Efexeye
07-28-2003, 09:12 AM
Since Ian is experiencing personal problems this week, I thought I would go ahead and post a review of a game just to keep the gamers sated. Unfortunately, the game I would like to review is only available on XBOX. This is indeed too bad, because it's one of the best games I have ever played (and I'm going on 20 years now of being a gamer).
The game is Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (out now for XBOX, out in fall for high-end PC's.). It is one of two role-playing Star Wars games released this month, the other being Star Wars Galaxies. There are fundamental differences between the two games- SWG is a massively multiplayer online game that requires a monthly fee and a computer with insane specs (the necessary video card alone will run you a couple of hundred bucks), but SWKOTOR is a standalone game for XBOX that provides a one-player role-playing experience like no other I've seen so far.
From Canadian developer Bioware (developer of the popular Neverwinter Nights), SWKOTOR is the first role playing game for the XBOX that is worthy of the title. There have been others (Metal Dungeon, Pirates), but none have even been worth turning the console on for. SWKOTOR deserves to be on anyone's top 5 XBOX list, even if you have never played an RPG or are not a big fan of the Star Wars license. However, if you are like me, and an avid fan of both Star Wars AND RPG's, this game will make you drool.
First off, let's talk gameplay mechanics. This is not a button masher, so if you are the type who likes to chug a 2-liter of Mountain Dew, top it off with some Ritalin, and twitch your fingers while stuff blows up, this game may not be for you. Basically, the game is like a pencil-and-paper Dungeons and Dragons game with graphical and sonic representation on-screen. In fact, there are a set of rules for playing the Star Wars roleplaying game on a tabletop that are implemented here in full, lush, detailed graphical form. So, basically, the mechanics of combat are dice rolls. Your characters attributes and weapons are compared with another character's defense rating and then the computer calculates how much damage you do to your opponent. How fast you mash buttons doesn't matter. I know, it sounds boring, and in many role-playing games, it has been.
In the past, it has been you watching while the computer executes your moves, leaving you very little to do. However, in SWKOTOR, the fights are represented fully with graphics. So, you attack the enemy, and he attacks you, but it is not just taking a turn then waiting for the enemy to take his turn. The battles are represented in real time with characters dodging, parrying, deflecting light saber blasts, jumping, using force powers, etc. So the game never gets boring- the battles happen fast, and as you get better, you will find yourself giving your party orders in near-real time. Of course, there is always the option to pause the action and input a string of commands, which your character will then carry out.
So, say you run into a powerful Dark Jedi. You can pause the game, tell your character to put up his shield, inject himself with a power-up stimulant, use a force field to stun your opponent, then attack. Then, you unpause, and the character carries out these actions in real-time. It sounds complicated, expecially if you've never played an RPG, but trust me- you'll be having beautiful battles where 3 Jedi face 3 Jedi with sabers crackling in no time. Bioware designed the battle system so that people unfamiliar with RPG's would be able to get into it, but if you are a hardcore stat geek, every dice roll and modifier is tracked by the computer and can be viewed later.
Now, let's talk graphics. While the PC version will undoubtedly look a little more polished (as they tend to do) the graphics here are fine. I was anticipating graphics that were a little better, considering the screen shots I've seen on the Web and on the back of the package. However, no complaints. There are parts where the textures are excellent (like the sun shining off of a scaly fish-guy's head) and there are parts where the textures are somewhat muddy and washed- out. Overall, graphics are good-they aren't the focus of an RPG anyway. If you want sweet graphics, wait for Halo 2 or Doom 3.
Sound- geez, is there a more recognizable franchise than Star Wars when it comes to sound? The score from the movies is used, and picks up in key places to emphasize the dramatic moments. The sound effects are top notch- blasters blasting, sabers crackling, Jawas tittering, and droids bleeping. Voice acting is also excellent. Most RPG's settle for textual representations of conversations- that is, all dialogue in the game is simply read off of the screen. Well, Bioware went all out with the voice acting, scripting over 14,000 lines of dialogue (!) and hiring veteran actors such as Ed Asner to play the parts. Everything is spoken aloud, and the voice acting is really well directed. There are some funny parts where Canadian accents are audible in the dialogue, but this doesn't detract from the overall game experience. Plus, it's all in 5.1 digital surround, to provide a truly cinematic experience.
Speaking of cinematic- there are a ton of FMV (full-motion video) sequences here that occur when key events in the game transpire. Use your ship to travel between planets? You will see a planet-specific takeoff cutscene, followed by a neat hyperspace sequence, then you will see your ship approach and land on the new planet. I can't describe the other FMV's without giving away the plot but trust me- you won't be mashing the A button to skip these movies.
Finally, the story. The best part of this game is the story. Many times, RPG's make you feel like you are on a predetermined path- you get this weapon from this cave to beat this guy, go fetch this item for this wizard and he'll give you a key, etc. The coolest thing about the story, which is better than the stories for episode I or II so far, is that you actually impact how the story is told. There will be a number of key poins in the game where you have to make a decision about how to solve a problem. The decision you make adds or subtracts points from a hidden meter that determines if you are a good Jedi or a bad Jedi. Then, depending on your alignment with the Force, people will talk and react to you differently, you will gain different force powers, and the game's ending will be totally different. (Currently, I'm playing as a goody two-shoes, but I can't wait to go back and kick ass as an evil Jedi!). Just a quick example- you will come across a point in the game where there is a guy who is scared because he owes people money. You can offer to help him hunt his adversaries or to rob him blind. One of these choices will move you towards the Light side of the Force, one will move you towards the Dark side (can you guess which is which?). This makes for a truly immersive experience, and makes the game enjoyable, as well as adding replay value. Oh, by the way, the developers say the game will take about 40-60 hours to complete. There are people on the Web who claim to have beat it in 20 hours, but they missed a lot if they did that.
Wrapping it up here, I think this may be the 2nd best game on XBOX, behind only Halo. Finally, the XBOX has another must-have title, and the Star Wars franchise combined with the excellent writing and voice acting provides a truly cinematic game experience. They have been promising me interactive movies since the NES came out- SWKOTOR is the first game that truly delivers on that promise.
The game is Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (out now for XBOX, out in fall for high-end PC's.). It is one of two role-playing Star Wars games released this month, the other being Star Wars Galaxies. There are fundamental differences between the two games- SWG is a massively multiplayer online game that requires a monthly fee and a computer with insane specs (the necessary video card alone will run you a couple of hundred bucks), but SWKOTOR is a standalone game for XBOX that provides a one-player role-playing experience like no other I've seen so far.
From Canadian developer Bioware (developer of the popular Neverwinter Nights), SWKOTOR is the first role playing game for the XBOX that is worthy of the title. There have been others (Metal Dungeon, Pirates), but none have even been worth turning the console on for. SWKOTOR deserves to be on anyone's top 5 XBOX list, even if you have never played an RPG or are not a big fan of the Star Wars license. However, if you are like me, and an avid fan of both Star Wars AND RPG's, this game will make you drool.
First off, let's talk gameplay mechanics. This is not a button masher, so if you are the type who likes to chug a 2-liter of Mountain Dew, top it off with some Ritalin, and twitch your fingers while stuff blows up, this game may not be for you. Basically, the game is like a pencil-and-paper Dungeons and Dragons game with graphical and sonic representation on-screen. In fact, there are a set of rules for playing the Star Wars roleplaying game on a tabletop that are implemented here in full, lush, detailed graphical form. So, basically, the mechanics of combat are dice rolls. Your characters attributes and weapons are compared with another character's defense rating and then the computer calculates how much damage you do to your opponent. How fast you mash buttons doesn't matter. I know, it sounds boring, and in many role-playing games, it has been.
In the past, it has been you watching while the computer executes your moves, leaving you very little to do. However, in SWKOTOR, the fights are represented fully with graphics. So, you attack the enemy, and he attacks you, but it is not just taking a turn then waiting for the enemy to take his turn. The battles are represented in real time with characters dodging, parrying, deflecting light saber blasts, jumping, using force powers, etc. So the game never gets boring- the battles happen fast, and as you get better, you will find yourself giving your party orders in near-real time. Of course, there is always the option to pause the action and input a string of commands, which your character will then carry out.
So, say you run into a powerful Dark Jedi. You can pause the game, tell your character to put up his shield, inject himself with a power-up stimulant, use a force field to stun your opponent, then attack. Then, you unpause, and the character carries out these actions in real-time. It sounds complicated, expecially if you've never played an RPG, but trust me- you'll be having beautiful battles where 3 Jedi face 3 Jedi with sabers crackling in no time. Bioware designed the battle system so that people unfamiliar with RPG's would be able to get into it, but if you are a hardcore stat geek, every dice roll and modifier is tracked by the computer and can be viewed later.
Now, let's talk graphics. While the PC version will undoubtedly look a little more polished (as they tend to do) the graphics here are fine. I was anticipating graphics that were a little better, considering the screen shots I've seen on the Web and on the back of the package. However, no complaints. There are parts where the textures are excellent (like the sun shining off of a scaly fish-guy's head) and there are parts where the textures are somewhat muddy and washed- out. Overall, graphics are good-they aren't the focus of an RPG anyway. If you want sweet graphics, wait for Halo 2 or Doom 3.
Sound- geez, is there a more recognizable franchise than Star Wars when it comes to sound? The score from the movies is used, and picks up in key places to emphasize the dramatic moments. The sound effects are top notch- blasters blasting, sabers crackling, Jawas tittering, and droids bleeping. Voice acting is also excellent. Most RPG's settle for textual representations of conversations- that is, all dialogue in the game is simply read off of the screen. Well, Bioware went all out with the voice acting, scripting over 14,000 lines of dialogue (!) and hiring veteran actors such as Ed Asner to play the parts. Everything is spoken aloud, and the voice acting is really well directed. There are some funny parts where Canadian accents are audible in the dialogue, but this doesn't detract from the overall game experience. Plus, it's all in 5.1 digital surround, to provide a truly cinematic experience.
Speaking of cinematic- there are a ton of FMV (full-motion video) sequences here that occur when key events in the game transpire. Use your ship to travel between planets? You will see a planet-specific takeoff cutscene, followed by a neat hyperspace sequence, then you will see your ship approach and land on the new planet. I can't describe the other FMV's without giving away the plot but trust me- you won't be mashing the A button to skip these movies.
Finally, the story. The best part of this game is the story. Many times, RPG's make you feel like you are on a predetermined path- you get this weapon from this cave to beat this guy, go fetch this item for this wizard and he'll give you a key, etc. The coolest thing about the story, which is better than the stories for episode I or II so far, is that you actually impact how the story is told. There will be a number of key poins in the game where you have to make a decision about how to solve a problem. The decision you make adds or subtracts points from a hidden meter that determines if you are a good Jedi or a bad Jedi. Then, depending on your alignment with the Force, people will talk and react to you differently, you will gain different force powers, and the game's ending will be totally different. (Currently, I'm playing as a goody two-shoes, but I can't wait to go back and kick ass as an evil Jedi!). Just a quick example- you will come across a point in the game where there is a guy who is scared because he owes people money. You can offer to help him hunt his adversaries or to rob him blind. One of these choices will move you towards the Light side of the Force, one will move you towards the Dark side (can you guess which is which?). This makes for a truly immersive experience, and makes the game enjoyable, as well as adding replay value. Oh, by the way, the developers say the game will take about 40-60 hours to complete. There are people on the Web who claim to have beat it in 20 hours, but they missed a lot if they did that.
Wrapping it up here, I think this may be the 2nd best game on XBOX, behind only Halo. Finally, the XBOX has another must-have title, and the Star Wars franchise combined with the excellent writing and voice acting provides a truly cinematic game experience. They have been promising me interactive movies since the NES came out- SWKOTOR is the first game that truly delivers on that promise.