STAR WARS™ Knights of the Old Republic™ II - The Sith Lords™

A classic epic game.

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A game with a lofty reputation, lives up to the legend. Mechanics etc first. The gameplay, graphics & physical scope show their age at times. There are also plenty of gaps and bugs. You should look at the excellent mods available before jumping in. The core gameplay is good solid CRPG, some funny quirks and frustrations but overall fun building your character & companions. You then carve a swathe through the Galaxy. This is classic Star Wars goodness, ingenious droids, smart talking rogues with hearts of gold & lightsabres. The real reason to play this game & the reason it appears within the lofty rank of "Games of All Time" lists is the story & writing. It's the best work on "Star Wars" around. It dissects Light, Dark & Grey. Action and Inaction and their consequences. War, Leadership, Suffering, Trauma & Renewal. "The Force" and its implications are delicately explored in a compelling way throughout the story. The cast of characters; your companions, allies & opponents are superb. Yes at time you run into some gamey loops and "You didn't talk to this person at the right time to progress their story". Your "mentor" Kreia is one of the most compelling companions I've ever seen in a RPG, wonderfully written and voice acted. KOTOR2 is a game that does ask you to think, I have several moments where I really pondered my next step or decision. It doesn't give you all the answers and leaves much unresolved but wants the player to pick their way through the story and find their own resolution. I played a light sided character but one who was somewhat unrepentant about their decision regarding one of the central pillars of the story: A rogue band of Jedi deciding to ride to war (to protect people in the Outer Rim under attack) when the Jedi Council had forbidden it. The results of this decision were far-reaching and lead to the devastated Galaxy you journey through. I maintained that the decision to take action and fight was right, that the events that came later were no predestined. KOTOR2 never resolves this aspect of your character's past because there is no resolution. No one can know if inaction would have been "better". Star Wars is always build on the idea of a wayward Jedi Order. KOTOR2 handles this really well, the remnants of the Jedi Council almost seem to have a plan. Seem to be coming around to your side (and you are the protagonist so of course they should!) As the story progresses you see just how blind the Council were and are, yet they remain delightfully self-righteous as they make ever worse decisions. You trust in the bonds between you and your close companions. Yet as the story builds to its crescendo it delights in poking at and undermining this. Are you actually a monster and manipulator. A classic for a reason.