The Sequel Curse Strikes Back

[tanstaafl28]

I believe I now understand why Bioware farmed the sequel out to someone else. They put so much love, blood, sweat, and tears into KotOR that they knew nothing could ever come close to it again. After a bitter wait, KotOR 2 was a major disappointment.

 

The curse of writing a sequel to such a big hit as KotOR is one gets what happens in KotOR 2, namely: a shoddy hodgepodge of non-cohesive assumptions that make little sense in context. From what I was able to make out from this game, I was supposed to have ended KotOR with a darkside Revan (which I NEVER did-I have no 'itch' to be a badguy). This story could have easily been told regardless of what happened before. The fortunes of war are full of sudden reversals and surprises for either sides. Besides, most of us came to know the characters from the previous edition with a sense of familiarity, and none of us would want to see them end up the way they appeared to in this one.

 

To be honest, I am not even sure I understand the story completely, but what I do understand is that in this one, there is a whole lot less choice in which planet one goes to in which order. Because I was to meet all the jedi masters on Dantooine, I saved it for last, only to discover that in the short time it took me to clean out the Jedi enclave sublevel, save Master Vrook, and save the new city from the mercenaries, someone "myseriously" rebuilt the enclave without my knowing. I am still not certain how I ended up on that planet, or what this shadow device was that that remote enabled, or what was the point of all the droids zapping each other in the Ebon Hawk, nor am I certain why the Bounty Hunter chick with ethics bothered to wander around that rock just to fight the Wookie again. Who was that mysterious Sith Lord in the Japanese theatre mask on that wrecked ship? What was the blind Sith/Jedi's role in the whole thing? Too many unanswered questions, nothing to even make me want to remember all their names. How could these whacky misfits even begin to compare with Bastila, Canderous, Jolee, Juhani, Carth, Zaalbar, Mission, Reven, and Malik? These characters were annoying, humorus, developed, and we identified with something in each of them. I felt nothing at all for the new (and even the assorted old) characters in KotOR 2.

 

What is obvious from the many lapses in this storyline is that it was rushed into production to meet the X-Box Christmas deadline rather than delaying it to get it right. I may speak only for myself, but I'd have been happy to wait another year to get a more cohesive storyline with strong characters than what I got. One of the best features of KotOR was the fact that it had immense replayability, I do not feel the urge to replay KotOR 2 nearly as much. Of course, why should Obsidian care, they already got their money from me on this one, but you can bet your socks I won't be as eager to buy anything else from them.

 

I am terribly surprised that Lucas Arts even okayed this game for production. Despite some rather impressive improvements to general gameplay and item modificaitons, this game is not worthy of the Star Wars name.

[Whitemithrandir]

I... don't agree with you ...

 

Maybe this game doesn't appeal to you, and I guess that's okay.

[Tanuvein]

I believe I now understand why Bioware farmed  the sequel out to someone else. They put so much love, blood, sweat, and tears into KotOR that they knew nothing could ever come close to it again.  After a bitter wait, KotOR 2 was a major disappointment.

 

The curse of writing a sequel to such a big hit as KotOR is one gets what happens in KotOR 2, namely: a shoddy hodgepodge of non-cohesive assumptions that make little sense in context.  From what I was able to make out from this game, I was supposed to have ended KotOR with a darkside Revan (which I NEVER did-I have no 'itch' to be a badguy).  This story could have easily been told regardless of what happened before. The fortunes of war are full of sudden reversals and surprises for either sides. Besides, most of us came to know the characters from the previous edition with a sense of familiarity, and none of us would want to see them end up the way they appeared to in this one. 

 

To be honest, I am not even sure I understand the story completely, but  what I do understand is that in this one, there is a whole lot less choice in which planet one goes to in which order. Because I was to meet all the jedi masters on Dantooine, I saved it for last, only to discover that in the short time it took me to clean out the Jedi enclave sublevel, save Master Vrook, and save the new city from the mercenaries, someone "myseriously" rebuilt  the enclave without my knowing.  I am still not certain how I ended up on that planet, or what this shadow device was that that remote enabled, or what was the point of all the droids zapping each other in the Ebon Hawk, nor am I certain why the Bounty Hunter chick with ethics bothered to wander around that rock just to fight the Wookie again. Who was that mysterious Sith Lord in the Japanese theatre mask on that wrecked ship? What was the blind Sith/Jedi's role in the whole thing? Too many unanswered questions, nothing to even make me want to remember all their names. How could these whacky misfits even begin to compare with Bastila, Canderous, Jolee, Juhani, Carth, Zaalbar, Mission, Reven, and Malik? These characters were annoying, humorus, developed, and we identified with something in each of them.  I felt nothing at all for the new (and even the assorted old) characters in KotOR 2.

 

What is obvious from the many lapses in this storyline is that it was rushed into production to meet the X-Box Christmas deadline rather than delaying it to get it right.  I may speak only for myself, but I'd have been happy to wait another year to get a more cohesive storyline with strong characters than what I got. One of the best features of KotOR was the fact that it had immense replayability, I do not feel the urge to replay KotOR 2 nearly as much. Of course, why should Obsidian care, they already got their money from me on this one, but you can bet your socks I won't be as eager to buy anything else from them.

 

I am terribly surprised that Lucas Arts even okayed this game for production.  Despite some rather impressive improvements to general gameplay and item modificaitons, this game is not worthy of the Star Wars name.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Firstly, rather or not Revan is Sith or Jedi, as well as if it is a he or she, is determined by your responses to Atton at the beginning of the game.

 

Everything you brought up in your third paragraph is answered through dialogue or cutscenes.

 

You can go to the planets in any order, and like the first, it really makes no difference.

 

After playing both both ways, I'd say KotOR II has more replayability (though I'm only half way through it now on darkside female with Revan the opposite of what I set her last time). You see and learn a lot more and things play out quite a bit differently.

 

Lastly, Lucas Arts was responsible for the early release. And how can you say 'I can't believe they okayed this game'? Have you seen ANY Star Wars game that is not Jedi Knight or KotOR? They aren't even close to good.

[Zilod]

I agree about the party characters, i think too that in KOTOR party characters where generally superior.

 

even if TSL have them characterized and the idea to use them directly in some circustamces is very good they still lack something, is like that when you become to get intrigued by them they have nothing more to tell you.

 

 

said that i must admit that i prefer TSL... the story is much deeper and mature and if the secondary chars can seem "unfinished" the main ones shine for their complexity and humanity.

 

i agree that near the end some minor things are missing, but for what i see the plot is very solid and is one of the best i remember.

 

KOTOR was very enjoyable with it's chars and the good story, but i found in TSL a much more intense, and why not emotional, experience.

[Thanos]

I believe I now understand why Bioware farmed  the sequel out to someone else. They put so much love, blood, sweat, and tears into KotOR that they knew nothing could ever come close to it again.  After a bitter wait, KotOR 2 was a major disappointment.

 

The curse of writing a sequel to such a big hit as KotOR is one gets what happens in KotOR 2, namely: a shoddy hodgepodge of non-cohesive assumptions that make little sense in context.  From what I was able to make out from this game, I was supposed to have ended KotOR with a darkside Revan (which I NEVER did-I have no 'itch' to be a badguy).  This story could have easily been told regardless of what happened before. The fortunes of war are full of sudden reversals and surprises for either sides. Besides, most of us came to know the characters from the previous edition with a sense of familiarity, and none of us would want to see them end up the way they appeared to in this one. 

 

To be honest, I am not even sure I understand the story completely, but  what I do understand is that in this one, there is a whole lot less choice in which planet one goes to in which order. Because I was to meet all the jedi masters on Dantooine, I saved it for last, only to discover that in the short time it took me to clean out the Jedi enclave sublevel, save Master Vrook, and save the new city from the mercenaries, someone "myseriously" rebuilt  the enclave without my knowing.  I am still not certain how I ended up on that planet, or what this shadow device was that that remote enabled, or what was the point of all the droids zapping each other in the Ebon Hawk, nor am I certain why the Bounty Hunter chick with ethics bothered to wander around that rock just to fight the Wookie again. Who was that mysterious Sith Lord in the Japanese theatre mask on that wrecked ship? What was the blind Sith/Jedi's role in the whole thing? Too many unanswered questions, nothing to even make me want to remember all their names. How could these whacky misfits even begin to compare with Bastila, Canderous, Jolee, Juhani, Carth, Zaalbar, Mission, Reven, and Malik? These characters were annoying, humorus, developed, and we identified with something in each of them.  I felt nothing at all for the new (and even the assorted old) characters in KotOR 2.

 

What is obvious from the many lapses in this storyline is that it was rushed into production to meet the X-Box Christmas deadline rather than delaying it to get it right.  I may speak only for myself, but I'd have been happy to wait another year to get a more cohesive storyline with strong characters than what I got. One of the best features of KotOR was the fact that it had immense replayability, I do not feel the urge to replay KotOR 2 nearly as much. Of course, why should Obsidian care, they already got their money from me on this one, but you can bet your socks I won't be as eager to buy anything else from them.

 

I am terribly surprised that Lucas Arts even okayed this game for production.  Despite some rather impressive improvements to general gameplay and item modificaitons, this game is not worthy of the Star Wars name.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Firstly, rather or not Revan is Sith or Jedi, as well as if it is a he or she, is determined by your responses to Atton at the beginning of the game.

 

Everything you brought up in your third paragraph is answered through dialogue or cutscenes.

 

You can go to the planets in any order, and like the first, it really makes no difference.

 

After playing both both ways, I'd say KotOR II has more replayability (though I'm only half way through it now on darkside female with Revan the opposite of what I set her last time). You see and learn a lot more and things play out quite a bit differently.

 

Lastly, Lucas Arts was responsible for the early release. And how can you say 'I can't believe they okayed this game'? Have you seen ANY Star Wars game that is not Jedi Knight or KotOR? They aren't even close to good.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I thought the game was alright overall. Not up to Kotor 1 standards. My biggest complaints.

 

Ending. Didn't make sense and you had to make lots of asumptions.

Party charaters. I liked the dialog better in Kotor 1. They were a lot more interesting.

[Tanuvein]

I thought the game was alright overall. Not up to Kotor 1 standards. My biggest complaints.

 

Ending. Didn't make sense and you had to make lots of asumptions.

Party charaters. I liked the dialog better in Kotor 1. They were a lot more interesting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I have to disagree about the NPCs. The dialogue was much less mature or well written in the first. I mean, just playing through the beginning again with Carth talking about his trust issues is almost funny. Though it does get better later in the game, if memory serves.

 

I like how it is in KotOR II more. In the first, you basically just listened to their spiel when you leveled up. In the second, you need to gain their trust, talk to them, and learn about them in a way that doesn't scream 'story time'.

[Darth Jebus]

I believe I now understand why Bioware farmed  the sequel out to someone else. They put so much love, blood, sweat, and tears into KotOR that they knew nothing could ever come close to it again.  After a bitter wait, KotOR 2 was a major disappointment.

 

The curse of writing a sequel to such a big hit as KotOR is one gets what happens in KotOR 2, namely: a shoddy hodgepodge of non-cohesive assumptions that make little sense in context.  From what I was able to make out from this game, I was supposed to have ended KotOR with a darkside Revan (which I NEVER did-I have no 'itch' to be a badguy).  This story could have easily been told regardless of what happened before. The fortunes of war are full of sudden reversals and surprises for either sides. Besides, most of us came to know the characters from the previous edition with a sense of familiarity, and none of us would want to see them end up the way they appeared to in this one. 

 

To be honest, I am not even sure I understand the story completely, but  what I do understand is that in this one, there is a whole lot less choice in which planet one goes to in which order. Because I was to meet all the jedi masters on Dantooine, I saved it for last, only to discover that in the short time it took me to clean out the Jedi enclave sublevel, save Master Vrook, and save the new city from the mercenaries, someone "myseriously" rebuilt  the enclave without my knowing.  I am still not certain how I ended up on that planet, or what this shadow device was that that remote enabled, or what was the point of all the droids zapping each other in the Ebon Hawk, nor am I certain why the Bounty Hunter chick with ethics bothered to wander around that rock just to fight the Wookie again. Who was that mysterious Sith Lord in the Japanese theatre mask on that wrecked ship? What was the blind Sith/Jedi's role in the whole thing? Too many unanswered questions, nothing to even make me want to remember all their names. How could these whacky misfits even begin to compare with Bastila, Canderous, Jolee, Juhani, Carth, Zaalbar, Mission, Reven, and Malik? These characters were annoying, humorus, developed, and we identified with something in each of them.  I felt nothing at all for the new (and even the assorted old) characters in KotOR 2.

 

What is obvious from the many lapses in this storyline is that it was rushed into production to meet the X-Box Christmas deadline rather than delaying it to get it right.  I may speak only for myself, but I'd have been happy to wait another year to get a more cohesive storyline with strong characters than what I got. One of the best features of KotOR was the fact that it had immense replayability, I do not feel the urge to replay KotOR 2 nearly as much. Of course, why should Obsidian care, they already got their money from me on this one, but you can bet your socks I won't be as eager to buy anything else from them.

 

I am terribly surprised that Lucas Arts even okayed this game for production.  Despite some rather impressive improvements to general gameplay and item modificaitons, this game is not worthy of the Star Wars name.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I agree with about 98% of what you said there. The first time I played the game through, I was all, "What?"

[tanstaafl28]

I... don't agree with you ...

 

Maybe this game doesn't appeal to you, and I guess that's okay.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Great, why?