In July 2003, BioWare and LucasArts released Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, an RPG unlike any previous one, and set in the Star Wars universe no less. The universally acclaimed title set a new standard for the genre in storytelling, character development, and gameplay, earning it over 40 Game of the Year awards from a variety of publications. It's no surprise then that the gaming community celebrated the news of a total remake when the project was announced in 2021. However, much of that hope has been dashed due to some unfortunate development hurdles involving significant staff and developer changes, as well as a demo\ that was ill-received by Sony and LucasArts.
It is becoming increasingly clear over time that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic's remake is years away -- if it happens at all. While the remake was originally announced to be in development by Aspyr, Saber Interactive, the developer who partnered with 343 Industries on several of the Halo games, took over the KOTOR remake project in August 2022. This, on top of many other roadblocks, has nearly halted the game's development, at least from the public's standpoint. Despite this consistently unfortunate news, however, the original Knights of the Old Republic remains a timeless classic that is still worth playing today.
KOTOR Is a Compelling and Customizable Star Wars Story
Although BioWare's 1998 Baldur's Gate is credited with revitalizing the computer role-playing genre, Knights of the Old Republic is widely recognized as the game that set a standard for storytelling. In fact, it is still acknowledged by many critics as one of the greatest narratives in video game history. There is a massive amount of character development in both the player character and the companions made along the way, and the game's companion relationship system makes every conversation with them personal.
KOTOR takes place during the Golden Age of the Republic, almost 4,000 years before the Galactic Empire and the events of the first Star Wars film. This is an age where Jedi and Sith number in the thousands. A Sith Lord named Darth Malak has threatened the Galactic Republic with a legion of Sith, setting the player character on a journey to discover their true identity as a Jedi and bring Malak's tyranny to an end. Players venture through an array of major narrative events as their character's story unravels before them, including an unexpected plot twist that is considered to be one of the best of all time.
What truly sets KOTOR apart from other games of its time is the control it gives players over their character's destiny. The player character is almost entirely customizable in personality and appearance, as they are given countless opportunities to evolve through conversations with companions and impactful narrative decisions that offer a variety of outcomes. The narrative is not without many fixed plot points, but it nonetheless manages to make every playthrough personal.
KOTOR's Gameplay Is Engaging and Unique
Apart from giving players the ability to alter the narrative through complex decision-making, Knights of the Old Republic offers engaging gameplay in its combat and skill system, side-quests, and mini-games. Players will spend a significant portion of their time in KOTOR battling enemies and completing side missions to level up and grow their character into a formidable Jedi.
KOTOR's combat and skill system remain a major contributor to the uniqueness and value of its gameplay. The combat system utilizes a mix of turn-based and real-time elements that can be controlled (for the most part) by the player. When combat begins, the game pauses for a moment to allow the player time to survey the situation, adjust their character's armor, weapons, and accessories to their advantage, and decide which enemies to attack and what skills to use. Each character can queue up four skills, including companions, and when the game is unpaused, the characters automatically perform the designated actions.
The player isn't without a variety of activities outside advancing KOTOR's narrative, as they have countless opportunities to develop the world through side missions and experience a brief respite from the intense main story with the RPG's mini-games. These side missions include bounty hunting, solving mysteries, and even smuggling. On top of all this, there are mini-games like swoop racing and a card game called Pazaak that give KOTOR an authentic Star Wars feel.
Regardless of whether the previously-announced remake releases far in the future or gets canceled, Knights of the Old Republic is still worth playing, even today. While the graphics and some gameplay elements have clearly aged, its storytelling, world-building, and combat all cooperate to create an authentic Star Wars experience that almost anyone can enjoy.