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KotOR 2- Worth it?
HappylilElf
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I've been on a Star Wars gaming binge lately and I just finished up going through KotOR 1 again. I was wondering if KotOR 2 was worth it if I can find it for cheap. I know I've read a lot of bad impressions about it but most of them seemed to stem around the fact the the game has a rushed/shitty ending. What I'm curious about is if the game has a length similar to the original and if the game overall (up until the lackluster ending) is a good experience. In other words if all I'm looking for is another experience that's similar, at least gameplay+length-wise, to KotOR 1 is it's sequel going to deliver?
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I think it's worth it. It's not quite as good in the gameplay department (the game is even easier, if you can believe that, and the equipment you get is absolutely amazing compared to what you get in KotOR1).
But it's still a good game. While it still plays the same, the game does have a different, darker feel, and many would agree with me that the writing is much better than in the first game (sans ending, of course, where they chopped most of it out at the last minute to get it done). And I'm the only one that ever mentions this, but I felt it was a much more emotionally charged experience, something I never felt KotOR lacked until I played KotOR2.
EDIT: As Pancake said, yeah game is overall darker and a lot of the LS/DS choices aren't as cut and dry as in KotoR 1. I also don't think there is a "Defining Moment" in KotOR2 like there is in KotOR1.
If you're a Star Wars fan and the first game was pleasing, it's almost impossible not to get a lot of enjoyment out of the second.
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Best Buy here I come...tomorrow :P
I think it's because of the secondary characters. They're so... totally not captivating. The main character, I admit, is surprisingly awesome, but everybody around him/her is just... bleh.
So I'm a bit lukewarm on KotOR 2. But on the other hand, if you can find it on the cheap, I suggest you give it a try anyway. Not everyone shares my worrying interest in videogame characters after all.
I probably share your worrying interest in videogame characters, but I honestly found that the characters in KotOR2 were very interesting. Not all of them, of course, but plenty of them. Some of them had a depth of character that I've rarely seen BioWare even try to touch, and while they weren't wholly likable, most people aren't. They felt very... human to me. At least for characters in an RPG where I'm so used to BioWare's characters (which aren't bad, by the way, except I hate the comedy relief characters they always put in).
Some seemed pretty undeveloped, though, probably because of lack of time, but those didn't feel much worse off than your average RPG character to me.
and IIRC, threesome? Or was that just Jade Empire?
And it's not that they're not supposed to be likeable, it's just that they fail to evoke any kind of emotional response whatsoever. I mean, I've hated characters in the past (usually villains) and while it's not the most pleasant of emotions it sure did draw me into the story. But these, as well developed and as morally grey as they are, simply make me go 'meh'.
I gotta say, after finding out I could bet a synopsis of every character by reading the quest for that character in KotOR 1, I just clicked option 1 as quickly as possible in every case except for HK. HK's backstory is entertaining simply because he had a well written comical background and the voice acting was superb.
I don't really care about how well done the chracters are in KotOR 2 are because in reality I know nothing is going to beat HK in the original. The plot doesn't concern me in the least. All I'm looling for is a new game that I can play through and build up another whirlwind of death. Although after my mosty recent playthrough I'm debating the lightsaber whilwind of death theory. Force Choke/Kill is disgustingly effective at mauling enemies.
I thought that, then I got through Atton's life story. It was a huge "holy fuck" moment I tell you
I had the same problem. Never finished it because I couldn't find a real motivation. It feels like there is nothing that drives you forward.
And Disney World is nowhere in sight.
yes. And I'd seek help if I were you.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Nar Shaddaa is worth the price of admission, though, and all of your NPCs are a lot cooler than the ones in the first game, excepting maybe Jolee.
That said, it was an extremely tense and engaging experience, until the end sequence, which was both incredibly slow (1 fps) and not terribly interesting, though I suppose the final confrontation was not bad.
It's true after I got through everything I would see how the area was pretty rushed and not up to the KOTOR 1 quality, but I didn't care until I'd got through it, which should say something. I don't regret spending 50 hours on it at all (the first 10-15 being for a game wherein I missed half the quests due to not being careful and rushing too much).
And I think the problem with that is that they never really took the time to flesh out many of the characters personalities(sans maybe Kreia). Really, it was like during the first one I had a "team", a group of my favorite characters that I took with me because I liked having them in the group. In the second, it wasn't like that...I'd pretty much just use anyone who I felt like using at the moment, because they didn't really interest me all that much(I will admit that Atton's confession was cool...but once it was over with I went back to being meh about it).
So yeah, the sequel is written better and has cool gameplay options(like the styles) and overall I would recommend it...but character-wise I would say the first was superior and I probably like it more because of that reason.
The story line though, in my opinion, got worse. Every planet you go to is dead, or abandoned, or destroyed, and it's quite depressing.
Also the characters didn't impress me. In terms of characters and story line I enjoyed the first one a whole lot more.
I even tried playing the second one again, but abandoned it when I came to Nar Shaaddaa. Such a screwy planet! :-p
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I rescued the republic at the end of KOTOR 1, damn it. Why is everything in ruin?
And the locations just don't hold a candle to KOTOR 1, they're not as memorable, no wookie planet, no ocean planet, no tatooine. Just boring settings.
With KOTOR 2, I found a number that were plenty interesting and that I liked (the entire party dynamic with Kreia's speaches got to be very very strange), but that imperative was reduced just enough so that I wasn't stressing about who to bring all the time, but rather trying to assemble well-rounded parties. Also, the overabundance of Jedi potential made the game a lot easier, since I wasn't constantly confronted with only having three useful party members in the late game.
A strength or weakness? I dunno, but I really enjoyed the dark and confusing story in KOTOR 2, and the characters didn't detract at all ultimately, and even if they did, it didn't bother me as much as it might have for the above reason, as stupid as it sounds.
Bottom line: play it. At the very least, the gameplay is improved, and it's a very interesting game. If it were finished properly, it would be legendary, but it's still worth playing the way it is now. Some people prefer it over the original despite the problems.
I'd get it.
As for the overall story, once you're past the first location, the story is awesome right until the final planet. And even then it wasn't a total disappointment. You can tell that if the developers had a little more time, it could have been a satisfying ending.
I do recommend the game. I had a lot of fun with it.
(And Mira is the best character)
Honestly just wait for the Team Gizka stuff to come out, and you can play the game while fixing what at least in my opinion was the only real flaw, the last part of the game.
Weird I had everyone Jedi'd up before I even left the first optional planet.
Yeah, I had problems keeping the influence low in some cases. For example,
Haha, same here
In any game where you get a choice of being good or bad, I'm always the most heroic hero in all the land and this was no different
All casting Stasis Field and Force Wave to freeze a mob in place then proceeding to destroy them all in a whirl of dual silver lightsabers
All walking over to the guy they were mugging, "No sir, thank you! No I don't need reward money, in fact here's a little something for a rainy day"
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I had two of my companions Jedi'd up..... by the end of the game.
Ha ha, that's pretty much my style of playing as well.
Mercenaries: Kill the Jedi!
Me: Stasis Field! Force Storm!
Mercenaries: *mass death cries*
Honestly, by halfway through the game, I generally have enough Force Points to take the penalty for using dark side powers as light side.
If I were reviewing games, every game that didn't include Manaan would get a 10% starting bonus to its rating.
I enjoyed KoTOR 2 a great deal thanks to improved game mechanics and a character roster that was in many ways an improvement over the last game.
I know some people will disagree with me, but I found Zaalbaar to be derivative, Juhani to be underdeveloped, and Mission to be kind of an annoyance. Meanwhile, the only character in the sequel who bothered me was Bao-Dur's anemic voice actor.
The only problems were as has been stated, the last planet and an overall dearth of interesting opponents. You'd think fighting the Sith would be difficult with a dual blaster pistol wielding Jedi Consular, but lightsaber deflection ceases to be an issue when every Sith you encounter just rushes you with something sharp.
I have level 3 shock, and I don't even bother with other force power any more. Overpower total.
Wait, I feel I'm missing something here. The planets in the first KOTOR were more memorable?
Kashyyyk: Perpetual night, giant trees everywhere.
Tatooine: Perpetual day, sand, sand, everywhere there's sand.
Manaan: Water, water everywhere.
Kashyyyk was more interesting than Tatooine, but they were both dull. I've always liked Manaan, but the city layout was too spread out. Tarisian spread out.
But of course, KOTOR 2 had only 'boring settings'. That jungle moon Dxun sure was pretty dull, eh? And Telos? Meh. Nothing doing there. Nar Shaddaa? Ho-hum.
Did I miss the /sarcasm tag?
Oh and as for KOTOR 2 in general? Crappy ending. The influence system felt too restrictive. The ability to modify weapons an armor was welcome, but generally speaking useless.
But still, I recommend it. First of all, it is Star Wars. And second, it's still pretty fun going to all the different places in the SW universe.
I could be crazy, and the block animation could have been a fluke, but I remember it damn well.