Game Story Review – Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

I’ve said before that Star Wars can never be ruined for me (click here for more on that). That being said, I’ve only played two games set in the Star Wars universe that stirred some of that powerful nostalgia in me. The first is the original X-wing game for CD-Rom back in 1994. The second is Knights of the Old Republic (or KOTOR to fans) developed by BioWare and released in 2003.

Premise

This game takes place about 4,000 years before the storyline in the original trilogy of movies. The Jedi are established throughout the galaxy as peace-keepers and the ultimate authority figures, but a splinter-group calling themselves the Sith have begun a war for control of known-space. It’s up to a colorful cast of characters including Jedi, soldiers, a Wookie, and a homicidal droid to choose a side and fight for the freedom of the galaxy or the lure of power in a new regime.

Review

Like many other RPGs, there’s a morality system in KOTOR that keeps track of all of your “good” and “bad” choices. What sets KOTOR apart is that the morality of the protagonist is the central focus of the storyline. Almost every sub-quest and mission can be done in a good or evil way, and the final act will be drastically different depending on whether you played on the light-side or the dark side. I especially like the way these choices tie-in with the identity of the protagonist. I won’t spoil it, but suffice it to say that there’s a reveal two-thirds of the way through the game that has been called one of the best twists in video gaming history.

However, there are some significant problems with the morality system in KOTOR. In my two-part review of the Mass Effect storyline (which was also produced by BioWare) I praised the way that the developers had provided role-playing flexibility for the player. If you wanted to play a good guy who wasn’t a pushover, you could do that. If you wanted to play a bully who had a soft spot, you could do that too. But in KOTOR, the moral choices have very little subtlety. “Do you choose to let the child call you names or do you cut his head off?” are the sort of extreme options the player is given.

This is compounded by the game being heavily influenced by the Jedi Order as presented in the three underwhelming prequel movies. The Jedi are presented as dogmatic and narrow-minded pacifists, which is probably the most boring character archetype you could have in a sci-fi RPG. Perhaps this was intended to make the Sith more sympathetic, but this breaks down when the Sith’s portrayal is little more than a one-dimensional desire to rule everything. It’s this lack of compelling arguments from either ideology that ultimately makes the plot one of the weaker elements of this game.

But I don’t play this game for the plot. I play this game to feel like I’m in the Star Wars universe, swinging lightsabers, buying droids, gambling in bars surrounded by weird aliens… that’s where the appeal of this game lies. The music, sound effects, and artwork all work in harmony to create an atmosphere that is both Star Wars and its own unique setting. Granted, there are some logical problems with the setting. For example, why is the technology level, political situation, and cultural norms all basically the same as they are in the movies which take place 4,000 in the future? Still, I’ve always considered the drastic time difference primarily an excuse for the developers to have some flexibility in their portrayal of the galaxy, and I think the game is better for it.

If you’re considering playing this game for the first time, I’d encourage you to give it a try. While the role-playing aspects leave much to be desired, the chance to play a well-balanced RPG in the Star Wars universe is too good to pass up. Enjoy the atmosphere, the action, and the experience. Also, don’t feel guilty about skipping all the dialogue about light/dark philosophy. You won’t be missing anything.