In a galaxy far far away, there was once a sequel to Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. This sequel was made in 2004 and had a rocky reception. Critics of the game felt it was sent out incomplete, and that it was too similar to its predecessor. The game has now been re-released with patches and new content, and we got a chance to try it out. The story follows a Jedi exile who has woken up in a mining station alone in the med bay, and we go through the mining station trying to solve the mysteries of what happened, and how to get out alive.
Story:
You are a Jedi who wakes up on an abandoned mining station. As you explore, you find out that droids are going haywire and have been attacking miners at the station, and there have been murders that led to the mining station being locked down. Along the way, you run into others at the mining station who join your party. Your goal is to find a way out of the mining station, explore the station, and find out the reasoning behind the aggressive drones and station lock-down.
Gameplay:
At the start of the game, you can choose the look of your character, your character’s name, and gender. As you pick up different armor and outfits you can change the look of your character.
To engage in combat, your character enters a combat mode and attacks on their own with the weapons you equip. It automatically goes to the closest enemy. As you level up and find better weapons, it gets easier to defeat the enemies. You can also find different armor with different stats that help with missions. One of the first missions is to retrieve some mines to open a door, and there is specific armor that has more protection from mines.
Speaking of missions, there are specific missions and objectives that are available. The missions update whenever something changes, and it helps when you’re unsure of where to go next. There are bonus missions and objectives that you can go on other than the main missions. The missions and bonus missions lead you to different areas on the mining station, and you can collect scraps and different components to hack into doors or computers and other things. Your character runs into aggressive droids and drones who need to be defeated to head to important areas as well as explore the mining station for a way out.
One major part of the game is that the decisions you make affect the outcome of the story. Your character can lean towards the dark side or towards the light side depending on what paths you take. For example, one of the first people you meet is a woman named Kreia, and you can choose to trust or not trust her. Depending on what choice you make you’ll get points added to your light or dark side, and it can affect what happens in the story. If you choose one response, it can branch out into different choices and a branching narrative. There are tons of different choices and paths developed for the characters, and it can be difficult to pin down just one path. It’s a great way to add different avenues for the players as well as relate to the source material.
The original Knights of the Old Republic was made in 2004, and it can show a bit through the gameplay. The combat mode is slow at times and can be a bit confusing to deal with, as your character battles automatically once the mode is engaged. Opening containers or using computers in the game is also a bit slow, and it can be frustrating at times to get the character to open the containers. If your character has a weapon equipped, sometimes your character will slash at the containers instead of opening them and it can get quite annoying. Over time it becomes less noticeable, and working the controls gets easier.
Overall, the gameplay is engaging despite how clunky it can be at times. There are different avenues of gameplay, and it works in tandem with the storyline. The gameplay is fun and has lots of missions and goals for the players, keeping them immersed.
Presentation:
The music in this game is the classic Star Wars scores you could expect from any of the movies. The thrilling music rises with the action, with intense music playing every time you battle or are in danger. You’ll always know when an enemy is nearby because the music will start rising. The soundtrack fits the gameplay and story well as it encapsulates the classic Star Wars feeling.
The visuals in Knights of the Old Republic are nostalgic, but sometimes a bit clunky. Given that the original game was made in 2004, the visuals are a bit outdated. It doesn’t take away from the game, but it is noticeable at times. Especially so during combat. The settings of the mining station are unique, with lots of different areas with different designs that make the mining station fully fleshed out.
Overall, the presentation of Knights of the Old Republic is great, the iconic tracks and sound effects bring back the feelings of the original trilogy. Given the time when the game was first published, the visuals aren’t necessarily polished, but it adds to the nostalgia and character of the game.
Knights of the Old Republic goes for $14.99 on the Nintendo eShop. I’d say that the game is worth it if you’re a fan of the Star Wars franchise or even just want to play a sci-fi game.
Conclusion:
Knights of the Old Republic is a remake of a classic done right. Despite some issues with clunky gameplay and visuals, the story is entertaining, and the gameplay is engaging. The missions encourage the players to explore every inch of the mining station. Overall, it’s an enjoyable experience with an immersive story.
