Review KotOR sheet rolling at GameIndustry

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

<A href="http://www.gameindustry.com/">GamesIndustry</a> gives <A href="http://www.swkotor.com">Knights of the Old Republic</a> a big, fat <b>5/5 gem</b> <A href="http://www.gameindustry.com/reviews/031124knights.asp">review</a> as well. Here's a clip:
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<blockquote>Once you have the option of becoming a Jedi, you are again given the option to choose between three new classes. Those classes are similar to the ones above and contain a combat effective character called a guardian, a mix of the two called a sentinel, and a class more based on mental discipline called a consular. Once you have chosen a class you gain access to a slew of force powers. </blockquote>
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Excepting, of course, it's not optional to become a Jedi.
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Spotted this at <A href="http://www.bluesnews.com">Blue's News</a>

 

[Flink]

Yeah, thats pretty crummy. I actually thought the game was pretty ok until I was forced in to becoming a Jedi. I had planned to be a middle of the road bounty hunter/sniper type. But when I was forced so become a jedi I lost my will to play. Nice work Bioware!

I know the jedi powers wont hinder me and give me more options. And I guess I don't HAVE to use a light saber just because of the jedi thing. Its being forced in to it that I hate. What if I didn't want to?

 

[Volourn]

This has been known for a good yea rnow that you'd be forced to be a jedi. Lots of people have made successful non light sabre weidling jedis. I think it's a nice twist that fits the story. If you didn't want to; just tell the Council no thank you, quit the game, and restart new game with a character who wnats the kewl jedi powers. Problem solved.

Questions:

1. What happens if I playa character who doens't wnat to deal with the Master?

2. What happens if I don't want to deal with the temple?

3. What happens if I don't want to have revenge against Irneicus?

Answer them, and you'll know why being "forced" to be a jedi in KOTOR ain't all that bad.

 

[Flink]

I didn't like that about BG2's plot either. I always disliked Imoen but I was still forced to go and save her even tho I always considered her a whiney little bitch.

As for the Master, At least when you get to him you can say: "Oh, I see your point of view. Fine, I won't stop you. In fact, I'll help you!" Same goes for the Temple. You have a choice in these other games. Also, your 3 examples are all main quests. The core of the game.

Now, I haven't played further then the Jedi Concil on Dantooine. So I don't know if becomming a jedi is the main quest. If it is, then why the hell trick the player in to thinking that he/she has a choice in the begining only to yank it out from under them when they've invested a lot in to a character? Why not set you of on the jedi quest from the get go?

 

[Volourn]

Because it's aprt of the story, silly goose. KNIGHTS of the OLD Republic is the clue. On the first world, it is obvious your character is attuned to the Force. Let's also not to forget the fact that BIO had stated basiclaly since the game was announced that you would be a jedi.

Thanks for proving my point. In all three of those games, you HAVE to deal with those things. Every game has it.

And, no, you don't have to save Imoen at all.

 

[Chadeo]

It is the difference between “you must complete this plot point” and “you must complete this plot point in this manner”. Sure at the end of the day the results might be the same, but the feeling you get from them can have a large amount of variance (which is why some people only enjoy games that are of one type or the other). Said more forcefully, a game will either force feed you motives so you can follow the plot, or will give you a plot that allows you to have your own motives.

While I have not played a bioware game after BG, the little I have seen and read of them leads me to be fairly confident that they are big believers in the second statement. They basically make Final Fantasy games set in pre-made universes (either d&d or star wars so far) using d20 rules with a real time system put in place over it, oh and without all the beautiful (as long as you ignore the cheesy dialog) videos square is so famous for.

Some people really like that style of play. Some do not. So you can debate the relative merits of both styles of play, but it is rather silly to not admit that there is a clear difference between how one plays through games like BG and Torment (or fallout and KOTOR). This does not even take into account the very non-linear games like morrowind which offer an even greater contrast.

Now I do not know the details of the KOTOR character system but I can see how forcing this class change on me could be very annoying. Then again, I could also see it handled in a manner that could actually be very fun. Given the track record of bioware, and my own personal preference for an rpg, I am very skeptical that it is in fact done in a way that I would enjoy.

 

[Volourn]

Answer: Yes, you have to be a jedi; but as I explained, this is story based. Anyone who has played the game would relazie this pretty quickly. Secondly, you aren't stuck being some broing old fahsion goody two one dimensional jedi. Firts off, there are three jedi classes which are given to you based on a test (mind you, one part of it is done very poorly, imo; but alas). Second off, how you go about doing the final Jedi test is up to you. I didn't do it the 'evil" way myself; so I don't know what come sout of it so if someone who has please explain what happens. Heh.

That said, like I satted in my early review for the first planet, if you don't like BIO's style, you are probably best off not buying the game 'cause it IS in EVERY way a BIO game. Period.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I don't think the class forcing is a big deal in KOTOR. Being a Jedi means your original class+some extra abilities. It's not like you are being forced to swiitch from fighter to thief, it's the same under a different name. You can pretend to join as there are several "lie" options and keep developing your old character assigning feats to non-jedi skills.

 

[Volourn]

What do you mean ';pretend"? Aren't you still a jedi though (as in have jedi powers and such)? And, I definitely use feats for non jedi stuff. Force powers, and light sabres are Jedi enough.

P.S. Force Push r0x!!!