Review GameCell thoroughly trashes KOTOR 2

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Obsidian Entertainment; Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords

<a href=http://www.gamecell.co.uk>GameCell UK</a> has posted the most <a href=http://www.gamecell.co.uk/xbox/Star_Wars_Knights_of_the_Old_Republic_II_The_Sith_Lords.htm>negative review</a> of <a href=http://www.lucasarts.com/games/swkotor_sithlords>KOTOR 2</a> in the known universe, giving it <b>5/10</b> and using mean words like <i>the most DISAPPOINTING game I have EVER played!</i>. Them the fighting words, pardner.
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<blockquote>And as I said before, for the first 25 hours the game really is a joy, you feel part of a huge galaxy spanning story and take interest in all the characters you meet. You really want to talk to everyone and complete all those tiny little side quests that you come across. Again it’s the closest you can get to playing in the Star Wars universe without going up in the attic and getting the old toys out. But then something very strange happens, it all goes horribly, horribly wrong.
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At around the 25 hour mark the story seems to get completely forgotten, for a good portion of the next 5 hours you just run around fighting a seemingly endless onslaught of Sith soldiers in various locations, as wave after wave attacks you really start to think that it’s just padding. It dawns on you that Obsidian has really rushed everything to get the game out when they did. At the 30 hour mark the story hits a brick wall. BANG - that’s it, no real ending as such and more questions than the entire Matrix trilogy asked are still left unanswered. Even your final conversation makes the whole thing obvious that the ending was rushed with one line answers given to questions about “the future”</blockquote>
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Hmm, it looks like Obsidian has pulled a Bloodlines there. Or maybe it's just a new trend in the industry these days.
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[Volourn]

Let me guess. The first 25 hours are fantastic; the next 5 or so not so good. Somehow the proportion of the 5/10 score is a tad off...

 

[Jinxed]

At around the 25 hour mark the story seems to get completely forgotten, for a good portion of the next 5 hours you just run around fighting a seemingly endless onslaught of Sith soldiers in various locations, as wave after wave attacks you really start to think that it’s just padding. It dawns on you that Obsidian has really rushed everything to get the game out when they did. At the 30 hour mark the story hits a brick wall

Sounds a lot like Bloodlines.

 

[Screaming_life]

It does sound like bloodlines. I think i'll play with a stop watch, as soon as i reach 25 hours, Godmode on

 

[jiujitsu]

I beat KOTOR 2 and I don't have a clue what this guy is talking about.

 

[Andyman Messiah]

Just started playing the game (borrowed it from a friend) and so far everything's good. Better than KOTOR1 (yeah, I know that doesn't exactly mean anything) and the universe feels a lot darker and (gasp!) exciting.

This review however does make me feel a bit sick about the game, because I hated the Star Forge-levels in KOTOR1 and reading that KOTOR2 obviously will have more of the same semi-endless enemy waves to kill makes me wet my pants in fear. Still, I guess there's still a chance the reviewer is wrong (and boy, does that chance seem big right now). I really fricking hope he is.

Edit:

I beat KOTOR 2 and I don't have a clue what this guy is talking about.

Hmm... Right now, I hope you're right.

 

[Sol Invictus]

Everyone I know who's had a chance to play KOTOR2 would probably vilify this reviewer as nothing but a idiot who couldn't handle the involved dialogues, because it either 'put him to sleep' or was 'too complex for a console RPG'.

 

[Andyman Messiah]

Everyone I know who's had a chance to play KOTOR2 would probably vilify this reviewer as nothing but a idiot who couldn't handle the involved dialogues, because it either 'put him to sleep' or was 'too complex for a console RPG'.

It's definitely too complex for a console RPG, but then again: isn't anything to complex for the console cuddlers?

I've played it a bit more and patched up HK-47. I can guarantee that the evil robot is back in old fashion. Still no sign at any endless enemy waves, despite people say I don't have much more left in the game... Question: Is this true? Because if it is, the game is really not very lengthy or hard.

 

[EvoG]

Then again, anyone can have a website and be a 'game reviewer'. I say this not out of some sort of childish resentment because he bashed a game I enjoyed immensely ( though some things went fuX0rd on me see below ), but rather that his score seems arbitrary and does not reflect what he wrote.

Super Duper Spoliers

As for the planet he was referring to, where the HK factory was supposed to reside, and from whom the clones were being sent, that was left out entirely, and I was really anticipating it more than a lot of the others.

The ambiguous 'union' between me and General Valku (sp?) on Onderon. I dont ever recall conciously siding with him against the Queen, yet, after Nar Shaadar, I'm thrust into a huge fight where I'm killing everyone left and right...people I had NO anger towards nor, again, wanted to fight against...THEN, I end up killing that Jedi! I'm full light side with +3 mastery...I'm like jesus, and I'm being treated, IN the dialogue, as an evil conquering Sith Lord. No joke! WTF was that? It almost completely ruined the game for me, seeing my totally good character being treated that way, and that I had no way to object. Its almost as if my dialogue options WERE those of an evil character and the game just fucked up.

GOTO and Remote on Malachor V...that went unresolved.

Darth Sion was the coolest evil dude never used in a videogame.

Atris's 'true self' was uninspired and shallow

Oh and I never fully 'sided' with Visas in any substantial way before Handmadien 'lets me have it' and asks how I could give her my heart yadda yadda and that "we have nothing more to say to eachother". Huh?!? Visas JUST joined us! Sure enough, she didn't say dick to me outside of mission specific cue's.


Anyway, these gripes do not really make a bit of difference for what WAS there, which was very well written, and pretty much totally captivating til the end. And I LOVED the reference to Boba Fett in Kreia's vision of the Mandalorians.


Cheers

 

[voodoo1man]

... more questions than the entire Matrix trilogy asked are still left unanswered.

The only question the Matrix trilogy made me ask is "Exactly how stupid are the Wachowski brothers?" It is still left unanswered.

 

[DorrieB]

I have a question. I've played Bloodlines and I love the first half, but the second half feels like it was a bodge job, and now I hear that Kotor 2 is the same, right?

Does this mean that games are made chronologically? (i.e., the last bits of the game are the last bits that are actually made?)

 

[EvoG]

I have a question. I've played Bloodlines and I love the first half, but the second half feels like it was a bodge job, and now I hear that Kotor 2 is the same, right?

Does this mean that games are made chronologically? (i.e., the last bits of the game are the last bits that are actually made?)

First off thats this guys opinion...despite even MY questions regarding the near-end of the game, its not 50/50 good/bad. More like 80/20 if anything, though thats strangely rigid, and its easier to simply state that the game was VERY enjoyable and very well written. With that said, no, games aren't necessarily made chronologically. Interestingly enough, some schools of thought have the middle to end parts of the game made FIRST, so that by the time the team warms up to the concepts, art and coding, they're ready to do some real great work on the first parts of the game, which are statistically the most important parts of the game. The logic ( which I dont agree with but see the point ) is that its better to have a great start and get lots of people to buy the game and get some of that initial enjoyment, and not worry about the smaller percentage of people that will actually make it to the end of the game....to see how you kinda cheesed it. First 10 minutes of a game are crucial.


Cheers