Something I don’t see talked about often, probably due to how old KotOR is and the big Revan reveal overshadowing everything, is the excellent buildup for the Rakata.
First, we see the symbol of the Sith Empire on Taris. It’s a nice little design, but there’s no indication of what it means or how significant it is yet.
Then there’s an oddly similar symbol in the Dantooine ruins, which have been sealed for millennia. I’m sure that’s normal. And you talk to the droid, who only identifies an ancient species as “the Builders“, nothing more.
The buildup works best if you follow the intended order of Tatooine-> Kashyyyk-> Manaan-> Korriban. It’s on Tatooine you first see statues of the Rakata, left ruined in a cave, and the Builders are again referenced in the Sand People’s history.
On Kashyyyk, you find a computer projecting a hologram of this species, supervising another terraforming project. The species still isn’t identified, but this is the first complete representation of them so far.
On Manaan, there’s more evidence of the Rakata tampering with planets since before the Republic. Then on Korriban, you’re given the Box. You talk to a member of this unknown species, whose mind is imprisoned within and can’t recall very much. He speaks to you in the same language as the Dantooine droid, which Revan couldn’t understand at the time, foreshadowing how Revan’s memories are returning as this happens.
(I’m actually a little annoyed the character is named “Rakatan“ instead of something like “Prisoner“ because that name isn’t known yet, but anyway...)
Soon enough, you finally get to the Star Forge after gathering five maps. We all know what it looks like now, but most of us didn’t during the first playthrough.
It looks like those damn symbols. The mysterious superweapon everyone’s been searching for is on the Sith’s banner. Revan, you motherfucker.
You see the monument of the Rakata’s infinite power, then you get sent crashing down onto their homeworld for the first encounter with living, modern Rakata.
They used to rule the galaxy. Now they have swords and do spinny kicks.
Revan, you’d better be careful with that space station.
