SW KotOR Review

[Nomad]

FYI:

http://www.unlimitedlives.com/games/abs ... 1057978138

I thought it was a good review.


N.

 

[Volourn]

If it's half as good as it and other review sugegsts; it'll be a keeper. That said, I'm not a big fan of reviews because theyt end to contain too much hyperbole.

 

[Zetor]

The battle system's a revolutionary hybrid of turn-based and real-time combat. The HUD allows combat decisions to be queued, and they can be changed mid-battle using an optional pause feature. There's a small learning curve, but the system's easy to use once mastered.

Now, I'm not SP, but statements like this make me want to stab people in the face. *twitch twitch*

Also, what about this gem...?

KOTOR seems flawless. It's one of the greatest RPGs I've played and has eradicated my doubts that a Western developer can create an RPG on par with Final Fantasy.

:twisted:

-- Z.

 

[Elwro]

Quests’ rewards don’t disappoint and alter or enhance the main quest, and they even have multiple solutions.

Ye Gods! Rewards have multiple solutions?

The author doesn't say anything about the game mechanics, advancement etc. I have a vague feeling that he watched a trailer, read some hype from the publisher and then wrote this review.
He uses phrases like "adding massive replayability to an already awesome game" while I think that it's clear from this review that the guy didn't actually get too far in the game (but it's just my impression).

I'd like to see those planets which are "larger, more detailed" then Vvanderfell... Maybe I'm a pessimist, but I doubt if the words Mr Shenoy used were appropriate. We'll see...

EDIT: Why did they put Starcraft and Warcraft series in the "heritage" section? They want to lure RTS fans? Is it that simple?

 

[Volourn]

Yes, this review smells of hyperbole. I mea; I dislike MW myself; but the game is huge. KOTR supposedly take 40-60 hours on average yet it's larger? HAHAHA! How many areas are thee in MW? Supposedly, there's 200 or so in KOTR.

Hyperbole is NOT your friend, reviewers. Just a friendly warning.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Y'know i'd very much like to believe KoTOR is very good. There's no reason to dount it'll be better than NWN as a game. But these kinds of reviews just go to show that the hype is still there, and in great amounts... leading to wonder if the substance even comes close to it.

 

[Astromarine]

which means that us curious sould have to wait until another fellow Dexer takes one for the team, buys the game, then reviews it :twisted:

Any takers?

 

[triCritical]

This review is garbage. Its probably some 14 year old kid out of a garage. Not that it will matter, after all even the big e-rags like Gamespy, Gamespot and IGN gave NWN good reviews, ignoring faults that they complained about in other games, only focusing on the couple things it did right like MP. The fact is that the only truthful review you will ever get out of a Bioware, Id, or Blizzard product will be by peer review among people who you know have good taste in CRPG's.

 

[Voss]

At least according to his(?) bio, he's a touch older than that.
but... well. Anyway the bio is a curious read (just click on his name at the top)

I'm bothered that he couldn't find even one negative thing to say, even if it was something trivial and nit-picky.

and how is the battle system revolutionary? It sounds just like NWN. and hybrid real and turn based? Um. No. Real-time-with-pause. Same as everything bioware has done (except MDK which I haven't played)

Flawless? Flawless? Is this a reviewer or a paid PR monkey? (no offense to PR people. I just had a mental image of those old accordion monkeys with a little fez wildly turning a crank on an old music box)

And the heritage in the sidebar is down right bizarre...
BG? Fine. NWN? Obvious.
Diablo? Well...I guess if there are a lot of 18-1 battles and wiping out armies then it is...
But Starcraft and Warcraft? WTF? Seriously...WTF? Why not go on a related tangent and say the Jedi Knight series instead? At least there are similarities that way.

And no fed-ex quests? Is this really a Bioware game?
The world's gone mad! Mad!

 

[Volourn]

http://xbox.ign.com/articles/428/428645p1.html

Another, much more detailed review.

 

[Voss]

Wow, a couple actual gripes.
I'm mildly shocked.

This, however, worries me in a way:
"You begin the game as a soldier who simply happens to be strong with The Force and throughout the game you're developing your skills as a Jedi, making decisions that not only affect your leanings to the Dark Side or the Light Side of the force but will also determine how your game's story unfolds. We could tell you exactly how the story for our created characters went and still not ruin the majority of your experience because stories branch and spread all over the place before coming back to a handful of very specific and critical crossroads"

That last bit...quests all over the place, but coming back to a handful of specific and critical crossroads. Sounds like BG2 with tons of sidequests, but ultimately coming back to the main line. Which can be fine (since if you have a story, you have to tell it at some point), except I don't want to be forced to play through the main quest with choices Bioware makes for me the way they I was forced to in BG2.

 

[bossjimbob]

http://xbox.ign.com/articles/428/428645p1.html

Another, much more detailed review.

Thanks for the linkage. Egads! A 9.5?

 

[Elwro]

There's tons of character development, a combat probability system and a giant inventory to manage, so I guess KOTOR gets clearance as a role-playing game.

So... I finally know what a RPG is. You have to roll dice, have ph4t l3wt, and increase your Strength.

Freddy Fanboy can geek out for hours at how well the Jawa language has been adapted for a videogame

What is he talking about? Was the game done in Java? (I'm not a SW fan, so if it's something from the SW universe tell me, please).

Knights of the Old Republic asks you to do two things really: a)guide the story through your conversations and decision making and b)utilize the hybrid turn-based combat system to whoop ass on whoever needs it.

So, no exploring to be done. Pity. If you cut the phrase "real time with pause" (pardon me...) you will get a quite accurate description of IWD or, for worse, Kingpin.

Seriously, almost every feature the reviewer praises and wants us to perceive as innovative was present in older games.
And it seems you HAVE to improve your Force skills. Too bad; I wanted to play a smuggler with almost none Force capabilities.

 

[Volourn]

I think Jawa is some sort of Alien language in the SW universe.

Just to let you know, it was always made clear that you'd be playing some sort of Jedi in the game. Afterall, it's called "Knights" of the Republic for a reason. btw, You can be a smuggler in the game. And, you don't become a jedi 'til about 1 or so hours in.

Though; you do have a ppoint. Some of the features praised as newa ren't really new. That's reviews for you. Then again, almost every review for almost any game are like that. btw, Supposedly, there's a lot of exploring to do. Hyperbole says as much area as MW to cover; but I personally doubt it's that much.

 

[bossjimbob]

I think many reviewers state (or restate) the obvious play mechanics of the game in their write-ups due to the fact that either they themselves are new to the genre, or they are trying to make the article more accessable to the general gaming public by informing them of the basics. RPGs aren't as widely accessable or popular as some other, easier genres (ie - that crapfest The Matrix sold something like 3 million copies whereas Morrowind was more of a sleeper hit) so it's necessary to "set the stage." I know the majority of the members here find it childish and vacuous, but truth be known, most people reading the reviews on these major e-rags have no idea how well crafted RPGs work. Perhaps they unnecessarily glorify features present in previous titles, but I don't think it's such a bad thing that they are included. Just ignore gratuitous adjectives and you'll still probably get a good idea of the general quality of KotOR. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Jed]

I think Jawa is some sort of Alien language in the SW universe.

It's those little short guys in the hoods on the desert planet.

 

[Voss]

I think Jawa is some sort of Alien language in the SW universe.

Just to let you know, it was always made clear that you'd be playing some sort of Jedi in the game. Afterall, it's called "Knights" of the Republic for a reason. btw, You can be a smuggler in the game. And, you don't become a jedi 'til about 1 or so hours in.

Though; you do have a ppoint. Some of the features praised as newa ren't really new. That's reviews for you. Then again, almost every review for almost any game are like that. btw, Supposedly, there's a lot of exploring to do. Hyperbole says as much area as MW to cover; but I personally doubt it's that much.

Isn't it a choice of scout, scoundrel or soldier (under the star wars d20 system)?
(For those who don't know, characters from the movies would be classified this way:
Chewbacca and the Ewoks would be scouts, Han Solo and Lando Calrissian would be scoundrels, and...eh. Generic troop people would be soldiers)

I'm very curious about how they implemented game rules, because on paper, the SW d20 system places far less importance on Base Attack Bonus than D&D does- armor class maxes out in the low 20s for non Jedi characters, and armor is almost completely useless if you aren't in the soldier class, due to the inherent defense bonus of the classes. Do you know if this carries over into KoToR?

 

[Volourn]

Voss, there is a total of 6 classes/. You get the choice of the three mentioned; but 3 Jedi classes afterwards.

I cna't compare the rules BIO is suing in the pnp SW d20 rules as I have never played it. I do know they have point buy (of 30), 8 skills, and about 30 or so feats (which both seem pretty low, imo).

XJEDX, Aahhh, though they were familiar.

 

[Voss]

Right. Knew about the jedi classes and the multiclassing (well, sort of. 3? Jedi consular (negotiator), Jedi guardian, whats the third?)

I was just referring to the classes you could start off in.

You wouldn't happen to know if you can avoid becoming a Jedi at all would you?
I doubt it given the plot, but it would be a nice option. Partly because it would be much more of a challenge.
("Haha- I reject your silly energy field that permeates the universe- eat thermal detonator idealistic fool!")

8 Skills and 30 feats does seem low.
I knew they had shrunk the skill list a little, but gah. Hmm. It also means that scoundrel will automatically max out all the skills (they get 8/level + int bonus) unless they lower the number of skill points classes get. Not happy

 

[Volourn]

No, you ca't avoid being a Jedi. Too bad about that; but if helps the story; I'll accept.

I'm not sure about skill points; but with the limited amount skills; it would be wise of them to lower the skill poins available.

I think the last jedi class is Senteinel which is the one I'll be taking.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

I belive the reviewer gave it a 9.5 because 1) its for XBox. 2) XBox doesn't really have that many good RPGs, so KoTOR, even if it comes out bad, is probably better than the current selection. And 3), its the XBox division of IGN. I think the Ivan Sulik from the PC section is the best reviewer IGN has. I haven't seen him around lately (except on the Mailbag section), but when he reviews, he is usually very discriminating. I'd wager he is almost as thorough as Saint Proverbius.

Hell, thats prolly because he hasn't reviewed much lately - the directors have prolly chained the old boy somewhere so he won't pass judgement (judgment which i still haven't seen falter) on games. He's not overly biased (if biased at all), and tends to get the most heat from reviewers because of it.

 

[Elwro]

I think the Ivan Sulik from the PC section is the best reviewer IGN has.

Hah! Remember the hot-dog preview of SoU?

I haven't seen him around lately (except on the Mailbag section)

It's probably because of that preview. For me it was a good joke, actually.[/quote]

 

[Volourn]

Actually, supposedly, the IGN fellow who reviewed KOTOR doesn't even like rpgs that much...

 

[bossjimbob]

Gamespot gave it a 9.1. Check out the review while it's still freely available (1 week I believe).

 

[Volourn]

Yeah. Compared to the overall review; the graphics were criticized relatively hard.