mira, but if you're dark side you get her Wookiee rival named Hanharr. I mainly prefer Mira (again, not for "obvious reasons") mainly since Hanharr is just a sadistic nutcase who hates everything, including his own people. Mira, on the other hand, I feel she's a lot more developed once you converse with her more & get to know her; she was an orphan & was trained by Mandalorians to become the "best bounty hunter in the sector" although she claims "that's not bragging, that's fact". Speaking of Mandalorians, Mandalore the Preserver also joins your crew although from his voice, it's painfully obvious as to who is under that mask: Canderous Ordo. Although not all of the companions you pick up join you by choice; Visas Marr, a Miraluka Sith apprentice to another Sith Lord named Darth Nihilus (who is pretty much the Star Wars version of Galactus...& although can speak, only the characters can understand what he's saying, though I wish they'd add subtitles) attempts to kill you, though after defeating her, she decides to join your crew & help your cause (don't worry, she doesn't betray you). Visas is submissive & is obviously a victim of abuse at the hands of her master. However in conversations, she reveals more information about her master, the Sith heirachies, & so on, while also detailing what her life was like before she tragically became Nihilus' apprentice. For female Exiles, you can pick up someone named Mical or simply called the Disciple, though I barely interacted with him & I heard he was kind of boring.
The story, to me at first, was okay yet all over the place. Obsidian clearly wanted to make an incredibly deep & compelling story but the tight deadline unfortunately had Obsidian come up short. The game wanted to try & focus on the "Gray" side of the Force rather than just make it another "Light vs. Dark" story like the last game. Of course, over the course of the game, you can't help but think that someone was keeping you in the dark. While Darth Sion (the Lord of Pain & likes inflicting pain & that's how he stays alive despite everything) & Darth Nihilus (the Lord of Hunger &, as previously mentioned, feeds on Force users & some worlds to stay alive; pretty much like Galactus), there was one Sith Lord who was manipulating & plotting events the whole time & I was caught off-guard when the truth came out. Remember the mysterious woman Kreia that I mentioned earlier? Well, it turns out she was Darth Traya, the Lord of Betrayal, the whole time. And what does she want? Well, she wants to destroy the Force. Why? Well, after being exiled by both the Jedi & Sith Orders, she just had enough of the Force "having a will" & views it as "dictating" the lives of others. And how? Well Nihilus was a wound in the Force & she saw the Exile was a wound in the Force & wanted to use that to destroy it. ...Or does she? As pointed out by a few other fans, Kreia wanted to show that neither the Jedi or the Sith were perfect & that their codes & their faith were flawed while proving themselves wrong & herself right while wanting the Exile to carry on her teachings & legacy in the form of a new Jedi or Sith Order (depending on your alignment & choices). I didn't see it at the time, but I do now.
In terms of gameplay, if you've played KOTOR, then you should be familiar with KOTOR II's. It's not all that different save for a few improvements & tweaks. Firstly, they introduced the Jedi forms which help in different situations of combat. There's a lot more feats & Force powers that will help you in the long run. As for the level cap, it's been increased from 20 in the last game to 50 (don't expect to reach the level cap easily, trust me). And as for customization, KOTOR II introduced crafting to the series by enabling a ton of upgrades to choose from depending on how good your skill is. Not all weapons or armor can be upgraded, so choose wisely. Of course you can also craft medkits & shields to help you as well. But all this depends on how many components & chemicals you have. Graphics & animation also have been improved; the walking animations are the same but the running ones have greatly improved from the last game. On top of that, Obsidian also added new animations, even for cutscenes & combat, that are leaps & bounds better than the last game, although they still use the same animations from the last game (the same problems with animation from the last game are still apparent). The graphics also look cleaner & sharper but only to an extent. It's no secret that Bioware gave the KOTOR assets to Obsidian to help build off of, though Obsidian did make some of their own assets from scratch, although that likely may be a blessing in disguise; had Obsidian been forced to build everything from scratch, the finalized game with the tight scheduling could've been a lot worse.
The sound & music is still incredible. The sounds from the previous game make a return along with new sounds which, once again, are top notch quality. Jeremy Soule didn't return to compose for KOTOR II mainly since he was busy on other projects (mainly Elder Scrolls), so Mark Griskey stepped in to compose. Like the last game, Griskey's take is brilliant & I still enjoy a lot of his themes in this game. Although some of Soule's music is used is used, it's not enough for my tastes, though I still think Griskey did a fantastic job. From the uplifting & hopeful Jedi theme to the creepy & chilling Malachor V theme, like the last game, it's got it all.
This game also introduced to the Influence mechanic, which has players try to make decisions that they either approve or disapprove of. For example, if you make a light side choice, one of your "light" companions (Handmaiden or Disciple) will greatly approve of you helping an innocent from a group of thugs, though your "dark" companions (HK-47 & G0-T0) won't. Unlike the last game, where you just need to level up to simply get to know the companions, you gotta get on their good side if you wanna know more about them, whether you like it or not. Also as a surprise, you can train your companions to become Jedi (or Dark Jedi/Sith), save for your droid companions of course, but it also depends on how much influence you have; if you managed to earn maximum influence on them, they'll open up & realize that they are strong in the Force & will be willing to learn how to use it. Trust me, it's worth it in the long run (Visas Marr is already Force-trained yet with maximum influence, she'll teach you how to "see" with the Force like her people).
Like the last game, the voice-acting really brings the characters in this game to life. Nicky Katt's portrayal of a sarcastic & pessimistic Atton Rand mirrors that of Han Solo while making the character his own & not a carbon copy of the famous Corellian smuggler. Grey Griffin (credited as Grey DeLisle) perfectly gives Brianna the Handmaiden that sense of duty, honor, yet naivete that has her want to understand more of the outside world like Luke Skywalker in the Original Trilogy. Greg Ellis brings a sort of gentleman persona to the Disciple. Daran Norris, from the previous game, returns to give additional voices to various characters but gives G0-T0 the droid's superiority complex that perfectly suits him. Kelly Hu is considered a fan favorite, giving Visas the quiet & submissive yet eagerness to understand someone other than Nihilus' point-of-view. Emily Berry brilliantly gives Mira that sense of spunk & dedication if not determination & gave it her all to make this character beloved to many fans. Kristoffer Tabori returns to not only voice HK-47, but also the HK-50 assassin droids & he hasn't missed a beat. Ed Asner returns as Master Vrook & is still the same "cranky old man" as in the last game. Roger Guenveur Smith as Bao-Dur is a mixed bag for me; I do understand he was trying to have Bao-Dur sound like a veteran trying to move on from the Mandalorian Wars, but he's pretty much the same when you meet him & when you last see him. The late John Cygan returns as Canderous, who is now Mandalore, & is pretty much the same as the last game but now portrays a Mandalorian veteran who finally found purpose in his life once again. But the one who truly steals the show is Sara Kestelman as Kreia; making the character sound mysterious yet always keeping everyone in the dark when it comes to her own agenda is brilliant. She even made manipulating the main character cool even before Palpatine/Sidious did it in "Revenge of the Sith" (in fact, when this game came out, the hype for the Prequel movie was only just beginning).
Like the last game, that was only scratching the surface, if not the tip of the iceberg in terms of voice actors. In fact, Jennifer Hale, Raphael Sbarge, & Raphael Ferrer reprise their roles as Bastila Shan, Carth Onasi, & Malak (albeit as cameos, mostly the latter as a vision). In fact, a lot of them, including those who return & have voiced the main characters, voiced additional characters & other NPC's. As a result, the game's world feels much more populated & alive than the previous game while keeping it just as cinematic as the first.
Although the game was praised & did sell very well, it didn't do as well as the previous game. And unfortunately, as stated earlier, it was mainly due to the fact that the game was rushed. And as I stated earlier, had the game been released a year later, Obsidian could've easily had enough time to make the game they truly wanted to make. In fact, unless I'm wrong, the sales of KOTOR II were almost unaffected by the release of Star Wars: Battlefront, which was released three months prior. Of course my guess is that the Revenge of the Sith hype was still on-going or at least just starting to die down, thus LucasArts & Lucasfilm didn’t want KOTOR II to take that buzz away, though I still think that they could’ve still benefitted with KOTOR II being released after Battlefront II. Over the years, fans have attempted to extract files from the PC version that didn't appear in the original release & attempted to restore the content entirely. But over time it appeared that the project was abandoned. ...Or was it? Recently, Disney updated the game on Steam & fans were now able to finally patch the game & restore the content & finally give the world the "true" KOTOR II in its originally intended form for the first time, with a Workshop & all, even in widescreen format! (Now that I think about it, why didn't KOTOR get the same treatment? Even it has cut content.)
KOTOR II was & still is a mixed bag for me, however over time I warmed up to it & can appreciate what it was trying to bring to the table. It does have its moments & I do appreciate the brilliance it offers. It does do a lot of things that improve over the previous game but there are still problems that plagued the previous game that carried over to this one. I just wish that LucasArts actually gave Obsidian more time to finish the game while also patching the game at the same time to fix the bugs & glitches while actually finishing a few things to truly make it even better. Despite all the problems that still plague this game to this day, KOTOR II is still a gem &, much like the previous game, I will still play thousands of times in the future.
The Old Republic
After the semi-disappointment from fans after KOTOR II's release, LucasArts decided to let the franchise rest while focusing their attention on the Battlefront series, as well as their next big project, "The Force Unleashed". Despite the then-semi-disappointment, fans were still eager for a third entry, myself included. In fact, questions abound from KOTOR II's ending: what really happened to Revan? Is he/she still alive? What happened to the Exile & his/her crew (even though the Exile being female was established as canon)? Will Revan be reunited with Bastila/Carth & live happily ever after? Who or what are the "True Sith"? Over the years, fans have heard rumors & speculation of a KOTOR III. In fact, a KOTOR III was indeed in development & there is concept art & information about what the game would've been about. Even Obsidian wanted to make another KOTOR game. Unfortunately, due to problems within the company, LucasArts cancelled the project just before KOTOR III entered production, much to the dismay of fans. However, that didn't mean that the KOTOR series was dead. And thank goodness too.
Fans had to wait over five years to figure out what happened to Revan & the crew(s) of the Ebon Hawk. And even since then, they were quick to want Bioware to return to work on the franchise. At the time, Bioware was busy working on their new titles, such as "Mass Effect" & "Dragon Age: Origins" having already finished "Jade Empire". However with new technologies & more creative freedom, Bioware couldn't pass up on the opportunity to return to the galaxy far, far away. Rumors circulated that Bioware was working on a massively multiplayer online role-playing game that took place within the KOTOR series. In July 2008, five years after KOTOR was released, Bioware & Electronic Arts (more commonly known as EA) officially confirmed that the MMO was indeed in production & it was called "Star Wars: The Old Republic" (more simply called "SWTOR"), with much of the original KOTOR team returning to develop the game. Despite some delays in 2009 & 2010, Bioware & EA officially launched the game on December 20, 2011 to the world.
The game features multiple storylines for the two factions (Republic & Sith Empire) for different classes (Jedi Knight, Imperial Agent, Jedi Consular, Sith Warrior, Smuggler, Sith Inquisitor, & Trooper), all that are connected in their own way. The "Light & Dark" choices are still there & you can pick up your character's own companions along the way. Unlike the two previous games, you can have your own starship based on your class. The worlds to explore are much bigger than all of KOTOR I & II combined & it can take a while to explore the entirety of each world. Being an MMO, you can bring along other players to perform missions & operations, though best to be prepared since passing the missions won't be easy.
Although the class stories are different in their own way, the main consistent story goes as follows: After the events of KOTOR & KOTOR II (at least the canon stories), the Republic & the Jedi Order have since recovered from the Jedi Civil War & the Dark Wars (the former the main conflict in KOTOR & the latter the main conflict in KOTOR II) & enter a new Golden Age that only lasts 300 years. The True Sith Empire, who suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Jedi & the Republic a thousand years prior to the events of KOTOR, have returned & invaded the galaxy, intending on exacting their revenge by destroying their enemies. However towards the end of the war, a surprising cease-fire is called & both stand at the brink of war. With the events of both sides plotting & staging proxy wars, the Treaty of Coruscant (the document that helped create the cease-fire & the peace) is scrapped & war is reignited between the Republic & the Sith. Unknown to both sides, an ancient Sith Emperor plots to achieve true immortality at the cost of both sides.
Overall, the main story is, as expected from Bioware, brilliantly done, although it doesn't quite upstage KOTOR's, but Bioware really did put a lot of effort into the stories. A lot of people say that the Sith Warrior story is the absolute best, but personally, I like the Jedi Knight story the most. But then again, fans do have their own preferences, which I think is fine. A lot of the companions in the game are memorable in their own right, & although I like Kira Carsen & Vette the most (why do I have a thing for the humorous yet sweet women?), others may like Kaliyo more or Lord Scourge the most. Or they may even prefer Jaesa Wilsaam or etc. Bioware really outdone themselves, but even they knew that some nostalgia wouldn't hurt. Revan is mentioned numerous times throughout the game, yet in a big twist, the game throws us a curveball: Revan himself appears in the game; the Sith Emperor, Vitiate, captured Revan & placed him in stasis ever since. Revan decides to "finish what he started" by attempting to destroy the Sith Emperor but ultimately he fails.
In terms of graphics, models, textures, & animations, they are a supermassive improvement over KOTOR & KOTOR II; I mean the models look more lifelike, the textures are much realistic, the models look much better, & the animations have increased in quality due to the motion-capture technology that is used for the game. On top of that, the game has hundreds if not thousands of more animations than the previous two games combined. The game overall completely blows both KOTOR & KOTOR II out of the water in every way imaginable.
In terms of sound & music, it once again trumps KOTOR & KOTOR II in every single way possible. Mark Griskey returns to do some of the score for SWTOR, although he wasn't alone; Jess Harlin from "Republic Commando" lends a hand along with several others. Although the music in SWTOR is just as great as the two games, they still were able to use the music from the previous two games. And I couldn't be more happier. It's been years since we got anything KOTOR-related so a bit of nostalgia wouldn't hurt. Plus, the lightsaber striking sound, albeit a nitpick, is no longer used over & over & there are a lot more lightsaber sounds in the game. Some are unbearable, some are okay, the rest are great. Same goes for the other weapons in the game, adding more variety for the player & that is more than okay in my book.
Gameplay-wise, Bioware has long since scrapped the Dungeons & Dragons turn-based gameplay & rules from KOTOR I & II & decided to make something new from scratch. The gameplay is much more fast-paced, there's more freedom to move, & the combat is much more realistic, although at times it can be a bit unfair. A lot of fans complained that it feels more like "World of Warcraft" yet some dismiss that. To be honest, I'm not really complaining all that much.
The voice-acting in the game is just as fantastic as the previous two games. Jennifer Hale, Kevin Michael Richardson, Catherine Taber, & so many more from KOTOR & KOTOR II have returned to voice various characters in-game. And they still got it. Even some newcomers arrived to lend their talent to the game & they too did a terrific job. Nolan North as the male Jedi Consular, David Hayter as the male Jedi Knight, Kath Soucie as the female Smuggler, Brian Bloom as the male Trooper, & even Jennifer Hale as the female Trooper are, as stated before & again, only scratching the surface.
Despite the game being a major success like the previous two games, fans were confused & hesitant; they wanted a true follow-up to KOTOR & KOTOR II. And EA's controversial reputation didn't help matters either. Bioware has stated that SWTOR was made so they could have that as KOTOR III, IV, & so on. But even to this day, fans were still demanding a true follow-up. But nevertheless, with Disney acquiring Lucasfilm in 2012 & turning the EU into the non-canon "Legends" on April 25th, 2014, SWTOR is, as of writing this retrospective, is the current-active Legends material that is still active. In spite of the faults & problems, I still think SWTOR is worth playing. Sure it requires internet connection to play, but nevertheless, I still enjoy it. I still plan on playing this until the servers are shut down for good.
Legacy & The Future
Knights of the Old Republic is considered one of the best video games of all time & rightfully so. All you have to do is mention at least one of the main characters & people will know what you're talking about. As of the writing of this retrospect, SWTOR is still going on & hopefully for a long while. However, Casey Hudson, the man who helped make KOTOR a reality, stated in a recent interview that fans are still playing SWTOR & that Bioware's main focus, again as if the release of this retrospect, on their upcoming title "Anthem". However, in recent years, fans (including myself) have called for an HD remaster of KOTOR. Lately a fan group called Apeiron have attempted to perform such a task & the results appear impressive. But so far, it's still a work-in-progress. There were also rumors in April 2017 that Bioware was prototyping an HD remake or revival of KOTOR. But as far as I know, the rumor just leads to dead ends. ...Or does it?
It's quite clear that the people at Lucasfilm still respect KOTOR, its lore, & even its characters. A few characters in the Disney canon even pay homage to them. For example, Mr. Bones pays homage to HK-47 while Kylo Ren's mask resembles Darth Revan's. But of course a lot of Legends material that appeared in KOTOR has returned to Canon; Taris was represented by two senators (one in "Rogue One", the other in "The Force Awakens") along with its description of being devastated some time in the past. Rakata Prime makes a return albeit with little information while the Selkath & Manaan are also mentioned while the former are pretty much the same in terms of lore. Malachor was mentioned & seen in "Star Wars Rebels" along with a brief mention of the Mandalorian Wars, & the Jedi Temple Guards have a yellow blade with double-bladed lightsabers, like Bastila Shan's, but with shortened blades (they're called "lightsaber pikes"). Speaking of Revan, he ALMOST appeared in an episode of TCW, which the show itself is confirmed to be canon, but the scene where he appeared in was deleted & was thus confirmed to be non-canon.
Although Lucasfilm still cares about KOTOR's lore & Bioware knows that fans still want more KOTOR & fans have talked & speculated as to how to bring KOTOR back into canon, how would I make a new entry while also making it canon in Disney's Star Wars universe? Well, it really should be easy to do providing that Disney actually wants to do it whether it be a video game or a TV series or even a movie spinoff series, but if they do, here's how I would do it:
Firstly, Revan please. Mask & all. The very character that Drew Karpyshyn created & wrote beautifully & became a fan-favorite icon that still inspires fans today. He ALMOST appeared in TCW & it shows that the people at Lucasfilm still care about him. They even admitted to being huge fans of Grand Admiral Thrawn & modified his history so he would fit in the new canon yet still retains what made Thrawn's character so great. If Disney & Lucasfilm can do that for Grand Admiral Thrawn, why can't they do the same for Revan? However, I do want Revan to actually start out as a "nobody" & not be "destined for greatness" & be told of that throughout the game like the first one. I do want to be given a very good reason & explanation to be "qualified" rather than simply having it "handed to me"; in short, I want to EARN my qualifications rather than just be qualified from the start. I DO NOT want Revan to be more like Shepard or the Pathfinder/Ryder or the Warden or Hawke or the Inquisitor or even a carbon copy of how Revan was in SWTOR but that doesn't mean they can't take some inspiration from the aforementioned.
I also want to see Bastila Shan, Jolee Bindo, HK-47, & Darth Malak return, maybe pretty much the most well-known characters with virtually the original cast to return (although they may have no choice but to recast Saul Karath & Canderous with new voice actors, since Robin Sachs & John Cygan are unfortunately no longer with us). Bastila & Jolee returned for the mobile game "Galaxy of Heroes" (still awaiting Revan, dammit!), so it's clear that these two are still beloved by the community if not the developers. Should there (albeit it's very likely) be a romance between Revan & Bastila, I want to have better &/or more chemistry between the two. Now, don't get me wrong, I still adore the Revan & Bastila romance to this day, yet later Bioware RPG's like the Mass Effect & Dragon Age series actually made romances so much better & much more realistic. I want to see the romance actually deal with why Jedi should fall in love along with why they shouldn't to help add to the character chemistry & even character development during the romance.
Speaking of, should the new KOTOR be a video game (which I would most likely prefer), I want the gameplay to reflect on those two series, at least with the Mass Effect Trilogy & Dragon Age: Inquisition. Why I chose those two is mainly for the gun mechanics from the Mass Effect Trilogy & to a certain extent Mass Effect: Andromeda while the sword & lightsaber mechanics can be from Inquisition. I know it sounds difficult to have two gameplay mechanics co-existing, but I'm confident that it can be done & ultimately mesh well if handled right. And the same can be learned from KOTOR I & II & even SWTOR to help with gameplay mechanics to make something familiar & nostalgic yet different & fresh while making ranged & melee combat feel as authentic as possible while being easy to control at the same time.
Also, crafting please & a bit like SWTOR & Inquisition, but I don't want to have the same hilts from SWTOR. I want to actually customize my weapons like in Inquisition to make the weapons more unique, even in appearance. Also like KOTOR I & II, I want the ability to actually choose if I want to use a single saber, dual-wield, or use a double-bladed lightsaber & actually craft all three variants & have them be however I want them to be. Speaking of lightsabers, I want to be able to craft the mods for the lightsabers, like the lens, the emitter, the power cell, & so on so the stats for the lightsaber are just as impressive as the lightsaber looks. I also want the character's lightsaber crystal that you get in KOTOR II to be the main color crystal (albeit with some stats depending on class) & to be set to whichever color I choose & can change it whenever I want, or two of them if I plan to dual-wield. I also want to craft the outfits like in SWTOR & Inquisition, but not at the expense of the shops & vendors like in previous RPG's. I also want to be able to upgrade said outfits, including the crafted ones. For example, I can upgrade Bastila's outfit & have it so I can increase other attributes & perhaps even add resistance to damage or enhance Force powers. I also want the option to create Revan's Robes but depending on your alignment, much like the Star Forge Robes in KOTOR for example, but this time much more detailed & appearing like a "light side Jedi" version of Darth Revan.
To avoid retreading the story of the original game(s) or at least as much as possible, & if they had to have Revan's story be spanned through a trilogy, my idea is that the first game can take bits & pieces of the first game & include the twist, but also be pretty much the hero's journey to fight the evil that he caused with the second game also taking bits & pieces from KOTOR II but have it so his actions from his past catch up with him & dealing with the gray side while focusing on the characters with the third game taking bits & pieces from SWTOR but being more like "Return of the Jedi" where Revan actually succeeds in fighting the Sith Emperor & succeeding while at the same time taking a bit from the later expansion "Knights of the Eternal Throne" where Revan can choose to take the Emperor's place & take control of the Sith for himself or destroy the Emperor & vanquish the Sith as a Jedi. The game save file transfer to maintain continuity should still work since Bioware has done it before for the Mass Effect Trilogy.
I want character customization to have even more variety. Meaning I can have the clothes & weapons to be in the colors I want to choose if possible. And I also want more options for the character creation to create the look of my character or my Revan to look however I want (or for others or "we", but I hate speaking for others, but I digress). My main problem with the character creation for KOTOR, KOTOR II, & even SWTOR is that all you do is choose a head & be done with it. Speaking of SWTOR, I'm glad that they addressed the issue by actually letting us choose the hairstyle, skin color, textures, & other features, but you can only still choose the head; like there are features on one head I like but not on the other head that I like. I want to be able to choose every feature from the other heads, like the ears & the nose for example, while being able to change certain sizes of the parts to create the look that I've always wanted. I also would like to have character backgrounds, much like "Mass Effect 1" & "Dragon Age: Origins" & have NPC's react to said background, depending on the playthrough. I also would love the class system to return but not as hindered as KOTOR I & II. And before you ask, I never said it'll be exclusive to males only; for this idea for a KOTOR revival, you will have the option to play as a female. The Mass Effect & Dragon Age series allow you to do that as well as the KOTOR series. With all the options & variety comes hours upon hours of replay value.
I WOULD love a three-class system; for example, let's say you start out as a Soldier, but then become trained as a Jedi Guardian, but when you reach a Master-level, you get promoted to Weapon Master (in Canon, the Jedi Guardian & Weapon Master is called "Warrior Master" while the Consular usually keeps its title though can be also called "Sage Master"). If the class system won't cut it, I would like to have some small story arcs involving Temple Guards, Jedi Guardians, Sentinels, & even Consulars, if you want to learn from all & make your character however you want (like Tank/Heal mix, or DPS/Heal mix, or Tank/DPS mix, etc.), however to avoid being “too overpowered”, there’ll be limitaitons (for Tank/Heal mix, you won’t be able to inflict as much damage, for Tank/DPS, you won’t heal as much or get as much HP back, for DPS/Heal, you’d kinda be like a glass cannon). I would also raise the level cap since 20 is too low & 50 isn't high enough. I would go 100 but that's cutting it too much; I'd probably go no higher than lower than 75. If this is starting to sound a bit like "Elder Scrolls" (mainly "Oblivion" & "Skyrim"), then of course I did take some inspiration from that but not entirely since I want this game to feel like its own thing, but some inspiration wouldn’t hurt, would it?
I do want to go back to the worlds seen in KOTOR I & II, but I also want a good reason to actually go there, rather than "go here or go there" or "do this or do that" like in the previous games. I want to explore or at least get a sense of "there are alternatives to fighting" or other ways of getting in. For example, let's say you have to infiltrate the Sith Academy on Korriban/Moraband & the easiest way is to basically turn to the Dark Side or just steal a medallion like in KOTOR, but what if you can do that elsewhere & prepare to pretty much pull a heist-style of finding your objective in the Sith Academy? And on top of that, it can end with either your team getting away & the Sith finding out they've been had at the last minute or you can simply "Leroy Jenkins" your way out through hordes of Sith?
If I want to be a Jedi, I want to FEEL like I'm being a Jedi, like actually solve a potential conflict in the major story just by diplomacy or talking (with the Persuasion skill, of course, providing it's high enough). For those who want to be on the Dark Side, I want the ability to also feel like you're playing a Sith. I also want the choices you make to have actual consequences & to come back to bite you later in the game. Like, let's say you play Light Side & you help a homeless man get back on his feet & he becomes a soldier or agent to help you later on your mission. Or if you play Dark Side & you basically assault &/or intimidate a drunken woman only to find out much later that she’s actually an undercover agent & she's placing you under arrest.
Speaking of worlds, I also want some of the worlds to be able to explore, like your objective isn't there but there are other things to do, like get materials & schematics to buy or acquire for crafting or even to find & get upgrades & also to help you prepare for your mission down the road. I DO NOT want tractor beams for Sith warships; I prefer to just have only one Sith flagship (like for those leading the Sith Empire) to have a tractor beam but it's new technology & just a prototype. Given the time period, I do want some technology to not be as advanced as they were by the time of the movies, or at least give an explanation as to why some tech "has stayed the same for all this time".
Providing the Ebon Hawk returns, I also want the ability to customize it, performance & even appearance. Given that there may be some times when you have to fly it through dangerous territory, it would make perfect sense to upgrade/modify your vessel & make it your own. I don't want the space combat gameplay to be on rails like SWTOR's space missions or to be the turret mini-game; I want it to be & control more like "SWTOR: Galactic Starfighter", where I have complete control over the ship & also could switch to power to guns, shields, or engines. However, if the turret mini-game should be included, it can but only when the situation depends on it, although I would prefer a dogfight battle.
For graphics & animation, I do want something like from the recent "Battlefront" series by DICE with motion-capture. However, if they do have to save time & money & reuse animations from the "Mass Effect" & "Dragon Age" series, along with SWTOR, I would be perfectly fine with that. I do not want the same conversation animation from "Mass Effect I" to be used over & over which was also used for the same in "Dragon Age: Inquisition". For the graphical quality, maybe the same as the aformentioned DICE Battlefront series, but once again if they have to save time & money rather than build assets from scratch, they could remaster some assets from SWTOR & other KOTOR I & II assets if possible. If they want to go photo-realistic, I would be okay with it, although I would prefer a style that is similar to or a mix of both the DICE Battlefront & SWTOR series.
Speaking of lightsabers & animation, I really want the lightsaber forms to return while also having their own unique animations, as well as their benefits & liabilities, & have them as faithful as possible. Like KOTOR II, some can be learned from other Jedi/Sith Masters, others can be obtained through game progression, or both. However, the forms can be upgraded should the feat system return (which has been in the KOTOR series, as well as the Dragon Age series) until you can minimize the forms' liabilities while also maximizing their benefits, or at least as much as possible. I would like an option to also make hybrid forms (no more than three for one form & no more than three hybrid forms for the player) but I don't want it to be easy; players want the challenge to see if their hybrid form will work & I want the option for them to test it out & see if the pros outweigh the cons.
Maybe also combine what I just mentioned earlier to this game idea to be similar to "Jedi Knight: Jedi Outcast" & "Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy" in terms of combat, lightsaber use, & even the forms used, but to a certain extent; like what made those two games, along with the other series that I would use as inspiration, memorable. I've thought of what a game that is sort of like a KOTOR/Jedi Academy "crossover" would be like, though a bit more inspiration for RPG roots wouldn't hurt. Maybe the Force Power mechanic from "Jedi Academy" could work better but still would have to level up & upgrade said Force Powers & feats like in KOTOR & Dragon Age. Speaking of feats, in addition to what I just said, I also would like almost every feat to be like a skill tree, like “Mass Effect 3″/”Mass Effect: Andromeda” & even “Dragon Age: Inquisition”. For example, if you’re going for single-weapon dueling, you can decide if you want to add more damage or be more efficient or more defensive, so best to choose wisely.
However, should it be more of a TV series or a movie or a comic book series or even a novel, pretty much everything but what I said about a potential video game or video game series. If possible, I'd like the original KOTOR teams to write the story. And also at the same time, if it's possible & Disney & EA would allow it, I would like both Bioware AND Obisidian to write the story. In addition, I would like those who grew up with the KOTOR series & know it backwards & forwards to help with the story & writing. I know a lot of people would say it's impossible or it's done to death, but I think in the right hands, it can be done & I think if it's done right, it can be just as fun & memorable as the original. Otherwise, I think it really shouldn't be that hard to make a new entry or reintroduce Knights of the Old Republic to old & new audiences. There's still a big demand for new KOTOR entries & I doubt even Disney & Lucasfilm will want to ignore that down the road.
Closing Thoughts
Knights of the Old Republic changed my life for the better. It gave me some friends because of KOTOR & without it, I would be completely lost. To think it all started by seeing an advertisement in a "Star Wars: Insider" magazine celebrating the 20th anniversary of "Return of the Jedi" (I still have the magazine by the way), although I was more excited to play "Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy" than KOTOR. When I started up KOTOR, I was turned off by the combat mechanics & didn't understand how to equip items & such; I just walked around like an idiot & I had no idea what to do, but I eventually got the hang of it. I didn't even complete KOTOR until the summer of 2004. The same can be said about me eventually completing Jedi Academy but that's for another time. In fact, I think I replayed KOTOR more times than Jedi Academy. What can I say? It's just a great game & it stands the test of time, in spite of what I said earlier. Thank you, Bioware, for giving us the game that changed our lives forever. And thank you for giving us a reason to like Star Wars. Here's to another 15 years, KOTOR!
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