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Gameplay
Sound
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Graphics
Value
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Reader Reviews
49 reviews. Average Rating: 7.53
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Publisher:  Genre: Adventure & RPG
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Mac OS X: 10.3 Mac OS Classic: Not Supported
CPU: G4 @ 1000 MHz RAM: 256 MB Hard Disk: 4000 MB DVD-ROM Graphics: 32 MB VRAM |
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Graphics: An Elegant Game, For a More Civilized Age
Visually, Knights of the Old Republic is top-notch. Of course, the visual delights come at a hefty hardware cost. My dual 2 GHz G5 handles all the bells and whistles, but even mid-range G4s won’t easily run this game without serious tweaking. In terms of environments, KotOR suffers a BIT from “Halo Syndrome”. The outdoor environments are absolutely beautiful, complete with dynamic lighting, fog effects, ambient life and even windblown blades of grass. However, the indoor areas grow to be a tad repetitive. This is by no means a deal breaker, but for journalistic integrity… yadda yadda yadda… I feel like I should note it.
My favorite visual element of KotOR is by far the combat animation. It’s literally beautiful to watch Jedi Knights block and parry each other’s blows. I’ve lost battles because I got so wrapped in the fluidity of the combat animation that I forgot to issue key attack orders. It’s that impressive.
Sound: Hum Up, Dark Queenie!
On an aural level, Knights of the Old Republic is just as good as any Star Wars film, which’s both great and not so great. The sound effects seem to be straight from the movies. The hum of the lightsaber makes me feel all warm and tingly inside. The musical score is also wonderfully stirring. My only MINOR gripe is the voice acting. Voice acting is a real art form; even big name screen actors don’t necessarily make great voice actors. Case in point, Ed Asner of Mary Tyler Moore fame. He plays Master Vrook, a senior member of the Jedi Council on Dantooine. I found his performance to be flat and uninspired. Luckily, his role isn’t HUGE. Jennifer Hale on the other hand is absolutely awesome as Bastila. The good voice acting far outweighs the bad.
Conclusion: Use the Forks!
Not only is Knights of the Old Republic my personal favorite Star Wars game of all time, but it’s also probably my favorite RPG of all time. The story is compelling, the graphics are beautiful, the audio effects are perfect and the combat system is challenging and fun. Buy this game, NOW!
Ok, it’s trivia time! In this review, I’ve alluded to the Simpsons twice. The first person to identify the allusions and the episodes from whence they came will win their very own copy of Knights of the Old Republic. (Note: We have a winner! The correct answers were: "My killing teacher says I’m a natural" and "Use the forks".)
49 Reader Reviews submitted. Average Rating: 7.53
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