Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Last updated

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic logo.png
Genre(s) Action role-playing, Massively multiplayer online role-playing
Developer(s) BioWare
Obsidian Entertainment
Saber Interactive
Broadsword Online Studios
Publisher(s) LucasArts
Electronic Arts, Disney Interactive Studios [1]
Sony Interactive Entertainment [2]
Creator(s) Drew Karpyshyn, James Ohlen
Platform(s)
First release Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
July 15, 2003
Latest release Star Wars: The Old Republic - Legacy of the Sith
February 15, 2022
Parent series Star Wars video games

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) is a media franchise of space opera role-playing video games created and developed by BioWare, which have seen releases on the original Xbox, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, IOS, Android and Nintendo Switch. The franchise takes place in the fictional universe of Star Wars by George Lucas.

Contents

The first title, and subsequent massively multiplayer online role-playing game series, was developed by BioWare while the second was done by Obsidian Entertainment per LucasArts' request. [3] All were published by LucasArts. The video game series is based on an earlier comic book series; the franchise includes a subsequent new comic book series. Both comic series were published by Dark Horse Comics and act as prequels to the video games.

Gameplay

The game's system is based on Wizards of the Coast's Star Wars Roleplaying Game , which is based on the d20 role-playing game system derived from the Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules. Combat is round-based; time is divided into discrete rounds, and combatants attack and react simultaneously. However, the number of actions a combatant may perform each round is limited. While each round's duration is a fixed short interval of real time, the player can configure the combat system to pause at specific events or at the end of each round.[ citation needed ]

Alignment system

The alignment system tracks actions and speech – from simple word choice to major plot decisions – to determine whether the player's character aligns with the light or dark side of the Force. In the first game, the player's speech and actions have no effect on their teammates. However, the player has influence over their companions in The Sith Lords, the player's actions determining not only what side the player is on, but their teammates as well. The influence the player has on another character can be minor, from converting a character from the dark side to the light, to something as major as teaching them the ways of the Jedi themselves. Influence can be lost, however, if the player makes an action inconsistent with past decisions, causing the player to pay very close attention before reacting in any way. [4] [5] [6] The series includes "Gray Jedi" who tend to follow their own path as far as the Force is concerned rather than obeying the light or dark side. [7] [8]

Lightsabers

The series includes a high level of lightsaber customization including crystal colors and blade styles. [9] [10] The developers of the series "fought" to expand the number of lightsaber colors. [11] The game includes the ubiquitous colors blue and green [12] but also colors such as orange and yellow. [13] [14] Danny Paez, for Inverse , commented that "KOTOR's spectrum of lightsaber crystals led to gamers obsessing over collecting them all to design the lightsaber of their dreams. This led to fans going out of their way to explore every nook and cranny of the games". [15]

Synopsis

Plot

Four thousand years prior to the Star Wars films, [note 1] Darth MalakDarth Revan's apprentice – has unleashed a Sith armada against the Republic. Many Jedi, scattered and left vulnerable by Malak's aggression, die in battle while others swear loyalty and allegiance to Malak. The game opens with the player's character awakening aboard a doomed Republic capital ship with no recollection of their past. After escaping the ship and crash-landing on Taris, the player gradually gathers companions and pieces together their past while attempting to stop Malak's forces. To accomplish this, the main character and their companions search for Star Maps that together reveal the location of the Star Forge, an ancient space station that creates massive amounts of material for Malak.

The main character's actions and speech influence whether they align with the light or dark side of the Force. Depending on the character's alignment, they eventually reach the Star Forge either to defeat the Sith (the light-side path) or to usurp control of the Sith from Malak (the dark side path). A light-aligned character and their companions are hailed as saviors and heroes; a dark side character stands before the remaining Sith forces as the new Sith Lord.

The Sith Lords takes place five years after the events of Knights of the Old Republic, in a time when the Jedi have been nearly exterminated by the Sith. The player's character is a former Jedi Knight exiled from the Jedi Order, referred to as "the Exile" or "Jedi Exile". During the Mandalorian Wars, the Exile served under Revan who ordered the activation of a devastating gravitational superweapon – the Mass Shadow Generator – that caused so many deaths to the point where they stripped themself of all connections to the Force unconsciously to save themself, and was removed from the Jedi Order. Throughout the game, the player's character restores a connection to the Force while, with the help of their new companions, try to stop the Sith. Unlike the previous game where your actions affect the fate of the galaxy, here your actions affect only the planets you visit. You can choose to either help or hinder the Republic's attempt to rebuild these planets. In the end, if the character is light-aligned, the Mass Shadow Generator is activated and destroys Malachor V and the Exile goes into unknown space to find Revan. A dark-aligned character, however, takes over the Sith academy on Malachor V and the Mass Shadow Generator is destroyed.

The Old Republic takes place 300 years after the previous two games, shortly after the establishment of a tenuous peace between the re-emergent Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic. The Jedi are held responsible for the success of the Sith and chose to relocate from Coruscant to Tython, where the Jedi Order had been initially founded, to seek guidance from the Force. The Sith control Korriban, where they re-established a Sith Academy. The game begins as new conflicts arise. [19]

Characters

Locations

Several new planets make appearances in the series as major locations. These include, for example, Dantooine and Korriban, the locations for the Jedi Academy and the Sith Academy, respectively; aboard the Star Forge space station where the final battle between master and apprentice takes place in KotOR; and war-ravaged Telos and its orbiting Citadel Station. Travel between locations happens aboard the freighter Ebon Hawk , which is also a playable location, though no combat takes place on board, except for three instances in KotOR 2 where you have to fight off Sith attackers, the character Visas Marr, and members of the Red Eclipse slavers. A space station near Yavin is also playable location in the PC version of KotOR and is available to Xbox players via download from Xbox Live. In The Old Republic, players have access to even more planets, like Ord Mantell, Nal Hutta, Balmorra, Alderaan, Tatooine, Dromund Kaas, Taris, Belsavis, Voss, Hoth, Corellia, Ilum and Quesh, and the moon Nar Shaddaa.

Video games

List of games
TitleDetails

Original release dates:
  • NA: 16 July 2003
  • EU: 12 September 2003
Release years by system:
Notes:

Original release dates:
  • NA: 12 December 2004
  • EU: 11 February 2005
  • AU: 15 February 2005
Release years by system:
  • 2004 · Xbox
  • 2005 · Windows
  • 2015 · macOS
  • 2020 · Android, iOS
  • 2022 · Switch
Notes:
  • Action role-playing game and direct sequel to Knights of the Old Republic.
  • Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, published by Lucasfilm Games, ported to macOS by Aspyr.
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic III

Cancellation date:
2006
Proposed system release:
2006 · Windows, Xbox 360
Notes:
  • Was to be a direct sequel to Knights of the Old Republic II.
  • Would have been published by Lucasfilm Games.
  • Canceled in favor of what would become The Old Republic.

Original release dates:
  • NA: 20 December 2011
  • EU: 20 December 2011
  • AU: 1 March 2012
Release years by system:
2011 · Windows
Notes:
  • Massively multiplayer online role-playing game and indirect sequel to Knights of the Old Republic and Knights of the Old Republic II.
  • Developed by BioWare, published by Electronic Arts, currently maintained by Broadsword Online Games.
  • Received eight expansions: Rise of the Hutt Cartel , Galactic Starfighter, Galactic Strongholds, Shadow of Revan, Knights of the Fallen Empire, Knights of the Eternal Throne, Onslaught, and Legacy of the Sith.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake

Proposed release date:
To be announced
Proposed system release:
Notes:
  • Action role-playing game and remake of Knights of the Old Republic.
  • Being developed by Saber Interactive, to be published by Lucasfilm Games. Development was started by Aspyr.
  • To be a PlayStation 5 exclusive for an unknown duration before being released for other platforms.
Release timeline
Main series in bold
2003 Knights of the Old Republic
2004 Knights of the Old Republic II
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011 The Old Republic
2012
2013 The Old Republic: Rise of the Hutt Cartel
2014 The Old Republic: Shadow of Revan
2015 The Old Republic: Knights of the Fallen Empire
2016 The Old Republic: Knights of the Eternal Throne
2017
2018
2019 The Old Republic: Onslaught
2020
2021
2022 The Old Republic: Legacy of the Sith
2023
TBARemake of Knights of the Old Republic

Original series

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR) is the first installment in the Knights of the Old Republic series. KotOR is the first role-playing video game set in the Star Wars universe. The game was released on the Xbox on July 15, 2003, in North America and on September 12, 2003, in Europe. The PC version was released on November 19, 2003, in North America and on December 5, 2003, in Europe. The iOS version was released on May 30, 2013, and an Android release followed on December 28, 2014. The Nintendo Switch version was released on November 11, 2021.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (KotOR II) is the second installment in the video game franchise. The game was released on the Xbox in North America on December 6, 2004, in Europe on February 11, 2005, and in Australia on February 15, 2005. The PC version was released in North America on February 8, 2005, and in Europe on February 11, 2005. Per request as to have time to deal with other matters, BioWare, the original developer, handed over the job to Obsidian Entertainment. [3]

In addition to technical changes – such as more combat animation and interface scaling – The Sith Lords includes several drastic changes from the original game's features. [20] As mentioned earlier in the gameplay section, the player's actions now affect not only the player themselves but their teammates as well. The player can also teach some teammates the ways of the Jedi. The player also has more diversity when upgrading items, and can even create certain items, such as computer spikes and explosives, themselves.

In a similar way the player's actions and alignment with the light or dark side affects their teammates (both a teammate's alignment and who teams with the player in the first place), gender is also a factor when it comes to companionships and gameplay in general. In addition the appearance (due to choices) also affects your teammates. For example, choosing a female character teams the player with Mical the Disciple, while being male teams the player with Brianna the Handmaiden.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic III (cancelled)

In 2003, LucasArts cancelled the Proteus console MMOG project during its design phase. The game was intended to be an in-house sibling to Star Wars Galaxies . [21] Upon its cancellation, the Proteus project's team and elements of its designs were applied to developing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 3. According to designer John Stafford, the team "wrote a story, designed most of the environments/worlds, and many of the quests, characters, and items." [22] The game was cancelled as part of cuts initiated in 2004 aimed at positioning LucasArts for future success. [23] Concept art from the cancelled Knights of the Old Republic 3 project was published in the book Rogue Leaders: The Story of LucasArts (2008); the artwork includes depictions of Taloraan, Rodia, and a Mandalorian city, as well as a Coruscant vehicle and a new character named Naresha. [24]

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars: The Old Republic (also known as SWTOR) was released for the Microsoft Windows platform on December 13, 2011, in North America and Europe, and released in Australia on March 1, 2012. It was first confirmed by Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello at E3 2008. The game was developed by BioWare, who developed the first Knights of the Old Republic game. It takes place 300 years after the first two installments, as new conflicts arise between the Republic and the Sith Empire. Players participate in a period of time known as the Cold War in the galaxy, after the First Great Galactic War, which leads into events in the Second Great Galactic War.

The game has received six storyline expansions and two smaller add-ons focusing on new gameplay mechanics.

Star Wars: The Old Republic expansions
TitleLaunchDescription
Storylines
Rise of the Hutt Cartel April 14, 2013It is centered on the rising threat of the Hutt Cartel, which has arisen to challenge the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire for control of the galaxy. The level cap was raised to 55, with the leveling from 50 onwards centered on the new planet Makeb.
Shadow of RevanDecember 9, 2014It is centered on the Order of Revan, an army seeking to establish a new galactic rule. It is led by the reborn Revan, who is depicted in Shadow of Revan as a canonical male character. The campaign raised the level cap to 60, and takes place on two new worlds: Rishi, a tropical pirate haven on the edge of the galaxy, and Yavin 4 (which first appeared in the original Star Wars film), home of an ancient Sith warrior sect called the Massassi.
Knights of the Fallen EmpireOctober 27, 2015The largest expansion to The Old Republic, it features a renewed focus on cinematic storytelling, as well as new planets, new companions, and a dynamic story affected by player choices, introducing the new threat of the Eternal Empire and its leader, the Emperor of the Eternal Throne. At Level 60, the player's character is frozen in carbonite and awakens five years later to find that the Eternal Empire has become the dominant force in the galaxy. The player becomes the "Outlander" and builds an alliance to wage war against the Eternal Empire.
Knights of the Eternal ThroneDecember 2, 2016Set in the aftermath of the events of Fallen Empire, the Outlander leads the Alliance against the forces of Empress Vaylin. Eternal Throne also features two new gameplay features, Galactic Command and Uprisings, allowing the player to participate in new battles and expand their influence across the galaxy.
OnslaughtOctober 22, 2019It focuses on the reignited war between the Republic and Sith Empire; the player chooses to support one side. It also introduces the Nautolans as a playable species.
Legacy of the SithFebruary 15, 2022It focuses on the return of Darth Malgus and the rise of a new cult of dark lords. It was released on February 15, 2022, in celebration of The Old Republic's 10th anniversary.
Gameplay mechanics
Galactic StarfighterFebruary 4, 2014Introduced 12v12 space-based PvP combat on two maps, with 2 'capture-the-flag' combat missions.
Galactic StrongholdsOctober 14, 2014Introduced player housing and flagships for guilds.

Remake

In September 2021, Knights of the Old Republic — Remake, a graphically updated remake of the original game, was announced as in development by Aspyr in collaboration with Sony Interactive Entertainment, for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 5. It will be a timed console exclusive for PlayStation 5 before releasing on other platforms. [25] [26] [27] On the remake's development, lead producer Ryan Treadwell wrote: "We’re rebuilding it from the ground up with the latest tech to match the groundbreaking standard of innovation established by the original, all while staying true to its revered story". [25] Several individuals who worked on the original game are returning for the remake, such as former BioWare developers and Jennifer Hale (reprising her role of Bastila). [28] [29] However, certain original cast members have since been deceased or will not be returning, such as Tom Kane who has retired for medical reasons. [30] Little information was otherwise revealed about the project. [25]

In July 2022, Bloomberg reported that the remake has been "delayed indefinitely" after Aspyr "abruptly fired the game's art director and design director". [31] Bloomberg stated that this occurred after the vertical slice demo was shown to production partners Sony and Lucasfilm [31] [32] – Aspyr's studio heads put the project on hold as the demo gameplay "wasn't where they wanted it to be [...], according to two people who were in the meeting". [31] The remake may not be released until 2025, [33] per Bloomberg's sources, instead of its intended 2022 release. [31] In August 2022, Aspyr was reportedly removed from the project and replaced by Saber Interactive, which along with Aspyr is owned by Embracer Group. [34] In September 2023, Kotaku reported that 2021 teaser trailer for the remake has been "hidden" on the "official YouTube channel" and the majority of social media posts "from the original 2021 PlayStation Showcase had also been deleted" which sparked speculation on the status of the remake. [35] In response, Sony stated that the delisting occurred because the music license expired. [35] By February 2024, Embracer Group planned to sell off Saber in a US$500 million deal. Saber is anticipated to continue developing Knights of the Old Republic - Remake as a privately owned firm. [36]

Other games

Select characters from the series have also made a non-canon appearance in the mobile turn-based role-playing game Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes , released on iOS and Android in November 2015, also published by Electronic Arts. While most of the game's playable characters come from the 2012 mainstream Star Wars continuity that Lucasfilm established under The Walt Disney Company, several characters from the Knights of the Old Republic series are also included, mostly due to Electronic Arts being responsible for both Heroes and Knights. All new players are given a Jedi Consular who wields a green lightsaber and has the ability to heal.

Comics

The first issue of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2006) new comic book series based on the game Knights of the Old Republic Issue 1.jpg
The first issue of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2006) new comic book series based on the game

The original Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (and specifically Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Knights of the Old Republic ) comic book series preceded these games, first published in 1993 by Dark Horse Comics. They formed the basis for the game setting, as well as inspiration for the game characters and story. [37]

The second comic series, titled Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic , takes places around 3964 BBY, approximately eight years prior to the story of the video game series, and focuses on Zayne Carrick, a Padawan framed for the murder of his fellow Padawans by his masters, who are members of a mysterious Jedi Covenant. The series was written by John Jackson Miller with art by Brian Ching. And published monthly from March 1, 2006, to February 17, 2010, by Mike Richardson and Dark Horse Comics.

An webcomic series, titled Star Wars: The Old Republic: Threat of Peace, was written by game developer Robert Chestney with art by Alex Sanchez. The story spans ten years from the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant to the events that start the game. The comic was produced by Dark Horse and released bi-monthly from February 27, 2009, to March 2010. It is separated into three acts titled Act 1: Treaty of Coruscant, Act 2: New Galactic Order and Act 3: Uncertain Surrender.

A second webcomic series, titled The Old Republic:Blood of the Empire, was written by Alexander Freed, with art by David Ross, and follows the story of a Sith apprentice on a dangerous secret mission set 25 years before the Treaty of Coruscant. The comic was produced by Dark Horse and released weekly from April 23, 2010, to August 13, 2010. It is separated into three acts titled, Act 1: Shades of the Sith, Act 2: The Broken World and Act 3: Burn the Future.

Threat of Peace and Blood of the Empire were published in printed format from July 7 to December 2, 2010. A third series by Alexander Freed and David Ross, titled Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Lost Suns, was released, in printed form, monthly from June 8 to October 12, 2011, by Dark Horse. It follows Satele Shan's son Theron Shan.

Novels

A 256-page novel called Star Wars: The Old Republic: Deceived was released by Del Rey on March 22, 2011. Written by Paul S. Kemp, it tells of Darth Malgus, the Sith Lord responsible for the sacking of Coruscant. Another novel written by Sean Williams called Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance was published on July 21, 2010. Drew Karpyshyn wrote a novel titled Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan , published on November 15, 2011. It features Revan, revealing his fate after the Knights of the Old Republic game. Karpyshyn wrote another novel, Star Wars: The Old Republic: Annihilation , that was released on November 13, 2012.

Films

Cinematic trailers

Bioware released six short films as cinematic trailers for The Old Republic and its expansion packs.

Film adaptation

In April 2019, Kathleen Kennedy was asked by MTV News about a potential Knights of the Old Republic adaptation and stated, "Yes, we are developing something to look at. Right now, I have no idea where things might fall". [38] The following month, BuzzFeed News reported that Laeta Kalogridis had been hired in the spring of 2018 to write a film based on the 2003 video game, and that she was close to completing the first script of a potential trilogy. [39] Representatives refused to comment, [39] and nothing has been reported since.

Reception

The general critical response of Knights of the Old Republic was overwhelmingly positive. KotOR won numerous awards, including Game Developers Choice Awards' game of the year, BAFTA Games Awards' best Xbox game of the year, and Interactive Achievement Awards for best console RPG and best computer RPG. [40] KotOR has seen success as the game of the year from many sources including IGN , GameSpot , Computer Gaming World , PC Gamer , GMR Magazine , The Game Developers Choice Awards, Xbox Magazine , and G4TV. [40] Interactive Achievement Awards awarded it for best story and best character development. [40] IGN gave KotOR additional awards in Best Sound (Xbox category), Best Story (PC category), Xbox RPG Game of the Year 2003, PC RPG Game of the Year 2003, Xbox Game of the Year 2003, PC Game of the Year 2003, and Overall Game of the Year 2003 across all platforms. G4TV's game review show X-Play picked KotOR as the second "best game ever" since the show began.[ citation needed ] The game is also part of the Xbox Platinum Series/Classics for sales in excess of one million units.[ citation needed ] In 2007, a story twist within the game was ranked number two in Game Informer's list of the top ten video game twists of all time. [41]

The Sith Lords was generally well received by fans and critics alike. Mirroring the success of the first game, The Sith Lords has garnered over thirty-five "Game of the Year" awards. [42] The game received high marks from major reviewers - 8.5/10 from GameSpot, 4.5/5 from Gamespy and 93% from IGN. Based on 30 professional reviews, Metacritic gave the game an average rating of 85 out of 100, [43] compared 93 for Knights of the Old Republic. [44] The game was however criticized for being incomplete due to a rushed deadline. [45]

The Old Republic has received generally positive reviews from critics, with a score of 85 on Metacritic [46] and an 83.87% on GameRankings. [47] G4TV gave a review of 5/5 and praised the game for "Top notch music and voice acting" and "hundreds of hours of content." [48] PC Gamer gave a 93/100, praising the story, voice acting, and the amount of content available. [49] Gamespy gave a review of 4/5, praising the story lines and companion system but criticising the "standard kill and fetch" quests. [50] GameSpot gave the game 8.0/10, saying "[The Old Republic] isn't the next step in online role-playing games. Instead, it's a highly entertaining refinement of what has come before it." [51] GamesRadar gave the game 8/10 calling it "an extremely satisfying experience that sets the stage for a bright future". [52] The game has received a 9.0/10 "Amazing" rating from IGN . [53]

Notes

  1. KOTOR I is set in 3956 BBY (3956 years before the Battle of Yavin in which the first Death Star was destroyed.) [16] KOTOR II: The Sith Lords is set 5 years later. [3] The Old Republic is set 300 years after KOTOR I & II. [17] The comic series starts 8 years before the games. [18]

Related Research Articles

<i>Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast</i> 2002 video game

Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast is a 2002 first- and third-person shooter video game developed by Raven Software for Windows and Mac OS. Westlake Interactive ported the game to Mac OS X, while the Xbox and GameCube versions were ported by Vicarious Visions; most versions were published by Activision and LucasArts, with only the Mac OS version published by Aspyr. The game is a sequel to 1997's Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, and the third main installment in the Star Wars: Jedi Knight series. The single-player campaign, set in the fictional Star Wars expanded universe two years after the Mysteries of the Sith expansion for Dark Forces II, follows returning protagonist Kyle Katarn, a mercenary working for the New Republic and former Jedi who cut his connection to the Force. Katarn must return to his Jedi ways to stop a branch of the Imperial Remnant led by the Dark Jedi Desann from empowering their army with the Force.

<i>Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II</i> 1997 video game

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II is a 1997 first-person shooter video game developed and published by LucasArts for Windows. It is the sequel to 1995's Star Wars: Dark Forces, and the second installment in the Star Wars: Jedi Knight series. The story, set in the Star Wars expanded universe one year after the film Return of the Jedi, follows returning protagonist Kyle Katarn, a mercenary working for the New Republic, who discovers his connection to the Force and "The Valley of the Jedi", an ancient source of power. With his father having been murdered years prior by the Dark Jedi Jerec and his followers over the Valley's location, Katarn embarks on a quest to confront his father's killers and find the Valley before they do.

<i>Tales of the Jedi</i> (comics) Comic book series, 1993 to 1998

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi is a series of comic books published by Dark Horse Comics between 1993 and 1998. They are part of the fictional Star Wars expanded universe, and cover the Great Sith War and the Great Hyperspace War. The series represented the earliest chronological Star Wars stories until the publication of the Dawn of the Jedi series of comics and novels.

<i>Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy</i> 2003 video game

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is a first- and third-person shooter video game developed by Raven Software and published by LucasArts for Windows, Mac OS X and Xbox in 2003. Vicarious Visions was responsible for the development of the Xbox version. The game is a sequel to 2002's Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast and the fourth and final installment in the Star Wars: Jedi Knight series. The single-player story, set in the fictional Star Wars expanded universe two years after Jedi Outcast, follows Jaden Korr, a new student at Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy under the tutelage of the previous games' protagonist, Kyle Katarn. As Jaden, players are tasked with investigating a Dark Jedi cult called the Disciples of Ragnos, while slowly learning the ways of the Force and committing themselves to either the light side or the dark side.

<i>Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic</i> (video game) 2003 video game

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts. The first installment of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series, it was released for the Xbox on July 16, 2003, and for Microsoft Windows on November 19, 2003. It was ported to Mac OS X, iOS, and Android by Aspyr, and it is playable on the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S via backward compatibility. A Nintendo Switch version was released on November 11, 2021.

<i>Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords</i> 2004 video game

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is a role-playing video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by LucasArts. It is the sequel to BioWare's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and was released for the Xbox on December 6, 2004, for Microsoft Windows on February 8, 2005, for OS X and Linux on July 21, 2015, for Android and iOS on December 18, 2020 and for Nintendo Switch on June 8, 2022. Like its predecessor, it is set in the Star Wars universe 4,000 years before the events of the film Episode I: The Phantom Menace and is based on the d20 System developed by Wizards of the Coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kreia</span> Fictional character in Star Wars

Kreia is a character and party member in Obsidian Entertainment's video game Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. She is a blind Force-sensitive who forms a "bond" with the player character, the Jedi Exile, through the Force. Kreia sets herself up as the Exile's mentor, and rejects the divide of the light and dark side of the Force, as well as the predestination the Force entails. By the game's end, it is revealed she is the Sith Lord Darth Traya and is planning on destroying the Force, and she becomes the final boss of The Sith Lords. Kreia makes no more appearances in Star Wars fiction, though a miniature by Wizards of the Coast was released in August 2008, and she appears as an obtainable character in Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aspyr</span> American video game developer and publisher

Aspyr Media, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher founded by Michael Rogers and Ted Staloch in Austin, Texas. Originally founded to port gaming titles to macOS, the company, since 2005, has become a publisher and developer of entertainment for multiple gaming platforms.

<i>Star Wars</i> video games Video games based on the Star Wars franchise

Over one hundred video games based on the Star Wars franchise have been released, dating back to some of the earliest home consoles. Some are based directly on films while others rely heavily on the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

<i>Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith</i> (video game) 2005 video game

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith is an action video game based on the movie of the same name. It was released on May 5, 2005, for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and Symbian OS. For the Xbox 360's backwards compatible lineup, Revenge of the Sith is one out of the 400+ backwards compatible games for the 360. As part of the PlayStation 2 classics program, the PlayStation 2 version was re-released in Europe on the PlayStation Network on February 11, 2015, and in North America on April 28, 2015. Meanwhile, the Xbox version was also added to the backwards compatibility list for the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on November 15, 2021.

<i>Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles</i> 2000 video game

Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles is an action Star Wars video game set during the time frame of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The game was first released for the PlayStation, and afterwards for the Dreamcast and the Game Boy Advance. A remastered version of the game is scheduled to release for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in January 2025.

<i>Star Wars: Obi-Wan</i> 2001 action-adventure video game

Star Wars: Obi-Wan, originally titled Star Wars: Episode I: Obi-Wan, is an action-adventure video game developed and published by LucasArts and released exclusively for Xbox on December 19, 2001 in North America and March 29, 2002 in Europe. It is set in the Legends canonicity of the Star Wars universe, around 32 years before the Battle of Yavin, shortly prior to and during the events of the 1999 film The Phantom Menace. Players control the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi. The game received generally mixed reviews upon its release.

Characters of the <i>Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic</i> series

The video games Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003) and Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (2004) features a large cast of characters noted for its diversity and is the subject of significant discussion from gaming magazines and websites.

<i>Star Wars: The Force Unleashed</i> 2008 video game

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a 2008 action-adventure game developed and published by LucasArts, and part of The Force Unleashed multimedia project. It was initially developed for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 consoles and on iOS, second-generation N-Gage, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, and Java-equipped mobile phone handhelds. The game was released in North America on September 16, 2008, in Australia and Southeast Asia on September 17, and in Europe on September 19. LucasArts released downloadable content for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. An Ultimate Sith Edition of the game, containing both new and previously released downloadable content, was released in November 2009, and later ported to Mac OS X and Windows. An enhanced remaster of the Wii version, developed by Aspyr, was released for the Nintendo Switch on April 20, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sith</span> Organization in the Star Wars series

The Sith are the main antagonists in the fictional universe of the Star Wars franchise. They are the antithesis and ancient enemies of the Jedi. The Sith Order is depicted as an ancient cult of warriors who draw strength from the dark side of the Force and use it to seize power by any means necessary, including terrorism and mass murder; their ultimate goals are to destroy the Jedi and rule the galaxy.

Star Wars: Jedi Knight is a series of first- and third-person shooter video games set in the fictional Star Wars expanded universe. The series focuses primarily on Kyle Katarn, a former Imperial officer who becomes a mercenary working for the Rebel Alliance, and later a Jedi and instructor at Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy. While the first game is set a year after the events of A New Hope, the sequels take place in the decade following Return of the Jedi.

<i>Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith</i> 1998 video game

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith is an expansion pack for the 1997 first-person shooter Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, developed and published by LucasArts for Microsoft Windows in 1998. It was re-released on Steam in September 2009. The expansion includes a new single-player story mode and fifteen multiplayer maps. The single-player story, set in the Star Wars expanded universe five years after the events of Dark Forces II, follows both returning protagonist Kyle Katarn, a Jedi Master and mercenary working for the New Republic, and Mara Jade, a character featured in numerous Star Wars expanded universe works, who is being trained by Katarn in the Jedi arts. After Katarn goes missing while investigating an ancient Sith temple, Jade continues her studies on her own while undertaking missions from the New Republic, eventually leaving to find Katarn.

The Sith Lords Restored Content Modification (TSLRCM) is a fan volunteer effort to reinstate or recreate unused content for the 2004 video game Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords and fix a vast number of technical issues present in the retail release of the game. A years-spanning project that aims to improve the gameplay experience of The Sith Lords as intended by its developer, TSLRCM is developed by a group of fans who pieced together disparate narrative elements through data extracted from the game's fragmented code, which contained innumerable unused original assets and voice-over recordings, and incorporated these alterations into the final product. The mod's first public release was in September 2009. As of 2015, the mod is endorsed and supported by Aspyr Media, Inc., an American video game developer and publisher responsible for the continued support of The Sith Lords on modern platforms.

References

  1. "Games on". Gog.com. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  2. "Aspyr, Lucasfilm Games & Sony Interactive Entertainment Announce Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Remake". BusinessWire.com. September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords Developer Interview 2. GameSpot. May 8, 2004. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
  4. Duckworth, Joshua (April 23, 2022). "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake Has to Emphasize Light vs. Dark Side Choices". Game Rant. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  5. Brown, Joey (June 1, 2022). "Knights of the Old Republic 2: How Light and Dark Side Choices Impact the Main Character and Story". Game Rant. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  6. Wilder, Nicholas (January 12, 2020). "A Retrospective Look at Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic's Story". Game Rant. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  7. "The History Of The Grey Force In Star Wars". Gizmodo Australia. August 3, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  8. Amoroso, Daniel (October 20, 2022). "Star Wars Could Use More Games About Grey Jedi". Game Rant. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  9. MacReady, Melody (May 25, 2022). "Star Wars: 10 Best Lightsaber Customization Across The Games, Ranked". ScreenRant. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  10. Mason, Paul (April 28, 2021). "Knights of the Old Republic Remake's Lightsaber Mechanics Have a Ton of Potential". Game Rant. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  11. "Boss Fight Books' Knights of the Old Republic Studies a Studio on the Verge of a Golden Age". Paste . April 24, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  12. Cao, Caroline (April 22, 2022). "Every Star Wars Lightsaber Color Explained". /Film. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  13. Rob, Leane (October 21, 2019). "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Brings Back Orange Lightsabers". Den of Geek. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  14. Raymond, Charles Nicholas (February 2, 2020). "Star Wars: Rey's Yellow Lightsaber Real Meaning Explained". ScreenRant. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  15. Paez, Danny (October 22, 2019). "'Jedi Fallen Order' lightsaber crafting might mimic the best Star Wars RPG". Inverse. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  16. Richter, Lena (2020). The Transmedia Franchise of Star Wars TV. Cham: Springer Nature. p. 156. ISBN   9783030529581 . Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  17. Tringham, Neal Roger (2014). Science Fiction Video Games. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. p. 237. ISBN   9781482203899 . Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  18. "Star Wars: the Old Republic era". Library Thing. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  19. "Star Wars: The Old Republic | The Setting". www.swtor.com.
  20. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords Developer Interview 2. GameSpot. July 14, 2004. Event occurs at 2:56. Retrieved August 22, 2007. ...as you increase the resolution in the game, the interfaces will scale the same way
  21. Smith, Rogue Leaders, 171.
  22. Smith, Rogue Leaders, 202.
  23. Smith, Rogue Leaders, 176.
  24. Smith, Rogue Leaders, 202-203.
  25. 1 2 3 Gach, Ethan (September 9, 2021). "Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic Gets PS5 Remake". Kotaku . Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  26. Grubb, Jeff (September 9, 2021). "Knights of the Old Republic returns with remake that is a timed exclusive to PS5". VentureBeat . Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  27. Gartenberg, Chaim (September 9, 2021). "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is getting a remake for the PS5". The Verge . Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  28. Valentine, Rebekah (September 9, 2021). "KOTOR Remake: Jennifer Hale Will Reprise Her Role as Bastila Shan". IGN . Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  29. Brooks, Dan (September 9, 2021). "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Strikes Back with New Remake". StarWars.com. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  30. Duckworth, Joshua (September 11, 2021). "Popular Knights of the Old Republic Voice Actor Tom Kane Can't Return for Remake Due to Serious Health Reasons". Game Rant. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  31. 1 2 3 4 Schreier, Jason (July 26, 2022). "Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic Game Paused Amid Studio Shakeup". Bloomberg News . Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  32. Scharnagle, Jessica (July 26, 2022). "Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic remake infinitely delayed, report says". Dot Esports . Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  33. Goslin, Austen (July 26, 2022). "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic PS5 remake reportedly 'delayed indefinitely'". Polygon. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  34. Plunkett, Luke (August 22, 2022). "Sounds Like The KOTOR Remake Is In Even Bigger Trouble". Kotaku . Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  35. 1 2 Gach, Ethan (September 29, 2023). "Sony Deletes Mentions Of Troubled Star Wars: KotOR PS5 Remake, Hides Trailer [Update]". Kotaku . Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  36. Schreier, Jason (February 29, 2024). "Embracer Group to Sell Saber, Developer of a New 'Star Wars' Game Remake, in $500 Million Deal". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  37. James Hoare (January 30, 2012). "How Star Wars: The Old Republic owes it all to Tales of the Jedi, an interview with Tom Veitch". scifinow.co.uk. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
  38. MTV News (April 16, 2019). "#Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy talked to us about the future of #StarWars – including a Knights of the Old Republic movie and female filmmakers taking the helm, as well as Palpatine's surprise return in the trailer for @StarWars #EpisodeIX". Twitter . Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  39. 1 2 Aurthur, Kate (May 24, 2019). "A New "Star Wars" Movie Based On "Knights Of The Old Republic" Is In The Works". BuzzFeed News . Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  40. 1 2 3 "Critical Acclaim". BioWare. Archived from the original on January 1, 2007. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
  41. Game Informer Issue #168 April 2007
  42. "Obsidian game information". Obsidian Entertainment Inc. Archived from the original on October 25, 2007. Retrieved October 28, 2007.
  43. "Overview over Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (PC) ratings". Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 11, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2007.
  44. "Overview over Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (PC) ratings". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 12, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2007.
  45. Dixon, Craig (March 4, 2005). "KOTOR2: The Incompletion Controversy". TheForce.Net. Retrieved September 7, 2007.
  46. "Star Wars: The Old Republic". Metacritic . Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  47. "Star Wars: The Old Republic" . Retrieved March 13, 2012.
  48. Keil, Matt (December 21, 2011). "Star Wars: The Old Republic Review - PC" . Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  49. Augustine, Josh (December 22, 2011). "Star Wars: The Old Republic review". PC Gamer . Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  50. "GameSpy: Star Wars: The Old Republic Review - Page 1". Uk.pc.gamespy.com. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  51. "Star Wars: The Old Republic Review - GameSpot.com". Uk.gamespot.com. December 15, 2011. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
  52. Cooper, Hollander (January 10, 2012). "Star Wars: The Old Republic Review". GamesRadar.
  53. Nick Kolan. "Star Wars: The Old Republic Review - PC Review at IGN". Pc.ign.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2012.

Further reading