Game News KotOR fun at GameSpy's Most Wanted Games of 2003.

[Deathy]

Tags: BioWare; Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Yup, that's right, who would have guessed that GameSpy would include <a href="http://www.swkotor.com/">Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic</a> as one of their <a href="http://www.gamespy.com/preview2003/pc/day2/">Most Wanted Games of 2003</a>? It clocked in at number 14, with this nice little marketing spiel:
<br>
<blockquote>While plenty of Star Wars games have been released over the years, not many can claim to take place a few thousand years before Yoda picked up his first lightsaber. Then again, not many games can boast a partnership as powerful as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: LucasArts, responsible for some the most memorable moments in gaming history; and BioWare, one of the most accomplished role-playing game developers today. </blockquote>
<br>
With the endorsement of GameSpy, you just know that <a href="http://www.swkotor.com/">Star Wars: Knights</a> will be a classic.

 

[Deathy]

Note: Saint Posted about the next article in this series about a week ago, talking about how Deus Ex 2 was #2 in this list.
I just wanted to make a KotOR/GameSpy bashing news post for a change. Besides, it was such an easy target.

 

[Flarnet]

"Then again, not many games can boast a partnership as powerful as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: LucasArts, responsible for some the most memorable moments in gaming history; and BioWare, one of the most accomplished role-playing game developers today. "

First of all: Every single SW game made is made together with Lucasarts.

Second: Everyone knows that Lucasarts hasn't made a good game in years, and neither has any partner for that matter. I personally would say there hasn't been a good game since -97, even if Alliance was pretty good.

Third: Bioware doesn't seem to be making games anymore, they just provide the engine, graphics and tools needed to create games using the D&D 3rd edition rules.

Ah. The joy of working at Gamespy industries - you can leave your brain at home. In fact, I'm the brain of a Gamespy employee writing this as my body (lead by the ass) is off to work, registering planet-something URLs.

 

[Constipated Craprunner]

Actually-
Grim Fandango
JK2JO
The Latest Monkey Something.
They are not total crap at all.

 

[Flarnet]

I hear that Grim Fandango is good from those who like those kinds of games. So ok, -97, -98, whatever. It's 2003.

I personally fail to see Jedi Knight 2 as anything but a slightly above average fps in a year were the average fps was complete and utter crap. And I doubt that in two years from it's release a single person will consider it meaningful to anyone or anything in any way.

Boy, how did I get this negative? And how did I stray so from crpgs?

What is the RPG Codex equivalent of "So, how about them Yankees?"?

I could take the time to request an interview with the UFO: Aftermath crew of course. That game looks a little too good to be true.

 

[Spazmo]

Bad news, kid. The staff is a bunch of X-COM fans who really hate UFO Aftermath.

To be fair, Raven made the excellent Jedi Knight II. And Totally Games made X-Wing Alliance. But still, LucasArts really knows how to make an adventure game, although Escape From Monkey Island isn't as good as past MI games. Nevertheless, I have high hopes for Full Throttle 2 and Sam & Max 2.

 

[Flarnet]

But why do they hate it? Do they hate Arx Fatalis because of it's Underworld resemblance? Or is there some behind-the-scene stuff that I don't know about?

 

[Section8]

Jedi Outcast was shit. It felt like a Quake 3 Star Wars TC, the only good design features were lifted straight from Half-Life, and even then they didn't outweigh the number of cardinal game design sins committed, such as escort missions, enemies armed with sniper weapons, among other things. The scripted sequences were terrible. "Never trust a bartender with a bad accent..." Is that supposed to be a fucking joke? Oh and while I'm at it, fucking bullet time? Please pass the cheese.

 

[Constipated Craprunner]

So this is what happens when PMS happens to Europeans?
Whats so wrong with Quake TC, anyway?
Straight from HL?
Not really.
I do not remember any game recently with that kind of melee combat, though.
And Spazmo, if LA is making KOTOR (as Flarnet was referring to), than they made JK2JO.

 

[Spazmo]

Yes, but they're not making KOTOR and they didn't make JK2. I don't really care what Flarnet said.

 

[Constipated Craprunner]

Yes, but they're not making KOTOR and they didn't make JK2. I don't really care what Flarnet said.

I know.
I was just putting it into the context I was using it.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

But why do they hate it? Do they hate Arx Fatalis because of it's Underworld resemblance? Or is there some behind-the-scene stuff that I don't know about?

Wait for Laser Squad Nemesis: Earth.

 

[Sol Invictus]

The latest monkey island is a piece of crap in comparison to all their previous adventure games. The lame 3d engine ruined the experience for me. It just didn't feel animated anymore. The experience felt completely fake, and boy were the level transitions ANNOYING.

Jedi Knight 2 has some pretty nice multiplayer combat and the weapons are pretty nifty. The single player game is a pile of steaming shit, though. There's no other way for me to put how I feel about the campaign. For one, the maps are horrible - you'll get lost easy and each map usually revolves around finding the crappy vent that leads to the next stage.

Grim Fandango? Many liked it - I didn't. 3d engine is at fault again. The game and story itself is very well done, though. Besides MI3, it's probably LucasArts last success with gaming.

I hear that Grim Fandango is good from those who like those kinds of games. So ok, -97, -98, whatever. It's 2003.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

What is the RPG Codex equivalent of "So, how about them Yankees?"?

We have a couple of equivalent subjects for that:
1) Fallout is the best RPG I've ever played
2) NWN sure does suck. Here are the reasons why I think that...

 

[Deathy]

I think "So how about those BioWare fanboys?" sums up that sentiment up perfectly here.

 

[Legolas]

2) NWN sure does suck. Here are the reasons why I think that...

Good reasoning...

It's interesting that everyone who thinks NWN is decent is called a "fanboy" just for liking it. Not that I'm a fan of it or anything, but still...

 

[Constipated Craprunner]

2) NWN sure does suck. Here are the reasons why I think that...

Good reasoning...

It's interesting that everyone who thinks NWN is decent is called a "fanboy" just for liking it. Not that I'm a fan of it or anything, but still...

Not that anyone who thinks it's decent.
In my view for some people it was worth it- the MP is okay, but the toolset is definetly user friendly, and powerful.
It's more along the lines of "How 'bout them NWN SP Fanboys?"

 

[Spazmo]

The toolset isn't user friendly at all, unless you want to make something really rotten. To make a proper module, you need some decent scripts, which requires some knowledge of C++, which isn't user-friendly.

 

[Legolas]

I'll admit, KoTOR is high on my list of games I most want to play in 2003. Although, it's largely due to the fact that I'm one of those geeky Star Wars fans...

 

[SexExitium]

 

[Spazmo]

KOTOR is a solid "maybe" for me.