Early First Impression

[Leferd]

Not like I have much credibility but for what it's worth...

 

 

About 9 Hours In

 

Art & Graphics: If you've read the professional reviews, believe them. Not as pretty as KotOR 1.

 

Bugs/Gliches/Stuttering: Present but not annoyingly so. (This ain't a Troika game)

 

Interface: Better than KotOR 1

 

Story: Captivating...so far

 

EARLY, EARLY, EARLY, verdict: Feels just like a Black Isle game off a Bioware Engine

[Darth_Gandalf]

Not as pretty as KOTOR? What's wrong with it?

[MaGuS]

I thought it looked like the first Kotor or better not worse.

[Leferd]

Not as pretty as KOTOR? What's wrong with it?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Ummm....errrr.....the graphics and art doesn't look as pretty as Kotor 1.

 

I may be looking through rose lensed glasses with regards to the original, but K2's graphics doesn't have that oooomph.

 

It just doesn't seem to have that polish. Then again...Obsidian didn't spend 3 years like Bio did.

[Jad'en]

Lol you havent played KotOR recently have you, the graphics are in fact better

 

Textures and rendering is considerably better

Edited December 8, 2004 by Jad'en

[GarethCarrots]

what the graphics in kotor are better or the ones in tsl. sorry just isnt v clear

[Judge Hades]

Well, it is the same engine. I really doubted that the graphics would be that much improved on. Frankly, I think the graphics were very top notched in the first game and they would be really hard pressed to do any sort of real improvement.

[Aaron Contreras]

Good summary, Leferd.

 

The area design I've seen so far really lets your character do their thing, regardless of how you built them. Lots of opportunities to use skills, stealth and brute force. I feel comfortable enough that I'm going to level up based on what I think is cool over what I know will be effective. Crazy, huh?

[Leferd]

Obviously my opinion of the graphics is subjective, but to me, they're not as impressive as the first game.

 

However, I do admit that k2 has some sweet animations that were not in the first game. But art and graphics taken in as a whole ---do not, to me, look as pretty as the first game. A big part of the reason has to do with the stuttering problems. What good are sweet looking animations when at times, you can't see it smoothly? The art may look nice as static pictures --but not when you're playing it and the game stutters.

That is a legitimate complaint.

 

That said, the graphics are not a major complaint for me. It's not a plus for the game but hardly a game breaker. It's still an issue though.

 

Taking in the WHOLE package, I really like this game. Very much. It's living up to the hype.

[DarthDoGooder]

Good summary, Leferd.

 

The area design I've seen so far really lets your character do their thing, regardless of how you built them.  Lots of opportunities to use skills, stealth and brute force.  I feel comfortable enough that I'm going to level up based on what I think is cool over what I know will be effective.  Crazy, huh?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In my opinion that is one of the true signs of a game that gives the PC control over their actions.

[Judge Hades]

With any luck the stuttering problems iwll be removed by the time the PC version is out or quickly patched to fix it. I guess it is good for the X-Boxers to beta test the game for us PC users.

[DarthDoGooder]

With any luck the stuttering problems iwll be removed by the time the PC version is out or quickly patched to fix it.  I guess it is good for the X-Boxers to beta test the game for us PC users. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

OIC, you're just using us. Is that all we are to you? Slaves? Well, now that I think about it...probably. Oh well.

[mkreku]

Unfortunately, the PC version of KotOR was very heavy on your system, even though the graphics weren't that impressive compared to other games of that time. I remember setting everything to my usual standards (1280x1024, Max details and 2-4x AA) and the game responded by giving me 15-25 fps.. It was pretty annoying.

 

After reading these reviews I'm sure Obsidian hasn't optimized the engine any more than Bioware did, so I guess I'll have to live with it. It doesn't really matter much and as long as it isn't as bad as Deus Ex: Invisible War I'm happy.

[Judge Hades]

Whats wrong with 20 fps? I have been working with 20 fps for years and it looks decently enough to me. Only recently with my new graphics card was I able to get 50 fps with NWN and 30 fps with KotOR 1.

[darthhair]

i like it so far . i think the graphics are a little better . i know everyone says that its the same engine but the art is new , maybe that has something to do with it .

 

i think the story is a little weak so far but i keep telling myself that i played kights 1 for a long time and the new one will pick up as soon as i get use to it .

 

i like all the new features so far . i am a little confused on a couple of tihings but i will get it . i played knights 1 for about a month without a book or guide . knights 1 was the first and only rpg i have ever played .

 

im about 11 hrs in and it has frozen up twice . luckly i save often .

[nightcleaver]

The reviewer's have something right: There are some old things that were left in (I don't think they could've done anything about it) the game (engine) that weren't welcome in the sequel, because the sequel just wasn't familiar enough for me to feel forgiving of those "negative" traits. I'll try to explain: I don't think the graphics are worse, so much as the improvements made were eclectic with what was (necessarily?) left in the graphics engine. The explosions are better, but the lighting/shading isn't improved. The character faces are improved with facial detail, (but no improved body/polygon detail) interesting and attractive articulation of concept (none of the quirkiness of the original, but some of the problems - awkward standing posture, for one), and waving hair (that waves like hair, but the faces are plastic and make the hair seem sort of like an eclectic touch). I wonder if it would've been better that they just kept the same engine, improved the framerate, and thrown their own content in. Overall, I don't think it's anything you wouldn't notice from the screenshots and vids that are already on the net, so you can judge pretty well for yourself from that.

 

The only hiccuping I've seen was after a loading zone, and it really is a bit worse, but it still seems pretty minor to me. Big battle's haven't been any sort of a problem so far, and I'm pretty far in the beginning of the second planet.

 

It's all technically improved, but the style is a bit different, and like I said - a bit eclectic in a way that's not all good. I can understand not liking it... but the visuals have given some far more intense emotions than the original ever did. Remember how frustrating Korriban was with the tight canyon walls? None of that so far. Rarely is it beautiful in the same way the first one could be, but some of it is just better.

[Zaine]

Ive been playing for about 9 hours and my first impressions are:

 

1. I can see the slight tweaks in the graphics, and the added animations make it look better as well. In my opinion, better than KOTOR.

 

2. I have had no freezing as of yet or any studdering. Everything has been running very smooth for me. But I didnt have any problems with KOTOR either.

 

3. There are some awesome new feats that are very useful.

 

4. Same as above but for the Force Powers.

 

5. So far, the storyline has been good. Looking forward to the progression of it.

 

6. Its very interesting balancing the whole being evil thing and not losing influence over people. Im still trying to figure that out.

 

 

Im greatly enjoying it, and now I must go back to playing.

[nightcleaver]

Something else, because no one's said it (I'm not sure how I'd search for these words anyway):

 

The areas are much bigger and roomier feeling, although occasionally you have the feeling that an area is a bit more cramped than the designer's would've liked. Still, it's not true that the load zones are more often, in terms of area.

 

The particle effect explosions are awesome.

 

The engine seems to handle a lot more than the first engine.

 

And that's it for now.

 

 

Also, some really funny moments, but it's a different sort of humor.

[pharcyde]

Gamespots review was dead on. The graphics actually look a little uglier than KOTOR1. The framerate plummets down into the single digits more often than KOTOR1 did. Every fight and I do mean every fight I have gotten into turns into a chop fest. Not smooth at all. The AI is horrrrrrible. My whole party almost got whiped out on Telos because they would just go off and kill stuff right after we just got done with a pretty intense battle. I had no control over my party members. They would just run up to mobs and start fighting when I had 0 force points left and no time to do any healing with med packs. Those are my two biggest gripes so far and i'm about 10 hours in. Other than the problems I mentioned before, the game is great, especially the story.

 

Quick Notes:

 

I miss my lightsaber. You go a long time without one.

 

Skills play a much bigger role in this game.

 

Whats up with Sith Mask Guy's voice? hahahah

[envida]

I don't get it why people think the grapichs are uglier to me it's the other way around. The overall quality is better, the textures are a better and more detailed and the levels so far are more detailed too, but there is a framerate issue.

[acevasi]

Tnx for all the Spoiler free first impressions because they are much more valuable from a fellow gamer instead of a proffesional rewier.

 

P.S. A litlle note to PHARCYDE allthough I don't have the game yet

( must wait till february ) I think I saw in some prewiew that in the scripts of your companions you can change it so they won't run off like that.

 

Sorry, Akri just said there is no defencive stance allthough it was planned,

 

It was scrapped. We couldn't come up with a behavior set for it that everyone would be happy with. Every time I adjusted it one way or another, someone in QA would complain about how it didn't act exactly as they thought it should. In the end, we decided to cut it, since it was clearly too nebulous a behavior to satisfy anyone.

 

-Akari

[Arkan]

Bugs? Stuttering? Crashing? Sounds like the faults of a PC game, to me.

[VIctory6]

Ok,first off I love this game and I'm (perhaps unfortunetly)hopelessly addicted.The graphics are more detailed but seem darker somehow.This is ok though because it lends itself to the atmosphere.I got sick of Peragus station very early,and almost bored on Telos.However somewhere along the way it hooked me.The npc relatioships(with yourself and the other characters) are dynamic,and the plot is becomming more,and more engrossing.The improved assortment of feats, and force powers are great, and so is the the new crafting system.The AI does still suck though,and the frame rate as mentioned is pretty bad at times.These flaws are annoying but don't take away too much from the game.All in all a great game so far.Bravo Obsidian!

[Cyricc]

A question I would like to ask - I'm getting this in February, but I've heard this game is easier than KotOR 1? Would you people agree? If so, I find that disheartening... the original on PC was very, very easy for me, to the point that I ended up applying things like the Hardcore mod just to make it a bit more challenging.

 

What they need to add is the good ol' Impossible, Legendary, Master, or Nightmare 4th difficulty level.

[envida]

So far it has been very very easy. I'm on my third planet right now. And I'm a sentinel who put most of my attributes into int, char and wis! So for a guardian it should be extremely easy. If you played Kotor 1 alot you will find this game very easy. Granted it's still early in game so it can change...but by then I will be so powerful...