The original Knights of the Old Republic was undoubtedly one of the benchmark titles of 2003. It was the first Xbox RPG to achieve success both critically and commercially, and it came from an American developer, which was quite an accomplishment in the predominately Japanese genre. When Fable, the heir apparent to KOTOR’s throne, failed to seize the Xbox RPG crown, all eyes turned back towards LucasArts, and their highly-anticipated follow-up, KOTOR 2: The Sith Lords. LucasArts gave fans plenty of reason to worry- the shorter than average turnaround time for a sequel (an RPG sequel, at least) in the hands of another development team (Obsidian, while Bioware focuses on creating Jade Empire). There’s little to fret about, however. While it may not live up to the original in many regards, KOTOR 2 is, at the very least, more of the same role-playing goodness that got Xbox gamers hooked in the first place.

Story:

KOTOR 2 walks the fine line of appealing to fans of the original while not alienating gamers enjoying the series for the first time. All that’s required is a love for the Star Wars mythos, which, in this day and age, is commonplace. The story takes place a few years after the events of the first KOTOR, with the Jedi finding themselves on the wrong side of a slaughter. Your character is one of the last remaining Jedi in the universe, and you’re not the most loved one, at that. It’s up to you to decide whether you want to fight for the light side of the force and turn the tide for the beleaguered Jedi, or join the dark side and turn your back on the group that seemingly gave up on you.

Once again, the story is incredibly diverse, even if the character creator isn’t. For every honorable task and solution, there is an equally insidious act that can get the job done, too. On Telos, for example, do you align with the planet-serving Ithorians or the money-hungry Czerka Corporation? The choice is yours, and thankfully, you’re almost never tied into a task just because you’re entrenched to one side of the force. There’s always time to change.

Thankfully, KOTOR 2 is able to incorporate story elements and characters from the original without making them seem completely foreign to noobs. Most characters from the first are limited to a requisite “Hey, look, it’s _____!” cameo, while the two returning characters that have a place in your party consist of the most beloved character from the original, HK-47, and the other, more non-sentient droid, T3-M4. Speaking of T3-M4, KOTOR 2 incorporates an optional prologue wherein you control the silent droid as he attempts to repair the Ebon Hawk (the ship from the first game) and it’s human inhabitant (who is not). It’s a nice touch, considering you only had to have the character in your party for one measly event in the original KOTOR.

In terms of character design and development, KOTOR 2 has the original beat. Aside from the bigger roles for neglected characters like T3-M4, your character has a bit more depth (and memory of his/her past, though you still have to piece a few things together), and compatriots are bit less… Carth-esque. You forge more genuine bonds with these characters, and in this game, you can gain and lose influence with them, affecting their progression (or regression) from the Jedi/Sith orders.

If there was any facet of the story that could be criticized, it would be the pacing. While you can skip the half-hour long prologue where T3-M4 interacts with a lifeless ship and an equally quiet droid, the next 5-6 hours take place in a ghost ship on the Peragus mining colony. While you eventually find four characters to interact with on the craft, a lion’s share of your time is spent interacting with lifeless computers and watching non-interactive security logs. It’s not bad storytelling, mind you, it just could’ve been incorporated later on, when you’ve had plenty of previous interaction or, at the very least, a sizable party to talk amongst. KOTOR 2’s story may be a bit uneven at times, but it’s still one you’ll want to see to it’s conclusion(s), which is more than you can say for the last two Star Wars films.

Gameplay:

The gameplay additions to KOTOR 2 are minor, yet welcome. The first is the ability to switch weapons on the fly. Changing your weapon in KOTOR required that you enter the pause menu, scroll over to the equip sub-menu, and find your weapon. Now, by choosing a second weapon setup, it’s a simple command away. There’s only one alternate weapon choice, though switching through more than one other setup during combat probably would’ve proved tedious. The only viable alternative would’ve been mapping four weapon setups to the d-pad, which goes underutilized by most who play this game.

The other new gameplay element is the party member influence system. Although prevalent KOTOR (you could woo Bastila or Carth) there wasn’t really any mechanic that tracked what your fellow adventurers thought of you. Now, your dialogue choices when conversing with your compatriots affect their ability to follow you. Gain enough influence with a party member, and they’ll join the Jedi or Sith order with you.