If I got a nickel for every award Knights of the Old Republic won last year (including our Xbox and Overall Game of the Year honors), I'd have a lot of nickels. So how do you follow up that kind of success? That's a question Bioware and LucasArts hope to answer with the release of Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords.
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, which is comprised of developers behind Fallout and Planescape: Torment, KOTOR 2 is set five years after the original and will let players experience a completely new adventure in the Star Wars universe. Instead of picking up where your character left off, you will assume the role of a new Jedi.
The game opens with the Jedi Council disbanded and their sanctuary on Dantoonie in ruins after the Jedi civil war. The end of Knights saw a dramatic shift in the Jedi population, leaving your character as one of the last remaining Jedi in the galaxy. Little else is known about your character other than you are an exile of the Mandalorian Wars. Because of your long exile, your connection to the Force is weak and your lightsaber is gone. As your quest unfolds, you'll eventually run into familiar faces from the original, including fan favorite HK-47 and Darth Revan.
Wait? Revan?!?!
Given the complexities of the original's narrative, which unlocked multiple paths for you to follow, The Sith Lords should supply plenty of plot twists and mysteries for players to experience. How some of these elements play out will be up to you. Not long after your quest begins you'll have the chance to address key points from the original.
The game opens with your Jedi-to-be in a medical facility. Eventually you run into Krea, a character who has a strong connection to the Force, which she uses to communicate with you. Here you will answer questions on how you think the events in the original played out. Who betrayed whom? Did your character submit to the Dark Side? These choices will then influence the story.
The structure of the original will remain intact. How you choose to play the game will have the biggest impact on the events in the game. Obsidian is planning to give players more choices and side-quests this time around. As with last time, you will be able to choose your own path through the game. Will you choose the way of the Light Side, or take the quick and easy path in pursuit of the Dark Side. This time your choices will have an even greater impact since they will influence not only those who will join you, but their actions as well. Have a Jedi you're itching to make your Sith Apprentice? Go for it. Though still limited to three, party members will be much more useful and have their own unique abilities.
Whatever path you choose, you will have access to a host of 30 new Force powers. Force Confusion, a more devastating version of Influence Mind, will allow you to control weak-minded characters in battle, while Force Sense will allow you to see beyond sight and peek though walls and see character alignments. Other powers include Clairvoyance (a more powerful version of Sense), Dark Rage and Battle Meditation.
The Sith Lords will let you jump into being a Jedi from the start. The character creation system will remain largely intact, although more choices will be offered. The aim is to give players more freedom when creating their character instead of limiting them to a few similar looking characters.
You'll start the game as one of three distinct Jedi classes, each with their own abilities. These initial classes will remain the same from the previous game. As you advance through the game, you'll be able to access unique Prestige classes which will be alignment specific. The Dark Side player will be able to choose from Sith Lord, Sith Marauder and Sith Assassin, while the Light Side will host the Jedi Master, Jedi Watchman and Jedi Weapon Master classes.
Graphically, the game uses the same engine as the original, although there are a few noticeable tweaks, mainly to animation and special effects. One of the more interesting aspects of the new animation engine is that as you gain experience, your fighting style will also become more fluid. You?ll begin as a stumbling Jedi Padawan and evolve into a graceful saber-swinging machine.
The graphical changes will be accompanied by a tweaked control system. The biggest change, aside from some minor HUD changes, is the option of equipping two weapon configurations. When combined with deeper lightsaber customization, which will give you even more enhancement options, your Jedi can construct lightsabers built specifically for certain foes and change them on the fly.
Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords is scheduled for release next February.