Review KotOR first gushings at GameSpy

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

<A href="http://www.gamespy.com/">GameSpy</a> serves up a <A href="http://www.gamespy.com/previews/november03/kotorpc/">first impressions review</A> of <A href="http://www.swkotor.com">Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic</a>, they love it:
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<blockquote>I finally got my hot little hands on the boxed version of the game today, and while we'll have our full review in a few days, I simply couldn't wait to share my feelings about the game. So what do PC gamers have to look forward to in PC KotOR? Three words:
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Oh. My. God.
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Put simply, I haven't been this blown away by a PC game all year - and this is a year that stunned me with the greatness that was Vice City and AoM: The Titans (among other titles). This game is simply awesome. </blockquote>
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Both hands above the desk, please.
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Spotted this on <A href="http://www.bluesnews.com">Blue's News</a>

 

[Vault Dweller]

While die-hard RPG fanatics may miss their pure turn-based combat system, I'm hard-pressed to find anything wrong with KotOR's combat system.

How come everybody hates those pesky die-hard rpg fanatics and their stupid TB combat system? I never heard anyone saying "while the generation of morons raised on Bio RT games may miss the pause-n-play system, after playing ToEE, I clearly see why die-hard RPG fans were bitching about RT combat all these years"

after playing the game for a couple of hours, I've found that, so long as I equip my character's properly, I'm not using the pause functionality all that much

Yep, watching combat is much more interesting then actually playing

Even better, fans of the Baldur's Gate series will immediately feel at home with the enormous laundry list of morally ambiguous quests and the reactions of people in the game as you lean more toward the Light or Dark side.

Morally ambiguous quests? Sounds great, btw, what is this cool Baldur's Gate game he speaks of?

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Even better, fans of the Baldur's Gate series will immediately feel at home with the enormous laundry list of morally ambiguous quests and the reactions of people in the game as you lean more toward the Light or Dark side.

Morally ambiguous quests? Sounds great, btw, what is this cool Baldur's Gate game he speaks of?

Come now, VD, everyone knows choosing between killing something for free or taking money to kill something is a gut-wrenching, tear-jerking decision.

 

[Volourn]

You obiously haven't played the Bg series. There were more than a feqw quests that involved more than simply money.

As for KOTOR, I like it; but it's also ovrrated. The bottom line is if you like the way BIO makes crpgs; you will like it. If you don't like their writing style, their type of quests, the way they do combat; you won't. That said, I'm dissapointed in the combat myself. While good; I find it to be the weakest of all BIO's games when it comes to combat.

 

[Vault Dweller]

That said, I'm dissapointed in the combat myself. While good; I find it to be the weakest of all BIO's games when it comes to combat.

Can you tell me more about the combat and its mechanics? Why are you dissapointed?

 

[Volourn]

For starters, it's real easy. I've been beaten twice. Once, because I wasn't evenr eally trying - just went in for fun unprepared. And, once ina duel match where it was obviously not ready to take on my oppoent. Heh.

The biggest thing I dislike about the combat is I can't really tell what is my actual attack, and what is for show so I don't even know if my weapon being parried was a miss, or just a part of the fancy combat animations. Unlike the Bg series, or NWN sp; you need to have pause at end of combat round turned on, or you wouldn't know exactly when to choose your action since the combat is so seamless in continuation; the turns may pass you by. Annoying as heck.

 

[Vault Dweller]

If the battles are easy or if your build is successful and you see no need to issue commands, does it play like DS? No sarcasm, just trying to understand.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

You obiously haven't played the Bg series. There were more than a feqw quests that involved more than simply money.

If you can't understand a joke, don't even try it. I played the BG series just fine, thank you. Morally ambiguity, if it exists in the game, is either extrememly well hidden, or is reduced to absolutely inane and balck and white PoVs.

 

[Volourn]

VD, no, I do have to issue commands. That's the problem, without actuallys electing puase at end of combat round option was theren't; you really wouldn't be able to tell when the round is over since ina single round; your character can do an obscenbely number of moves so it's difficult to tell which are his actual attacks, and which are just for show. I have a funny feeling if you were to let the game play itself ala DS; your character would have a short life span. For starters, your character would never use a med pack. And, hey, I'm still trying to figure out exactly how the combat works. I don't reallyc are for the games' controls. Supposedly, you can move around with the mouse; but from my experience sof ar, the mouse only controls the camera so that's annoying as well. Anyways,..

Roleplayer, if you can't understand a joke; don't even try it.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

What a witty retort you conjured! Then again, i wasn't expecting better.

 

[baelstren]

Supposedly, you can move around with the mouse; but from my experience sof ar, the mouse only controls the camera so that's annoying as well.

I have the XBox version, and I get the feeling that, control-wise, KoTOR may be better suited to console play. Pausing, queuing up actions, and switching control of party members are a breeze with the S controller.

 

[-Lord Ebonstone-]

KOTOR's not that bad at all, folks. I too wish it had pure turn-based combat, even if it was done ala Final Fantasy or somesuch, but we don't always get what we wish for...

As for KOTOR's vices compared to its virtues, I think this is a prime example of this forum's/site's incredible ability to perform exceptionally selective listening. Maybe if you looked at games objectively, instead of hating Bioware like it was your god-given mission and defending inferior developers like Troika, (yes, Troika is far inferior to Bioware at this point), this site might have a bit more credibility than it does right now.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Troika is far inferior to Bioware at this point

:shock:

this site might have a bit more credibility than it does right now.

 

[Volourn]

It is true. Troika has made one great game. BIO has made 3, and maybe a 4th.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

I don't consider Bioware superior to Troika in terms of CRPG development, but in terms of market force, Bioware is superior. Yes, unfortunately. They, as a team, have only made two games, which unfortunately were neither well published neither well marketed. Bioware managed to come on top with higher production values and better publishing. Still, like mentioned above, Troika is above Bio in terms of CRPG development.

 

[Volourn]

No, thery aren't. TOEE isn't much of a role-playing game. It's a D&D combat simulator. Arcanum is fantastic. People seem to foget that BIo didn't become a "mega dveloper" by accidnet. It wasn't that longa go when they were just another small time developing company like Troika is. It wasn't publishing, and marketing that amde BIO into one of the top game devlopers; and probably the top crpg dveloper (unless you count Blizzard as one as well); but quite frankly by making games people wnat to play. Simple as that.
For the record, thisn't just simple bias on my part. Heck, I easily rate Arcanum over NWN OC for example; but the bottom line is BIO destroys Troika in every way that matters.

 

[Vault Dweller]

It is true. Troika has made one great game. BIO has made 3, and maybe a 4th.

Arcanum is easily worth 10 Bio games, so they are still short 6 games ToEE is much better then NWN OC, and I'm willing to bet that Bloodlines would be at least as good as KOTOR. Throw in Fallout to piss people off and I really don't see Bio's superiority.

 

[Volourn]

FO is not Troika. Stop lying. And, Arcanum is a great game; but NOT that great but LOL anyways. And, no TOEE is NOT better than NWN OC. I thought it would be; but I was wrong. Even its much vaunted combat which I really like has too many weaknesses due to bugginess, poor design decisions ala unable to run away (yeah, yeah, fixed in patch; but since I have no desire to play the game again it is now irrelevant), and the simple fatc that overall TOEE'S combat is easy. As for Bloodlines, nothing about the game interests me. It's a 1st person shooter with big boobies with talk about role-playing; but nothing to back it up. I'll wait to see what actual good game Troika has planned for after that one.
It still stands: BIO3 Troika 1, and BIo may add a 4th if KOTOR works out.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

No, thery aren't. TOEE isn't much of a role-playing game. It's a D&D combat simulator.

Which still doesn't stop it from having roleplaying.

People seem to foget that BIo didn't become a "mega dveloper" by accidnet. It wasn't that longa go when they were just another small time developing company like Troika is. It wasn't publishing, and marketing that amde BIO into one of the top game devlopers

Troika's games did not had the same production values, neither the same development time, neither the same publishing quality. Do you think for a second BG2 would be as well-received if it had as many glaring problems as ToEE had? Not by a longshot. Even the bugs it had on initial release were soon put aside by clueless people.

and probably the top crpg dveloper (unless you count Blizzard as one as well); but quite frankly by making games people wnat to play. Simple as that.

It isn't as simple as you claim. The problem with that analogy is that Troika also makes CRPGs. Don't people want CRPGs? Yes, they do. But the point here is that Bioware makes the kind of dilluted RPGs that people prefer. People prefer automation and simple, no-brainer gameplay. And that's what Bio gives them. Thats the truth. Just the other day a reviewer complained ToEE didn't had an automated or simple way of allocating attribute points on the fly, like NWN. Bioware, quite frankly, makes lazy games for lazy people. (I'm obviously excluding KoTOR here because i haven't played it)

For the record, thisn't just simple bias on my part. Heck, I easily rate Arcanum over NWN OC for example; but the bottom line is BIO destroys Troika in every way that matters.

And what exactly matters? Does it matter what people want to play, or does it matter that one company actually manges to do games that live up to their genres' namesake?

 

[HanoverF]

Milking a proven franchise repeatedly like a gluttonous calf at a cow udder does not make Bio > anyone...

I take that back, Bio is > anyone at lowering the standards of CRPG fans. Bio found the lowest common denominator of fan that is likely to not finish a game or play through only once, targeted them, and brought a bunch of people down to that level. So much so that 2 similar paths through a game, or going to points B,D,C,A rather then A,B,C,D is REVOLUTIONARY!!!!1!!1

I feel sorry for the guys behind the Dungeon Siege expansion, they gave people more of the same of what they claimed to enjoy when DS was released, and they're getting lambasted for how boring and wretched DS is, while Bioware whistles nonchalantly and kicks Shadows of Urinetide and HotU behind a curtain...

 

[Volourn]

BIo's games are not automated. And,m neither are they are"simple" or "no brainer'. Anyone who thinks TOEE is compiictaed just isn't very smart. In fact, I feel that TOEE holds the player's hand too much. BIo makes good games for people who want good games. As for publishing, how can you say BIO had better publishing. NWN, and TOEE both had the same publisher yet BIO is still making patches for it (and not simply because it has more bugs); while people had to gnash their teeth for a TOEE patch. Perhaps it's because BIO cares about their games' quality much more than Troika apparantly does. BIo's games surely live up to its nameake genre than Troika's does. In fact, NWN is much closer to a real role-playing game than anything else made by either BIO, or Troika. Period.

Milking a proven franchise? Oh... You mean like Troika is trying to do with TOEE, and Blodlines? Hmm...

Quit frankly, the lowest commond enominator are the ones who makes exuses for a bug infested; poorly developed with stupid deisgnd ecisions game like TOEE and then brag how deep, and fantastci it is.

 

[-Lord Ebonstone-]

Arcanum? Um.

You can claim that Arcanum would have been the next great RPG if it had top production values, more development time, etc, etc... but in doing so, you ignore some glaring issues with the game a bug-free environment and prettier graphics wouldn't have fixed, such as:

-Completely unbalanced stat/skill/spell/tech system.
-Flimsy, gaseous plot full of cliches.
-Absolutely atrocious combat system.
-Absolutely atrocious henchman AI.
-Lack of good organization when it comes to character info, inventory, and quests.

Now Arcanum wasn't hellacious. Its "Steampunk" setting was great (hats off to Troika for making a realistic setting and still including magic and such). The sheer amount of options was interesting (though less would probably have been more in this case). Some of the characterization was excellent, but it was entirely too obvious who Troika wanted you to take into your party (ie, the characters that had a voiceover, and/or non-ATM dialog).

We all loved Fallout, but just because Mr. Cain has his name on Arcanum and ToEE doesn't instantly make them classics, let alone good games.

 

[Volourn]

Do not insult Arcanum. It's one of the best crpgs ever. Goa way with your nonsense, or at least stick to bashing TOEE then I will help you.

 

[Jed]

Arcanum?

I think I've noticed a trend with all the new Bio-loving rejects that are rearing their ugly heads in the last few weeks: Pretentiousness of name is directly proportional to overzealousness of defense of Bioware.

 

[Volourn]

You suck at spotting trends. It's that simple.