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Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR) is a role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts. It was released for Microsoft's Xbox on July 15, 2003, for PCs running Microsoft Windows on November 19, 2003, and later for Mac OS X. KotOR is the first computer role-playing game set in the Star Wars universe. The sequel, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II The Sith Lords, was developed by Obsidian Entertainment at BioWare's suggestion as BioWare wanted to focus on their own intellectual properties.

Gameplay

The game's system is based on Wizards of the Coast's Star Wars Roleplaying Game, which is based on the d20 role-playing game system derived from the Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules. Combat is round-based; time is divided into discrete rounds, and combatants attack and react simultaneously. However, the number of actions a combatant may perform each round is limited. While each round's duration is a fixed short interval of real time, the player can configure the combat system to pause at specific events or at the end of each round.

The alignment system tracks actions and speech — from simple word choices to major plot decisions — to determine whether the player's character aligns with the light or dark side of the Force. Generosity and altruism lead to the light side, while self-serving or violent actions will lead the player's character to the dark side, which will alter the character's appearance, turning their eyes yellow and their skin grey and scarred.

Story

The game takes place 4,000 years before the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Darth Malak, a Dark Lord of the Sith and Darth Revan's former apprentice, has unleashed a Sith armada against the Republic. Malak's aggression has left the Jedi scattered and vulnerable; many Jedi Knights die in battle and others swear allegiance to Malak. The game opens with the player's character, whom the player can customize to be either male or female (the gender is canonically male), awakening aboard a doomed Republic ship. After escaping the ship, the player's character gradually gathers companions and pieces together his past while attempting to stop Malak's forces. To accomplish this, the main character and his companions search for Star Maps that together reveal the location of the Star Forge, an ancient space station that creates massive amounts of material for Malak.

The main character's actions and speech influence whether he aligns with the light or dark side of the Force. Depending on the character's alignment, he eventually reaches the Star Forge either to defeat the Sith (the light-side path) or to usurp control of the Sith from Malak (the dark-side path). A light-aligned character and his companions are hailed as saviors and heroes; a dark-side character stands before the remaining Sith forces as the new Dark Lord of the Sith.

Characters and locations

Eventually joining the main character's quest are the Jedi Bastila Shan, Jolee Bindo, and Juhani; pilot Carth Onasi; mercenary Canderous Ordo; assassin droid HK-47; the Twi'lek teenager Mission Vao and her Wookiee companion, Zaalbar; and the droid T3-M4. Antagonists include Calo Nord, Admiral Saul Karath, Darth Bandon and Darth Malak.

Action takes place on the planets Tatooine, Dantooine, Kashyyyk, Korriban, Manaan, Rakata Prime, and Taris; aboard the cruiser Endar Spire and Saul Karath's Leviathan; and on the Star Forge space station. A space station near Yavin is a playable location in the PC version of the game and is available to Xbox players via download from Xbox Live. Travel between these locations happens aboard the freighter Ebon Hawk, which is also a playable location.

Critical reception

The general critical response was extremely enthusiastic. KOTOR won numerous awards, including Game Developers Choice Awards' game of the year, BAFTA Games Awards' best Xbox game of the year, and Interactive Achievement Awards for best console RPG and best computer RPG.

KotOR has seen success as the game of the year from many sources including IGN, Gamespot, Computer Gaming World, PC Gamer, GMR Magazine, The Game Developers Choice Awards, Xbox Magazine, and G4. Interactive Achievement Awards awarded it for best story and best character development. IGN gave KotOR additional awards in Best Sound (Xbox category), Best Story (PC category), Xbox RPG Game of the Year 2003, PC RPG Game of the Year 2003, Xbox Game of the Year 2003, PC Game of the Year 2003, and Overall Game of the Year 2003 across all platforms. In 2007, IGN listed it at #27 on its list of the Top 100 Games of All-Time.

At the 2004 Game Developers Choice Awards, HK-47 won the category of "Original Game Character of the Year". In 2007, an event in the game was ranked number two in Game Informer's list of the top ten video game plot twists of all time.

The game is also part of The Xbox Platinum Series/Classics for sales in excess of 1 million units.

The Los Angeles Times listed Knights of the Old Republic as one of the most influential works of the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

Partial cast

Character Name	Actor/Actress
Bastila Shan	Jennifer Hale
Carth Onasi	Raphael Sbarge
Darth Malak	Rafael Ferrer
Canderous Ordo	John Cygan
HK-47	Kristoffer Tabori
Jolee Bindo	Kevin Michael Richardson
Juhani	Courtenay Taylor
Mission Vao	Cat Taber
Master Vrook	Ed Asner

References

^ Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords Developer Interview 2. Gamespot. Retrieved on 2007-08-22.
^ Chee, Leland (2005-07-13). Holocron continuity database questions. Star Wars Message Boards. “If needed, a definitive ending is chosen... Another example is the decision to make Revan a male character.”
^ ^a ^b ^c Critical Acclaim. BioWare. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
^ Top 100 Games of All Time. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-03-06.
^ Inside the 2004 Game Developers Conference - Event Coverage
^ Game Informer Issue #168 April, 2007
^ Xbox.com Platinum Hits: Adventure/Role-Playing Games(RPGs). Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
^ "Star Wars' expanded universe", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.

External links

BioWare's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic site
Knights of the Old Republic @Wookieepedia

v • d • e Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series

Knights of the Old Republic • Knights of the Old Republic II

List of Characters

v • d • e Star Wars

Episodes	I: The Phantom Menace • II: Attack of the Clones • III: Revenge of the Sith • IV: A New Hope • V: The Empire Strikes Back • VI: Return of the Jedi

Spin-off films	The Star Wars Holiday Special • Caravan of Courage • The Battle for Endor • The Great Heep • Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Television series	Droids • Ewoks • Clone Wars • The Clone Wars • Live-action TV series

Other media	Books • Comics • Radio • Video games • Music • Expanded Universe

Universe	Characters • Locations • Creatures • Vehicles • Items • Conflicts • Dates

v • d • e Video games developed by BioWare

Shattered Steel · Baldur's Gate (Tales of the Sword Coast) · MDK2 · Baldur's Gate II (Throne of Bhaal) · Neverwinter Nights (Shadows of Undrentide · Hordes of the Underdark) · Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic · Jade Empire · Mass Effect · Dragon Age · Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood