GameSpy's Favorite Star Wars Games
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KotOR started with the basics of any good story: smart, sharply written dialogue and interesting characters. It's a pity that so many games fail at these basics. But KotOR offered so much more.
The gameplay was phenomenal. The unique combat system was just strategic enough to make your character development choices important, but it also brought the action when it needed to, striking a careful balance between the two. BioWare nailed the visuals and the audio as well. The characters and environments were delightfully rendered, while the voice acting set new standards in delivery, even bringing the alien races to life. Interacting with the Star Wars universe was never this much fun.
Instead of railroading me along a contrived plot, KotOR managed to whisk me away and transform me into a unique character with power over his own destiny. I was able to make all the important decisions, able to choose between good and evil, and between embracing the light side or succumbing to the dark side. I'll admit, I'm always a goodie-two-shoes when I play these games, but in my second playthrough you better believe that I was a downright despicable bastard. I was able to be a model citizen or act out on my secret, murderous, sociopathic impulses. The fun was in being able to do both.
I fell in love with the adorable Mission and with HK-47, the coolest assassination droid ever. I still love them to this day, these characters mean more to me than Han and Leia. I became an active participant in relationships and a storyline that actually felt stronger than those in the films, and yes, I even managed to get sucker punched by a plot twist of epic proportions. The big reveal in KotOR is a landmark event in interactive storytelling.
