The greatest Star Wars game ever released? You betcha!
Gameplay in KotOR consists of three different portions. You have exploration, which boils down to you guiding your character through the various locales, searching for quests, items and enemies in typical RPG fashion. Next up, you have your conversation portion, which contains talking to the various NPCs and trying to extract information and guests from them. This is perhaps the most fun part of the game, as the dialogue is absolutely first class, the characters interesting, varied and have wildly different personalities, and most importantly, the game features some of the best voice work ever to grace a game. And that is an accomplishment in itself, seeing as the game has hours and hours of spoken dialogue (indeed, all the dialogue in KotOr is spoken). Lastly, you have the combat portion. This is based on the d20 System derived from the Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons rulebook. What this essentially means, is that combat is turn-based, with time discreetly divided into rounds and each combatant acting simultaneously. The beauty in this system is that while the combat has the strategy of turn-based combat, it unfolds in real-time. Of course, should the player so wish, settings can be tweaked to have the game pause after each round or at specific events.
The story in KotOR is possibly one of the best I've run into, and that is saying quite a lot. Even though it starts out as a standard good guy squaring off against an evil villain bent on destroying/enslaving the galaxy, there are enough plot twists to give this game a fresh, yet still epic feel. Of special note is the main plot twist at the end of the game (which we won't naturally give out), which is simply legendary, and sure to be remembered by players for years to come as one of the best video game endings of all time. Adding to the length of the game are the side quests. Even though smaller in both importance and size, these should in no way be belittled. They feature a truly varied and engrossing set of missions, from trying to solve a murder, becoming a bounty hunter, resolving cultural disputes, finding a cure for a deadly disease and playing of both sides of a conflict a la Yojimbo. You will have spent a good 40 hours playing through all this, and the best part is that you won't have seen half of what this game has to offer if you only play it through once. The story is also a great excuse to visit some truly memorable places from Star Wars lore, like Kashyyk and Tatooine and entirely new ones like Taris and Korriban. Each planet is brought to life thanks to some beautiful art direction and memorable inhabitants.
Characters creation, arguably one of the most important aspects of an RPG is also handled using the Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules. You get to choose your class (soldier, scout or scoundrel) and sex (male or female). Unfortunately, but required by the plot, you are limited to human characters. The soldier is a straightforward fighter, with proficiency in various firearms and armor. They also gain the most vitality points every time you level up. Scouts are less tough, but get more skill points and thus can specialize in computer hacking, droid repair, land mine disarming and lock picking. The scoundrel is the weakest of the bunch, relying on stealth and speed rather than brute force. Because Scoundrels are the best at talking themselves out of trouble, they seem to be the most interesting character, as they have a host of different options in each situation. Gender also plays a part in some of the situations, quests and dialogue options. Later on, players will also gain access to three Jedi classes, which act as prestige classes. The three classes each have their preferences, with some tipping towards mastery of the Force while others specialize in the wielding of a lightsaber. Your alignment doesn't play any significant part in Force power choice, as nothing is excluded no matter what your alignment is. The only effect is that Dark side powers cost substantially more Force points to use for players aligned with the Light, and vice versa.
Tagging along for the ride with the player are up to nine different companions, each with a unique past that often has a quest tied to it. Companions level up just like you, so you will be able to customize them to different roles, depending on your needs. Only two companions can travel with you at any given time, so some strategy is involved in making the best choice for each mission.
Graphically, KotOR manages to pull of the Star Wars feel, even though at times it may look a bit under whelming. This is contrasted with some seriously beautiful places, like Tatooine's arid deserts and Manaan's endless oceans. Indeed, sometimes you just wish you could jump over that small barrier and continue on, exploring this beautiful world that doesn't actually exist. Fighting is also suitably dramatic, with lightsaber combat looking particularly intense. The game also manages to maintain a stable framerate, but unfortunately features some long load times, which are made all the worse when you backtrack or end up visiting the same places over and over again. KotOr also manages to feel both confined and expansive at the same time. You get to choose which planets to visit and in what order, but once planetside, you find yourself following a fairly linear path. In a testament to Bioware's brilliance, this never once hampers the story or gameplay, and each planet still manages to feel fairly large.
The sound in KotOr is definitely the one of the strongest aspects of the game. As mentioned earlier, voice work is absolutely brilliant, featuring a cast of talented no-name professionals. Aliens also speak in realistic and varied dialects, though the keen eared ones will spot that the dialogue actually loops over and over. Sound effects from lightsabers and blasters, to droids and ubiquitous automatic doors are all handled with care, resulting in a colorful and lifelike sound world. Even though this is a Star Wars game, you'll actually hear more than John Williams' excellent score. The music is suitably subdued, but ultimately quite forgettable. The best pieces are to be heard in the various cantinas around the galaxy.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic feels in many ways more connected to the original trilogy than all three new feature films, and that alone speaks very highly of the quality of the game. The storyline is well crafted and atmospheric, the gameplay demanding yet rewarding and the overall game just a pure extravaganza of fun, thrills and enjoyment. In short, Bioware has managed to create yet another masterpiece not only for fans of Star Wars, but fans of RPGs in general.