The Iron Fist’s Bridge

After many, many hours of time spent staring at a TV screen (and then a computer screen), my KotOr review is complete. Please enjoy and if you have an questions, comments or feedback, feel free to leave it in the comment section. Thanks again for reading.

 

Developer: Bioware

Publisher: LucasArts

Release Date: July 15^th, 2003

Genre: Role-Playing Game

Consoles: Xbox, PC

I’m going to begin this review with a little story, detailing how I chose to review Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. So, it all began with me talking to our friendly, neighborhood admin and PR guy, Son of Skywalker. I had just finished my Revenge of the Sith review and was debating what my next game should me; I decided I wanted to a larger game, one more well known and the one that came to mind was KotOR. Of course, when I mentioned that, he responded with something like: “Sounds good to me. Knights of the Old Republic is quite possibly my favorite Star Wars game.” You may be able to imagine my response which was balanced somewhere between horror that SoS might fire me (please don’t, by the way) and a determination to write a satisfactory review. So I dived into playing Knights of the Old Republic twice through, once as the canonical light male and then as a dark female, which ended up being some forty-five hours of gameplay. It was completely worth it and hopefully, my review will reflect that.

Disclaimer: I played Knights of the Old Republic on the Xbox 360, using emulation software (available for download) and my Xbox disc. I also have reason to believe that the disk was previously damaged as, during previous sessions on my Xbox, the game would refuse to load the next section of a game (it happened occasionally when I reached the Leviathan). As a result, I’m going to mention a few of the problems that I encountered while playing here as I seem to be the only one to have these problems (SoS stated that he has not). Occasionally, the game would stop loading sound effects resulting in silent battles. A simple restart would fix this yet it could be quite annoying and I also had an occasional freeze and other problems which, I unfortunately don’t remember right now.

            Also, you should know that all the notes I took while playing were lost when my last lap top died on me. The review will still be complete although it might be missing a few minor details that simply slipped through the cracks. But without further ado, on to the review.

            Story: What is there to say about KotOR’s story that hasn’t been said already? Granted, I imagine that just about everything about this game has been reviewed at some point, given its age but that’s beside the point. If, for some reason, you’re living in a cave and haven’t ever read a KotOR review, I’ll do it all for you anyway. Let me begin by saying that KotOR has the ideal Star Wars story in every way. It has action, good versus evil, space battles, redemption, love and every other element that is what makes the original Star Wars trilogy great. After much debate, I decided that the best way to review KotOR’s story is to go step by step through the things that makes Star Wars great.

            Action/Space Battles: The opening mission (Endar Spire) says it all. The moment you start the game, you’re plunged into the Star Wars universe. You’re aboard a Republic ship being attacked by Darth Malak’s strangely Star Destroyer-esque Leviathan with lasers blasting, fighters flying and boarders um…boarding. The action continues throughout the game, in both gameplay as well as cut scenes. The final mission aboard the Star Forge is simply the climax of this aspect of the film with a perfectly epic final confrontation.

            Romance: Romance is definitely present within KotOR as long as the player looks for it. The subplots available are few yet fulfilling, each feeling realistic enough to really add to the game. Even greater is the fact that the characters will react realistically to your decisions at the end of the game. If your relationship is with Carth and you turn evil, he’ll swear to find a way to save you. Similarly, the player is given the option to redeem Bastilla in a manner similar to the Dark Empire comic series.

            Universal Storylines: If you’re in any sort of Star Wars story arch, it’s going to be big and it’s going to be epic. If the main characters are fighting to stop extra-galactic invaders bent on destruction, then they’re working to create a peace that will reach throughout the galaxy. What I’m trying to stay is that Star Wars doesn’t do tiny stories and KotOR is no different. From the very beginning, you are thrown into a story with the fate of the Republic in your hands and the stakes only get higher as the game continues.

            Good vs. Evil/Light vs. Dark: KotOR shines when it comes to moral and philosophical choices. The game utilizes a “Light/Dark” scale (more on that later) that measures your choices which are presented to you throughout the game. The player is confronted with minor choices (do I help a spacer who has been trapped into “slavery” from a businessman, for example) to galaxy-changing decisions (do I protect the Republic by destroying Malak or destroy it by taking his place). KotOR doesn’t limit these sorts of themes only to the main character as some side characters will be taken down these paths, only to be redeemed or left to their fate. Simply put, KotOR, as Star Wars does in general, revolves around the inherent struggle between good and evil.

            Redemption: Given KotOR’s emphasis on player choices (especially ones that have far-reaching consequences), redemption is not a standard part of the story in the sense that the player must choose to be redeemed if the theme is to appear. If the player chooses the light side path, then his story will be a traditional Star Wars style story, filled with the redemption of the main character (Revan) as well other characters such as Bastilla. Revan’s story also presents a twist on the traditional “redemption” as it really isn’t “Revan” that is redeemed but the alternate personality that the Jedi “programmed” into the main character. It is an interesting concept and one that definitely adds to the unique story of Knights of the Old Republic.

            Miscellaneous: I have one other comment on KotOR’s story that isn’t so much a criticism as an observation. The games story comes off so well precisely because of how close it is to the original Star Wars storyline. Bioware drew upon traditional stereotypes such as the evil bad guy who happens to have a severe breathing problem or a villain who utilizes a super weapon to create their story. For some, this sort of “copying” diminishes the story although I personally found no problem with it. Bioware reinvents the story in such a way that it’s really not noticeable.

            So how do you sum up the storyline of Knights of the Old Republic? Quite simply, fantastic. Despite the stereotypical story aspect, there is no denying that is quite possibly one of the best story’s existing within the Star Wars universe, on par with classic such as the Original Trilogy as well as the Thrawn Trilogy. If you’re simply looking for a great Star Wars book in video game form, look no farther than Knights of the Old Republic.

            Gameplay: Bioware is known in the gaming community for one thing: fantastic RPG’s (role-playing games). RPG’s have been traditionally known as board games (such as Dungeons and Dragons) and they’ve made the transition to video games quite successfully. These games are based on dice rolls which determine everything from attacks to defense to persuasion.  KotOR is a perfect example how this system can be applied to a video game. The player no longer “rolls” the dice; instead, the system does it for you. One of the beautiful things about KotOR is the versatility of the system. You don’t need to know how the mechanics of an RPG works in order to play it. In fact, you could know absolutely nothing and still greatly enjoy the game. KotOR provides simple “auto-update” systems that let the game choose how best to upgrade your character (everything from attacks to skills to feats are upgradable).

            Honestly, I’m almost not sure how to describe or review the gameplay of KotOR. In almost every way, it is traditional Star Wars, filled with lightsabers, blasters, smugglers, droids and giant space ships. The only thing that will seem strange is that lightsabers almost seem underpowered in the way that many swords can block them. The diminishment of the lightsaber, while confusing at first, does not take away from your desire to use it.

            The game also provides just about every weapon imaginable for the player and his party members to use (including blasters, lightsabers, swords, grenades and mines). Unfortunately, this plethora of weapons is, to a degree unbalanced. Grenades are nearly useless against enemies in motion (and most often, you will want to hit them while they are a great distance away) and blasters seemed to be underpowered, in both accuracy and damage, when matched against a melee weapon. Of course, these problems do little to bother the player, who is usually too busy wildly swinging a lightsaber. And let’s be honest, who wants to shoot a blaster when they have a lightsaber instead.

            Level Design: Bioware made a perfect choice when they designed each of the planets for KotOR. Including the downloadable content (which will be reviewed separately later), I can think of eight separate locales in which to play. While this number may not seem very high (especially for an exploration based RPG), Bioware has included multiple hours of gameplay within each location. For example, the planet Taris (on which you begin), has three separate “levels” on which you can travel and each level has multiple buildings and bases which you can enter. The game truly makes you feel like you are on an actual planet with NPC’s wandering the city, various shops, stores and buildings to enter and multiple locales which you can travel through. This variety is gratifying to see and the uniqueness of each planet (Kashyyyk’s deep forest, Taris’ sprawling cities, Dantooine’s peaceful planes, the Leviathan’s disciplined corridors, etc). The only problem that I have ever had with Bioware’s level design is the amount of running that is often required to traverse the planet. After finding the star map and completing the side quests in Kashyyyk’s shadow lands, the player is required to run back to the elevator to ride back to the surface. Unfortunately, this usually results in a few minutes of mindless running as the player holds the joystick down in one direction and prays that it will be over soon. Despite this flaw (which is a result of the expansive level design), Bioware could not have done a better job.

            The level design does have one minor annoyance (in my opinion) and it is that the levels are riddled with loading screens. It is not too annoying when you are spending considerable time in one area but when you must traverse multiple play areas in a row, it can become tedious.

            Graphics: Before I discuss the graphics, I once again remind you that we are talking about an original Xbox game released in 2003. Despite this, the graphics of KotOR are definitely nice to look at. The panoramas are beautiful to look at and each planet has a unique architectural style that is pleasing to the eye. The graphics are crisp and clean (although not completely realistic) almost all around. In some ways, the worst part of the graphics is the face of the many characters within the game. Despite that, there truly is nothing to complain about graphically, given the restraints of the system.

            Dialogue: Dialogue is another aspect in which Bioware truly shines (especially in more modern games such as Mass Effect) and KotOR is no different. During each conversation, the player is given the option of selecting a sentence (or more) which your character will then “say” (the player’s dialogue is not heard). Despite the seeming cumbersome design of the sentences, the dialogue is truly fantastic, with each character having a unique yet Star Wars-ish feel.

            The only disappointment with the system is the lack of being able to hear the main character speak (and thus, to a degree, robbing the player of that experience). Despite that, the system works fairly well (although later Bioware games will perfect the system).

            Multiplayer: KotOR has no multiplayer component. And to answer you’re unspoken question, no, I don’t know why I’m bothering to write this sentence.

            Unlockables: There really aren’t any unlockables in KotOR except for the cutscenes which unlock after you’ve viewed them.

            The Force: As I have said previously, this game is Star Wars through and through. From the story to the characters, there can be no doubt what genre and universe this game belongs to and Bioware’s portrayal of the Force is no different. The “Force” is tied into the gameplay and “feat” (Upgrade system) and fits the RPG genre quite well. For the most part, the Force falls into two categories, the Light side and the Dark side and each deserves its own review.

            The Dark Side: I’m starting with the Dark side as it is much easier to review and is definitely more conventional (in usage) than the Light side. Bioware has chosen a plethora of old fashioned dark side powers (lighting, choke, etc) and then created a few new ones to go along with it (fear, plague, etc). These abilities are almost all focused on dealing out damage to the enemy. A few, like Fear, stun or keep opponents from attacking but the Dark Side is largely traditional in how it is used in game.

            The Light Side: On the other hand, the light side is vastly different, playing much more into the RPG aspects of KotOR. Bioware created a number of light side abilities, each of which contributes to the player’s “dice roll”. For example, using Force Aura will increase your character’s defense which will then passively assist you during battle. Light side abilities are largely based on helping your character (as opposed to the dark side which focuses on harming others). The Light Side can be difficult to understand for someone who is not familiar with RPG’s but once they do, it can be a powerful ally. 

            Neutral: KotOR does contain a plethora of neutral abilities (such as Push, Stun, etc) that seems to be more related to traditional light side abilities. Both lightsiders and darksiders can use these abilities without penalty. They’re quite fun to use and when I first played the game (a long time ago, before I understood RPing), I mainly chose these abilities as my “light side” powers.

            To sum it all up, Bioware implanted the Force in such a way that it interacts within an RPG universe while still being undeniably Star Wars. The Force surrounds the player and without it, they are doomed.

            Downloadable Content: Bioware has one item of downloadable content available for KotOR (at least via the Xbox) and this was the first time I was able to try it out. I’d heard about it online before and I knew it included the planet Yavin as well as lots of new items and a new race (Trandoshans). Unfortunately, this caused a few problems and I eventually had to look online for a guide to the DLC. I’m going to review it from two viewpoints: My first time trying it and after I looked at a guide.

            Before: After leaving Dantooine, I decided that my first stop was going to be Yavin as I couldn’t wait to see what Bioware had given us. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. I landed at the space station (admiring the polished graphics) and quickly walked through the corridor to the main room. There, I found a Rodian salesman. I talked to him, played a few games of Pazaak, looked at the items he offered which, while cool, did not impress me, and then looked for something else to do. There was nothing. I couldn’t find the rare items I had heard of (such as one of a kind lightsaber crystals) and there wasn’t any sort of story whatsoever. At the time, my opinion of the DLC was quite low. At that point, I decided to look online for a guide.

            After: The online guides revealed the reason for the DLC’s seeming lack of value. Yavin operates on a “Star map” basis. As you progress through the game, items are unlocked and a small story begins to unfold while you are on the station. With that in mind, I returned to the station after each star map and, after you collect the final map, things took off. I arrived at the station and found a Trandoshan raiding force which I was prompted to defeat. The Rodian opened up his full stores, allowing me to buy my crystals and other items (at a ridiculous price of course).           

            Once I understood how the DLC worked, I did enjoy it but I wish that first moment of confusion could have been avoided. Despite that, I heartily recommend downloading the content as it is free and the items are great.

            The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: That just about wraps up my review of Knights of the Old Republic and I will once again provide this final “summary” section although it may seem a bit unbalanced as the game doesn’t have much that is “bad”.

·         The Good: Combat system, dialogue, story, character development

·         The Bad: Initially confusing downloadable content, load times

·         The Ugly: It could be argued that the load times are part of “The ugly” but I never had too much of a problem with it. Other than that, there isn’t anything else that comes to mind.

            In fact, I think the best way to describe the game might be with a cliche, it’s more than the sum of it’s parts. The greatness of the game simply transcends any problems it may have. Well, two cliches for you. In fact, I think the best way to describe the game might be with a cliche, it’s more than the sum of it’s parts. The greatness of the game simply transcends any problems it may have. Well, two cliches for you. In fact, I think the best way to describe the game might be with a cliché, it’s more than the sum of its parts. The greatness of the game simply transcends any problems it may have. Well, two clichés for you, along with the good, the bad and the ugly.

      Buy, Rent or Ignore?: If you haven’t already figured out my recommendation for this game, well, I’m not sure what to say. But this is definitely one game for the ages that should always be sitting on your shelf. Do yourself a favor and buy it, especially given that you should be able to find a cheap copy somewhere. The game is almost pure gold and every so often, you’ll find yourself motivated to play it again.

I hope you all enjoyed the review and if you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to post it on my EUCantina Blog (www.eucantinablogs.net/ironfist) or send your comments to the EUCantina e-mail (found below). Thanks again for reading.

 

-Iron Fist, all EUCantina staff members can be reached at staff@ eucantina.net

 

Tags: Knights of the Old Republic, Review, Video Games

I figured I’d give you all another trailer breakdown, this time from the new Gametrailers section. The video can be found here. The TFU section begins at 12:40.

 

12:40-12:43: Nice panorama shot of Bespin where one of TFU’s levels will likely take place.

12:43-12:45: Here we see a planet that I’m thinking is Kashyyyk, possibly at the beginning of the game when the Empire is subduing the planet.

12:45: Maris Brood once more. We’ve seen this clip before.

12:46-12:47: I’m going to take this clip and say a nice, big thank you to LucasArts. I no longer want to push just one person but everyone in a hallway. The SA is a force of nature and that power is at your fingertips. Oh thank you.

12:47-12:49: We get to see the SA throw a lightsaber into an enemy, and then force push him even farther. I think it’s this sort of force/saber combination that’s going to keep the gameplay fresh, no matter how many times you’ve played through.

12:49-12:52: This is an interesting clip, more in its implications then what the SA is actually doing. It seems to be a slightly different style of gameplay as the SA uses a simple saber stab before rolling over his opponent. It seems to be a choreographed movement which I wasn’t expecting to see (at least in this way) in the game. I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.

12:52-12:53: We get to see the SA’s “force” explosion” again, throwing a stormtrooper through a glass window. The glass breaking is also fairly good looking although the clip isn’t quite long enough to form a solid opinion.

12:53-12:54: Simple lightsaber throw. Move along, move along.

12:54-12:56: A nice shot of the Apprentice bowing and rising to Vader. Also notice the text at the bottom. I”m going to assume that you’ll have the ability to turn that off for a more cinematic experience.

12:56-12:59: First, let me write the text that appears on the bottom of the screen (it goes by a bit to fast to read)

Yes. Master Rahm Kota. He is attacking a critical Imperial shipyard. Destroy him and bring me his lightsaber.

So this cutscene probably takes place in the beginning of the game, just before you are sent to the TIE fighter facility. I do find it interesting that Kota seems to be the aggressor, not the defender.

12:58-13:00: It may seem to be a simple clip but this is actually pretty important. I believe this is one of the first insights into the TFU’s HUD.

Starting in the upper left:

Green bar: There’s a plus nearby so I’m going to guess this is the health bar. If I had to guess, the green will change colors as your health lowers (Green, yellow, red?).

Blue Bar: Given that it’s glowing and diminishing while the SA is attacking with the Force, this is most likely your “force bar”. I hope it replenishes quickly so that you’re Force powers aren’t “restricted” by regular use. I doubt this is the case but it’s something to keep in mind (as I’m sure LucasArts has as well).

Map: This is, for me, the most surprising aspect of the HUD. The fact that you have a map implies much more freedom then I was expecting. Instead of a linear level design, we may get options to flank enemies as well.

Other then that, the HUD appears to be extremely clear which is probably a good thing in this case.

13:00-13:02: Another insight into the HUD. It appears that the HUD will inform you of every combination you use. It seems to be limited to only one or two lines of text (so it won’t interfere with other visuals) and I have to approve.

13:02-13:06: I have only a few words. Slicing an AT-ST in half. Enough said. Oh wait…a few more words. With a lightsaber. Now I’m done.

13:06-13:07: Another little fact about the text in the HUD. It appears to list the enemy you’re fighting as well. I’m curious to see how they’ll mix combo names and enemy names.

13:07-13:08: Wow. I think what’ we’re seeing is an electrified Stormtrooper that the SA is holding in mid air. The fact that you can do so from across a giant hangar is truly staggering.

13:09-13:12: Two more HUD facts. First, the map has a yellow dot on it (which may have been there earlier although I could have missed it). A couple of possibilities. 1) Objective marker (which I’m thinking it isn’t because the SA is facing away from it although that may not mean anything). 2) Entrance marker. Perhaps it’s just to keep you from getting turned around within a level by letting you see where you entered any given room (like in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time). Second, the Stormtrooper has a health bar above his head. I’m curious as to why it isn’t above other stormtroopers or in any other clip so far. Perhaps it’s because the SA is force choking his enemy? Either way, we’ll find out soon.

13:13-13:18: Another couple of cool attacks and the health bar makes another apperance. Another note on the HUD. Previous clips have had a white bar inbetween the health and force meters. In this clip, it seems to be gone, or depleted. I honestly have no idea what it is though.

13:18-13:19: Force lightning is awesome.

13:19-13:22: The mysterious white bar is back. Oh, force lightning is still awesome.

13:22-13:26: More force/saber combinations. Peruse at your pleasure.

13:26-13:27: Throwing a lightsaber into a Rancor’s head. A bit more classy then Luke’s attempts in Episode 6 I suppose. B)

13:27: A teenaged Princess Leia with a presumed R2-D2 at her side.

13:27-13:28: Once again, Bail Organa sitting at a table with other presumed Rebel leaders. An interesting note that I missed last time. On the right side of the screen, sitting next to Bail, is someone who appears to be an older Leia Organa. I’m honestly not quite sure what to make of it as it implies we’ll see Leia twice with a noticeable time period in between. Interesting…most interesting.

13:28-13:29: So many great things about this short clip. First, it shows some of the romance between Juno and the SA but I love the SA’s expression. It shows that he has no idea how to deal with that sort of emotion and I’m looking forward to watching him deal with it. Between this clip (and the previous ones from the last trailer with the SA carrying Juno), I’d guess that we’re going to see some amazing character development.

13:29-13:30: So not only does Palpatine make an appearance but he gets to fry somebody with lighting as well. I’m going to guess it’s the SA (for failing? Betraying Vader? Betraying the Emperor? Loving Juno?) who is on the receiving end of that battle.

13:30-13:32: Vader activating a lightsaber. Not sure what it’s for but presumably its to fight someone (SA?)

13:32-13:33: Oh yes. I thought the first trailer was amazing but I never expected to actually see it in game. The SA gets to bring down his own Star Destroyer. I’m a little worried that may make him a bit too powerful but it is still amazing. I am curious why the SD seems to have a hole in it which seems to imply a battle or explosion of some kind.

13:33: Wookies being Force pushed.

13:34: It looks like another AT-ST being destroyed but I’m not positive.

13:34-13:35: Two clips here. First, we see the SA performing some nice air combos. Second more Wookies.

13:35-13:39. Vader tells the Apprentice it is time for him to face his first true test. Possibly a continuation of the cutscene seen earlier talking about General Kota.

 

That’s the entire thing. I didn’t think it’d be so long but apparently I’m wrong. That being said, I’m infinitely happy that a demo will be released for the 360 and I plan to play it multiple times. In fact, I may just play that until the actual game comes out.

That’s all for today (at least for TFU news). Thanks for reading.

 

UPDATE:

Looks like I lied. Six great vidoes can be found here. I’m not going to do a major breakdown of these videos (not as much material for starters but it would also take a long time, ). That being said, I would like to comment on a couple of things.

1) I think I now know what the white bar is. I think it might be the experience bar. When it is full, you level up.

2) I also neglected to mention that when using Force grip, a box encircles the object you are selecting.

3) The videos are also a great show case of Euphoria and DMM so I suggest you take a look.

I think that’s all….unless more news gets sprung on me.

Tags: Impressions, The Force Unleashed, Video Games

I’m finally close to finishing up my next video game review and I figured it couldn’t hurt to post a little preview for everyone. I expect the final review to be up within a week (not that that means much).

I’m going to begin this review with a little story, detailing how, exactly, I chose to review Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. So, it all began with me talking to our friendly, neighborhood admin and PR guy, Son of Skywalker. I had just finished my Revenge of the Sith review and was debating what my next game should me. I decided I wanted to a larger game, one more well known and the one that came to mind of KotOR. Of course, when I mentioned that, he responded with something like: “Sounds good to me. Knights of the Old Republic is one of, if not the favorite game he played.” Hopefully, you can imagine my response which was balanced somewhere between horror that SoS might fire me (please don’t) and determination to review the entirety of the game.

(…)

The Force: As I have said previously, this game is Star Wars through and through. From the story to the characters, there can be no doubt what genre and universe this game belongs to and Bioware’s use of the Force is no different. The “Force” is tied into the gameplay and “feat” (Upgrade system) and fits the RPG genre quite well. For the most part, the Force falls into two categories, the Light side and the Dark side and each deserves its own review.

            The Dark Side: I’m starting with the Dark side as it is much easier to review and is definitely more conventional (in usage) then the Light side. Bioware has chosen a plethora of old fashioned dark side powers (lighting, choke, etc) and then created a few new ones to go along with it (fear, plague, etc). These abilities are almost all focused on dealing out damage to the enemy. A few, like Fear, stun or keep opponents from attacking but the Dark Side is largely traditional.

            The Light Side: On the other hand, the light side is vastly different, playing much more into the RPG aspects of KotOR. Bioware created a number light side abilities, each of which contributes to the player’s “dice roll”. For example, using Force Aura will increase your character’s defense. Light side abilities are largely based on helping your character (as opposed to the dark side which focuses on harming others). The Light Side can be difficult to understand for someone who is not familiar with RPG’s but once they do, it can be a powerful ally. 

            Neutral: KotOR does contain a plethora of neutral abilities (such as Push, Stun, etc) that seems to be more related to traditional light side abilities. Both lightsiders and darksiders can use these abilities without penalty.

            To sum it all up, Bioware implanted the Force in such a way that it interacts within an RPG universe while still being undeniable Star Wars. The Force surrounds the player and without it, they are doomed.

That’s the majority of the introductory paragraph as well as my section on “the Force”. Keep in mind that it’s still a work in progress and I did write that last part today (while I have a bit of a stuipd cold) so there may be some typos which will be ironed out. Hope you enjoy.

 

Tags: Knights of the Old Republic, Video Game Review

I have some bad news for those who are awaiting my KotOR Review (Yes, all two of you :P). Anyway, somehow, a driver on my computer corruped Windows XP which, in turn, corrupted a memory unit. I don’t pretend to have a good understanding of that all but what it means is that my KotOR review is essentially gone. It’s stuck on my hard drive and we can’t access that because XP won’t even start. And, of course, my computer has a slightly different HD which means that all those awesome HD Peripherals that would let me access the HD without XP don’t fit.

So, if you’re still reading this and not yet bored out of your mind, here’s the layman’s summary. My review is gone, lol. Thankfully, I wasn’t too far along but just wanted to let you all know that it is still coming, just slowly. Very slowly.

Anywho, until later!

 

Update:

I have my new computer! Things will hopefully resume soon.

Tags: Knights of the Old Republic, Review, Update, Video Games

Let me start off with the link to the trailer and a warning that the trailer and this blog will have spoilers. Link.

That being said, I’m going to start off with a general review and then go through much slower. My general impression: September isn’t going to be here soon enough. This trailer is all about what the “Unleashed Force” is. From cruching AT-ST’s into a ball to smashing a Jedi into glass, the Force is just all out.

Now let’s go through the entire trailer.

 

00:00-00:17: I don’t know who decided on the new “LucasArts” logo introduction but it is just fantastic. It’s reminds me of the older logo animations with the double lightsaber but this one outdoes it by far.

00:17-00:26: Star Destroyers are just awesome. And that’s all I have to say on the matter.

00:26-00:38: Very reminiscent of the Jedi Knight ritual in the Clone Wars Cartoon but with a Dark Side twist. I just love seeing this sort of master/apprentice interaction between the SA and Vader.

00:38-00:43: This is the Force Unleashed. I should be able to throw my lightsaber through a tree, bisecting it in a realistic manner and then having that blade meet a Wookie. This is why I believe this game will just be great.

00:43-00:47: An awesome Force Push followed by a great glass fracture. We also get a look at our Jedi Master. Move on him later.

00:47-00:53: First we have the SA swinging on an AT-ST’s giant gun and then we have him Force pushing it over. Makes me wonder why the Empire ever though that a vehicle using two legs was a good idea. I’m going to wager that this “final move” is one of the button pressing “coup de grace” moves as opposed to normal gameplay. Being able to push over every AT-ST that comes your way doesn’t make much sense gameplay wise.

00:53-00:55: Great shot of Juno Eclipse. Can’t wait to see some more of her.

00:55-00:56: Young Princess Leia. No idea what she’s there for but I just love the cameo.

00:56-00:58: We have another Jedi here, possibly Shaak Ti. Looks like another Jedi Hunt for the SA.

00:58-01:00: More Wookie destruction. Move along.

1:00-103: Another glimpse of our possible Shaak Ti fight. She’ll most likely be another boss fight, much as General Kota is.

1:04-1:05: SA throws a lightsaber into a Rancor. Enough said.

1:05-106: SA uses the Force to throw a door/bulkhead into General Kota. Definitely seeing a lot of the destructive enviroment that LucasArts has been talking about.

1:06-1:08: Perhaps one of my favorite scenes of this trailer. We get to see the SA slice an AT-ST into two halfs with his lightsaber. Again, most likely a finishing move but it is, nonethe less, awesome.

1:08-1:09: We again see a massive Force Push throwing Wookies off a bridge. It might be the same shot of Wookie destruction from earlier with a different angle.

1:09-1:11: The infamous “I’m going to take this massive AT-ST and turn it into a tiny ball with only my mind” trick. Always fun.

1:11-1:20: What’s important here is the dialogue. General Kota is clearly trying to convince the Apprentice that Vader should not be his Master. From the Story documentary we had a few weeks back, we know that Kota is going to become a mentor of sorts for the SA. Based on this scene alone, I’m going to make a prediction which I’ll tell you all later.

1:19: Extremely short shot showing the SA with Palpatine. This could get very interesting given that Palpatine isn’t supposed to know the SA even exists.

1:20-1:21: Our first shot of Bail Organa. Combined with Princess Leia, I’m going to guess that the SA is going to have quite a few missions devoted to stopping the Alliance.

1:21-1:24: An interesting scene here. We have what looks to be a Star Destroyer bridge, Darth Vader and a robed figure, possibly Emperor Palpatine. I’m thinking that the SA will start the game was one of Vader’s “pawns” and slowly become an independent figure, possibly as a result of the influence of Kota.

1:24-1:28: “The Sith always betray one another”. This line is said by Shaak Ti (or our look-alike) and may be a bit of foreshadowing for our characther’s descriptions.

1:28-1:30: Quick shot of the Rogue Shadow and a partially complete Death Star. I’m actually curious how canonical they will be in relation to this, especially given the fairly recent release of the novel, Death Star.

1:30-1:32: We have a clear shot of the SA on Kashyyyk, confirming that our main character will return their during the course of the game.

1:32-1:34: Bit of a plot spoiler here. We have someone (most likely Juno Eclipse) saying “You’re still loyal to Vader, after he branded me a traitor.” This line ends as the SA is holding Juno’s body on the ground. If I had to guess, Vader is going to kill Juno, possibly for getting too close to his apprentice and this is going to be one of the motivations that drives the SA at the end of the game. Too bad about Juno though…been looking forward to her.

1:34-1:37: More footage of the Force Unleashed. More of the same. Although even that “same” is awesome.

1:37-1:38: A shot of Maris Brood from the IGN “Face-off” video that MizzeeOH linked us all to last week. She hasn’t been featured prominiently yet so I’m curious where she fits in.

1:38-1:39: The SA is clearly troubled here, perhaps making his “life changing decision” here. More on that later.

1:39-1:42: Interesting…this shot seems to take place as the earlier one where I theorized that Juno would die. The SA is wearing the same clothes and has just picked up Juno. Perhaps she is wounded by Vader and the SA needs to rescue her? Interesting…

1:42-1:43: Quick shot of Proxy. Can’t wait to see more of him as well.

1:43: Quick shot of the SA fighting two rancor’s simultaneously. Should make for an interesting fight.

1:44: Shot of the SA attacking an AT-ST.

1:45: First we have the Rogue Shadown over what appears to be Coruscant. The lighting outside (bright yellow) seems to be the same as the Juno Eclipse “death” scene. Perhaps the SA is attempting to rush her to safety.

1:45-1:46: Another shot of our rancor.

1:45-1:46: We have what, at first glance, appears to be a comet or something similar. I’m thinking it may actually be the RS under attack and wounded (hence the fire). Or perhaps it is simply entering the atmosphere.

1:45-1:46: A shot of the SA and Juno Eclipse together. It’s fairly obviously that they have a romance sub-plot going on here.

1:46: First we have our “comet” flying towards some kind of saucer. A space station? A Hapan Battle Dragon? (I wish). Strange…

1:46: We have the SA reacting in surprise and reaching out. We also have Vader reminding the apprentice of who is the master. I’m going to guess that the SA shows some sort of mercy in one of his fights or becomes too friendly with someone and Vader punishes him by killing that person.

1:50-1:58: Okay…bit of a spoiler here. Looks like the SA and Vader have a bit of a fight here. This probably takes place at the end of the game and will be the culmination of all of his “questions’ against Vader.

1:58-2:12: The end credits

 

Okay, like I promised, I’m going to make a couple of predictions for the game from my knowledge of how movies work, how stories work and this trailer.

1) Any main character has a life changing decision which will propel them into the story. For Luke Skywalker, his decision is to follow Obi-Wan to Alderaan. That is what begins his story. For the SA, I’m going to be that he will NOT kill Kota during that first level in the TIE Fighter Factory. Instead he will choose to leave him alive, thus setting him on a course that will end up with his confrontation with Vader.

2) Vader is going to send the SA on a number of Jedi Hunts and these Jedi are going to get the SA to question Vader. Kota starts the process and Shaak Ti will continue.

3) Although he may not confront Vader until the end, the SA will begin to leave Vader’s “shadow” about half-way through the game. This will be a result of the Jedi influence. I think the SA may even try to circumvent Vader by going to Palpatine. Vader finds out and we see him throw the SA across the bridge of the SD in punishment.

4) Juno Eclipse will be struck down by Vader. We saw scenes to suggest that she may live but I have to think that she isn’t going to survive the game. Vader will wound her, forcing the SA away from him and then she will die in the SA’s arms. I hope it doesn’t happen but it will. 

5) I’m also thinking that Juno may be a Rebel agent, perhaps working for Bail. And throughout the game, she is trying to make the SA think about his actions. 

6) The scene with the SA on Kashyyyk has me thinking that he will return to his home, perhaps searching for family.

 

7) All of these events, Juno’s death, the Jedi influence and whatever else, will contribue to forcing the SA away from Vader and from being his apprentice. That is not to say that he’ll give up the dark side but that he will confront Vader.

 

That’s all I’ve got for now. I have no idea if any of this will come true but I’m curious to see if it will. Hope you enjoyed this and may the Unleashed Force be with you.

Tags: Impressions, The Force Unleashed, Video Games

Thirty-one years. That’s how long Star Wars has been around; how long it has been telling stories to all who will listen. These stories cover thousands upon thousands of years, and each year, these stories grow larger, more intricate. It is in this vein, that the Legacy of the Force series was created, covering events taking place forty years after the Battle of Yavin. In my opinion, that Legacy series has been one of the more expansive and better series of past few years of Star Wars history despite the occasional issues that plagued it. This editorial will take a look at author continuity, the controversy surrounding Jacen Solo and an overall review of the series as I have seen it.

 
When Del Rey created the New Jedi Order series, one of the main issues facing its success was its use of various authors to write the eighteen book series. Naturally, at some point, authors lose the ability to unite their stories when faced with deadlines and different writing styles. In Legacy of the Force, Del Rey seemingly tried to fix this by choosing three authors (as opposed to multiple authors), two well-known and one relative new comer (at least to the Post-Yavin Expanded Universe). These authors, Troy Denning, Aaron Allston and Karen Traviss, have done an admirable job at keeping the continuity but there have still been problems in my mind. As I see it, the problems can be divided into two parts: character continuity and character introduction. In terms of character continuity, the authors have each developed their own so called “pet characters” that they and they alone use. For example, Karen Traviss is famous for her writing of the Mando story (although this appears to be changed in Invincible) yet not other author touches them. As a result, we find out that Mandalore is causing trouble at the end of Sacrifice but do not hear about them again until Revelation. This happens multiple times throughout the series as characters disappear for books at time. The other problem, that of character introduction, is similar to the previous problem. Often, new characters shall be introduced but not followed up on by sequential authors (i.e. Syal Antilles, Seha, Shaker, Kiara). I know that I often found myself truly liking these new characters and I wish that they could have been more involved in the story. The question then is: “Why does this occur?” The two reasons that I have arrived at (with the help of discussion at the NJOE forums) are: 1) Ease of use and 2) Time restraints. The first reason comes from how easy it is write from the perspective’s of someone else’s character. While Karen Traviss may be able to write a brilliant Mando perspective, Aaron Allston cannot. And when it comes down to cutting out characters, it is always easier to cut characters you know will be more difficult to write anyway. The second possible reason is simply a time constraint. When Del Rey is releasing books every three months, chances are that the next writer hasn’t even read the previous book and thus may not know all of the minor details. While these are all possibilities, the facts remain that the problem exists and that they have not been addressed to date.

 
Jacen Solo has also been a point of contention with many people throughout the Legacy of the Force series. Many people have expressed displeasure in the way Jacen has been written, particularly his moodiness and “un-Sith like behavior. While I do not quite share their viewpoint, I thought it might be interesting to throw my thoughts out there. I will agree, though, that there definitely has been an aspect of randomness to how he is written. At the end of Bloodlines, Jacen seems very calm and collected yet his first appearance in Tempest is characterized by the tempter tantrums of an angry and vengeful teenager. While this might be acceptable if Jacen was still in his teens, he is thirty-one and you would expect him to behave a little differently at that age. I, myself, see this very differently. I agree that Jacen probably shouldn’t be written in such a way as well as that Legacy does not present Jacen in a favorable light but, ignoring that, I think it is understandable. The differences seem to depend on whose perspective we are in as Jacen never seems to “think” of himself as being overly emotional. That being said, other characters definitely seem to portray that perspective. As I see it, this change in moods, while annoying, is not overly crucial to the story and seems to fade away later on in the series. If I had to attribute an intentional reason for these changes, I would probably put it down as the result of becoming a Sith Lord. I have to imagine that would cause your emotions to swing all over the place. For me, Jacen Solo’s mood swings are more of an annoyance than a major issue.

 
And now that I’ve gone over so much negative stuff, I figured I should probably give on overall review, focusing on the good aspects of Legacy of the Force. So, where to begin? I’m going to start with Ben because I’ve really loved the way that Ben has grown throughout the series. He started as the fawning teenager and turns into a very mature adult, even though very little time has passed. From an outsider’s perspective, this sort of rapid change may seem unusual and impossible yet the authors pull it off beautifully. In fact, I found the entire Ziost storyline to brilliantly display Ben’s maturity as well as his humanity. I also found Ben’s relationship with Luke to be well written and believable. It seems strange that, at the end of Sacrifice (and the beginning of Inferno) Ben was the one comforting Luke instead of vice versa yet even this reversal serves a purpose. Luke has had an interesting position through Legacy and it remains to be seen how Invincible has affected him (as of writing this, I have not read Invincible). He began the series as a confident Jedi Master, then was destroyed and brought low by Mara’s death and finally reborn through his love for Ben. This sort of character development is present for many characters in Legacy and I hope to see it in the future as well. And now I come to Mara’s death. I believe my reaction was common among readers as I literally had one of those “I can’t believe she’s dead” moments. The emotion her death provoked (especially in the way that she was killed) truly speaks to the skill of the writers. I think that the authors have done a good job of choosing who to kill off as well as when and Invincible will seal the deal on that idea.

 
So my thoughts on the Legacy of the Force series come down to this: I enjoyed the books immensely despite the few flaws that they had. Even if Invincible is somehow the worst book of the series (and I do not believe it will be), I do not think anything could change my opinion on the series. Troy Denning, Aaron Allston and Karen Traviss have each brought their unique perspectives to this story and they have each carried the mantle of Star Wars splendidly. It’s always fun to critique the authors on what we think could be done better but I’ve come to understand that, sometimes, you just have to let the authors do their work Legacy was initially sold to me for two reasons: 1) it was Star Wars and 2) it was in the future of the Expanded Universe. That excitement was the original drive for the series for me. Each step Star Wars takes into that unknown future, risks are taken. Legacy was a risk but it has paid its due in full.
-Written May 2008, prior to reading Invincible

Tags: Editorial, Legacy of the Force

For all those people who have decided to actually read this and of those people who don’t know what I do for EUCantina, you should probably know that I’m a video game reviewer for EUC.

My first review can on Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith: The Video Game can be found here.

I figured that my next review should tackle something a little larger so I took on Knights of the Old Republic. Some 40-60 hours later, I was ready to write my review. Unfortunately, my laptop died (which is where I was writing) and is in dire need of repair so things have slowed down a little. Feel free to check by this article to see updates.

Pre-July 4th, 2008:

• KotOR completed twice (Light Male, Dark Female)
• Review started
• Introductory paragraphy, disclaimer completed
• “Story Review” started
• Laptop dies, review halted

I had a small, inconsequential log-in problem and, in the process of trying to fix it, made my computer un-usable. Hopefully it’ll be fixed soon.

I’ll try and get the review done soon. Until then, may the Force be with you.

Tags: Knights of the Old Republic, Review, Update, Video Games