So does KOTOR 2 suck or not?

[Tel Aviv]

I think some expected too much, as with many games released these days. I'm still convinced I'll enjoy the game throughly though, and from all I've read I'm sure I'll enjoy it more than I did KOTOR.

[junior]

The romance plot with Handmaiden went nowhere after she agreed to be trained in the Force.  The romance with Vista Marr just abruptly ended at the last stage when you got "thrown" off of Ebon Hawk onto Malachior V.

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

If you read this Chris Avellone post with certain emphasis, and particularly pay note to one of the comments that he doesn't touch on as much:

 

http://forums.obsidianent.com/index.php?showtopic=25810

 

I think its clear that the above was more or less what was intended.

 

 

i.e. no whirlwind romances that have you settling down with your loved one that you only met a month before. You can flirt with certain party members, and party members might react to perceived romantic interest in your character, but that's about the extent of it.

 

 

 

Not as much fun, perhaps, but you have to admit that there is a little more realism to it.

[Bokishi]

The romance plot with Handmaiden went nowhere after she agreed to be trained in the Force.  The romance with Vista Marr just abruptly ended at the last stage when you got "thrown" off of Ebon Hawk onto Malachior V.

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

If you read this Chris Avellone post with certain emphasis, and particularly pay note to one of the comments that he doesn't touch on as much:

 

http://forums.obsidianent.com/index.php?showtopic=25810

 

I think its clear that the above was more or less what was intended.

 

 

i.e. no whirlwind romances that have you settling down with your loved one that you only met a month before. You can flirt with certain party members, and party members might react to perceived romantic interest in your character, but that's about the extent of it.

 

 

 

Not as much fun, perhaps, but you have to admit that there is a little more realism to it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Realism doesn't pertain to Mira, where she says the same refusal lines over and over everytime you try to hit on her.

[Darth Ni]

Force Persuasion... I doubt that she'd refuse then

[kotorfan_yadilloh]

I think some expected too much, as with many games released these days. I'm still convinced I'll enjoy the game throughly though, and from all I've read I'm sure I'll enjoy it more than I did KOTOR.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I agree. Like with Halo2,which I though was great, people were disappointed. KotorII is a great game that is far better than the first. The stroyline felt more epic, move like a movie or book then a game. Of all the great changes KotorII has, that was my favorite part.

[Fearless_Jedi]

So its like the half life 2 ending?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

What was wrong with the Half Life 2 ending...made plenty of sense to me...especially if you payed attention to the beggining sequence right before the train station.

[SD Nihil]

Here's what I think of KOTOR 2.

 

Gameplay: Great. I like the fact you can have 2 weapon setups at once and be able to switch between melee and ranged weapons on the fly. I don't like though that when you are fighting that sometimes your character will acidentally face the other way and slash or fire the wrong way. This did not happen in KOTOR 1.

 

Menus: Everything is more compact giving you more room to see everything. I do miss the ability in the map menu of KOTOR 1 where you could go back to the Ebon Hawk if it was accessable at that time instead of having to walk there.

 

The transit system on Telos was a good substitute, but other transite systems were not on other planets. So a traniste system on multiple planets and the map menu transite to the Ebon Hawk would have been nice. People want less time between running around to the next area and doing the next task.

 

Leveling up: I like that you can level up further than level 20 unlike KOTOR 1 where this was not the case. I do wish that there was an area where you could fight infinite enemies like on Dontooine in KOTOR 1. There were infiinite Kath Hounds there. That way you could obtain if you wanted, all the powers and all. KOTOR 2 does have alot mroe enemies and does allow you to level up past level 20, but the amount of enemies to face is still limited.

 

Dialog: There is too much of it. Also there were Character sidequests in KOTOR 1. There is not in KOTOR 2.

 

Items: KOTOR 1 had items where you could clearly see which ones were better than each other. In KOTOR 2 you would have some items that just would not make too much difference. Example an items that gives 1 fortitude and 1 Defense and another that would give you 1 Reflex and 1 Constitution. They don't make much of a difference. Yes there are a few that clearly are better than alot of others, but not as many as KOTOR 2. Trust me I kmow KOTOR 1. I played it 30 times and examined all outcomes, items, classes, etc. I understand this.

 

Quests: Some quests in KOTOR 2 are long and require you to run here then run there then run back to there then back to here. They are lengthy. And like I said above things could be speed along better with a transite system and the ability to go back to the Ebon Hawk with the map menu like in KOTOR 1. Also when you have a quest most people want the sidequest or quest to take up about say ten minutes at the mont not 20 to 30 minutes and alot of that be travel. In most quests people if they need to like to if they ahve to tranvel to the same place for that one quest once or twice. Any more times after that it becomes lengthy. KOTOR 1 had good examples of it's quests which did not take up a long time to complete.

 

And speaking of quests, both the Light side and Dark side endings were largely different in KOTOR 1. In KOTOR 2 there is only slight differences. Moslty in dialog. Being dynamic is what KOTOR is known for especially the endings. The endings should have been different. KOTOR 2 is dynamic, but not in the endings.

 

There are some inprovements that KOTOR 2 has, but there are other areas that do need inprovment.

[Plano Skywalker]

the main disappointment, I think, is with the ending. Whether it is true or not that they were rushed to conclusion by LA, I think the intention all along was for it to be a cliffhanger....that is why we keep seeing all these KOTOR III threads....the "conclusion" of KOTOR II is just begging for a followup!

[kotorfan_yadilloh]

the main disappointment, I think, is with the ending.  Whether it is true or not that they were rushed to conclusion by LA, I think the intention all along was for it to be a cliffhanger....that is why we keep seeing all these KOTOR III threads....the "conclusion" of KOTOR II is just begging for a followup!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think he is right. They wanted a reason for making Kotor III. It kinda like episode V when chewbacca and Lando flew off in the Falcon to look for Han. It just screams sequel.

[Victus]

I didn't mind the ending, it's the thing with G0T0 and remote that pissed me off.

 

... and where the hell was the rest of my party members?

[SD Nihil]

One other thing that is good is that you can make your other characters when they reach the highest LS or lowest DS become a Jedi Guardian by dialog. I got Bar Dar to be a Jedi and Handmaiden also to be a Jedi. Once you do this a cutscene occures where Atris hears telepathicly from Kiera the word "betrayal". She then by that knows Handmaiden has broken her word of not becoming a Jedi.

[Darth Jebus]

After playing the game through a couple times, I can honestly say I'm disappointed in this one. It's problems have been well documented by other people here, so there's no need to go into them again.

 

But, the biggest indicator for me that I just wasn't too enthralled with this game was the fact that, towards the end of it, I had no attachment to any of the characters whatsoever. And I also didn't feel like I had just completed and epic. Everything just kind of ran together and there was never a feeling that I was on an important mission. Hell, the first time I played through I didn't even know what I was doing half the time.

 

I know this sounds a little cheesy, but by the time I got to the Star Forge at the end of the first game, I felt like my character had gone through hell with those companions that travelled with you. And remember Canderous' speech at the end? It was really touching. (if you were playing LS of course)

 

And what about after the big revelation in K1? Your companions choose to stick by you through thick and thin (although as I've said before this was a little unrealistic, but touching nonetheless). You just felt like, towards the end of that game, you had gone through an epic. And your time on Taris seemed like it happened a million years ago. This was a result of great writing, imo.

 

I've played K1 several times, and I'll bet if I played it today, I'd get that same little feeling of anticipation of what is to come, even though I've done everything there is to do in that game.

 

But in K2, there's no such feeling. Whether I'm on Peragus, Citadel Station, or Nar Shadaa, it all feels the same. It's just lacking that umph and that magic the first game had, imo. And the things you have to do to complete the main quest seem forced and like you're just doing busy work. There's just no epic feel to it. And perhaps that's by design, and some people might prefer that. But to me what is Star Wars if not an epic? And I honestly thought getting your lightsaber in K1 felt much more like an accomplishment than in K2. Hell, there was a virtual ceremony when you made your saber in the first game. Here, though, you find the parts, talk to Bao-Dur and then that's that. Now, hopefully you can find a Jedi robe to go with it sometime before you land on Malachor V.

 

So, the final verdict is, while K2 certainly did not suck and had it's exciting and enticing moments, it was disappointing because it left alot to be desired.

[Darth Drabek]

The game disappointed me in the end. I'm not saying that the ending was disappointing, I'm just saying that it didn't live up to my expectations by the time I was through with it.

 

Now, this is probably my fault, because I have never waited for a game to come out with such anticipation before TSL. Before this summer, I had never waited (im)patiently to fawn over every new screenshot, every new post by a developer, every scrap of new information. Looking back, I set myself up for the fall by setting this game on an unattainable platform. It really would have had to soar above the original to satisfy me.

 

But here's the kicker - while I probably would have been satified with an expansion pack, in essence, Obsidian's effort led me on. I was so hyped for the new features that I couldn't help but be disappointed when they weren't completely realized. There were so many great ideas that I couldn't help myself - I got excited.

 

The worst part of the "unfinished" aspects for me was the character interaction. I have high influence with a character who just had a life-changing experience, a turning point in his/her life. The next time I talk to them, they damn well better have something to say about it! It just makes sense! Don't give me the same dialogue options he/she had when he/she first joined my party.

 

The difficulty level: I planned attribute, skill, feat and power distribution for months before the game even dropped to give me the slightest advantage - I could have pulled a Jackson Pollack and spread my sh*t everywhere, it didn't matter for KOTOR 2. I could have randomly picked just about anything and still beat the game (on default difficulty).

 

Overall the story is engaging, and the small fixes would make it hard for me to return to KOTOR. Now that the robes look good, the conversations have further reaching consequences and two separate weapon configurations are the norm, it would be hard (for me) to play KOTOR instead of KOTOR 2, just due to small changes..

[Jitawa]

Suck? It doesn't suck, but it's not great. I'm assuming some things will be hammered out for the PC version.

 

The whole thing is horribly buggy and screams lack of polish. Coversations are glitchy, quests are glitchy/broken, continuity is bad, skills are broken, animation skips/jumps, and so on.

 

The game is ridiculously easy, if you can pick up basic concepts like "if your health gets low, heal yourself" or "equip the best armor you have"... you'll breeze through the game... no strategy required. The last boss is the only fight in the game I ever hear people complaining about, and I'm thinking that's only because they didn't need to learn the mechanics to fight anyone else. I beat the entire game unarmed and naked without using any force powers my second time through on "hard", and you know... it was skill a damn easy game.

 

The characters have potential as entities, but it's never realized. You get to know them in your first conversation, and for most characters... you can exhaust your conversation options the first time you chat with them on the ship. The don't react to changes in the PC/universe/etc. Even if you were attached to them, after you wrap your little mission on the various planets... you get stuck with two specific NPCs for part of the ending, then you never see them again. I'd say they were trying to crap on player's connection to the other characters, but you really don't have one at that point.

 

The randomly generated items are both good and bad. It's neat that the game can change on a replay, but then again.... most of the "rare" items talked about in the guide.. special Jedi robes and such.. can be somewhat scarce. Let me re-phrase, in 5 replays, none of them ever popped up. It's also entirely possible that you'll get jack squat in terms of items on a playthrough... Merchants tend to be poorly stocked, and there aren't that many places that seem to have "good" items.

 

Several force powers don't work as described... that's really unacceptable on a console. Let's say, for the sake of comparison, some broken force powers (force aura, burst of speed, master fury.. (yes those actually are broken)) are actually abilities in some other game... say Halo2 (battle rifle, SMG, sniper rifle). Would you buy Halo2 if you were told, it's a pretty fun game, but several of the guns don't actually do anything...

 

You might... since Halo2 actually had a problem patched over Live. But KoTOR2 for xbox will never be patched, since that bit of code was left out.

 

It had the potential to be great, and wound up being a frustrating, short, glitchy mess.

[Gabrielle]

No it doesn't suck. The only problem I have is the ending could have been better. Otherwise a good successer to Kotor 1 .

[SD Nihil]

I could also tell that the makers either just looked at how KOTOR 1 was made and then tried to re-create it, or got models and things from Bioware, but not everything. There are so many glitches. The only problem that pepple said that KOTOR 1 had was that there was no shop on the Unknown World. The same goes for KOTOR 2 after you enter the Enclave.

 

I have found other glitches in the quest menus. Example: You take care of the gang near the speeder in the Refugee Sector on Na Shadda and then take care of the Exchange and the game will think that now you need to take care of the gangs. Also if you enter the Korribon cave and see Kiera. After the battle she is still there. If you talk to her the same thing happens again. It can take several tiimes until she is gone. I remember in KOTOR that you could do things out of order and even if you did not complete the quests in the right order the quest woiuld end and you would be awarded with a certain amount of exp. And finally during combat if select an attack that attack sometimes might not happen. You would have to press the button at the right times to get the action to happen. It takes a bit of learning. In KOTOR 1 you can press the keys how fast or slow you want and that action happened immediatly.

 

There are a few mysteries I have about the game though. If you talk to the Rodian shop guy that is being pushed around on Na Shadda and get the trade routes for him, you see this HK Pasifist upgrade for HK-47 that looks like you had to have installed it before you activate him in the buy list. Also on Dantooine you are given a quest of redeaming the Jedi and how people view them. I have talked to people on that planet and I do not see a way to do this side-quest.

[envida]

There are a few mysteries I have about the game though. If you talk to the Rodian shop guy that is being pushed around on Na Shadda and get the trade routes for him, you see this HK Pasifist upgrade for HK-47 that looks like you had to have installed it before you activate him in the buy list.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You have to have activated him before you install it.

After you bought the HK Pasifist upgrade talk to HK-47 and he will allow you to install it. I believe you need to have a certain amount of influence for this.

[SD Nihil]

Thanks.

 

Another thing that disappoints me is the fact that the dark side way of the game has not changed since KOTOR 1. People don't want to be pure bullies unless you in life are one. You know what maybe I'm just a sissy weak lightsider, but my idea about the dark side quest would be hungering for battle against the good guys or learning new Sith powers, but not bullying or deception. In Star Wars Darth Vader would use fear alot or kill someone if they did not fofill his wishes. He did not use a guy then kill him just for credits. I mean come on that is nothing but a street thug. Anyway when making a DS quest in the future I would look at how Darth Vader was. After playing the DS I just feel sick and depressed. DS is just not fun. LS is fun.

 

What do you think everyone about the LS and DS? Maybe if we give more ideas Obsidian will get it right next time. Oh the only thing I don't like about LS.

[Kalfear]

Thanks.

 

Another thing that disappoints me is the fact that the dark side way of the game has not changed since KOTOR 1. People don't want to be pure bullies unless you in life are one. You know what maybe I'm just a sissy weak lightsider, but my idea about the dark side quest would be hungering for battle against the good guys or learning new Sith powers, but not bullying or deception. In Star Wars Darth Vader would use fear alot or kill someone if they did not fofill his wishes. He did not use a guy then kill him just for credits. I mean come on  that is nothing but a street thug. Anyway when making a DS quest in the future I would look at how Darth Vader was. After playing the DS I just feel sick and depressed. DS is just not fun. LS is fun.

 

What do you think everyone about the LS and DS? Maybe if we give more ideas Obsidian will get it right next time. Oh the only thing I don't like about LS.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Jeff again those are not fair complaints.

 

There is multiple situations in KotOR2 were you dont have to be a bully as a DS character and can do the evil but "smart" thing to do.

 

This not a spoiler forum so I wont go indepth but there was ALOT of situations were you could play the smart evil in KotOR2.

 

Sad truth is tho (if you ever played any MMORPGs, most folks that play evils in games play them as bullies. I have been playing MMORPGs for 14 years and have alpha / beta tested like 95% of the MMORPGs made over those years and the last time I can think of a clear example of a non bully evil (ones that used intellect rather then brute strenght) was 12 years ago. I use MMORPGs as a example because those games have player interaction and allow for people interested in playing the smart evil to do so if they so desire. People just choose not to. Im quite sure Bioware and Obsidian are aware of this fact.

 

Would it be a nice option? Sure it would. Woukd it work? I doubt it. Just look at these forums for all the posts about "broken" quests. Turns out those quests not broken, people just didnt pay close enough attention to the choices and messed up, then came here yelling about quests being broken and not doable. Just imagine the sort of trouble that would arrise if Obsidian redesigned evils to more then just bullies. Much as I enjoy playing a thinking evil character, gotta go with simple over complexity here. Obsidian (or Bioware) would just be opening the door for mass complaints it they treated evils in any other fashion.

[SD Nihil]

I know you mean by smart DS you mean sabotage, being trickery, or sneeky. Most people here that I have seen do not want the bullying part and the rude parts. They might like the smart evil or the powerful rough leader type of evil guy.

 

And if you have alot of people saying these complaints and find out they did not figure it out right well thats just a design problem. The Bioware forums did not have thsoe complaints or the extent the Obsidian forums are having.

[Kalfear]

I know you mean by smart DS you mean sabotage, being trickery, or sneeky. Most people here that I have seen do not want the bullying part and the rude parts. They might like the smart evil or the powerful rough leader type of evil guy.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

heheh well in a sence yes that what I mean.

 

Basically what I mean by smart evil is finding new ways to advance your cause with out running around killing everyone and foaming at the mouth

 

Manipulative would be a good word for it.

 

Kreia (if she was truely evil) would be a smart evil, Sion or Malak wouldnt be.

 

And if you have alot of people saying these complaints and find out they did not figure it out right well thats just a design problem. The Bioware forums did not have thsoe complaints or the extent the Obsidian forums are having.

 

Naaaa, people just use to follow the dots. Hey I did it as well first time through knights 2, then I realized I had missed a ton of content and paid more attention the next time through. Thats not design problems, thats just what players use to now adays and Obsidian broke away from that and tried to challenge you somewhat. I seriously think Knights 2 is the more advanced game in terms of storyline and character interaction. Players (myself included) just have to break old habits is all.

 

True Bioware didnt have the complaints, but ask yourself this. If Obsidian had made KotOR1, would they have had complaints for it? Of course not, KotOR1 was a return to GOOD RPGs after a long long time of less then quality RPGs were the common product.

 

In a sence KotOR1 revitalized the genre. KotOR2 is just as good as KotOR1, but it has the distinct missfortune of being a sequel so is judged not on the regular RPG curve by players but on a much high scale. KotOR1 wouldnt be the rah rah rah great game it is if it had been the sequel product either. There was no way KotOR2 could stand up to the out of reach expectations players had for it.

 

People didnt want "as good as first one" they wanted better then first one. And Knight1 was a damn good game.

 

Its funny, I experienced more game stopping bugs in part 1 (lock ups and such, graphic glitchs, stuff like that). It wasnt a perfect product by any stretch but it was the FIRST of a return to traditional style RPG. It was fun in a genre that had become not so much fun over the years. There is no way any follow up product can stand up to the hype surrounding kotor1 (real or imagined).

 

The fact that KotOR2, for the most part, equaled part 1 is a real accomplishment.

 

Anyways, sure there have been more complaints about KotOR2, as there will be more complaints about KotOR3, no follow up game in the series will ever match the magic that surrounded KotOR1, because part 1 is and always will be the first one released and first one to create the experience. That type of memory can never be challenged!

 

If kotor 1 had been lesser of a game then maybe Kotor2,3,4 could do things to beat it out, but kotor1 was a awsome awsome game, the best Obsidian can do (realisticly) is match the success, they have done this and as you see "some (not all, not even a majority, not even close to a majority) feel it wasnt enough. Its a no win situation for Obsidian, no matter what they do, every thing will be under the microscope and over analyzed to death.

 

The other issue at play here is blind moronic loyalty. While im not accusing you of this, take a look at Ephany (or how ever she spells it). Lets assume for one sec that KotOR2 is riddled with bugs and glitchs and game stopping issues. The over all impression by gamers is its still a great game! But for this "fan" the fact its not done by Bioware is enough reason to constantly bash Obsidian and Knights 2 into the ground never saying even one single solitary postive thing about the game! And no matter what Obsidian does or doesnt do, she will continue to make crap up and bash them at every opertunity. Has nothing what so ever to do with the game, how it runs, how good or bad it is, it only has to do with who made it. Since it wasnt Bioware it must be crap.

 

Obsidians not the first company to face this challenge and im sure will not be the last, but there is no way they can ever satisfy that type of gamer (short of Bioware retaking over, which isnt going to happen). The sad thing is tho, those negative people that spend all their time whining and complaining effect others, you hear her bitch enough and soon your LOOKING (even if unconsiously) for faults! If you go looking for faults, you will always be able to find them, in anything, be it computers game, work, school, politics, what ever. Nothing is ever perfect! Knights 1 didnt face that type of obstical because it was the first one, there was nothing out there (no knight 0, no different company, nothing) to base the negativity on.

 

Point is to the long drawn out post (sorry about that) is nothing Obsidian does will ever match the magic of the first and original game of the series. The first game was a major success and left very little room for improvement. Thats a credit to Bioware. Obsidian has put out a product that is as strong as the first one (not better but not worse) (and thats a credit to Obsidian) and you can see the critism and over analyzing thats happening. Thats why you have more complaints!

 

Read the complaints tho, they are petty things and almost always done in a comparisson to the original game. Thats a battle Obsidian will never win no matter how good the current or new game is. Its inflated perception vrs current product! As I said, I purchased my Xbox brand new last year to play kotor1, I encountered more game stopping bugs in knights 1 (game stopping, not game eliminating) then I did in knights 2. I love both games tho, they both top quality games. But if you go on actual play vrs actual play, knights 1 had the more bugs but less complaints as it was brand new and FUN! Knights 2 is fun but its a sequel, hense the more complaints!

[Markus]

This game probably would have been better for me if i found out how to get my lightsaber. I sit through all these months hearing about how your lightsaber is a special thing and I never got it--which really pissed me off--so if someone would be so kind as to shed some light on this I would be very grateful.

[Kalfear]

This game probably would have been better for me if i found out how to get my lightsaber.  I sit through all these months hearing about how your lightsaber is a special thing and I never got it--which really pissed me off--so if someone would be so kind as to shed some light on this I would be very grateful.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

heh, Lightsabre is actually fairly easy to make. Just speak to Bao for the parts you need and check out vendors (or you can also get parts through quests).

 

The special part is in reference to Dant. You will have to go there to find out about the special aspect (sorry not a spoiler forum so wont go into more detail then that).

[The Reckoner]

pretaining to above,...

 

this guy is right on the money. KOTOR I had a sense of accomplishment at the end, you reclaim your throne from Malak, Bastilla becomes your apprentace etc. it truly seemed like a journey.

KOTOR II is good but does not match up well ending wise. i did like the game, the first 39 hours were fun. then in the last hour when the final climax occurs it is not a climax. when i played it. after the ebon hawk falls and presumably all your people die, which sucks, you are left with nothing. same as when remote goes through all that stuff activating engines and then GOTO shows up and thats the end of that. now i have obviously missed some things because people are talking about how Kriea tells you how your people turn out and i didnt ask or find out so i will, but the last thing you see is krea falling down into Malchor, whoopdy doo. in KOTOR I you saw Revan's grand fleet marching forth and his coranation of sorts on Korribon. the KOTOR II ending leaves you with nothing, which casts a lingering sense that the game was not worth it. like i said i did enjoy the game, but the end was a huge disapointment. i can understand the cliff hanger theory, but that would have to mean that your very same person would have to be in KOTOR III.

there are jsut so many holes in the ending that there is no sense of closure which is a upsetting.

i played KOTOR I five times through but even with the subtle improvements i probably will only play it again once maybe. the bosses are jsut too easy. Vrook was the hardest and that because he was first. all the other jedi fell in two master flurries. the queen of Onderan took more hits that Kavar and i was doing 75-64-66 damage flurries. Darth Nihail (sp) took in total 6 flurries, Darth Sion took alot of flurries and force crushes but i didnt break a sweat. Krea and her floating light sabers took about nine force storms and that was the end of the game.

Malak took me eight tries on my first play through. he was a real boss.

well that is my imput

good game, great premise, excellent development

terrible ending

 

 

 

What we do in Life

Echos in Eternity

It is our Actions that Determine the Resonation

[Whitemithrandir]

Ha! KOTOR II NPC's were far more interwined with my PC because their personalities were fleshed out and developed SUBTLELY AND REALISTICALLY through dialog and situational response.

 

KOTOR I just had side quests for all the characters that kept bashing the ol' stereotypes in your face. Okay Bastila, we know you had conflicts with your mother when you were a kid. Great Carth, thanks for whining to me for the millionth time about your son and your home planet. Really Zaalbar? You're a strong and honest companion who stands up to righteousness even when your entire races looks down upon you? WOW! GOOD FOR YOU!!!

 

In KOTOR II, the personalities of my companions weren't so often hammered at me. Instead, they were subtly interwined through narration and dialogue, which is the mastery of the craft of story-telling. The characters didn't become a personal part of my PC, they became a part of ME. THAT's when you KNOW a game's hit you pretty hard.

 

In the first KOTOR, there was no mistake; Bastila loved the character I was ROLE PLAYING. She was the mentor and mentee of MY GAME-CHARACTER. All her quests, all her dialogue, all her writing, they were so contrived and artificial and lacked that certain subtlety that separates Salvatore from Leguin, Jordan from Tolkien, that certain subtlely that impacts you on a personal level.

 

Didn't it feel to you that Kreia was speaking to you, the person sitting in front of that x-box as well as your PC? It sure felt like that to me. It felt the same way when TNO spoke with Ravel, when Irenicus spoke with the baalspawn...

 

A fantasy doesn't have to include uber amounts of sidequests or super-epic and formulaic twists. It needs to create a link between your life as a person and the myriad of story-telling elements that symbolize something you cherish in that life, be it morals, love, money, or joy. KOTOR II did that for me, something no story has done since I read Songmaster by Orson Scott Card.

 

That, folks, is an achievement.

 

Sorry for the long rant. It's just my opinion on the matter.

 

And huh... the ending was perfect.