Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
2005 is going to be a good year, Star Wars fans...
With Star Wars Episode III now firmly in post-production and set to be with us in 2005, it is a reasonable bet that the entire planet will once again be going mad for all things George Lucas-inspired come next year. Eager to claim their slice of the pie, official Star Wars 'interactive' developer LucasArts, are planning a veritable smorgasbord of new Star Wars inspired titles to tap into the rich seam of popularity which seems inevitable.
Whilst some of the games are simplistic affairs which seem destined to be bracketed as licensed cash-ins, others are looking quite spectacular, and should cement the Star Wars gaming series from the solid footings from which it has become a little dislodged of late. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is one such game for which we have high hopes, and it is the subject of today's preview.
Developed by Obsidian, the team now home to developers of Fallout, Icewind Dale, Baldur's Gate, Dark Alliance, and Planescape (the team having jumped-ship from Black Isle / Interplay), the developers certainly have a pedigree to rival even the original title's creators Bioware. More over, the release of the film and success both commercially and critically of the original, has meant that Obsidian have all the time and resources needed to ensure PC and Xbox gamers are very satisfied with this sequel when its released in February next year.
Like the 2003 hit, The Sith Lords is set 4,000 years prior to the events of Episode I during the fictional period known as the Old Republic, and we're promised a game with a more engrossing and more action-packed plotline, introducing new characters, classes, locales and of course force powers. The new epic plotline places you as the last remaining Jedi in the galaxy, being remorselessly pursued by the Sith who have all but wiped out the Jedi race - and have brought the Republic into disarray with insufficient power to protect its worlds. In typically grandiose RPG fashion, it is of course you who hold the future of the known galaxy in your hands, but with the ruthless Sith Assassins in hot pursuit - can you face the responsibility and the challenge?
Several characters will be returning from the first Knights of the Old Republic game, and a few new Sith villains will also be putting in a chilling appearance. Force Confusion and Force Sight are just two of thirty new Force powers at your disposal, to be wielded against those of a weaker disposition. Seven massive and diverse worlds must also be traversed by the player, including the mining colony of Peragus and Telos, being rebuilt after the war of the first title, set some five years previously.
Visually, it appears we're in for a real treat with new weather effects including rain and snow, and the game should be made that much more complex by the vast range of new feats to be learnt or acquired, the new weapons (including a wrist mounted rocket launcher), the new characters (over 100), and of course the new 'partying' options, allowing up to ten diverse characters to be grouped, also add to the rich mix. Append to this the expanded combat, featuring new moves and new animation, as well as the hour of new atmosphere-enhancing orchestral score, and you have a game positively brimming with potential.
In The Sith Lords, players will be able to split party's and pursue multiple side quest simultaneously, having custom-designed their own Jedi from the game's outset. Of course, the overall goal will be to save the Old Republic and the Jedi Order from the machinations of the Sith - whilst simultaneously exploring both the light and dark sides of the Force.
The game being released on the Xbox and PC, we're once again being promised that new content will be made available online via Xbox Live, and this sequel will hopefully take more advantage of the service than the original did - which offered scant new content when you consider it was one of the game's original selling points.
All in all we're rather confident Obsidian can pull off this big sequel with some panache, hopefully adding more to the experience of the original hit in so doing. We look forward to bringing you all the latest on this as we get it.
