I think I’ve found it: the best Star Wars game.
Sure, sure, you’ve got your Battlefront, and your Republic Commando (both great games),
and I am not, by any means, an expert on Star Wars video games, but Star Wars: Knights of
the Old Republic is what fans dream of in regards to an immersive, interesting, and
fun Star Wars RPG.
Or what they dreamt of up until the game’s release in 2003 for the Xbox and PC.
Developed by the seemingly more PC-focused BioWare and published by LucasArts, Star Wars:
Knights of the Old Republic is a must-play for fans of the expansive space opera franchise,
and for anyone looking for a great RPG.
The most intriguing aspect of Knights of the Old Republic’s design is its appeal hopefully
regardless of feelings towards Star Wars media beyond the original trilogy.
Knights is technically a prequel, but not in the same time frame as the controversial
films, instead taking place 4,000 years before the Empire came about.
The story then follows a player-created character that does in fact have a canonical identity,
much like Commander Shepard in BioWare’s other space epic, Mass Effect.
And much like that game, and BioWare’s even more similar Dragon Age: Origins, Knights
features the ability to interact with the varied cast of characters that eventually
fill the ranks of your party, increasing the emotional impact of some of the game’s key
plot twists.
Ultimately, the ending of the game and your role in said plot twists depend on a karma
system.
The choices influencing said karma system and the subsequent turn to the light or dark
side aren’t labeled as good or bad.
This is a welcome design choice considering some of the less immersive, obvious choices
present in more recent games.
That being said, it’s still pretty obvious what will happen after responding a certain
way in the somewhat dynamic dialogue system, if the player does in fact have a solid moral
compass.
But let’s be honest, we don’t, because we play video games, so we’re all murderers.
Speaking of murdering, gameplay!
Knights of the Old Republic features a round-based combat system, in which gameplay can be paused
and commands can be issued, but actions are ultimately carried out without real-time player
input, similar to, well, Dragon Age: Origins.
Up to two other party members can be brought into the environment and combat upon leaving
the home starship, the Ebon Hawk, and certain quests and objectives may be unreachable without
the aid of your thief, droid, or Wookie friends, among the six other possible allies.
RPG mechanics surrounding the moment-to-moment combat feature genre staples like specific
skill leveling, new feat and power allotments, class-specific equippables, weapon and armor
upgrades, NPC interaction, and numerous side quests.
But similar to other BioWare RPGs and unlike other popular Western RPGs like Skyrim, Knights
features more linear environments.
Upon landing on one of the several planets, such as Tatooine, the physical route necessary
to reach the main quest objective is very clear, with a few exceptions.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though, because
it only emphasizes the non-linear choices, character interactions, and lore obtained
from said characters, and the game still manages to reach a pretty hefty total playtime upon
completion.
Despite all it does right, the story, the choices, the incredible worlds and lore, and
the tactical gameplay, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic isn’t perfect, especially
when viewing it through a modern lens.
The game still looks great, voice acting is incredible, especially for the aliens and
character of Carth, and music is characteristically Star Wars, but the flaws are more prevalent
in game design rather than in technical terms.
Sure, cutscenes are a little stiff, and backgrounds look more like less-impressive backdrops,
but you may have noticed my couple of comparisons between Dragon Age: Origins, and that’s
because it’s pretty similar and was also developed by BioWare.
I also absolutely love that game.
But fandom aside, it’s clear to see that BioWare had perfected the formula they did
so well in Knights.
I don’t mean to suggest that it’s any less of a game, and Dragon Age certainly isn’t
Star Wars, but modern gamers might find a few archaic devices in its design.
Regardless, BioWare created a true gem and the best Star Wars video game experience with
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, one that nevertheless stands the test of time
and is a must-play, and must-own, for Star Wars and RPG fans alike.