It should be known that if you are planning to purchase KOTOR 2, then I hope you have the time set aside to enjoy it. It is quite long and may take you a few days to finish your first time through. But then if you are familiar with the first KOTOR, then that is not surprising and may very well be welcomed. I must say that for the most part, I enjoyed KOTOR 2. The new devs, Obsidian, did a fine job with the story of KOTOR 2 and sticking to the strong core mechanics of the first game. Aside from some problems I have with the graphics engine, I'd definately recommend this game for an RPG or Star Wars lover. First, let's get the negative out of the way. The graphic engine dissappoints me and is a huge blemish on an otherwise great game. I was not fond of the first game's graphics engine and much to my chagrin, it returns in the new game albeit with some minor touches. The framerate can be pretty bad sometime with your character ocassionally "teleporting" across the screen when you run or the battles slowing down to a crawl. Since this is a turn based game(which looks real time), it is not THAT much of a problem but it can be quite annoying and the slowdown has occasionally affected my combat by slowing down my choices in combat. The enviroments are not very impressive and they seem rather plain looking. Also, they don't "feel" as big as the worlds in the original KOTOR. Granted, the biggest draw of KOTOR 2 is its great story and good gameplay. But it would have been nice if they had improved the graphics or at least the framerate. Now, to what is done well... The story is very well written with twist and turns and makes great philosophical points. That's what I loved about this game...the discussions of ethics and other philosophical questions. There are things that were said in the game that even made me question some of my actions in life and think a bit more on some of the topics brought up in the game. It is, perhaps, one of the best stories I have heard or read in quite a while. The sound is just as strong as the story and the voice acting is quite good, especially Kreia. The music has the typical Star Wars feeling which is just fine and its just as strong as the first KOTOR's soundtrack. This game lasted me 47 hours and one can always go back through it and play as the opposite of what you played as before and see the differences of being a light or dark side. Character interaction is fleshed out well and you can spend hours in the worlds trying to get different reactions from people. I enjoyed KOTOR 2 primarily because of its great story and voice acting. It is a deep game and while the worlds don't feel as big as they were in the first game...there is still plenty to do. Depending on your playing style, this game can last you for weeks. This game is worth its price tag if you are a RPG fan or star wars buff. If you are unsure about it, rent it and at least check it out.
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