Let me first say that I believe Obsidian worked their asses off making this game. I bet they pulled 20+ hour days near the end of development. I'm amazed they were able to do what they did, i.e. make a huge game, in the time allotted to them. This game was rushed out the door--I don't know by whom, but I'm hoping Obsidian was against it. I hope they fought to keep it in development every step of the way.
Now that I got that out of the way, I think the best way to review KOTOR 2 is to compare it to KOTOR 1, a game that came out nearly a year earlier, and is basically superior in all aspects.
The graphics: The graphics were actually better in KOTOR 1, or at least implemented better. Obsidian tweaked the engine to make it possible to do new lighting effects. I honestly didn't notice any new lighting effects, but I did notice horrible slowdown in certain fights and environments. I don't know if the slowdown is a result of bad environment design, coding, or whatever, but I'd trade a stable framerate for a fancy lighting effect any day. KOTOR 1 8/10; KOTOR 2 6/10
The environments: There were more environments in KOTOR 2, but that doesn't mean they were necessarily better... there was just more of them. I honestly enojoyed KOTOR 1's short tutorial level more than the entire "world" of Peragus. In general, the layout of environments and maps, the points of interest, the interactivity, and the logistics of completing quests was just done better in the first game. KOTOR 1 8/10; KOTOR 2 6/10
Equipment and Jedi Powers:
KOTOR 2 has a pleathora of items and jedi powers, tons more than the first game. But is that a good thing? It would be if they were implemented correctly, but unfortunately they aren't, so all those extra items and powers just end up being whitenoise... or worse, breaking the game.
What's the point of getting an item which its only purpose is to equip and use when I'll never want to equip and use it? Am I suppose to break these worthless items down to get parts? But since parts are already lootable, why not just have more parts lying around? It just saves me a step, and it saves you a lot of work creating all these items that I'll just junk. If you want, all the effort you put into creating items I'll never use, why don't you put that effort into making the items I'll want to use even cooler and more memorable? Every equippable item that drops the player should want to use, period.
As for the lightsabres, well, they just ended up being too powerful, as you could easily make awesome components for them with the new workbench system. Within five minutes of getting my single-bladed sabre, it did something like 8-35 damage because I made upgrades for it. My lightsabre never really improved until the very end of the game. Part of what makes RPGs fun and addicting is the idea that you'll always have a chance to get that better weapon. If you start off with the best weapon in the game (barring the last 1/40th part of it), what's the point?
The most obvious improvement that you could have made to KOTOR universe items was to strengthen blasters. I ended up making all my characters use swords (until they could use sabres) because blasters were worthless. You needed to improve their power significantly, or make attributes affect their damage... or both. The point-blank range feat was a step in the right direction, but not enough. (I should point out that because the battles are so easy it really doesn't matter if your NPCs use blasters or not. In fact, you could probably solo the entire game on hard without any problems.)
On a humerous note, you add in unarmed combat. So for 2 of my characters I didn't even need weapons, as their fists were sufficient, if not better than weapons. I have 10 new different types of two-handed weapons, but I don't want to use any of them because I can punch something instead. This type of game design exemplifies KOTOR 2's running theme: What's the point?
And all the new uber jedi powers, seriously. You made the game too easy, even on hard. Instead of adding more broken jedi powers, making my character a unstoppable force of nature--and boring as hell to play--you needed to focus on making the powers that already existed more balanced and intriguing. Make multiple uses for each power. Make puzzles that require certain powers to solve (I can think of some neat ways you could use Speed, Force Lightning, Sabre Throw, Destroy Droid, etc. in puzzles). Do you have any idea how broken Stasis/Fear is? Do you understand how broken it is when combined with Sneak Attack? With Speed and Flurry? In KOTOR 1 the character's power was limited because your character was only a level 14 Jedi with a limited supply force points and selection of powers. Now I'm a level 30 Jedi that never runs out of force points and I have more powers than know what to do with. On top of that, at every turn I learn some ability that adds + to all rolls, or + force points, etc. so I'm actually more like a level 35 Jedi by the end of the game. Although it's fun playing an all-powerful god (afterall, I abused Stasis again), it's boring. Yes, I could make it a challenge by not getting any abusive force power and use blasters, but it would still be boring--what Jedi wants to only use a blaster and boring force powers? KOTOR 1 8/10; KOTOR 2 6/10
Okay... this is getting WAY too long and I'm getting bored. To sum it up, the story, characters, romances, etc:
Basically, I didn't care about any of my characters at all. I couldn't give a **** about the Exile. Revan was The Man, the Exile wasn't. The romances never went anywhere. There was no emotional payoff. I disliked the influence system, especially since I couldn't see it expressed in any rating or stat.
I read somewhere in a preview for KOTOR 2 that there was going to be more interaction with party members than the first game. I thought that was great, as that was my favorite aspect of the first game, but unfortunately it wasn't true. The new and improved party interaction? Forcing me into a game of "making the rounds," by talking to each member in their own little hole on the Ebon Hawk every new planet in hopes they have something new to say.
I want party members to talk to ME, not the other way around. I want them to be talking my ear off every where I go, and respond to every decision I make.
Everything seemed so... vague and ambiguous, with no closure. Maybe that's the kind of stuff that complex characters and stories are made out of, but I just felt unattached and unmoved.
I admit, you have good writers on your staff--they can write better than me, that's for sure--but the parts of the story telling they excelled at I wasn't interested in. I could care less if the flux capacitor needs xyz interface to upload to the navicomputer over the comm link to interface with the holocron binary stream to unlock the door so I can loot a vibrosword. Or pointing out the falacies and inconsistencies in a philosophy that was created in a joint effort of popular culture and the mastermind behind the Star Wars Christmas Special. Inconsistencies? *Gasp* Imagine that! (Okay, honestly, George Lucas--not to mention the people at Obsidian--are way smarter than me, but still... it feels good to knock the guy and this game after wasting 40 hours of my life.)
Oh, did I mention the broken quests, broken dialogue trees, broken pathing and scripting? Meh.
Overall: KOTOR 1 9/10; KOTOR 2 6/10
