Lawin

The negative people aside: Yes, the descriptions are still there in KOTOR 2 and I found them interesting. It's not very far from the original though but there are some items that will bring a smile to your face especially if you're fond of the first game.

Like Dread said, you never are stripped of your powers. Anyway: Playing Light Side myself, I was pretty pissed when they decided to strip me of all my powers. Come on, I went through all that effort to gather you guys and this is the thanks I get? Thinking about it though, the Jedi always did have a 'higher' purpose in mind, thus removing me of my powers will serve that higher purpose. And the Jedi do serve that 'higher' purpose to the point they become blind. Being Light Side or Dark Side doesn't matter anymore. Even if you were their friend and even if they thought it was good to see you again. (I think that 'good to have you back' greeting was equivalent to a 'Oh! You're alive. You're here to help the situation? Great! You're still a wound though. Still, good to see you right now!) Also, I recall reading from somewhere that you do have a bond with Kreia but you have the Force because you HAVE the Force, not because of anything that has to do with Kreia. Even if Kreia died, you wouldn't. She was making that all up--or rather, she made us think that way. As for being Jedi, I'm not pretty sure about that. I actually have to have this cleared up. As long as you have the Force, are you automatically a Jedi? Or do you have to go to their Academy before you can become Jedi? What if you don't go to that Academy? What if you nurture your own hold of the Force? What makes a Jedi a Jedi anyway? (I loved this aspect of the game. They actually made me wonder if being part of the Order was worth it.) As for your second musing (about Traya & Sion), I'm pretty unclear on that also. Sorry.

I still enjoyed the game/story (a lot) but that's one of my gripes about the game. It is too easy and the so called 'bosses' of the game aren't as strong as they should be. (In fact, there were some creatures that were stronger.) Some of the realism disappeared, I think. I did die at times but most of a time, it was a breeze. (And there weren't enough puzzles. I loved the mind challenges in KOTOR.)

(Long, first post of most probably nothing that hasn't been said. I really, really apologize.) I just finished the game a few hours ago and feel like adding my two cents. As for my vote, I liked both games. They both had their strong points and flaws but as a whole, playing both games was time well-spent for me. (Even if, in retrospect, KOTOR 2, admittedly, isn't as solid as I wish it would be.) I was prepared to write something pretty long (Um. Longer than this anyway.), explaining why I think such but I think there's more or less an agreement (though grudgingly for some) that KOTOR2 is a good game on its own (so I don't really have to elaborate). It has its bugs and glitches, its plot holes and questions but I think it does have a fighting chance against other RPGs in the market. Enjoying the game is a pretty relative thing anyway. I don't think the game is so bad that you want to chuck it out of the window. (It isn't bad at all.) I disagree about the story being mediocre though. (Well, technically, I guess it can be described as mediocre because of the painfully obvious plot holes) But still, I found the plot to be more intense and profound than the first. The plot wasn't simply a 'saving the galaxy' sort of plot. It involved the characters in a deeper level. I found the characters equally engaging and I liked the fact that it was a darker story and things weren't as simple (though simple is good). Also, not being sure who to trust kept me on my feet and paying attention throughout the game. I don't know. If KOTOR and TSL were books, TSL would be more up my alley, I guess. (Without the plot holes.) I found myself caring a lot about the plot in TSL. I really wanted to see what would happen. (As embarrassing as this is, I remember my main motivation during KOTOR was to advance the romance quest. Shh.) I really got more caught up in the plot. Or it could be just because I played TSL more recently, thus remember it more clearly and be a little bit more sentimental. I can't really refute the criticisms because a lot of them are true. There are so many aspects of this game that could have been improved. They already have a great plot in their hands. Note that these are criticisms though. Having a lot of them doesn't mean you suck. A lot of things were and are going against Obsidian. First of all was that deadline and second, they had a lot to live up to. TSL can't really avoid being compared to its predecessor and since its predecessor is a 'first' of many, you can't exactly expect them to beat the prestige of that. I hope Obsidian does take note of these criticisms. Especially if they are going to make a third installment. (I hope they are.) To sum up, I love it as much as I love KOTOR. (I guess we can attribute a little bit of nostalgia to that). Don't let the complaints discourage or influence you. It really depends on what you look for in a game. For me, it IS a good game. It DOES live up to its predecessor. Why would I play the sequel anyway? Because I really like/d the KOTOR universe and I really like/d the way their writers think and write. Honestly, I think I'd like anything KOTOR-related (and like them equally).