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Codex KOTOR 2 review
- Thread starter sheek
- Start date
Multi-headed Cow
Guest
It sucks.
~Fin
~Fin
Jaime Lannister
Arbiter
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2007
- Messages
- 7,183
THE PRESIDENT IS A COMPUTER
Jaime Lannister
Arbiter
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2007
- Messages
- 7,183
THE PRESIDENT IS A COMPUTER
Jaime Lannister
Arbiter
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2007
- Messages
- 7,183
THE PRESIDENT IS A COMPUTER
Jaime Lannister
Arbiter
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2007
- Messages
- 7,183
THE PRESIDENT IS A COMPUTER
Jaime Lannister
Arbiter
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2007
- Messages
- 7,183
THE PRESIDENT IS A COMPUTER
Jaime Lannister
Arbiter
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2007
- Messages
- 7,183
THE PRESIDENT IS A COMPUTER
Jaime Lannister
Arbiter
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2007
- Messages
- 7,183
technically a droid, whatever, 3000 posts, time to watch lost
I thought the beginning was OK.
I got out of the fuel depot area and just met the robot assassin (pretty obvious, didn't need the spoiler) when my graphics card died. Nothing spectacular and the FPS-type view is annoying when you can't manually aim/shoot (ie, FPS perspective with no FPS gameplay), but I needed a decent, long RPG.
I was going for a Jedi Sentinel with single wield light-saber focus and mind control skills.
I got out of the fuel depot area and just met the robot assassin (pretty obvious, didn't need the spoiler) when my graphics card died. Nothing spectacular and the FPS-type view is annoying when you can't manually aim/shoot (ie, FPS perspective with no FPS gameplay), but I needed a decent, long RPG.
I was going for a Jedi Sentinel with single wield light-saber focus and mind control skills.
Forest Dweller
Smoking Dicks
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2008
- Messages
- 12,216
Inexcuable to give Kotor 1 a review and not Kotor 2.
Jaime Lannister
Arbiter
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2007
- Messages
- 7,183
not the assassin, the president of the exchange
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2007
- Messages
- 14,806
Your more fucked up then I thought.
Wyrmlord
Arcane
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2008
- Messages
- 28,886
I have some free time right now, so here is a mini forum post review of KotOR 2.
The sequel is a game that draws from the exact same mechanics, engine, and ruleset of the previous game, but with the significant difference that you start out as a Jedi. However, you are strictly restricted to being a Jedi character throughout the game, but can not try out any of the other classes that your NPCs have in the previous game.
However, much like the player character from the previous game, several of the party members in this game start off as non-Jedis who can be converted into Jedis. And like the previous game, you can avoid having them level up, so you can hoard their levels for more Jedi levels. But more on that later.
Anyway, I saw that there were 8 skills in this game. The Jedi Sentinel gets the highest base skill points, enough for 3 skills. With maxed out Intelligence, he can put them all in 7 skills, but he does not specialize in two of them - Repair and Demolition. But as it turns out, there are feats which will allow me to specialize in those skills, and I can hoard my skill points in this game, and then put them into those skills later. Unlike D&D games like NWN2, you are not forced to spend them.
So it should not be surprising that by level 8 and with INT of 20, I had all skills boosted up, with all but Demolitions at full, and Demolitions nearly full. Keep in mind that you'll be at level 8 within the first 10% of the game (although it is so short that you are already a few hours away from the end by then).
But anyway, with this end of being a skills master, I did so knowing that it would may well hinder me completely in combat situations. I thought I would have to rely on party tanks to cover me. It would not seem prudent to max out INT, and then dump the rest into WIS and CHA.
I actually had no problems at all. Combat in this game is so easy, even with a single character, that you just can't go wrong. The opening area has a few mining droids with 5-10 hitpoints, and a not very lethal attack. They are, after all just mining droids. So it seems like a strange glory to have maxed out skills and trudge through large number of enemies. Too much of a glory. To be blunt, it gets quite boring that way.
And I also wonder why you simply fight as a single character in this game for so many parts. Your options as a single character are limited, to just using three attack forms, grenades, and force powers. Early in the game, it just feels pointless to press the Attack button and wait for the combat to be over.
And my character's low physical stats were not a problem. With the game's random level scaled loot, I found gloves to improve Dexterity, armor upgrades to boost Constitution, and that's that. Social situatons would not be a problem since maxed out Persuade and high Charisma did their job. Wisdom opened up several dialogue options. Intelligence and technical skills also opened them up. With the usage of technical skills, I got XP for every time I used them. I got extra Influence on party members for having high Charisma. Even somewhat hard fights were over quickly simply by the usage of a few buffs from items and Force Powers.
And the game's predetermined party members can cover up anything I wasn't good at, in which case, there was no such thing. And unlike say, Torment, I never had to use my initiative to find such companions. They were handed to me.
I am perfection embodied. Now I have far less incentive to continue on. Because I am at the peak of everything. And the game just started a while ago.
Not that there was much reason, but if I have reached perfection, maybe it is better that I just focus on my party members. Optimize them, although they were already handed to me with set attributes and items. And here comes the Jedi-fication.
With the game's influence system, you can "convince" people to become Jedis. Do the things that they like, and they will like you, and eventually willl become a Jedi like you. (Jedi here just loosely means Force user, no one is actually a member of the Order). Truth is, though, that it is not difficult.
Atleast not for a few of them. For the Zabrak Bao-Dur and the rogue Atton, you can continously find situations to get influence with them, and only a few are required to make them Jedis. For the Handmaiden, the chance to gain Influence with her tends to be inside the ship, so you never actually have to bring her with you, and you can still gain Influence with her. For Mira, it was tricky. I figured that one, with quite a bit of effort, so I can say that there is one well designed character quest.
I admire that Obsdian focuses on optimization and rewards. In a game like KotOR, you never really gained anything at all by talking to fellow characters other than a bit of exposition. Here, dialogue is connected with min-maxing, and you finally have a good reason to bother about virtual characters. And that's good.
If only, it all was not as simplistic as it is in the game. It is easy. It is straightforward. And it is very short. When you end it, you feel like you are strong enough to take on thrice as much as what was thrown at you. Eventually, all that is left is a little disappointment, and then immediate forgetting of the game.
So, like the first game, it can be ignored and passed over.
The sequel is a game that draws from the exact same mechanics, engine, and ruleset of the previous game, but with the significant difference that you start out as a Jedi. However, you are strictly restricted to being a Jedi character throughout the game, but can not try out any of the other classes that your NPCs have in the previous game.
However, much like the player character from the previous game, several of the party members in this game start off as non-Jedis who can be converted into Jedis. And like the previous game, you can avoid having them level up, so you can hoard their levels for more Jedi levels. But more on that later.
Anyway, I saw that there were 8 skills in this game. The Jedi Sentinel gets the highest base skill points, enough for 3 skills. With maxed out Intelligence, he can put them all in 7 skills, but he does not specialize in two of them - Repair and Demolition. But as it turns out, there are feats which will allow me to specialize in those skills, and I can hoard my skill points in this game, and then put them into those skills later. Unlike D&D games like NWN2, you are not forced to spend them.
So it should not be surprising that by level 8 and with INT of 20, I had all skills boosted up, with all but Demolitions at full, and Demolitions nearly full. Keep in mind that you'll be at level 8 within the first 10% of the game (although it is so short that you are already a few hours away from the end by then).
But anyway, with this end of being a skills master, I did so knowing that it would may well hinder me completely in combat situations. I thought I would have to rely on party tanks to cover me. It would not seem prudent to max out INT, and then dump the rest into WIS and CHA.
I actually had no problems at all. Combat in this game is so easy, even with a single character, that you just can't go wrong. The opening area has a few mining droids with 5-10 hitpoints, and a not very lethal attack. They are, after all just mining droids. So it seems like a strange glory to have maxed out skills and trudge through large number of enemies. Too much of a glory. To be blunt, it gets quite boring that way.
And I also wonder why you simply fight as a single character in this game for so many parts. Your options as a single character are limited, to just using three attack forms, grenades, and force powers. Early in the game, it just feels pointless to press the Attack button and wait for the combat to be over.
And my character's low physical stats were not a problem. With the game's random level scaled loot, I found gloves to improve Dexterity, armor upgrades to boost Constitution, and that's that. Social situatons would not be a problem since maxed out Persuade and high Charisma did their job. Wisdom opened up several dialogue options. Intelligence and technical skills also opened them up. With the usage of technical skills, I got XP for every time I used them. I got extra Influence on party members for having high Charisma. Even somewhat hard fights were over quickly simply by the usage of a few buffs from items and Force Powers.
And the game's predetermined party members can cover up anything I wasn't good at, in which case, there was no such thing. And unlike say, Torment, I never had to use my initiative to find such companions. They were handed to me.
I am perfection embodied. Now I have far less incentive to continue on. Because I am at the peak of everything. And the game just started a while ago.
Not that there was much reason, but if I have reached perfection, maybe it is better that I just focus on my party members. Optimize them, although they were already handed to me with set attributes and items. And here comes the Jedi-fication.
With the game's influence system, you can "convince" people to become Jedis. Do the things that they like, and they will like you, and eventually willl become a Jedi like you. (Jedi here just loosely means Force user, no one is actually a member of the Order). Truth is, though, that it is not difficult.
Atleast not for a few of them. For the Zabrak Bao-Dur and the rogue Atton, you can continously find situations to get influence with them, and only a few are required to make them Jedis. For the Handmaiden, the chance to gain Influence with her tends to be inside the ship, so you never actually have to bring her with you, and you can still gain Influence with her. For Mira, it was tricky. I figured that one, with quite a bit of effort, so I can say that there is one well designed character quest.
I admire that Obsdian focuses on optimization and rewards. In a game like KotOR, you never really gained anything at all by talking to fellow characters other than a bit of exposition. Here, dialogue is connected with min-maxing, and you finally have a good reason to bother about virtual characters. And that's good.
If only, it all was not as simplistic as it is in the game. It is easy. It is straightforward. And it is very short. When you end it, you feel like you are strong enough to take on thrice as much as what was thrown at you. Eventually, all that is left is a little disappointment, and then immediate forgetting of the game.
So, like the first game, it can be ignored and passed over.
Jaime Lannister
Arbiter
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2007
- Messages
- 7,183
were you trying to play kotor 2 as a dungeon crawler?
i bet you skipped the voice acting and skimmed the dialog looking for quest instructions
i bet you skipped the voice acting and skimmed the dialog looking for quest instructions
Wyrmlord
Arcane
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2008
- Messages
- 28,886
I was playing it just like any videogame.
To answer your question, no, I was paying attention to the dialogue, because there were actually rewards to be gained by doing so.
It's not like KotOR, where I could have two families kill each other, and not have anything to lose by doing it. I did not have points to lose back then.
To answer your question, no, I was paying attention to the dialogue, because there were actually rewards to be gained by doing so.
It's not like KotOR, where I could have two families kill each other, and not have anything to lose by doing it. I did not have points to lose back then.
Shagnak
Shagadelic
Saint told me on IRC a couple of years ago that it was "good, really good".Dicksmoker said:
I said "really?" Because I hate Star Wars shite, and he said "yeah, really. I thought it was way better than the first".
There. That's your fucking review.
Andyman Messiah
Mr. Ed-ucated
Review begins.
KOTOR2 is better than KOTOR1 in every possible and impossible way.
Review ends.
KOTOR2 is better than KOTOR1 in every possible and impossible way.
Review ends.
Volourn
Pretty Princess
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2003
- Messages
- 24,924
No, the games are about equal. There's absolutely nothing special about either of them that sets them a part except KOTOR comes first, and KOTOR2 is just a sequel. KOTOR is not darker, deeper, or any of this other pretentious mythic bullshit that Obsidian fanboys try to pretend it is.
Andyman Messiah
Mr. Ed-ucated
No, Volourn. KOTOR2 is definitely better than KOTOR1.
Andyman Messiah
Mr. Ed-ucated
KOTOR2 is infinitely better than every other game in the universe in the past, the present and the future. Suck on that!!!
racofer
Thread Incliner
*volly mode: on*
ME>>JE/NWN > K1 + K2 >>>NWN2
R00fles!
*volly mode: off*
ME>>JE/NWN > K1 + K2 >>>NWN2
R00fles!
*volly mode: off*
Vault Dweller
Commissar, Red Star Studio
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2003
- Messages
- 28,035
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