"Not so long ago, in a galaxy not so far away, the Jedi council at decided that an outside developer was needed for a special task. The task would not be suitable for an inexperienced padawan, and it would have to be completed in a manner devoid of any "Imperial entanglements." From across a nation's border came the salvation they sought in a small party of rebels called BioWare, who were quickly put to the task of creating the deepest, richest, and most insanely addictive title ever conceived..."

And they succeeded. The creators of the Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights RPGs have taken the Star Wars universe to a place that gamers have hoped to go for years. Knights of the Old Republic is so perfect, and works on so many levels that it tends to envelop a player in a few 'key' manners. First, it delivers on a 'theatrical' level in a way that triggers emotions not felt since the first viewing of the original trilogy; a way that the current series of films wishes it could deliver. Second, as a game it delivers an incredibly immersive and deep experience with all of the fine details that come to mind. Customizable lightsabers? Got it. Wookies, droids, and bizarre aliens that speak their own languages? Oh yes. Jedi Knights and Sith Lords engaged in super fast thrust and parry lightsaber combat? Got it. Customizable characters whose actions determine light/dark side force alignment? Bingo. BioWare's employee roster is either comprised entirely of Star Wars nuts (like us), or they sent Bothan spies to a Star Wars convention and had them secretly record every conversation that began with, "Wouldn't it be cool if..."

There are a few technical flaws with the package, but more on that later. Right now is the time to dwell on the game's golden facets. Knights is an RPG at its core, with a rule system based on the pencil-and-paper Wizards of the Coast Star Wars D20 rule set. Those unfamiliar with that game or its system will have no troubles launching into their own adventure, as KOTOR's entire system of gameplay is evenly balanced for the hardcore and the newbie alike. The combat is turn based, but this is not Final Fantasy. Turn based in this case does not mean watch your entire party stand and take a beating. The combat itself takes place in real time, and you can "queue up" four commands per party member (3 members in your party) and send them off. You can also control any member at any time, and pause the to re-plan the fight. The main character you create is always a human, with the class choices of Soldier, Scout, or Scoundrel. This is only a pseudo-temporary class, however, because players are going to want to head for the Jedi academy on Dantooine as quick as possible and become a full-fledged padawan. From there on out, you are officially a 'Jedi' class. Those who are not exactly thrilled with the Jedi council's comprehensive dental plan can decide to turn traitor and join the Sith, with another set of training and trials on Korriban. Your party members are comprised of a motley bunch, all of different species... you can choose to 'mix-it-up' in your party, or just send out three Jedi class to adjust the attitude of anyone in your way. There are XP points and force points to gain (like any RPG), and characters level-up after earning certain amounts. Each character also has abilities, skills, and combat feats that you improve and upgrade as your levels accrue with experience and your force powers grow stronger.

Your alignment is determined, literally, by the actions you decide, and even by the things you choose to say. Each thing you say or do earns light/dark stat points, and certain quests can even make you famous for good deeds, or infamous for evil. All of the dialogue is spoken verbally (in native tongues) and most characters have a really intricate dialogue tree.