The Star Wars franchise will always have a special place in my heart just like so many other people. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a big part of that love by being one of the best Star Wars games to be made back in 2003. I did not play the game when it was released, I was 3 at the time, I did have the chance to play it back in the day on my brother’s PC. I remember this being one of the first RPGs I truly got my hands on, and I have not only fallen in love with the franchise but the genre as well. When it was released on the Switch, I knew I had to check it out, although know from the start that this is a port to the Switch by Aspyr and Lucasfilm Games – NOT the remake that is coming out later for the new consoles. Jumping back into this experience I was filled with pure nostalgia and reminded of what made this game so special. Being made back in 2003 some elements will start to show the age of an 18-year-old game, but it still emphasizes there is a lot of life in this game.
This game delves into the years before the prequels; therefore, one will have to understand this will not contain any of the characters that people know and love from the films. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic has its own story to tell. This game puts you into an ongoing war between two Sith lords, Darth Revan, and his apprentice Darth Malak. Darth Revan ends up dying but his apprentice will try to accomplish the mission of taking down the Republic no matter what. That is when your character comes into the conflict ready to put your stamp on this world and conflict. I remember being so enthralled by this world that was built that I could help shape through the character I create. The great thing about the world that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic does is to make it feel lived in with little quests and objectives that you will end up doing. These side activities will send you on these missions that you did not expect to have. It gives me the same feeling games like The Witcher where you truly get immersed into the world and this game does that so well. This is emphasized through the dialogue system which seems basic now with the ability to have good/neutral/bad dialogue decisions, but this game truly does it so well. You go into this complex dialogue system where you feel like you are having important conversations to understand the world and what to do next in an objective. At times the only way to truly figure out an objective is going through the dialogue to piece your way to figuring this out and for me, this is refreshing in a world of video games that holds your hands through all missions. This game truly immerses into the dialogue unlike many different games do.
From the start, your character does not remember anything, suffering amnesia with a fresh slate, this is where you can choose from three-character classes. The three classes are Scoundrel, Scout, and Solider. My favorite will always be the Scoundrel back in the day and still now. Going through the story of the game this is where the force abilities will come into play. Where you will have the ability to become a Sith, Jedi, or the interesting gray variant, which is neither Sith nor Jedi somewhere in the middle. To see which side, you end up on these go back to those dialogue choices where the good/neutral/bad will help you make your way to a certain way of the force. This made you feel like you truly had complete control over the character and can go any route you would desire. With character building, there are the basic RPG choices you have in creating the character. These range from using stat points, class abilities, and different feats to creating the ultimate character you desire. Such as the Scoundrel which has the boost of sneaking and luck which helps in attacking unsuspecting enemies. This mixing and mashing of different classes, force paths, and decisions help the replayability, we love that word, of this game in wanting to create different characters. Maybe one time you want to be the ultimate Sith and others you want to be the ultimate Jedi – the choice is yours.
The combat is where this game can start to show its age at times with you feeling like it is the live-action style instead it is turn-based. This is based on the character walking up to easier characters and the game will automatically play out the combat with numbers. Now with harder individuals, this is where you must use skills and force powers to defeat the enemy. The game even has side mini-games, I know impressive for a game made in 2003. Where you can jump into a drag-racing challenge or even join a card game. These not only continue to immerse you in the world but add some variety to the game.
Another way the game struggles is that from the start you will notice that the game struggles with the Switch controller. The game is made for a mouse and at times that is abundantly clear as you try to click on certain items. This can be an annoyance at times where the controls feel they are working against you as you must use your shoulder buttons. Although the game does play well in portable mode, which I enjoy the most, and can be docked seamlessly as always.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic being a port of a 2003 game will have graphics that will not look great compared to the graphics we are used to now. But with the expectation that you are going into playing a port of a 2003 game, the frame rate runs well, and the textures are good for a game of this age. This game shows its age the most in the graphics department but for me, it brings back so much nostalgia I honestly enjoy the dated graphics at times. Though looking forward to the full-scale remakes later. The sound from the music and effects of the game is a highlight for me hearing some epic scores that bring you into the world of Star Wars even with lightsaber and blaster sounds that will make you feel right at home in the universe.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is truly a special game for me, and it was a joy to play it on the go with the Switch. It does show its age with the graphics and combat at times. However, the immerse world, dialogue, and little quirks will remind you why this is such an important game for so many people.
Score: 9/10
More information on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is available via https://www.starwars.com/games-apps/knights-of-the-old-republic
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Related: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Announced by Aspyr for Nintendo Switch
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Gaming has always been an outlet for me to interact with different people and explore all kinds of possibilities. I play a wide variety of games always willing to try different mechanics and storylines that developers are trying to create for their games. I grew up delving into MW2 and World of Warcraft, I miss the Wrath of The Lich King days, and as I have gotten older I have found a love for RPGs and strategy games, my favorites being The Witcher 3 and Total War. Always looking forward to the next great game.
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