AbstractLong before the Galactic Civil War, an epic drama begins. Engage in this saga set in the Golden Age of the Republic over 4,000 years before the first Star Wars film, when both Jedi and Sith number in the thousands.
ESRB rating
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Violence |
Full descriptionThe first role-playing game based in the Star Wars universe finds players controlling a three-party team from a third-person perspective. The setting takes place 4,000 years before the formation of the Galactic Empire, where the Jedi and Sith number in the thousands and are embroiled in a war that could upset the balance of the Force. Players choose a male or female human character to begin the game, with three classes initially available: scoundrel, scout, and soldier. During the adventure players will meet with a wide assortment of races, including humans, droids, Wookiees, and Twil'leks, with nine additional characters able to join their party.
The journey will span seven worlds as players ultimately decide on a path of good or evil, from the confines of the Jedi Academy on Dantooine to the forests of Kashyyyk, the Sith realm of Korriban, and the desert planet of Tatooine. Developer BioWare moves away from the interface used in its Baldur's Gate series to create a new turn-based combat system using the 3D engine. Players will also be able to ride a swoop bike to earn cash rewards, fend off enemy ships from behind a gun turret, and participate in other events, such as an original card game loosely based on blackjack, that offer a diversion from the main storyline.
As players grow in ability during the course of adventuring, whether it's by completing quests or through the rigors of combat, they can return to their main vessel, the
Ebon Hawk, to train, build custom weapons, or to swap members in and out of their party. The
Ebon Hawk also serves as the primary means of transport between worlds. Knights of the Old Republic is exclusive to the Xbox console at the time of its release, with a PC version of the game available in November 2003. Both games feature interfaces and settings unique to the platform on which they appear. Those with an Xbox Live connection will also be able to download bonus content, including additional worlds, characters, and quests.
Editorial reviewSource:
Amazon Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic takes place just a few years after the Mandolorian Wars, thousands of years before the events in the Star Wars movies we know and love. Two Jedi, master Revan and his apprentice Malak, led the Republic's forces to victory and pursued the Mandalorians into deep space only to return as Dark Jedi at the head of a huge fleet of Sith warships. Only the Force powers of the Jedi Bastila prevented the Sith from overwhelming the Republic's weakened forces. At the start of the game Malak has usurped control of the Sith by betraying Revan and has attacked the ship carrying Bastila and yourself. In true Star Wars style, the game begins with a bang.
The storyline could have been a standard coming-of-age yarn but is instead a genuinely interesting adventure told with humor, compassion, and respect for the source material. Your character has a mystical bond with Bastila, and the two of you share some kind of connection to the Sith villains Darth Malak and Darth Revan. The game's planet-hopping adventures are driven by your exploration of these connections and how they relate to your larger goal of discovering the source of the Sith's sudden fleet. During your adventure you can explore side quests minor (such as racing swoops or gambling) and major (such as uncovering the fascinating back stories of your companions). Star Wars fans will get a kick out of the rich lore introduced in the game, particularly the Tatooine storyline that reveals the origin and history of the Sand People.
Gameplay is an abbreviated form of Wizards of the Coast's d20 Star Wars RPG game system--anyone who has played Dungeons & Dragons will be familiar with the abilities, stats, feats, and bonuses in this game. The player creates a character as a member of one of three starting classes (soldier, smuggler, scout) and then later chooses a Jedi class (guardian, consular, sentinel). Joining the player's character are other Jedi, warriors, thieves, droids, a wookiee, and even a Mandolorian. Unlike the faceless non-player characters of other games, each member of the supporting cast has an intriguing history and even agenda. Up to two of these other characters can join your character at any time. Depending on who you chose to take with you, new dialogue and even intra-party arguments come into the game (put the Mandalorian veteran with the Republic patriot and you'll see sparks fly). Combat is real-time turn-based, meaning the turns are seamless but the player has the option of pausing the action at any time to issue orders or direct any character to use a certain Force power, ability, feat, or item.
Graphics range from adequate to exceptional. Building and character models are not impressive--about what you get in GTA 3. Lightsaber graphics and environmental effects (like waving grass, clouds, and weather) bring the world to life. Battles are just brilliant, with characters pumping out blaster fire at Jedi who dash, dodge, and even deflect the bolts back toward their assailants. Complete with sounds straight out of the movies, the thrilling combat is pure Star Wars.
All in all, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a masterpiece of Star Wars gaming. The pacing, balance of action and dialogue, clever puzzles and quests, and loving attention to detail have set the bar very high for role-playing games in general and Star Wars games in particular. Consider this a must-have game.--Mike Fehlauer
Pros:
- Captivating storyline
- Clever dialogue
- Star Wars feel
- True story and dialogue support for either Light Side or Dark Side play
- Brilliant combat graphics
- Fascinating characters (the loyal--and homicidal--droid HK-47 is truly unique)
Cons: - Occasional bugs in dialogue, movie playback
- Cannot transfer equipped gear between characters while on your ship
Master more than 40 different Force powers, including the Force Push, lightsaber throw, and other techniques
Features a voice cast of 52 actors, music from John Williams, and sound effects from the Star Wars films
Players can equip various armor types on different parts of the body, which changes the character's appearance
Weapons include dual-edged lightsabers, blaster pistols, concussion grenades, rifles, and more
- Portions of content provided by Rovi Data Solutions, Inc. and IGN Entertainment, Inc.