There are simple, action RPGS and there are complex, strategic RPGs, so how can you draw a definite line of what a true RPG is? Bioware has been renowned for making complex, strategic RPGs starting with the Fallout series, then the Forgotten Realms games such as Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale. I have never known a game company that made progressively better games like Bioware, and their latest effort, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, is their best effort yet. If you need to look for a good RPG in the market right now, I would strongly suggest, scratch that, declare STRONGLY that KOTOR is the best RPG out there...and the best RPG ever.
Gameplay
This is the second time Bioware has tried to create a complex, ACTION RPG since Neverwinter Nights. Instead of the usual top-down view of their RPGs, they decided to make the view more console friendly. The results make the game look alot like an action RPG, but the combat system masked unprecedented depth. Basically, you select an enemy to attack and watch the battle unfold before your eyes. However, you can pause the game and issue commands to your one to three party members and continue the battle. Sounds boring, right? Not really. The amount of options in battle are so numerous that no battle will ever be the same. Every character-specific ability and weapon ability gives different combinations, and doing a tag team on an enemy will make you say *Whoa*. The game starts out with a basic tutorial aboard a starship, then takes you down to one planet for about a quarter of the game. After you leave the planet, the other three quarters of the game can be done in any order you want, which gives a big amount of freedom to explore. Each planet is full of so many quests that each can be labeled as a separate game. The plot is excellent (unlike the new Star Wars movies) and will make you hum the Star Wars theme when it's all over.
10/10
Graphics
The worst part of the game is its visual presentation. The cutscenes are nice and smooth, but the character models in this game are just plain ugly. Sure, the facial expressions and textures are good, but the lack of fresh faces, bad frame rate, and low poly-count player models just don't do it on the big black box. This game can easily pass as a Playsation 2 game. This doesn't make sense seeing that Neverwinter Nights was a great looking game.
7/10
Sound:
All the Star Wars music is here, and there are new tunes to boot. Every...little...bit...of...dialogue...is...spoken...in...this...game...I do that because it is a marvel in gaming history that a game do this. Other games have done this before, right? Yes, but not on this scale. Every bit of dialogue in this game can easily amount to 30 hours or more, and there are no replays of sound clips. Great stuff!
10/10
Replay
It easily takes 40 hours to beat the game the first time, but wait, there are two sides to this game! *grin* You have a choice to make when you become a Jedi, start down the light side or become one with the dark side. There are another 40 hours there too. Plus, there is a massive amount of character customization. This game knows no end!
9/10
Conclusion
This is the best RPG ever made, and, although that might be an overstatement to some (*ahem* Final Fantasy fans), put aside any prejudice you have about this and try it out. You will be pleased.
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