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Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic Game Cover
92%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, grinding
91% User Score Based on 24,505 reviews
Critic Score 94%Based on 5 reviews

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Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic Game Cover

About

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic is a single player open world role playing game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Aspyr (Mac) and was released on September 12, 2003. It received very positive reviews from both critics and players.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a role-playing game set in the Star Wars universe, based on the d20 system from Dungeons & Dragons. Players choose from various character classes, skills, and feats, eventually becoming a Jedi with powerful Force abilities. The game takes place in the Star Wars Legends universe, allowing for unique storylines and character development.

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Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic screenshot
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic screenshot
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic screenshot
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic screenshot
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91%
Audience ScoreBased on 24,505 reviews
story4.7k positive mentions
stability742 negative mentions
  • The story of KOTOR is widely praised for its rich narrative, memorable characters, and impactful moral choices that enhance gameplay.
  • The atmospheric soundtrack composed by Jeremy Soule effectively captures the essence of the Star Wars universe, contributing significantly to the game's emotional depth.
  • KOTOR offers exceptional replayability with branching storylines, character customization, and the ability to choose between light and dark side paths, ensuring new experiences with each playthrough.
  • The game suffers from significant performance issues, including crashes, glitches, and poor optimization on modern systems, which can hinder the overall experience.
  • Many players find the gameplay mechanics dated and clunky, leading to frustration during combat and navigation, with some describing the combat as tedious and lacking weight.
  • While the character development is praised, some critiques mention a lack of emotional depth and complexity compared to its sequel, leaving players wanting more from the character arcs.
  • story
    8,635 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" (KOTOR) is widely praised as one of the best in the Star Wars universe, featuring a rich narrative filled with memorable characters, engaging plot twists, and moral choices that significantly impact the gameplay. Players appreciate the depth of the story, which unfolds across various planets and includes intricate side quests that enhance character development and lore. Despite its dated graphics and some gameplay issues, the compelling storytelling and character arcs make KOTOR a timeless classic that continues to resonate with fans and newcomers alike.

    • “The game has a compelling plot and holds hours of fun, battles, and character stories in an exciting immersive experience!”
    • “The story, depth of lore, and the relationships with your crew are, in my opinion, one of the best of all time.”
    • “Listening to the near-unanimous praise gives one the impression that KOTOR is a timeless RPG that still stands amongst the titans of the genre, but actually playing the game gives another impression: the characters are good but cannot save the middling plot, especially if you already know the major plot twist (and you almost certainly will); the roleplaying opportunities are near non-existent; the character building is serviceable but obtuse with most options being a waste of points; and the combat is clunky and almost wholly uninteresting.”
    • “The story is simple on the face of it, but contains a delightful amount of nuance and complex storytelling that lets you really understand the characters in the world.”
    • “The story is alright, with the villain being 'haha, I am evil' to the max, but I find this endearing.”
  • gameplay
    2,593 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" (KOTOR) is often described as a blend of turn-based and real-time mechanics, heavily influenced by Dungeons & Dragons systems. While many players appreciate the depth and strategic elements of the combat and character customization, others find the mechanics dated and clunky, leading to frustration during gameplay. Despite these criticisms, the engaging story, memorable characters, and moral choices significantly enhance the overall experience, making it a must-play for fans of RPGs and the Star Wars universe.

    • “While the gameplay can be frustrating at times, it's an excellent exercise to train my ability to slow down and be patient.”
    • “However, it's really enjoyable when you start to understand the armor, weapons, force, and skill mechanics, and I have sunk quite a chunk of time into this game enjoying it.”
    • “The main story is great, the gameplay is easy to pick up but hard to master, and all the side quests are fun to do.”
    • “The gameplay is so mind-numbingly boring, environments are repetitive, almost all missions are fetch quests, and there is just so much stupid backtracking through empty maps you just cleared.”
    • “The combat mechanics are absolutely and thoroughly jank.”
    • “The gameplay is a bit tedious and slow.”
  • graphics
    2,412 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" (KOTOR) are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its 2003 release. Many players note that while the visuals may not hold up to modern standards, they still possess a certain charm and are often overshadowed by the game's compelling story and character development. Some users report graphical glitches and recommend adjusting settings, such as disabling grass effects, to improve performance on modern systems. Overall, while the graphics may deter some players, the rich narrative and gameplay experience make it a classic worth playing.

    • “Despite its age, KOTOR’s remaster proves that strong writing and design can transcend dated visuals.”
    • “Still, the turn-based combat remains fun, the music is classic Star Wars, and the graphics have aged more gracefully than you might expect, considering it was released in 2003.”
    • “The graphics, while dated, hold up fairly well compared to other contemporary video games (and even slightly younger ones).”
    • “The graphics are incredibly dated and encounters are limited based on the hardware available at the time, but the brilliance is still there if you take your time and pay attention to the world around you.”
    • “The graphics might feel a bit dated, but if you can get past that I would highly recommend checking this out, especially at a low price.”
    • “The graphics have aged tremendously well for a game that has passed its 16th year since release, and with the character texture overhaul mod you can grab off the nexus mods website it looks better than ever before.”
  • stability
    762 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" (KOTOR) on modern platforms is widely criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes that can significantly hinder gameplay. Many users recommend frequent saving to mitigate the impact of these issues, as character freezes and game-breaking bugs are common, particularly after combat or during cutscenes. While some players have found workarounds and community patches to improve stability, the overall consensus is that the game remains a buggy experience, especially on newer systems.

    • “One of the best RPGs ever made, be sure to install the community patch for lots of fixes, making it a seamless, bug-free experience.”
    • “No glitches, frozen screens, or cutouts!”
    • “This game still runs great on modern systems and the story is fantastic.”
    • “It is impossible to finish this game on PC/Deck without some non-official patches due to an infinite number of crashes and freezes during cut scenes and loading screens.”
    • “The game is buggy, being stuck in the air every 10 minutes.”
    • “This game is a buggy, glitchy mess.”
  • music
    499 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the exceptional work of composer Jeremy Soule. The soundtrack effectively captures the essence of the Star Wars universe, blending original compositions with familiar motifs, and is noted for enhancing the game's emotional depth and overall experience. While some tracks may feel repetitive, the overall consensus is that the music remains a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's enduring appeal.

    • “The music flawlessly captures the Star Wars feel, with sweeping orchestral themes.”
    • “The soundtrack is a Star Wars classic - epic, matching the narrative, and the ambient sounds, such as the din of the cantina on Taris, do a great job of building atmosphere.”
    • “The game's atmospheric soundtrack, composed by Jeremy Soule, enhances the immersion, with sweeping orchestral scores that echo the grandeur of John Williams' iconic compositions.”
    • “Great game, but I recommend buying it on console unless you don't care about hearing any dialogue, music, or sound effects.”
    • “The music blared, but this wasn’t the Star Wars I had grown up with.”
    • “Some of the themes, namely the combat theme for the unknown planet/Rakata Prime, just start getting on my nerves after hearing them so many times, and at some points I wished I was playing with the cinematic music mod.”
  • replayability
    416 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game boasts exceptional replayability, with players praising its branching storylines, character customization, and the ability to choose between light and dark side paths, which significantly alter gameplay experiences. Many reviewers highlight the depth of choices and multiple endings, making it a title that encourages multiple playthroughs. Despite some dated elements, the engaging narrative and character interactions ensure that players can find new experiences with each run, solidifying its status as a classic with enduring replay value.

    • “The amazing character customization variety, the ability to choose light and dark-side, the rich amount of side-quests and a vast amount of in-game dialogue options allows for near infinite replayability, with every new playthrough offering new possibilities for you to experience.”
    • “The story is riveting, the companion interactions are laden with emotion, and the feat/skills/powers customization feature ensures the game is endlessly replayable.”
    • “The attention to detail with additional dialogue branches depending on your character build and the companions you travel with add a level of replayability that many games lack.”
    • “The different paths your character can go down involving the light side/dark side options gives the game much replayability.”
    • “The replay value of this game is pretty high as there are hundreds of different dialogue choices, skills to invest into, and you can play on either the light or dark side.”
  • character development
    181 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" (KOTOR) is widely praised for its depth and intricacy, with players noting the memorable and diverse cast that undergoes significant growth throughout the game. The alignment system enhances this experience by allowing players' choices to shape character arcs and narrative outcomes, making the storytelling feel immersive and impactful. Despite some criticisms regarding the complexity of mechanics compared to modern RPGs, the game's rich lore and character interactions are consistently highlighted as standout features that contribute to its status as a classic in the genre.

    • “The game's alignment system, tracking players' choices on the light or dark side of the force, adds depth to the role-playing experience, shaping character development and narrative outcomes based on moral decisions made throughout the journey.”
    • “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) is a landmark title that masterfully combines deep storytelling, rich character development, and engaging gameplay, solidifying its place as one of the greatest role-playing games of all time.”
    • “The character development is intricate, with a cast that's both memorable and diverse.”
    • “Outside of morality decisions, character development was generally unfulfilling; class distinctions get lost and leveling up didn't feel very noteworthy.”
    • “There should have been more background/character development in the beginning, so that when the situation becomes dire, you would care for the characters you are trying to save.”
    • “Skip this and grab KOTOR 2; controller support, user-added content, and no glaring glitches make it a far better option—not to mention the story and character development for 2 is infinitely better.”
  • humor
    172 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in "Knights of the Old Republic" is a standout feature, with players frequently praising the witty dialogue and comedic interactions, particularly from characters like the assassin droid HK-47, whose dark humor and sardonic remarks provide a unique comedic edge. Many reviews highlight the absurdity of dark side choices, which often lead to hilariously ludicrous scenarios, making the game both entertaining and engaging. Overall, the blend of humor with compelling storytelling and character development contributes significantly to the game's charm and replayability.

    • “The dialogue, especially if you decide to become evil, is so absolutely hilarious and ludicrous at times that I couldn't stop myself from laughing uncontrollably.”
    • “Hk-47 is simply hilarious, and Bindo offers a balanced view of the Force, unlike the Jedi and the Sith.”
    • “The story has foreshadowing, redemption, hope, revenge, betrayal, and a bit of humor in the mix.”
  • atmosphere
    162 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of "Knights of the Old Republic" is widely praised for its immersive and authentic representation of the Star Wars universe, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack and detailed world-building. Despite some dated graphics and gameplay mechanics, the game's rich lore, memorable characters, and distinct planetary environments create a compelling and nostalgic experience that resonates with both fans and newcomers alike. Overall, the atmosphere is considered one of the game's strongest aspects, contributing significantly to its status as a classic in the RPG genre.

    • “The atmosphere, the story, and characters are some of the franchise's best.”
    • “The soundtrack is a Star Wars classic - epic, matching the narrative, and the ambient sounds, such as the din of the cantina on Taris, do a great job of building atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere is dark, tainted by evil, and the level design is both eerie and welcoming.”
    • “Despite the dated nature of the graphics and animations, the game manages to convey an atmosphere that makes each world feel truly distinct and unique, owing to the strong art direction and design work that went into these spaces.”
    • “The atmosphere created by a very typical Star Wars score, pretty graphics, and very well written (and spoken) dialogues is intense and believable, especially as you’re reaching the end.”
  • optimization
    141 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including crashes, stuttering, and graphical glitches, particularly on modern systems. While some users have managed to achieve smoother performance through various tweaks and mods, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized for contemporary hardware, making it a frustrating experience for many. Despite these challenges, the game's nostalgic value and engaging story still shine through for those willing to invest the time to troubleshoot and optimize their setup.

    • “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) remains one of the most beloved Star Wars RPGs ever released—now fully optimized for modern PCs via its Steam remaster.”
    • “Still, the remaster polish gives it smoother performance, modern resolutions, and improved UI, making it much more approachable today.”
    • “Once you learn all the keys and tricks, the game should run smoothly, though.”
    • “Honestly, if you aren't prepared to mod the ever-loving hell out of this game, don't bother purchasing it. It's truly an unoptimized disaster because it's not made to run on modern hardware.”
    • “This game is horribly optimized for new PCs, and I really hope they do a much better job with the new KOTOR remake.”
    • “It's plagued with bizarre graphical issues resulting in unsightly visual blemishes and inexplicable performance issues, and the game crashes frequently.”
  • grinding
    98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, reviews indicate that while the game features a compelling story and engaging quests, the grinding aspect can be tedious and slow, particularly during combat and travel. Many players noted that although grinding for levels and loot is minimal, the repetitive nature of battles and navigation can detract from the experience, leading to a sense of monotony. However, some players appreciated the lack of required grinding, which is often a common complaint in RPGs.

    • “A bit grindy... sometimes.”
    • “One long, tedious grind.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The only major downside to this game I would say is that it can get pretty monotonous; the combat system is cool and all, but killing generic Star Wars animals over and over gets pretty grindy after a while.”
    • “The combat can be somewhat tedious, with most of the time attacks feeling like they lack any weight.”
  • emotional
    83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke nostalgia and deep connections with characters, making players feel genuinely invested in their journeys. Many reviews highlight the impactful storytelling, memorable plot twists, and the moral dilemmas that challenge players emotionally, creating a rich and immersive experience. While some critiques mention a lack of emotional depth compared to its sequel, the overall sentiment is that the game successfully delivers heartfelt moments and strong character attachments that resonate long after gameplay ends.

    • “The game famously culminates in one of the most surprising twists in RPG history, and even after multiple playthroughs, its emotional beats continue to resonate.”
    • “The moral dilemmas presented throughout the game challenge players to consider their choices carefully, contributing to a rich emotional experience.”
    • “This game is possibly the best Star Wars game ever made and it doesn't even take place within the movies' continuity; its story is as captivating and emotional as any of the movies or shows that came after it.”
  • monetization
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews highlight a strong appreciation for the game's lack of microtransactions, contrasting it with modern titles that often prioritize monetization over player experience. Many users express nostalgia for an era when games were developed with a focus on quality and storytelling rather than cash grabs, emphasizing the game's integrity in a landscape increasingly dominated by aggressive monetization strategies. Overall, the absence of microtransactions is seen as a significant positive aspect of the game.

    • “No microtransactions ✅”
    • “Great game, by Bioware, and doesn't have microtransactions.”
    • “For all seeking refuge from bullshit microtransactions, play this great RPG that I have fallen in love with 10/10.”
    • “If the description of cash grab was in the dictionary, KOTOR 1 PC port would be next to it.”
    • “This game was made when developers actually cared about the games they put out instead of the cash grabs we see all too often now.”
    • “I really hope games will be able to return to this era where they focused on journey and the experience, rather than microtransactions.”
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94%Critics’ scoreBased on 8 critic reviews
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30h Median play time
98h Average play time
29h Main story
48h Completionist
15-50h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 112 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic is a open world role playing game with science fiction theme.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic is available on Nintendo Switch, iPhone, Windows, Xbox Series X|S and others.

The main story can be completed in around 29 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 48 hours to finish. On average players spend around 98 hours playing Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic was released on September 12, 2003.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic was developed by Aspyr (Mac).

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic is a single player game.

Similar games include Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords, Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, Baldur's Gate 2 and others.