Ever wonder what would happen if Mass Effect met World of Warcraft? Well, here you go!
User Rating: 9 | Star Wars: The Old Republic PC
I hate MMO combat. Really, I just can't stand it, so I won't focus on it. Suffice to say that SWTOR has at least significantly improved over basic WoW style battles, even if it still isn't the highlight of gameplay. Instead, I'm going to focus on what makes this game great: the story. This is the first time the story in an MMO has stood out over the other features for me. Instead of having a thinly written main quest line with little more to it than "you need to kill these guys," this game is fully voice acted with deeply involving quests to rival games like Mass Effect and Skyrim. Every line of dialogue to come out of your character's mouth is chosen by you from a dialogue wheel in classic BioWare fashion. While most of these choices effect nothing more than the course of a conversation, others carry real weight. There is, as would be expected, a dark side/ light side morality system which unlocks access to certain gear, and other benefits. Some choices also effect the outcome of a quest, or raise or lower your social standing with a companion. Speaking of companions, they are one of the games most interesting features. Eventually you amass a veritable army of NPC's, and you can choose one to beam down with you to a planet's surface. While in most games these "pets" would serve little to no purpose outside of combat, your assortment of droids and crewmates actually effect your storyline. They take part in your conversations, and take note of what you say. In addition, they can also be assigned to handle the more menial tasks of a typical MMO, like gathering and crafting. This is extremely useful, as the game is so immersive that the last thing you want to do is stop to gather crystals. If by now you don't believe just how addicting and fun this game is, then just know that while I am writing this review I am actually STILL PLAYING THIS GAME. I've just opened this window briefly to post this!
