KOTOR II: The Thread

I was getting some groceries at Fred Meyer last night and was surprised to see that they had already received the game. Being out in the middle of farm country, we typically don't get games until 4 or 5 days after the ship date. I'm not going to start this one until Saturday at the earliest, but I'm a little afraid of how my Xbox will perform with this game. I had a lot of crashes/freeze ups with the first KOTOR...
 
I've played about 3 hours and absolutely love it. The voice acting is amazing, it really feels like movie quality. Gameplay remains about the same and, well, it rocks. The dialogue trees are also much deeper this time.

In terms of graphics, it simply shows that it's dated, but it hasn't bothered me a single bit, and I've found myself admiring some scenery. No complaints about it. It could definitely be significantly better, but it's the least of my worries with this type of game.

So far, I'm finding myself more into it than the previous KotOR, mainly because of how the story is unfolding and being shown.
 
15 Hours in...

Honestly the game feels like a mere expansion pack which is not a bad thing, ass the game retains the same addictive nature of the original, to me atleast. Theres a good bit of blatant rehashing though. Korriban and Datooine are such examples, as those planets, Korriban in particular are nearly identical to their KOTOR1 forms. And personally the lack of new face skins is really disappointing. I would have also have liked to have seen atleast some sort of change to the interface which is also indentical to the original.

But anyway, the presentation did receieve a bit of an upgrade. The voice acting is even better(which is really saying something), as is the music. Theres does seem to be a bit more depth. The attributes seem to have more of a bearing on how you play the game. For example, in the original despite my wisdom attribute being pretty low I was still easily able to obliterate the most formidable of opponents with my force powers. Taking the same road this time, I'm finding that this time around "push overs" can frequently resist your force powers if your wisdom attribute is low. Theres also a bigger penalty using powers of the opposite alignment. Furthermore theres more shades of gray in many or your choices/responses, and the influence system goes along way. Trying to gain influence over a party member(which governs your ability to sway them towards your end of the force spectrum) while still trying to adhere to your good or evil ways is challenging at times, but that has made for a more rewarding experience, and forces to player to learn the tendencies of the other characters and manipulate them accordingly.

The Story is darker and more mysterious this time around, and the main task is set-up in such away that the player decides from the get go whether or not the quest will be one of good or evil. Very minor spoiler:
As opposed to KOTOR1 where you were searching planet after planet for the star map, this time you are searching planets for surving Jedi. However, whether or not you are searching only to exterminate the jedi, or to reuninte the surving jedi is totally up to you,
which makes for a considerably less linear experience.

9.4/10 is what I'de give it thus far. Xbox game of the year for me..(sorry Halo 2)
 
I love the game but you can really tell that the folks at Obsidian have never worked with a 64 Meg limit as the standard on a platform before. I'm sure the PC version will be smoother but this game crawls sometimes in battles. Other than that. I love it. I'd give it a 9 out of 10.
 
I'm actually happy with my face, unlike KOTOR 1. More options would have been nice though.

I'm like 6 hours in or so. It really is like an expansion pak, but it's KOTOR so it's awesome. They could release one of these like every year and it'd be great. The framerate is awful and the cutscenes look like crap, but it just doesn't matter.


When I talked to Atton about Revan, he spoke of her as if she was a girl(which she was to me), was that the same for everyone or is it random or something?
 
Anyanka said:
When I talked to Atton about Revan, he spoke of her as if she was a girl(which she was to me), was that the same for everyone or is it random or something?
Click to expand...

That conversation actually establishes both Revan's gender and alignment as you go -- Atton will always start out referring to Revan as female, but you're given the option to "correct" him if you did things differently in KOTOR I. Same deal for Revan's final fate in KOTOR I; your dialogue options in that conversation establish whether Revan ended up light side or dark side for the rest of Sith Lords.
 
I figured that's what they were doing.

Atton is like the new Carth.....

I got excited when I saw carth in one of those logs. I fell in love with that loser in KOTOR 1.
 
Anyanka said:
I'm actually happy with my face, unlike KOTOR 1. More options would have been nice though.

I'm like 6 hours in or so. It really is like an expansion pak, but it's KOTOR so it's awesome. They could release one of these like every year and it'd be great. The framerate is awful and the cutscenes look like crap, but it just doesn't matter.


When I talked to Atton about Revan, he spoke of her as if she was a girl(which she was to me), was that the same for everyone or is it random or something?
Click to expand...


he says shes a girl to everyone, one of your reply options was to correct him.

I cant play for 4 Days!!! (home for mums 50th)but before i left i got to my third planet and got my lightsaber, i think it depends on your level more than where you are though. Havent had a chance to experiment with the saber forms yet, well i haven't fought anything but a me Vs. Many battle so theres no need to change it.

also (spoiler on a companion you might not know is coming)
Canderous is back, but he's called mandelor and hides his face behind mandalorian armour you cant remove, it's pretty clear he has some incites on what happened to Revan


Oh! And (another one of your companions that you meet on Telos)
Hope i can get it on with the handmaiden, she's hot in her dueling attire (bra & panties)
 
The framerate is unnacceptable. It feels like I'm playing a new game on a long-outdated PC. Framerate literally comes to a halt when there is a lot going on on-screen, and is stuttery when there isn't. It's so crippling I can't believe they released it like this.

Other than that, great.
 
how far through are you? i played through the first 2 worlds with no frame rate glitches at all, there was one rather lengthy pause on the third world when i tried to open a container (only happened once) which i guess was a bug more than a frame rate problem. I've certainly found it better than the first world in KOTOR.
 
It only hits me with frame drops in fights. And that's not everytime. Thank goodness it's turn based. That's what saves it in that area. Fantastic game though. Best RPG of the year no doubt about that.
 
The game really picked up for me after Telos, which I didn't really enjoy at all. Too bad two of the planets are rehash (though Dantooine feels pretty different). I'm really loving how fleshed out the characters are and how you can influence them and improve your stats through dialogue.

Has anyone upgraded to one of the prestige classes yet? If so, when/where does it happen? I'm at level 12 now and getting a little antsy.
 
I'm on my fifth planet.

One thing: Whassup with all the Mandolorians being Australian? Ok, ok, not all of them. But still.

Don't read the below if you don't want some shit spoiled, fo real stylee:

I got my Prestige class at around the end of my 3rd planet(not counting Peragus), I believe I was 16th level at the time. I have lightsabers out the yin yang at the point I'm at now, but I did have to wait till Dantooine to construct one to get my first(I went Peragus-Telos-Dantooine-Nar Shadaa-Onderon). You do get HK-47 back(the original) and he is none too pleased to hear that they have started mass producing HKs. I love that guy. I regret playing light side now, I feel like I could have more fun with him if I was dark side. As it is, my Light Side Jedi Watchman Martha Stewart(yeah baby) asked HK-47, "HK, what is love?" His response went something along the lines of: "Love is sighting your target at 1,000 yards through the targeting reticule of your Aratech blaster rifle and delivering a perfectly placed shot to the meatbag's kneecap." Or something similar. GOTY, anyway.

You might be confused regarding the Handmaiden/Disciple thing, but you get the Handmaiden if you're a dude, and if you're a chick you get the Disciple. One cool thing is that some of your companions are force sensitive and can be trained as Jedi by YOU(Disciple is the only one I've succeeded with, some people are saying Atton is force sensitive too). Apparently you can also choose between Mira(hot female bounty hunter) and Hanharr(her evil wookie nemesis) at some point, but if so I haven't gotten there. Oh, and Kreia seems to be a real scheming bitch from where I'm sitting(I reckon I'm about 3/4 of the way done, just gotta finish up Onderon, go to Korriban and then endgame). Game fucking rocks.
 
I'm pure lightside. In fact the meter is already all the way up with this pilar of light behind her. I didn't mean to. I picture my character being kind of grey, leaning towards light. I just answer questions and do things based on what seems like the right thing to do. In KOTOR 1 this made me hover around the middle, finally being about 70% light by the end. Now I'm already max light? KOTOR 2 must put much more weight on the choices than 1.
 
Raoul Duke said:
I'm on my fifth planet.

One thing: Whassup with all the Mandolorians being Australian? Ok, ok, not all of them. But still.

Don't read the below if you don't want some shit spoiled, fo real stylee:

I got my Prestige class at around the end of my 3rd planet(not counting Peragus), I believe I was 16th level at the time. I have lightsabers out the yin yang at the point I'm at now, but I did have to wait till Dantooine to construct one to get my first(I went Peragus-Telos-Dantooine-Nar Shadaa-Onderon). You do get HK-47 back(the original) and he is none too pleased to hear that they have started mass producing HKs. I love that guy. I regret playing light side now, I feel like I could have more fun with him if I was dark side. As it is, my Light Side Jedi Watchman Martha Stewart(yeah baby) asked HK-47, "HK, what is love?" His response went something along the lines of: "Love is sighting your target at 1,000 yards through the targeting reticule of your Aratech blaster rifle and delivering a perfectly placed shot to the meatbag's kneecap." Or something similar. GOTY, anyway.

You might be confused regarding the Handmaiden/Disciple thing, but you get the Handmaiden if you're a dude, and if you're a chick you get the Disciple. One cool thing is that some of your companions are force sensitive and can be trained as Jedi by YOU(Disciple is the only one I've succeeded with, some people are saying Atton is force sensitive too). Apparently you can also choose between Mira(hot female bounty hunter) and Hanharr(her evil wookie nemesis) at some point, but if so I haven't gotten there. Oh, and Kreia seems to be a real scheming bitch from where I'm sitting(I reckon I'm about 3/4 of the way done, just gotta finish up Onderon, go to Korriban and then endgame). Game fucking rocks.
Click to expand...

I was able to turn Atton (though I preferred him as a ranged fighter). I took him into Nar Shaddaa and someone recognized him which triggered the conversation.
 
Redbeard said:
I was able to turn Atton (though I preferred him as a ranged fighter). I took him into Nar Shaddaa and someone recognized him which triggered the conversation.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I had the same convo with the twileks, but I suppose that I didn't have enough influence with Atton to keep him talking to me. And Mira? I can't get to talk to me at ALL. Oh well, I make up for it by making her run around in the Dancer's outfit and get killed all the time. I have a beasted out main character and Disciple is a fucking tank with two Gamorrean cleavers and power armor. So whoever the third is really just ends up being comic relief/eye candy. Usually go with HK.
 
Day 2 without KOTOR2...

My current state:

crying.jpg



Man it's hard to not read those spoilers.
 
does the physical appearance of the characters ever change for light/dark? I'm maybe 3/4 light and my character looks the same as in the beginning as far as I can tell. I'm thinking of just running roughshod over everyone from now on and trying to go dark though, that's what I did in the first one and it was pretty funny at times.
 
it definitely does for dark-side, i think your original apperance is supposed to be the light-side apperance.
 
Veeeeeeeeerrrrry close to endgame now. There is a twist, but it's not as big a twist as in the first game.

I'd have to say that this game is certainly comparable to the first. I just wish they'd have cleaned up the bugs, glitches and graphics. I've actually run into a few glitches this time around, in the original KOTOR I never hit a one.

Just to tempt and spite the few loyal KOTOR gamers we have here(where'd everybody else go? playing trash like MGS3?), I'll go ahead and spoil the twist for you(in spoiler brackets of course. It must be your CHOICE to spoil the game for yourself, now musn't it?):

Kreia is a fallen Jedi who became a Sith, had her connection to the Force stripped from her by the counsel, regained it and now is using The Exile(that's you) in a plan to destroy not only the Jedi, not only the Sith, but the Force itself. It has some funky thing to do with the Exile's ability to make connections through the Force. Hopefully, all will be revealed and settled on Malachor V, where I'm headed after I dust the Ravager and Darth Nihilus. Still no indication on what happened to Revan, I'm betting she/he makes a return for the third installment.

I told you not to read! Hee hee, ok so I didn't. But you had to highlight it, didn't you!

This is my personal favorite game of the year. I don't think it's worthy of any awards due to the recycled nature of the engine and many of the locales, but all in all it's a damn fine game and faithful sequel. I hope there is a third installment on Xenon.
 
Raoul Duke said:
snip
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, not very much of it is cleared up in the ending (I just beat it earlier today) If you're a darksider, make sure you listen to everything Kreia has to say at the end game, or it will make even less sense. Sadly, the ending leaves quite a few things unexplained, but it does get the major stuff.
 
It sucks when you're forced to use other party members alone or just two of them. The main character is so powerful I just let my other party members auto-level and leave them be.

I just had to rescue the exile from Goto's ship using only Atton and Mira. It took forever. Had to throw tons of grenades and constantly retreat to heal myself to survive. Thank god for the save anywhere feature.

I got that dance outfit. I think I'll wear it the rest of the game.


For some reason the game has started refering to Revan as a guy now. What's weird is I still refer to her as a girl, but the other character's dont. They're also starting to talk about her as if she turned evil at the end of KOTOR1. This is so messed up.
 
I just got my copy yesterday since I had it sent home not realizing exactly when it would ship.. havent had a chance to play it yet since I've gone out the last two nights. Hope to get into it soon though.

Also have MGS3 to play though which hasnt yet been touched. :\
 
Meier said:
I just got my copy yesterday since I had it sent home not realizing exactly when it would ship.. havent had a chance to play it yet since I've gone out the last two nights. Hope to get into it soon though.

Also have MGS3 to play though which hasnt yet been touched. :\
Click to expand...
Meh. MGS3 can KEEP waiting for me.
 
Anyanka said:
How many planets are there in the end, after you go the 4 you can go to in any order?
Click to expand...
Let's see here: Peragus, Telos, Dantooine, Nar Shadaa, Dxun/Onderon, Korriban,
Malachor V
. I don't think there's anything else.
 
Anyanka said:
It sucks when you're forced to use other party members alone or just two of them. The main character is so powerful I just let my other party members auto-level and leave them be.

I just had to rescue the exile from Goto's ship using only Atton and Mira. It took forever. Had to throw tons of grenades and constantly retreat to heal myself to survive. Thank god for the save anywhere feature.

I got that dance outfit. I think I'll wear it the rest of the game.


For some reason the game has started refering to Revan as a guy now. What's weird is I still refer to her as a girl, but the other character's dont. They're also starting to talk about her as if she turned evil at the end of KOTOR1. This is so messed up.
Click to expand...

You have Mira in your party? When I got to the kath pit in the hidden lair the game had me play as the wookie to kill her and let my main character in, and he's now one of my party members. Mabye because I struck a deal with him earlier on? He's damn tough at any rate.
 
Redbeard said:
You have Mira in your party? When I got to the kath pit in the hidden lair the game had me play as the wookie to kill her and let my main character in, and he's now one of my party members. Mabye because I struck a deal with him earlier on? He's damn tough at any rate.
Click to expand...
If you're neutral-light, you get Mira. If you're leaning dark to dark, you get Hanharr. Similar to the whole Handmaiden/Disciple thing(you get Handmaiden if your charachter is male, and Disciple if your Exile is female.

Oh, and Anyanka:

The best thing to do, in my opinion, with that section is send only Jedis. I was playing lightside, so I converted Visas and was able to open up Disciple to Jedi training. Wasn't that tough, really, when you have Visas and her high computer/security skills coupled with Disciple in power armor swinging double Gamorrean cleavers. My Disciple is a fucking tank. If you went dark side or just killed Visas and didn't open up anyone to Jedi training yet, I would recommend sending Kreia and maybe Atton or a beefed up T3.
 
Yeah I really am surprised how slow this thread is. Been reading it all (Except for the hidden spoilers), game sounds great, but with all the complaints about the bugs it has reaffirmed my decision to wait for the PC version in Febuary. We'll see if World of Warcraft still has a grip on me by then. :P
 
Just made it to Telos and I'm waiting for the fucking story to pick up. This is a longer wait than the whole fuckin' first planet of KOTOR and it's driving me nuts.

The framerate and load times suck too. I think it's been about 20 times where I've had to wait 10-15 seconds for the game to let me do something simple like say... open a door, choose a response, or select an attack. It's getting on my nerves, and this *never* happened to me with KOTOR.

I still believe the game WILL improve (except maybe the slowdown and framerate problems of course), so I'll keep on truckin'. Not very impressed so far all-around though.
 
AniHawk said:
The framerate and load times suck too. I think it's been about 20 times where I've had to wait 10-15 seconds for the game to let me do something simple like say... open a door, choose a response, or select an attack. It's getting on my nerves, and this *never* happened to me with KOTOR..
Click to expand...


Something's wrong with your copy then.


I'm finishing up the last of the planets you can do in any order. The more I play, the more I like. There's some really awesome, epic battles. I think in the end I'll like 1 and 2 the same.
 
Anyanka said:
Something's wrong with your copy then.


I'm finishing up the last of the planets you can do in any order. The more I play, the more I like. There's some really awesome, epic battles. I think in the end I'll like 1 and 2 the same.
Click to expand...

That's a bit of good news. Hope it's just the game and not the machine.
 
Just finished it.

The actual ending was really short and weak, but I really liked the climax to the story. Good final battles and it was cool how Krei told you the future of your allies. Even though it was basically a cliffhanger it was still epic and satisfying. Defending Teros, boarding and blowing up the Ravagar and the final showdown on Malachore was all really done and exciting. I can't wait for III now though I'm wondering how it's going to work. They got away with not showing Revan this time, but sooner or later they're going to have to if they keep going in this direction.

What was the ending like if you're darkside?

One thing that bugs me is that the title characters and main villains, The Sith Lords, had like no development and screen time. You saw that Darth Nihlious guy like twice and one of those times was when you fought and killed him. Sion and him were way too cool for such little time.
 
If you're darkside..

You basically just stay on the planet instead of taking off in the Ebon Hawk. Though the final movie is really vague, so I'm not sure exactly what happened, other than me not leaving Malachor V.

I also agree with you about the Sith Lords not being developed enough. It would have really been neat to see more history on Sion and Nihilus. The Nihilus fight was honestly pretty weak, which pissed me off. He was supposed to be this almost god like Sith Lord, and then I just destroy him in a couple hits, I know he was weakened and all, but it was still lame. The difficulty of the game in general was pretty weak.
 
it seems to be more of an add-on mission pack
Click to expand...
This I gotta disagree with. Hell KOTOR II is larger than KOTOR I, has much more elaborate Jedi classes (prestige classes mmmm), completely different story and only 2 returning characters. How can you classify it as an add-on mission pack?

Slowdown is extremely bad though, good thing the gameplay doesn't suffer but it completely nullifes the effect of the better animation.
 
Azih said:
This I gotta disagree with. Hell KOTOR II is larger than KOTOR I, has much more elaborate Jedi classes (prestige classes mmmm), completely different story and only 2 returning characters. How can you classify it as an add-on mission pack?

Slowdown is extremely bad though, good thing the gameplay doesn't suffer but it completely nullifes the effect of the better animation.
Click to expand...
Agree with this. The battle system suffers as the battle are often alot more hectic but overall KOTOR 2 > KOTOR.
 
11 hours in, I've finished Telos and have moved on to Nar Shaddaa, still no lightsaber but I'm totally digging the game. Even with the dated graphics and slowdown, this should easily be my game of the year.

As for the thing about Mandalor, I noticed that the voice actor is the same as a certain person from KOTOR I, so I pretty much figured it was him.
 
Whew, it got better. :)

Just
finished up Dantooine and got my lightsaber and short lightsaber (green, not blue though). About 15 hours in. Spent literally an hour talking to people on the ship, finding out their past, gaining new skills. Listening to them with Kreia was sad, too.

Fuck, this game rocks. If it stays at this level, GotY, no doubt about it.
 
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