Two games that laid the foundation for future RPGs and the Star Wars universe – but which is better?
Over the years, the Star Wars series has inspired many fantastic games. Jedi Outcast, Jedi Academy, Republic Commando, the original Battlefront series, and even the original Lego Star Wars trilogy are all some of the more memorable titles under the Star Wars umbrella.
Arguably the most popular game out of all these is the Bioware classic Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic, beloved by many and revered by most RPG players. It is considered a benchmark of the role-playing game genre, personifying the themes and tone of the franchise at large.
And for the longest time, its sequel laid in the dark as an underrated, but ultimately unfinished game.
That is, until very recently…
Over the last several months, Knights of the Old Republic II has been available on Steam, alongside its Restored Content mod, adding many features lost in the original PC and Xbox version.
Since then, gamers and reviewers have touted how the sequel is a more dramatic, darker and in many ways smarter sequel, compared in to its predecessor.
In a time when Star Wars fans yearn for more mature content – from grittier stories like Rogue One, to more core deconstructions like The Last Jedi – KOTOR II was departure from an epic adventure to something a bit more thought-provoking, which was sadly lost during its initial release.
But now that the full game is complete (and fully operational) let’s compare the two games and not talk about the MMO. This is Sequel Wars: Attack of the Revenge of the Two RPGs.
Knights of the Old Republic
To show the endurance of Knights of the Old Republic and its legacy, there is a current project underway to remaster many of the game assets.
From its planets, to characters, and even the graphics, the fact that a small team of modders is dedicated enough to go through the game and remaster it shows the amount of love that people still hold for this game.*
*[Ed note: Tragically, this project has since been shut down by Lucasfilm.]
And why wouldn’t they? It stands as the one of the best Star Wars ever made, especially in the “modern” era of Star Wars games, pre and post Disney purchase.
Replaying KOTOR is a history walk into the classic way of playing RPGs. For hardcore players, enthusiasts of the genre, and avid Star Wars fans, it’s impossible not to love the aesthetic and the adventure storyline.
It holds old troupes that are rare in most RPGs nowadays. For example, the level of the character creation is not as deep as other titles. You unfortunately don’t get to choose how long your nose is or the complexity of your ears, rather resorting to choose what face suits you the best.
You also get your basic class choice system, determining if you’re better at fighting, sneaking, speaking etc.
It’s weird going back to a game with such scaled back features when we are now so used to dual-class and extensive class abilities and it takes a while to get used it again.
The combat itself is also rather stop/start as it is based on a classic Dungeons & Dragons-like dice roll with multipliers, which again takes a while to get used to if you’re more familiar with fast-paced combat.
This aside, the real draw to KOTOR is indeed the story, characters and the lore that it brings to the Star Wars universe. At a time when the Expanded Universe was bountiful with material, along came KOTOR, bringing renewed life.
KOTOR was released in 2003, after the release of the Phantom Menace and in the same year as Episode II and the original animated Clone Wars.
The movies were, as one can imagine, not exactly held in high regard, but the expanded material was considered fantastic, to the point the exceptional ones were included in the canon.
KOTOR was set in the not too explored period of ‘The Old Republic’, a time were Jedi and Sith were plentiful and lightsabers were as common as jokes about millennials.
Previously referenced in the comic book series Knights of the Old Republic, the game used it the comic book as a platform for the setting, to the point of using characters previously found in the comic and in many respects, is a sequel to the comic.
The less you know about the game the better as there are twists and turns abound, but the general synopsis is that the galaxy is at war (surprise) between the Republic and the Sith (surprise).
You play a lowly Republic soldier who must help to find a (apparently) fantastic Jedi, who defeated the leader of the Sith – the apprentice of whom is now running rampant.
If this isn’t the most Star Wars-y storyline too anything then I don’t know what is.
Long story short, you discover you are adept in “da Force,” and you can choose to use your power for good or evil.
The game has many trademark features of a Bioware RPG, including morality systems, branching storylines and eccentric companions.
These companions are archetypes character tropes; you have your gruff mercenary, uptight, straight laced Jedi, growling Wookie, sassy grandpa, and a soldier who just wants to save the galaxy. Not exactly ground-breaking, but all are compelling enough.
It’s hard not to make any of this sound cliché as this was the benchmark for many RPGs that came after it and popularised many mechanics that are still being used today.
It’s so popular, parts of the lore have been reintroduced back into the main canon of Star Wars, including Darth Revan, the Sith leader, the starships of that era (as seen in Rogue One) and other mentions (for example the Mandolorians in the Clone Wars).
In short, KOTOR is one of the most influential pieces of Star Wars media ever created. Pure and simple.
So, why compare it to the sequel?
Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
The Last Jedi tried so hard to turn the Star Wars universe on its head.
It asked: are the Jedi truly good? Do they just restrict progress? Can you use the Dark Side and be humane? The type of questions that aim to challenge the accepted ‘truths’ of the previous movies.
But whether it be down to the writing, direction, or the fact there was an unneeded casino scene, it missed the mark in truly breaking down the mythos of Star Wars, and making fans really question the world of Star Wars.
Luckily, KOTOR II did this much, much better.
An anticipated sequel to KOTOR, Chris Avellone, the lead at Obsidian who had previously created the original Fallout series, described the game as “fucking awesome” and he and his small team aimed to really step to the plate.
However, between a tight LucasArts deadline and limited resources, the initial release fell flat due to several issues. Unfinished plots, missing scenes, and continuity errors scarred the game, leaving it as a great, but ultimately, unfinished game.
If you were a Star Wars fan though, you didn’t care. As the game did something truly great, and that was make Star Wars, if maybe not mature or gritty, certainly thought-provoking.
In the first game, bar a few missions, there was a clear right or wrong choice, you knew if you were doing the good thing or the bad thing.
In KOTOR II, that moral element is questioned and replaced with a greyer area. Yes, you could certainly do what you see as the right thing and do things that benefit other people, but in the grander scheme, how will this effect those who help you? Do they become a target? Does the opposing force come back stronger than ever? That kind of thing.
This more sombre feel to Star Wars is brought to every area of the game. Compared to the first game’s bombastic soundtrack and bright palette, the soundtrack (created by John Williams himself) is almost melancholic and reflects a grounded atmosphere.
This atmosphere bleeds in to all aspects to the game.
One notable stark contrast is the difference in the character design and dialogue. The dialogue of the first KOTOR is designed to a reflect an action-adventure story, thus the writing can seem threatening, or allude to some confrontation. However, it’s nothing to really stir notions of fear or distress.
The sequel however, has some of the darkest dialogue in a game, particularly in a Star Wars game. This stems from character designs which range from sinister to downright grotesque, all of which encapsulate bolder choices for characters.
Speaking of characters, companions return but with the added caveat that you can either gain or lose influence with them. This gives the added layer that some companions will react positively or negatively to bravery, selflessness or just plain cruelty.
The companions themselves have a more diverse range of personalities compared to the originals. With more complex emotions and more tragic backstories to shake Bothan stunner at, the companions are one of the key highlights of the game and make that much deeper.
Aside from this, the combat is roughly the same as the original, albeit with a new additions depending on Force alignment. The sequel allowed to take not one but two classes, alonging you to become an utter badass.
Which is better?
What instalment of KOTOR you prefer really does depend on your taste.
If you love the original spirit of Star Wars; the adventure, the straight battle between good and evil, and straight hero’s (or indeed villain’s) journey. Then the first Knights of the Old Republic game is for you.
The colourful characters and the feeling of being a true blue Jedi are all in the game, making you feel like a mainstay of the Star Wars universe.
However, if you seek a more self-referential, almost philosophical, Star Wars game, then the second instalment is right up your alley.
If you are a Star Wars fan who is interested in lore expansion, or at least, love something along the lines of Rogue One, will adore the more darker and grounded story and something which feels very much unlike Star Wars.