LadiesGamers KOTOR

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Review

Game: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Genre: Action, Adventure, RPG
System: Nintendo Switch (also on Steam, (Windows, macOS) Xbox, & iOS)
Developer|Publisher: Aspyr
Age Rating: EU 12+ | US Teen
Price:  US $14.99 | UK £11.29 | EU € 14,99
Release Date: November 11th, 2021

Review code provided with many thanks to Sandbox Strategies

A Beloved Classic

Back in the old days of gaming (2001 specifically), there was a new console on the scene known solely as the Xbox. For some time this system was mostly known for a little game called Halo. It’s always a tough start for a new console player in the market but as time went on the Xbox would be known for several other classics. The most notable being an RPG from the Star Wars franchise Knights of the Old Republic or KOTOR as it came to be known. The game was quite beloved to the extent where some argued the game was also a system seller and brought more attention to the developer Bioware who would later go on to make the Mass Effect series. The game would also be released to PC and later down the road port to mobile devices.

Now I might cause some nerds to faint when I say that I’m not the biggest fan of the Star Wars films. But before you insist I hand over my geek card, I will say I have always been quite fond of the Star Wars video games. I did get to enjoy KOTOR on the Xbox. But I haven’t revisited the title since then. Coming back to the game on Switch felt like visiting that old friend from school I lost track of and it proved to be an experience I found to be just as entertaining today as I did back then.

LadiesGamers KOTOR
I feel like I put a lot of thought into my character name

The Force Wakes Up 

The plot sees your character suffer from a classic condition of video game amnesia. Waking up on a ship that is under attack by Sith forces led by Darth Malak. After escaping to a nearby planet Taris, from there you must gather some allies, put your past back together and take down the evil Darth Malak. Of course, there is much more depth to this plot. You have many planets to visit with many side missions to take on.

As you make your way through the story you will also be presented with several moral choices which will lead you towards the light or dark side. How you lean will ultimately determine the ending of the game. What’s funny here is often your moral choices are to be a goody Samaritan or be a really nasty evil sod. The latter of which I was more tempted by this time as it came across as over the top silly.

This design is quite a product of the time, for the era, it was released and to be honest, I don’t think I would have it any other way. It certainly gives purpose to run through the adventure again to see things differently. The story is brought to life with an excellent voice cast featuring the talents of Jennifer Hale and Raphael Sbarge. Even the voice actors of aliens like the Wookie’s do a fab job of creating an authentic Star Wars universe. I hope you like lots of talking and are sitting in a comfy chair because there is a lot of it in this game. But if you are a quick subtitle reader you can skip it.

LadiesGamers KOTOR
And I thought meditation was a relaxing exercise

KOTOR

The handy thing with KOTOR is you really don’t need any prior knowledge of the Star Wars franchise to enjoy this. The game is set thousands of years before the events of the films making this an easy jump in point for first-timers. If you are a big Star Wars fan you’ll likely love all of the references in this game, particularly to the expanded universe (at least before Disney took over).

When you begin the game you get to select your characters facial appearance, gender and class. You can only really choose your facial shape so customization options are a little limited compared to other RPGs. But what you may appreciate is your clothing will change when you equip different outfits. 

LadiesGamers KOTOR
Expect to see many creatures from the infamous films

Combat

Combat is fast turn-based action. How it works is when an enemy is near, the game will alert you of the encounter pausing all the action. Using the Hotbar at the bottom of the screen, you can select actions like attack, abilities or items and then your character will execute these actions. If you then don’t select a new action your character will just continue to do a standard attack. On attacking invisible dice rolls are made to determine if your attack connects or misses.

Should you need a moment to think you can pause the action at any time to rethink your strategy or choose other actions. You can also switch between your two additional party members at the touch of a button to take control. But you can leave them alone and they tend to do a decent job looking after themselves. It’s a combat system that takes a few moments to get to grips with but with some practice and experience with the weapons, it feels quite deep and rewarding. 

LadiesGamers KOTOR
When you don’t have a lightsaber, use a sword

Weapons

Speaking of weapons, this is a Star Wars game that features swords for melee weapons (I guess because it’s set in the past) for close up attacks and the iconic blasters and rifles for ranged attacks. Yes, after a period you will get to make your own lightsaber and I have to say it’s pretty awesome when you do. Each character can be levelled up. They also develop useful feats which will make you more proficient in combat, hacking, defusing mines and many more.

I would say the game doesn’t do the best job for beginners letting you know the best build to go with. When I first played this game on Xbox I spent a lot of the game kinda confused with the level up system only to later find out I was probably using the wrong weapons for my character build. The good news is even if you do this, a restart of the entire game is not usually required and you can course correct. 

LadiesGamers KOTOR
It’s kinda awesome when you get to customize your lightsaber

Extra Activities

It’s not all about fighting with lightsabers in KOTOR. There are plenty of large open areas and planets to explore. Each of which has several NPCs to chat to and optional side quests to take on. You will also have the chance to play some mini-games, such as playing a card game which comes across like a very Star Wars version of Blackjack.

You can also compete in a racing game. And even indulge in the classic game of shooting spaceships from a fixed turret, another mini-game that was rampant in this era of gaming. Needless to say, you will be kept comfortably busy for the over 30-hour campaign of this title.

LadiesGamers KOTOR
Not quite Blackjack but similar

Que the Music 

When you look at KOTORs graphics one would say the game is starting to show its age. For this time this game was quite awe-inspiring and with the nostalgia goggles on, to me it still is. A game always wins points with me for the small details, like NPCs walking around the open environments making the world just feel alive. There’s also a huge range of environments and planets to visit. What hasn’t aged quite as well is the facial animations look a bit awkward during dialogue scenes, with some characters just looking kinda animatronic in presentation.

As for the music, well it’s a Star Wars product so your ears will literally be bleeding the infamous John Williams score less than an hour into the adventure. Don’t get me wrong, this score is good. But some of the tracks used, made famous in the films, really don’t match the emotional tone used in some of the dialogue scenes. I guess the game lets you turn the music down in the options if this bothers you.

LadiesGamers KOTOR
Now this is pod racing

Port Report 

In terms of what the Switch port offers compared to other versions of the game, there doesn’t seem to be many. The main addition is that the game is now presented in widescreen. Performance-wise the game ran fine in TV and handheld modes. The load times felt pretty quick on Switch when you enter a new area. The only other obvious change in this port is the text boxes in combat are quite large when compared to the original game. To be honest I didn’t notice this when playing though. Generally, this game is a slightly improved version of the original Xbox classic.

Something newcomers may find frustrating is that the game doesn’t clearly highlight where to go for quests. The game does offer a mini-map and a quest log to tell you. But it’s not totally clear which may cause a niggle for gaming in short bursts. Other than that the combat is still deep and rewarding and the story is still probably one of the better Star Wars games out there. The price of entry of this port is also very appealing.

LadiesGamers KOTOR
You doing great kid

Features that were already included are the ability to save anywhere in the game. It’s pretty important you remember to do this as often as possible but if you do become absent-minded the game does autosave to the last main area you entered.

Conclusion – In a Galaxy Not So Far Away

Revisiting KOTOR was a wonderful experience on Nintendo Switch. I found it surreal that once upon a time I was playing this game on a monstrously large console and now today I can play it portably. KOTOR felt like a title from the golden era of Bioware and while it certainly has its rough edges and flaws in places. It doesn’t deter this from being a classic well worth your time whether you’re a Star Wars fan or not. Credit goes to Aspyr for recreating those nostalgic feels in portable form. May the force be with you. 

Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot
I like it a lot

3 comments

  1. I am split on getting this one. One one hand I am a big Star Wars fan and I have always heard about this game as a legendary entry in the saga. On the other hand, RPGs sometimes leave me cold, and considering this one is somewhat old school the chances of that happening are even higher! Still, I might check it out, especially after reading such an enthusiastic and honest review.

    1. Thank you for the kind words. I would suggest if your on the fence to wait for sale. The game does feature multiple difficulty settings but it does have a little steep learning curve to begin with to get used to some mechanics. Once it clicks though its a hard one to put down.

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