The first Knights of the Old Republic was a flawed masterpiece and an absolute classic of CRPG greatness. It did so much stuff for the genre and for Star Wars as a whole that it's no wonder that people still rave on about it now, nearly two decades later. However, I think a lot of people do let nostalgia blind them to that game's flaws. While its sequel, Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, certainly isn't a perfect product either, it's my favorite of the two. Why? Let's find out.


Where the first KOTOR took place in a slightly more prequel-esque situation, KOTOR 2 takes place in the aftermath of the events of the first game, in an era when the Jedi are almost completely dead, destroyed by various factors. You play as the Exile, a Jedi who was cast out of the order. Not only this but your connection to the Force was intentionally severed by the same masters who cast you out.

This creates an interesting situation, as you're a Jedi Knight who is forced back down to effectively being a Padawan again, yet -- like Luke Skywalker or Rey -- you're pretty much out of luck when it comes to finding a master to help you get back up again... yet, destiny is strange and the Force seeks balance.

The result of this crazy setup is that the overall vibes of this game feel like the absolute perfect blend of prequel and original trilogy. It has that wild west frontier feel of the original trilogy, matched with the more mystical and fantastical feel of the prequels, to create one truly intriguing setup... yet, it's also a really dark game and it gives you a feeling as though you truly are one of the last Jedi in the galaxy, going up against impossible odds.

The story in this game is leaps and bounds beyond the first game's. I know, a lot of KOTOR fanboys will flip out when they read that but let's be honest, the original KOTOR's story was pretty formulaic as far as Star Wars goes. KOTOR 2 has no such flaws. This game's story delves so far down the rabbit hole of the philosophies of the Jedi and the Sith, it really challenges the player to question the way they view the galaxy far, far away and it does so in a way that just constantly immerses you. You truly feel like a fallen Jedi Knight striving to find your way toward redemption, despite all of the issues that block your path.

I'm a firm believer that the Star Wars films remain the greatest pieces of content in the franchise and the animated show, Star Wars Rebels, is my favorite piece of Star Wars content outside of the films but even in spite of the depth of the themes and storytelling of both, KOTOR 2 delves even deeper. I think that, to this day, it may be the deepest we've gone in that regard.


Overall, KOTOR 2 plays remarkably similar to its predecessor, albeit with several major quality of life fixes that make it more enjoyable overall. I'm not sure if it actually contains more abilities and character upgrades but it certainly feels like it. It doesn't hurt that the party setup this time around plays better than the first game. True, the first game had more memorable companions overall (though there are a couple in this one that are downright phenomenal; you know the ones if you've played the game before) but the general gameplay of the companions in this game feels a lot more balanced and fun to play around with.

The planets you explore in this game are also largely more thought-out. This is especially true if you've played the first game before this one, as several locations are ones you went to in the first game. That said, there are also plenty of new ones and each one of them just exudes Star Wars atmosphere. The graphics aren't fantastic by today's standards, even with mods, but the art style and overall design of the environments immediately sinks you into a level of immersion that many other masterpiece RPGs struggle with.


I can't say much on the overall sound effects, as they're just as great as they were in the original game, but the music... I hate to do this to Jeremy Soule (who is my favorite game composer) but I genuinely think Mark Griskey did a better job at capturing the John Williams essence in this game's soundtrack. And honestly, that's saying a lot because the soundtrack in the original KOTOR was spot on with that Williams vibe. Griskey just did such a fantastic job here, creating pieces that reflect the overall feel of Williams' work while also adding a true air of mystery, fantasy and uncertainty. It all comes together to really sell the feeling of being one of the last of your order and an outcast, at that.


To conclude, I will say that there is one major flaw with this game: it has a lot of cut content. Thankfully, though, it doesn't have the technical issues that the first game has (especially on modern systems). Even better is the fact that mods can easily restore that cut content, improve the graphics and add even more replay value. Regardless of the cut content, though, this game is still a masterpiece of CRPGs.

Even if you're not a Star Wars fan, if you love RPGs, you really need to play both KOTOR games. If you're a Star Wars fan but not a huge RPG fan, I still recommend playing both because as far as RPGs go, they're very friendly toward non-RPG fans or beginner RPG players. They don't overwhelm you with gameplay mechanics, absurd amounts of skills or arbitrary numbers-based skill systems. Everything feels like it has its place, everything is logical in the way it's designed. Just play it, you won't be disappointed.

PS: If you enjoy these games, I highly recommend downloading Star Wars: The Old Republic. It's the Star Wars MMORPG and it's set during the same general time period as the KOTOR games, functioning almost as an extension of the story in many ways. It offers a lot more avenues of play (you can play as Jedi, Sith, smugglers and bounty hunters, even troopers) and despite being an MMO, the story is extremely fun to play through even as a solo experience. Plus, it's free so it's not like you'd lose anything.

The first Knights of the Old Republic was a flawed masterpiece and an absolute classic of CRPG greatness. It did so much stuff for the genre and for Star Wars as a whole that it's no wonder that people still rave on about it now, nearly two decades later. However, I think a lot of people [b]do[/b] let nostalgia blind them to that game's flaws. While its sequel, [i]Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords[/i], certainly isn't a perfect product either, it's my favorite of the two. Why? Let's find out. [h1]Setting, Story and Themes[/h1] Where the first KOTOR took place in a slightly more prequel-esque situation, KOTOR 2 takes place in the aftermath of the events of the first game, in an era when the Jedi are almost completely dead, destroyed by various factors. You play as the Exile, a Jedi who was cast out of the order. Not only this but your connection to the Force was intentionally severed by the same masters who cast you out. This creates an interesting situation, as you're a Jedi Knight who is forced back down to effectively being a Padawan again, yet -- like Luke Skywalker or Rey -- you're pretty much out of luck when it comes to finding a master to help you get back up again... yet, destiny is strange and the Force seeks balance. The result of this crazy setup is that the overall vibes of this game feel like the absolute [b]perfect[/b] blend of prequel and original trilogy. It has that wild west frontier feel of the original trilogy, matched with the more mystical and fantastical feel of the prequels, to create one truly intriguing setup... yet, it's also a really dark game and it gives you a feeling as though you truly are one of the last Jedi in the galaxy, going up against impossible odds. The story in this game is leaps and bounds beyond the first game's. I know, a lot of KOTOR fanboys will flip out when they read that but let's be honest, the original KOTOR's story was pretty formulaic as far as Star Wars goes. KOTOR 2 has no such flaws. This game's story delves so far down the rabbit hole of the philosophies of the Jedi and the Sith, it really challenges the player to question the way they view the galaxy far, far away and it does so in a way that just constantly immerses you. You truly feel like a fallen Jedi Knight striving to find your way toward redemption, despite all of the issues that block your path. I'm a firm believer that the Star Wars films remain the greatest pieces of content in the franchise and the animated show, Star Wars Rebels, is my favorite piece of Star Wars content outside of the films but even in spite of the depth of the themes and storytelling of both, KOTOR 2 delves even deeper. I think that, to this day, it may be the deepest we've gone in that regard. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] Overall, KOTOR 2 plays remarkably similar to its predecessor, albeit with several major quality of life fixes that make it more enjoyable overall. I'm not sure if it [b]actually[/b] contains more abilities and character upgrades but it certainly feels like it. It doesn't hurt that the party setup this time around plays better than the first game. True, the first game had more memorable companions overall (though there are a couple in this one that are downright phenomenal; you know the ones if you've played the game before) but the general gameplay of the companions in this game feels a lot more balanced and fun to play around with. The planets you explore in this game are also largely more thought-out. This is especially true if you've played the first game before this one, as several locations are ones you went to in the first game. That said, there are also plenty of new ones and each one of them just exudes Star Wars atmosphere. The graphics aren't fantastic by today's standards, even with mods, but the art style and overall design of the environments immediately sinks you into a level of immersion that many other masterpiece RPGs struggle with. [h1]Sound and Music[/h1] I can't say much on the overall sound effects, as they're just as great as they were in the original game, but the music... I hate to do this to Jeremy Soule (who is my favorite game composer) but I genuinely think Mark Griskey did a better job at capturing the John Williams essence in this game's soundtrack. And honestly, that's saying a lot because the soundtrack in the original KOTOR was spot on with that Williams vibe. Griskey just did such a fantastic job here, creating pieces that reflect the overall feel of Williams' work while also adding a true air of mystery, fantasy and uncertainty. It all comes together to really sell the feeling of being one of the last of your order and an outcast, at that. [h1]Summary[/h1] To conclude, I will say that there is one major flaw with this game: it has a [b]lot[/b] of cut content. Thankfully, though, it doesn't have the technical issues that the first game has (especially on modern systems). Even better is the fact that mods can easily restore that cut content, improve the graphics and add even more replay value. Regardless of the cut content, though, this game is still a masterpiece of CRPGs. Even if you're not a Star Wars fan, if you love RPGs, you really need to play both KOTOR games. If you're a Star Wars fan but not a huge RPG fan, I still recommend playing both because as far as RPGs go, they're very friendly toward non-RPG fans or beginner RPG players. They don't overwhelm you with gameplay mechanics, absurd amounts of skills or arbitrary numbers-based skill systems. Everything feels like it has its place, everything is logical in the way it's designed. Just play it, you won't be disappointed. [u]PS:[/u] If you enjoy these games, I [b]highly[/b] recommend downloading [url=https://steamproxy.net/steamstore/app/1286830/STAR_WARS_The_Old_Republic]Star Wars: The Old Republic[/url]. It's the Star Wars MMORPG and it's set during the same general time period as the KOTOR games, functioning almost as an extension of the story in many ways. It offers a lot more avenues of play (you can play as Jedi, Sith, smugglers and bounty hunters, even troopers) and despite being an MMO, the story is extremely fun to play through even as a solo experience. Plus, it's free so it's not like you'd lose anything.