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The Forgotten: Knights of the Old Republic
bluexy | 3:24 PM on 09.21.2009 8 comments




An instant message pops up from a close friend, “hey rory. looking at vidcards and wanted to know your brand name preference. ati vs nvidia?”

It's not the question that surprises me, but my reply.

“[Persuade] Nvidia has always been reliable for me, and there's some amazing deals showing up for cards in the 200 series. What's your price range?”

Hey wait a second, did I really just write that first bit? Either my skill in “Persuade” combined with my charisma modifier has afforded me new conversation options with this friend, or I've been playing too much Knights of the Old Republic.

In his next message there is no [Success] or [Failure] notation, and he either ignores or never notices my odd addition. Perhaps he's never played the classic Bioware game, or perhaps he's merely forgotten. I would remind him, but Bastila is waiting for me inside the Jedi Enclave.





Certainly Knights of the Old Republic hasn't faded into the past like so many '90s-or-earlier games, but there are different ways to be forgotten. Diminished by the lower quality Knights of the Old Republic 2; overshadowed by the more popular Mass Effect; and retooled into the upcoming high-profile MMO The Old Republic, Knights has gently fallen into the esteemed group of, “Bioware's Classics.” Not so bad of a resting place, but I'm not willing to let it go quietly into the the night just yet, and neither should you.

One of the progenitors of the now overly used moral choice system, Knights turned your everyday conversations into an inner battle between the light and dark sides of The Force. A system perfectly fitted for the setting of Star Wars, where every character is either good, evil, or still trying to decide where they belong.

Perhaps the inherent flaw in many modern moral choice systems is the distinction between good and evil. Yes, good certainly saves lives where evil would kill or destroy, but is there any meaning or background to either side? In Knights, and Star Wars beyond, you've got a history of Jedi protecting justice and peace, and the Sith opposing that, constantly searching for power and the means to control. Each side has meaning beyond the simple choices you've made in your conversations, and the people you've saved or killed. It's something Mass Effect or Prototype or any of the others haven't fully grasped yet, and something Knights thrives on.

The conversations you'll have throughout Knights aren't solely a means of measuring your morality though. Every character you encounter can reveal details about your surroundings, other characters, and important events, but only if you ask them the right questions. The rich background of every world you travel to can keep you engrossed for hours without even encountering combat. The stories your party members will tell are much deeper than the casual NPCs, though they'll require you prod them for information as you proceed through the main storyline. Moments such as the Twi'lek party member berating our Wookie friend for the disgusting smell of his breath will fill those empty times running around town.

It all comes together for an engaging, deep story line, which Bioware takes much pride in. CEO of Bioware Ray Muzyka states there are “key pillars” to every role-playing game. The fact that story is one of those pillars, and that Bioware will afford as much attention to plot and conflict as to combat is distinct among games. It's a sign of maturity and respect for the audience that you won't find often, despite it's selling power.

So when you pick up Dragon Age: Origins this fall, or Mass Effect 2 next spring. When you're reading up on any new information for Star Wars: The Old Republic, make sure to remember the game that came before. Pour one out for Knights of the Old Republic, which doesn't get mentioned in “Greatest game ever!” lists, but considering all these gems that have been made in Knight's vein, it should be. Hell, in fact:

[Persuade] Go buy Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic off of Steam RIGHT NOW for only $9.99. You really should own it.

[Lie] Plus it will make your sex life ten times better.

...

[Success!]



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8 comments | showing # 1 to 8
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Sean Carey's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/21/2009 16:02
Sean Carey
[Statement] The meatbag known as walkyourpath has just finished replaying KOTOR.

[Statement] KOTOR still stands up as an entertaining game, and it has HK-47 in it.

[Conclusion] This blog wins, and I will perforate any pathetic humanoid who bad-mouths it.
bluexy's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/21/2009 16:19
bluexy
WHATVR BLUXY. KOTRO isnt forgotten, i am remember it RIGHT NOW!
MechaMonkey's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/21/2009 16:57
MechaMonkey
I absolutely adored these games. Looks like it's time to go back and replay them.

And for the record, HK-47 easily makes my list of top ten favorite game characters of all time.
Freefall's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/21/2009 17:31
Freefall
Wouldn't say its forgotten or overshadowed, but each to their own.

The thing is, even these newer Bioware games make you remember KotOR. Good on you for blogging about a fantastic game though. I bought it twice, for xbox and PC. Never enough KotOR!

Love the persuade at the end.
Stevil's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/21/2009 20:31
Stevil
Forgotten? Really?! I mean it gets talked about a lot and it's still considered one of the more familiar Star Wars titles. But hey, any excuse to talk about KOTOR is fine by me.

I was going to play KOTOR for the first time in about 2 years over the weekend but so much stuff came up I only managed as far as escaping Yaris. But even that bit was great. I love how the game slowly drip feeds you all the action up to rescuing Bastilla and stealing the Ebon Hawk. You know the whole game is going to open up to you, but BioWare keep teasing you with hints in advance and you really have to work for that it...but when it all comes together, it's just well...awesome. And that's like the first 8-10 hours!

KOTOR 2 was still a fine game in its own regards. It's a shame Microsoft and LucasArts wanted the game rushed out to cash-in on KOTOR's momentum. The Sith Lords were a great addition and it was fairly bleak story compared to the original. I'm saving the replay for that one since I'm still waiting for the Restoration Patch. Definately a sequel that needs to be reappraised once we finally see the complete version.

http://www.team-gizka.org/index.html
bluexy's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/21/2009 22:03
bluexy
KoTOR isn't one of those good games lost in time, it's one of those legendary games lost amidst clones and other legendary games. Being lost in the crowd can be worse than being lost in the forest.
Deathofthedead's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/22/2009 01:47
Deathofthedead
Yeah, okay. I clicked onto this blog intent on saying, "Forgotten? No way!" But you make your point well. Bonus points for working the dialog options in.

Personally, KotOR is still my favorite Bioware game, favorite Star Wars game, and favorite XBox RPG. Suck it Morrowind!
marth555's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/22/2009 09:57
marth555
Im playing through KoTOR for the first time at the moment, its really good and HK 47 has awesome dialogue.
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