User Rating: 6.1 | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic XBOX
Okay, I really, really, really wanted to love this game. I'm a huge fan of Star Wars and I am an RPG player from way back (I'm even counting "Adventure" on the Atari 2600 as an RPG). The problem is, the folks who made this game just didn't do what they said they wanted to do. If the whole idea was to bring together the best aspects of PC RPG's and console RPG's...KOTOR manages to do just the opposite. There are a few oddities about the controls that will just drive you up the wall. First off, you can't look up. In the first person view (which is limited to when you are standing still) you can tilt your head up about ten degrees. That can be really annoying if you want to take in the surroundings. For instance, there are some levitating sculptures on Taris that I wanted to look at, so I got up close and...stared at their base. There's no point in having great graphics in a game like this if you can't see them. But that's just a small point. The next annoying thing about the game is the way so much of the landscape is restricted. If you're expecting to be able to fully explore these beautiful, vast landscapes you've heard so much about...think again. In some places there can be a small rise in the ground that appears to be about six inches high. Strangely, your powerful Jedi lacks the ability not only to jump, but to step up. So you'll find yourself wanting to go see what that it looks like from that hilltop, and just not be able to get there. Then there are the doors that aren't doors. Been reading on the official KOTOR sight about the characters and want to see what the inside of Jolee Bindo's cabin looks like? Sorry, there's a nice door there...but it can't be opened. This happens in lots of places. I suppose it's nice to know that if a door can be opened it goes somewhere you need to go, but it would have been nice to be able to do some more exploring. And then, there's the number of playable characters in the game. You honestly don't need them all. Since there are only three basic classes, and a handful of feats and skills, three characters can be more than proficient in everything you'll need. And once you have three Jedi in your party...why would you bother with taking anyone else out of the Ebon Hawk? But there are some good points to the game (no, really, there are). First, it is probably the most cinematic game ever made thanks to all the dialogue being spoken. My guess is that's the reason for everything else being somewhat cut down in size. Not only because of all the space on the DVD it would take up, but also because they had to pay more than most games would for the voice acting. Most of it is actually pretty good (Ed Asner is actually perfect for the character he voices). Second, the story is actually reasonably good. Some times it does go from nothing happening to entire civilizations being changed in a matter of minutes...but it's overall good. And the backstories for all the different characters are great. Finally, the graphics (what there are of them, anyway) are excellent. The mist covering the ground in the underforest of Kashyyk or the grass swaying as you walk through it on Dantooine is very nice. Of course, there are only about five different faces for NPC's in the game. All the major NPC's look reasonably different from one another (although it is interesting how many Dark Jedi look just like Darth Bandon). But most of the other NPC's share a face. Honestly, I was hoping for something along the lines of Morrow Wind. Being able to go out and explore the worlds and such. What I got wasn't nearly what I had hoped for. Still, it's worth the price. Just don't expect too much. It just isn't everything that 
