KOTOR vs. KOTOR 2 (SPOILERS)

[Frageran]

@Frageran: There is an edit feature you can use should you feel the need to make minor adjustments to your post right after posting. It's preferable to posting several posts in row.

lol i didn't look in the bottom corner for it....

[Mandalore72]

My two cents: Ok, to start off with, I prefer TSL to Kotor 1. Kotor 1 seems geared more to younger audiences who aren't very well versed in reading/interacting with party members. But for us vets who have played such games before, then the basic gameplay of Kotor 1 is just that: basic.

It's true that the NPCs interact with eachother a lot more in Kotor 1, but their interactions have no effect on anything. Not even their personal sidequests and development. I don't know why, but people tend to like it better when they have to do less dialogue to get to the main plot. People only like the silly side bloopers now and again rather than the long winded conversations that end up in enlightening you to a huge piece of the story and that character's development.

Before we go any farther, I don't like Handmadien or Visas as characters. They are bland and uninteresting. The only thing I like about Handmadien is that she gives you the Battle Precognition which is a great help to my Consulars. Other than that, the only perk she offers is becoming a Jedi which she won't ever excel at because you have to be level 18 before you can turn her into a Jedi.

To me, it seems that people want closure in a game. If the ending isn't complete than the rest of the game must suck. But look at Kotor 1. The ending sucks and the game is filled to the brim with cliches. Even the plot twist is expected! All it takes is a little thought as you go along. Let's see, you have visions of Bastila fighting Revan, you are warned about the dark side with a few slips from Vrook that there is something in your past and Malak becomes very interested in you after speaking to Calo Nord. Because I had already pieced this together on my first playthrough, I was already expecting the plot twist.

TSL is a better gaming experience. It might not be completely finished, but it makes more sense in the long run. A Jedi exile returns from the outer rim to find the Jedi Order destroyed with a sect of Sith Assassins hunting him/her down. He/she awakens on an abandoned mining facility, finds an old lady who gives quite a bit of foreshadowing for the next series of events, and has some of his/her past told to him/her by a smuggler and the progressions of scenes. We all know what happens afteer that and it would take me too long to explain. Let's put it this way: He/she journeys forth visiting many different planets to search for the remnants of the Jedi Order so that he/she can kill/save them. Then he/she must face two sith lords (one is a ghost and the other a zombie) while saving a planet and defeating his master.

And what happenes in Kotor1? You search for a Jedi called Bastila. Taris is destroyed and you flee to Dantooine. There you become a Jedi and find the first star map thatgives clues about the star forge. Then you leave as a padawan and look for the star maps. Then on the 3rd world you visited you are captured and told who you are. Finally you get to the last planet and confront Malak. Game over. Wow, interesting and unique, not.

I'm not saying that Kotor 1 isn't a great game, but merely stating that TSL is a better one for quite a few reasons. Reasons that people can't or don't want to believe. It's like they hear someone say that TSL is missing a little bit at the end and their minds shut down against all other reasoning. Tell me three good reasons why Kotor 1 is better than TSL? Three reasons that I can't argue.

[Dottie]

@Mandalore72: Please keep the tone civil. It's perfectly alright to disagree with other posters, but don't jump to conclusions about their cognitive abilities or motives based on those disagreements.

[Jedi Guardian]

I'd vote Kotor I anyday of the Week

[Rinfujo]

I really don't know which to pick. I loved Kotor 1 and have played it at least 10 times. Light sided Female, dark sided female, dark sided male and light sighted male. I've played it many times. I loved the romance part of the game. How Carth and Bastila can fall for my character. I loved making my characters. They looked very nice.

there wasn't much i didn't like about it.

Kotor 2 is pretty awesome to. But I haven't finished playing it yet. I Love making my characters into a Jedi. I love visiting Datoonine and Korriban, the first time I visited those planets I died! It tied in the first game well, at least to me.

I don't like how Kotor doesn't seem to have a romance appeal. I'm playing as a female character and I figured Atton or Diciple would be her interest but I'm almost done with the game{I'm back on Telos} and so far.. nothing. And that's disappointing. And this Kotor 2 seems soooooo much longer. Well at least Peragus. I felt like I was there forever! And I don't like Peragus that much. Unlike Taris with the first one. I kinda liked the whole idea of it. The wealthy crushing the unwealthy by living above, yadda yadda yadda.

But I can't say I love Kotor and not Kotor 2. I haven't finished it yet. But I will soon and figure out which I really really love. Right Now i can't decide.

[swfan]

hmmm.... I choose KOTOR 2, better physics, better everything really but i have to hand it to KOTOR 1 for the best storyline ever!

[Nightmare]

I don't like how Kotor doesn't seem to have a romance appeal. I'm playing as a female character and I figured Atton or Diciple would be her interest but I'm almost done with the game{I'm back on Telos} and so far.. nothing. And that's disappointing. And this Kotor 2 seems soooooo much longer. Well at least Peragus. I felt like I was there forever! And I don't like Peragus that much.

Peragus was sort of supposed to be a kind of survival-horror part of the game...which was rather poorly executed, and no one really got because it was Star Wars. I don't mind Peragus, since the conversation you have with the HK-50 there is one of the most awesome dialogue sequences in the game.

As for romances, the lead writer for TSL has said full-out that he doesn't write good romances. Bioware is known for having romances in their games since Baldur's Gate 2 (to varying degrees of success). Obsidian...not so much.

[Mandalore72]

I am one of the minority that actually enjoys Peragus. It probably doesn't make sense to anyone else, but Peragus is the place where the rising action starts to unfold. You wake up in the facility, cold and alone when you look into a computer system and open the door to the morgue. There you find two dead bodies. One of which awakens to haunt you thereafter. And even more after you meet HK-50. What I didn't like was how you are forced to play as T3 early on. I always hated that little droid....

[Darth Chef]

I picked Kotor 2. And instead of listing event after event, I'll just keep it simple. I'd prefered 2 because of the upgradeablility of the weapons and armor having more depth than the first, and as stated many times already, you companions do, in fact, care what you do/ how you act.

I've seen other posts where people really disliked the plot twist in Kotor 1. I didn't mind it really, I did see it comingyes, but the idea behind it, you were a brainwashed uberpowerful sith lord doing the councils bidding, makes for an interesting finish to the game your first time through. will you continue being a pawn, or smite them and retake you rightful place? It's all right if you don't like it, thats your opinion. But what was Kotor 2's twist? Is there one? Because I find it alarming that I can't think of it if there is. When I think of
1's twist, i think= you are revan. When I think of 2= ???? i don't really know. So I give the first one that victory as it is atleast memorable/there.

[Rinfujo]

Peragus was sort of supposed to be a kind of survival-horror part of the game...which was rather poorly executed, and no one really got because it was Star Wars. I don't mind Peragus, since the conversation you have with the HK-50 there is one of the most awesome dialogue sequences in the game.

As for romances, the lead writer for TSL has said full-out that he doesn't write good romances. Bioware is known for having romances in their games since Baldur's Gate 2 (to varying degrees of success). Obsidian...not so much.

Oh well.

[swfan]

I'm not much of a gamer myself, but KoTOR2 is my favorite, due to the fact that you can go check out long lost dantooine, new graphics and characters, also i liked trying to find the droid parts for HK-47.

KoTOR1 was probably the best and will probably still be so for many generations, probably the best RPG I've ever played.

[The Revanchist]

The first one is the best.

I have played through it at least ten times and it just keeps getting better.
I just can't get enough of it, the epic story, the twists in the plots and of course the great characters. KotOR 2 just didn't suck me in like the first, but it's still a great game.

I think the biggest problem is that KotOR 2 doesn't have Revan. It was a great disappointment for me because I love Revan. The relationship between Revan and Bastila was pure gold. If someone disagrees, feel free to respond and complain.

I found a page on wookiepedia about Revan and after reading it I just loved Revan and KotOR more.

So the conclusion is: KotOR beats KotOR 2 easily, but KotOR 2 is still a great game.

And please take your time and read this:Revan - Wookieepedia, the Star Wars Wiki

[Loki[D.d.G]]

KotOR I all the way. The 2nd game is just too bugged and broken to impress me. It does have an intriguing storyline tho, pity the devs didn't make the most of it.

[bigredpanda]

We've talked a lot here about storyline, characters and bugs. So, leaving that to one side for the moment, one thing that often strikes me when I go back to K1 after playing K2 is how much more I prefer the interface of the second game. Am I in a minority here, or do other people find the K2 handling better than K1?
The other thing that always strikes me when going back to K1 is how the random drops and items are also more fun in K2 - it's a geeky quibble, but I wish they'd put proper robes into K1.

[Loki[D.d.G]]

So, leaving that to one side for the moment, one thing that often strikes me when I go back to K1 after playing K2 is how much more I prefer the interface of the second game. Am I in a minority here, or do other people find the K2 handling better than K1?

Yea i agree. K2 handles much better/easier than K1. But then again, K2 had a two year advantage on K1, thus allowing the devs to build upon the interface of K1.

[fable]

Yea i agree. K2 handles much better/easier than K1. But then again, K2 had a two year advantage on K1, thus allowing the devs to build upon the interface of K1.

I don't think it was rocket science, though, and two years weren't required. It was simply that Bioware didn't do a very good job at it, while Obsidian rethought it and came up with a more elegant solution. I'm willing to bet they also had tons of feedback from the original title to direct their efforts.

[Loki[D.d.G]]

I'm willing to bet they also had tons of feedback from the original title to direct their efforts.

That was more or less the point i was trying to make. Hence the 2 year period.

[fable]

That was more or less the point i was trying to make. Hence the 2 year period.

Hell, the first 3 months would have given them that. Industry demographics show that over 90% of a game's sales occur during that period, and reactions in the forums were just as quick.

[Isadrierian]

Gotta say, i liked KotOR 2 more. the ability to change your companions alignment, the influence system, the ability to switch between blasters to melee weapons with a simple key once an enemy gets close, starting out as a jedi. Overall i just found it to be a better game. and besides, there are ppl making mods for it now to mend the aforementioned issues; ending, romances, etc.

[DonLouigi]

It's a very difficult question, i must admit. I don't find the story very great in either game, they are, well, not very sophisticated and they don't contain many unexpected turns (well, none that i can remember at least). But while the story is very well and properly presented in part I, it seems unready in the sequel.

Spoiler

After you have found the jedi masters and faced Atris, I didnt really know, what i was doing. Especially the last chapter. I don't understand even yet, why the exile is going to malachor without any clue whatsoever given in the game that Kreia is there.

But on the other hand, the characters are deeper and more believable in the sequel. No one of them is just bad or just good (except for HK, who is so bad i have alws wondered why his attitude isn't on the complet lowest level). And of course Kreia is very sophisticated. In the first game, every one except jolee seemed very stereotypical to me.
And the sequel had a great advantage to the first game, for which I'm really gratefull: No more of those pesky Ebon Hawk Shooting making me bite into my keyboard because i am destroyed in 3 of 4 cases!

But Kotor one is still the better game, because it is more "ready" than the sequel. The sequel had this system to influence your companions and to pull them on another moral side, but their attitude didn't really change. atton still talked about shooting in people's backs, even if he was light, and even when i turned handmaiden dark she disapproved my being cruel. That was not very convincing. It ist just one example of what does't look very well thought through in the game.

So, after a long debate i come to the hard decision, that the first game edges out the sequel.