This is a game that is going to take you neck deep into the Star Wars universe. Each planet in this game is like a sweet ball of candy, with their own unique flavor, all of them tasting good, and leaving a satisfying after taste based on your actions. The primary takeaways from this game are 100% the atmosphere, the characters, and the stories you'll encounter with them. The level of immersion is off the charts. It's Star Wars at its full potential in a mature setting.

Even if YOU ARE NOT a Star Wars fan, the presentation of the universe in this setting is neutral. You can 100% not be a fan of this franchise, and dive in and enjoy it completely in all its facets, and learn some lore coming away from it. There are many who are not fans of Star Wars who are fans of this game alone. The writing is top tier, and this game has THE craziest twist ever in a video game. No other game comes close to the twist, and it is masterfully laid out, going completely over your head before you realize it. This is the "I am your father" of video game stories. If you are interested in the story, google NOTHING about this game, or you will rob yourself of an indescribable mindblowing moment.

DO NOT be turned off by the combat, and do not listen to people who say this game has bad combat. The combat is super simple and easy for anyone who actually pays attention, and even greatly satisfying later on. Its all about synergy with your party members, that's it. For example, have a party member stun an enemy, then finish em off with another character. That's all it takes, and eventually you're going to get even more powerful abilities and companions that work together even better, and when they work together, your victories feel great once you finish off that last enemy. It's likely not going to be a cakewalk for new players, but it shouldn't be difficult if you're actually trying. It's a good balance if you're new and genuinely motivated to play. Anyone who has a head on their shoulders can understand the combat system.

It is of course and RPG at its heart, so you have a wealth of choices in the dialogue. You are presented with dialogue options that can change the outcome of quests (and of course the main story), and you have the ability to walk up to a random protocol droid and talk to it for a long time about the planet you are on. It's classical Fallout/Baldur's Gate/Planescape Torment levels of dialogue options, and many of these dialogue choices factor into your character's alignment between the dark, and light sides of the force. This alignment also determines your appearance. If you begin to swivel toward becoming an agent of evil, you will succumb to dark side degradation, obtaining an unhealthy, and pale appearance with veins. Think Fable's horns.

The soundtrack. I can't even put this into words. This is my favorite video game soundtrack of all time. You will notice that most Star Wars games simply rip soundtracks from the films, or do a variation on them. I've always found this lazy. Kotor does not do this. Beyond the opening crawl, every single piece of music you hear is 100% original, and composed by Jeremy Soule himself. The man who composed the soundtracks of The Elder Scrolls games (Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim), and they are worthy of being compared, and put on the same level as John Williams in my honest opinion. They sound like Star Wars, and they fit so well. The music really is that great.


Previously I reviewed Knights of the Old Republic II claiming it was the best Star Wars game. After mulling it over, I take it back. I truly believe that the first Kotor is the superior game, and I'm set on that. It's a much more complete experience with a more naturally flowing narrative, even taking the Restored Content mod for Kotor II into consideration, Kotor 1 comes out on top. All of the companion characters are fully developed without feeling rushed, and their personal quests arise (if you pursue them) at appropriate times as to not feel suddenly slotted into the middle of the main quest out of nowhere. The planets feel more refined and present themselves better, and the story is airtight without feeling like anything was cut out of it.

TL;DR:

This is the best Star Wars game ever created. It is mature, complete, has the best soundtrack ever from Jeremy Soule himself, and is one of the best times you will ever have from a video game, guaranteed. Even if you are not a fan of Star Wars. The story is top tier, and has THE craziest narrative twist out of any video game that will leave you slack jawed. Buy it.

This is a game that is going to take you neck deep into the Star Wars universe. Each planet in this game is like a sweet ball of candy, with their own unique flavor, all of them tasting good, and leaving a satisfying after taste based on your actions. The primary takeaways from this game are 100% the atmosphere, the characters, and the stories you'll encounter with them. The level of immersion is off the charts. It's Star Wars at its full potential in a mature setting. Even if YOU ARE NOT a Star Wars fan, the presentation of the universe in this setting is neutral. You can 100% not be a fan of this franchise, and dive in and enjoy it completely in all its facets, and learn some lore coming away from it. There are many who are not fans of Star Wars who are fans of this game alone. The writing is top tier, and this game has THE craziest twist ever in a video game. No other game comes close to the twist, and it is masterfully laid out, going completely over your head before you realize it. This is the "I am your father" of video game stories. If you are interested in the story, google NOTHING about this game, or you will rob yourself of an indescribable mindblowing moment. DO NOT be turned off by the combat, and do not listen to people who say this game has bad combat. The combat is super simple and easy for anyone who actually pays attention, and even greatly satisfying later on. Its all about synergy with your party members, that's it. For example, have a party member stun an enemy, then finish em off with another character. That's all it takes, and eventually you're going to get even more powerful abilities and companions that work together even better, and when they work together, your victories feel great once you finish off that last enemy. It's likely not going to be a cakewalk for new players, but it shouldn't be difficult if you're actually trying. It's a good balance if you're new and genuinely motivated to play. Anyone who has a head on their shoulders can understand the combat system. It is of course and RPG at its heart, so you have a wealth of choices in the dialogue. You are presented with dialogue options that can change the outcome of quests (and of course the main story), and you have the ability to walk up to a random protocol droid and talk to it for a long time about the planet you are on. It's classical Fallout/Baldur's Gate/Planescape Torment levels of dialogue options, and many of these dialogue choices factor into your character's alignment between the dark, and light sides of the force. This alignment also determines your appearance. If you begin to swivel toward becoming an agent of evil, you will succumb to dark side degradation, obtaining an unhealthy, and pale appearance with veins. Think Fable's horns. The soundtrack. I can't even put this into words. This is my favorite video game soundtrack of all time. You will notice that most Star Wars games simply rip soundtracks from the films, or do a variation on them. I've always found this lazy. Kotor does not do this. Beyond the opening crawl, every single piece of music you hear is 100% original, and composed by Jeremy Soule himself. The man who composed the soundtracks of The Elder Scrolls games (Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim), and they are worthy of being compared, and put on the same level as John Williams in my honest opinion. They sound like Star Wars, and they fit so well. The music really is that great. Previously I reviewed Knights of the Old Republic II claiming it was the best Star Wars game. After mulling it over, I take it back. I truly believe that the first Kotor is the superior game, and I'm set on that. It's a much more complete experience with a more naturally flowing narrative, even taking the Restored Content mod for Kotor II into consideration, Kotor 1 comes out on top. All of the companion characters are fully developed without feeling rushed, and their personal quests arise (if you pursue them) at appropriate times as to not feel suddenly slotted into the middle of the main quest out of nowhere. The planets feel more refined and present themselves better, and the story is airtight without feeling like anything was cut out of it. TL;DR: This is the best Star Wars game ever created. It is mature, complete, has the best soundtrack ever from Jeremy Soule himself, and is one of the best times you will ever have from a video game, guaranteed. Even if you are not a fan of Star Wars. The story is top tier, and has THE craziest narrative twist out of any video game that will leave you slack jawed. Buy it.