In a world were "professional" reviewers don't even finish games on a first run, is nice seeing someone putting the time and thought on games that deserve it.
This was the first RPG ive ever played. I was 10 years old and was stuck on peragus because i skipped all the reading. When i was 14 my father played through the game and gave it back to me and insisted i give it another shot. Back then, i visited my father every second weekend. I still remeber the exitement i had every time i went to his place, knowing i was going to be able to play again. Kotor means a lot to me. Apart from introducing me to the genre, it strenghtened my bond with my dad. Talking with him about possible builds and lore of the game was so much fun back then. Thanks for reviewing this masterpiece!!!
It also cannot be overstated what an amazing job Sara Kestelman did as Kreia, her voice is forever stuck in my head. The other actors are also all great, probably my favorite cast of any game.
This game came out when I was in the army. I was on a tasking to a training base, and my roomate would just sit and drink beer watching me play this, as he found the story and voice work enthralling, but was not a big gamer, so did not want to play.
When you started talking about how good the prologue is, I was thinking, “Oh, someone actually loved Peragus as much as I did”. But then it turned out you were talking about T3-M4 tutorial and some time later came another Peragus rant. I honestly don’t know why everyone hates it so much. It was so refreshing to see something like this, almost horror-like, in a Star Wars game and unravel the mystery behind the events there, watching all those holo logs, talking to HK-50 etc. Even on repeated playthroughs I don’t skip a single holo record, a single line of conversation and always go wherever I can. Man, I love Peragus and I think it perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the game
Peragus is a really interesting opening. I really have 2 main complaints with it. first, it is very long for where it is in the game. seriously, how many back-and-forth trips does one really need to take with minimal change and variety in enemies and environment looks? this is compounded by how empty the station is. sure there is a lot of lore to be found, but the absolute lack of life is just accentuating the length right at the beginning. the only saving grace once you realize how little you have moved over the last several hours is when Scion arrives. If they had leaned harder on the mystery horror aspects of the level rather than dropping the escape objective on you right away it might have alleviated this issue without changing the length.
If you play today without TSLRCM + M4-78 I think you are doing a disservice to the true game. There are way to many additions to even make a list for it (words from the mod devs). Also you mentioned that there were a lot of bugs in your playthough, the mod also fixs ALOT of the them so for that reason alone its worth recommending the mod. I do agree with all you said overall about the mod tho, M4-78 definitely requires you to use your imagination and you can skip installing that part of the mod and still be okay, but I would say the mod changes so much so that parts of the game felt different, and it adds a lot of extra time in game. For me thats a blessing. On a random note, on my last playthough I figured out a way to glitch into the inner city area of the Telos station! (The big open areas near the cantina). Its cool seeing the game in different ways. Also its kinda funny watching you go through the character build. Now a days, I always put my attribute points into the least impactful things to make the game harder since I can breeze though the whole game lol Also, you made a comment on Vogga on Narshado not falling asleep again, you have to dance for him in the dancer outfit to make him fall asleep again xD thats no glitch. Although i dont know if its the TSLRCM that fixes that xD Good vid, glad people are still talking about kotor 2
My first playthrough wasn't particularly thorough when I was a kid but when I replayed it I figured out how to train most of my companions as jedi and my god, we would kick ass and take names... it's like building your own jedi army, so cool.
I like Bao-Dur's story and writing. I just hate that it always sounds like his voice actor woke up, stumbled out of bed, and recorded his lines, all before having his first sip of coffee.
If you get enough influence with him he'll open up about all the hatred he still carries within himself, I think he represses that and part of that is his weird voice
His voice is one of my favorite in the game actually. It’s soothing, almost ASMR-like, but at the same time you hear a lot of suppressed pain in his intonations. Like you’re talking to an unusually calm person suffering through severe PTSD
I enjoyed Peragus but a lot of people hate the intro area. As for the game though it often doesn't feel like an actual sequel. A title I've played many times. Though I hated the time you had to use other characters in forced situations.
I enjoyed the new M4-78 planet. It was a planet that was supposed to be added, but got canceled. It adds to the story and allows you to make a ton of money and component parts. It's a very beneficial planet.
Gamers today will never understand just how amazing KOTOR 1&2 were in the early 2000s. The fact that these games still hold up 2 decades later just goes to show how mind blowing they were upon release.
I bought this a long time ago and never played it. I am about to finish it for the second time. I immediately played it all over again after I beat it, I enjoyed it that much. It left me wanting more out of it though. If another installment finishes, I certainly hope it takes on the AC II-Black Flag style fighting (not sure how blasters would go with it). The story was pretty incredible, the character development was awesome even though it seemed superficial for all of them. With all the saber stances you can use, I never really got to do the 1v1 saber duels, pretty decent animations for what it is. I can keep going with my own thoughts on it, but I’ll spare you. Definitely would recommend this game. I laughed plenty when using the T3 Force lightning power on large groups of hostiles. Light side over the Dark side.
@@blazefa. she is always vague and never really answers your questions, leaving me unsatisfied after conversations. You never really know for sure what her motives were and I hate things left hanging at the end of a game. Then, on top of that, I am forced to ally with someone who I know is evil and will screw me over. I knew it just from the beginning. The community and the game itself praise her for hating the Jedi, hating the force and criticising ALL of the players actions.
I'm probably in the minority here but as a horror fan, I really enjoyed the peragus section of the game. It is not often that you get something like that in rpgs, let alone in star wars games and I personally loved the more atmospheric, claustrophobic approach. Did it take to long? Yes but I personally always enjoyed it.
@@kyju7093 Well I'll be damned. This guy knew there would be one before it was announced. Pardon that I don't pay heed to rumours. Let's wait and see what the fanbase can calspe onto to hate about it. I'm sure there's already something about it that will RUIN the original.
Your point about Paragus being too long I really really agree with. Even as a kid I recognized it as pretty drawn out, and only meeting two people really wore on me. Back then I couldn't decide which game I liked more, but watching these videos back makes me want to go and try 2 out with the restoration mod. I've only played these on xbox a lifetime ago. Great reviews, just found your channel and I love the depth you go into.
I actually started with KOTOR II on the Xbox, and that compelled me to try KOTOR on the PC, then KOTOR II on the PC, then both for the iPad. The fact that these games are still so profound 20+ years after their release really says something about how good they are! SPOILERS ….. . . . . I think the thing that felt the most rushed for me was Korriban. You are told to explore the academy before the cave, and then when you go into the academy, you explore all these corners to find the Sith assassins, who, despite coming in after you, are already there. You find that, unlike the rest of the Jedi Masters, Lonna Vash lies dead in front of you, because they couldn’t find out how to use her in the plot. I do actually like the encounter with Darth Sion, and the combination of his near invincibility and Kreia’s promise that you’ll encounter him again is a neat plot device, but then you leave the academy. You could go back to the cave like Kreia suggested, or you can just ignore it completely and save yourself a few hours of gameplay because the plot progresses whether you go to the cave or not. I usually opt to skip the cave because as the Exile says, it’s all a vision and it doesn’t matter what you do.
There's one more thing that this game did, that I *loved* but never saw again after this. At certain points in the game, you have to take control of just a team member, or - assign a team that does one job - while you yourself go do something else. I find this an *exceptionally* cool idea for CRPGs, where you typically deck your protagonist out with all the best stuff, and then have your favorites tag along all game long - or, characters you encounter late [Pizepi in Wasteland 3, Alora in Baldur's Gate etc] that you don't really get to use them. Or, you don't want to double-class. So, if you're a Barbarian in BG3, you don't take Karlach along. That sort of thing. This way of level design lets you suddenly think different, having to create multiple teams that your own character isn't even a part of. This game lets you play as Atton, all by himself to try and defend against two very tough bounty hunters. You get to take control as T3 to infiltrate some place and... I don't remember. Do things. And, as I said before, you assemble one team to take out.. something, while you deal with the big bad elsewhere. Awesome stuff. I *love* that idea, and I wish more games did this.
Yeah it’s amazing how much time I cut off peragus when I play vs the first time. I completed peragus last night in about an hour. I could’ve done it faster but I hadn’t played in a long time. Great game, it’s one of my favorites
I asked one of the Bioware devs that worked on KOTOR at the PAX East SWTOR reveal why they didn't develop KOTOR 2, and he told me that EA did not give them enough time to make the game. I'm impressed that Obsidian released such an incredible experience with the tight timeline they had.
holy shit i didn't even know about those optional companions or the fact you could change their alignment i just finished it for the first time, ending felt a little abrupt tho but thats the og version not the restored content
Honestly one think I really dislike about this game is chasm in power between lightsaber combat and force powers. The moment you hit lvl 18 and learn force storm, you are practicaly invincible. It does almost as much damage as pure swordmaster build, except to multiple enemies at once and from distance.
Love your channel man. Kinda new here. This is my favorite game of all time, and it completely recontextualized what I percieved a Star Wars game could be. No Star Wars game has come close to rivaling how good this game is, in my opinion. I understand all criticisms you laid at its feet, but it is still such a special game to me. Thank you for giving it a chance. I'm glad you reviewed it.
You know what might be kinda cool is if you did more in-depth story reviews of some of these games. I've always had the KOTOR games on my list to play but I've also kind of resigned myself to probably never actually playing em. Just too much other stuff. But I'd definitely watch a video that gave a full run through of the stories and the game so I could at finally notch it off my list. :)
@@MortismalGaming I do really like the fact that you went over the ending in this review. Honestly I think doing a "spoiler" review of a 15 year old game is totally ok. You have plenty of warnings and if someone hasn't finished it at this point I think it's totally fair game.
The problem with that, with this game specifically, is that depending on how you play, it changes a lot of middle stuff in the game specifically with companions. The ending not so much
I beat this game at least 9 times when it originally released & had strategy guide. Since big parts of game were cut to make $ before Christmas, Kreia ability to attack w floating sabers was cut when playable. Too much of game was cut & the blasted character relations suffered from cut content. Make 1 decision someone doesn't agree w & influence to train them to b Jedi is lost later. Complete version of the game is what ppl need, not cliche mods that unlock deleted parts.
Of all the star wars games out there, this one has the most interesting story and the best writing, in my opinion; and it's really original too! Actually the guy who was in charge of writing it is the same guy who was in charge of planescape: torment's story. I think these two are probably his best.
It's super sad to see how well this game set up the potential of the true Sith beyond the edges of the galaxy and Revan's true intentions to be something amazing, only for the MMO to come out and basically flush it all down the toilet. I love Bioware, but they do not hold a candle to old Obsidian when it comes to writing.
I have KOTOR 1 and 2 for Xbox and have played both casually. I seem to be more into KOTOR 2, and recently picked it up again after an 8 month break. Does it matter what order I play them in? Does the game pick up in pace at all? I'm a bit confused by what I'm doing but have also found the games a little tedious after 5 or 6 hours
Thanks for the video. Game was free on Amazon Prime these last few days and I nabbed it, just getting back into gaming having gotten and playing Fallout 3 (again free on Prime) after seeing the show. Just hoping this install is compatible with the restored content mod, it was redeemed and installed through Amazon Games launcher so idk
Paragus made me give up on the game multiple times because it's boring, the loot sucks and it drags forever. Agreed on Telos, at least you feel like you're progressing through the story.
So basically you played the clean Steam version with restored content from the workshop? Without any major technical problems? I heard about bugs sooo many times that I am really afraid of touching the game, but still very interested.
Thank you for firstly speaking on the Cut Content mod. I really felt that I was going to missing out ( playing Kotor2 for the first time right now) and I heard a bit of people hyping this mod claiming "it's the only way to play the game ". If the mod substantially fixes bugs , then I could see the value, but narrative wise and actual content wise, seems that it doesn't really offer anything that makes any difference. Even this "ending" you mention. If I end up beating the game, I can simply look up the completed ending here on TH-cam to get the greater completed narrative. So that answers a lot for me going forward.
Old comment, I know, but it's also worth pointing out that a popular Skip Peragus mod that has existed for 15 years and is a fan favorite does NOT work with TSLRCM. Irreversibly corrupts your save. Another reason why TSLRCM is overrated (not to mention I actually think it bloats the game)
Restored content mod adds a lot of additional dialogue, scenes, gameplay segments that provide more context and just make the game feel like a generally more complete experience. Not all of it needs to fundamentally change the story to be worthwhile. In fact, none of it has to be. Its still important to have, for the mere fact that it adds in a lot that makes it a more full and complete experience. Like seriously . the story itself is basically the same in its broader strokes. But the extra scenes and dialogue are too good. And some of it is meaningful and does matter for giving more light on different aspects of the characters and the plot. for example HK-47's arc is tied to his vendetta against the HK-50s. This culminates in an entire level that actually concludes the HK-50 subplot, gives closure to HK47's entire reason for even being with you in the game. The restored content mod actually adds this all back in. The HK stuff also pays off in the ending too, but that's spoilers so I won't get into it. TLDR, you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not getting the mod. Frankly I don't understand why anybody would choose not to get it. Its not like it's hard to install lol. Even if you don't think it adds much, you may as well get it anyway since it fixes bugs and adds missing scenes.
Other than peragus the worlds were all interesting and fluid the game was well written if a little dark for a game about space wizards. I liked it enough to play through 4-5 times but the story left more questions than answers I guess to set up sequels we never really got
Just gonna toss out there if you use steam workshop for the restoration mod, you still are able to unlock achievements. Doing a dark side consular/assassin run, having a blast. Love ya mort.
Kotor 1 is colorful, optimistic, with a goal in mind. Kotor 2 is dark, has a certain depressing and pessimistic vibe to it. For me, the first game is youth, growing up to a world full of options and a great goal in mind, with great company around you. The second game throws you into the seriousness and possible cruelty of life. Not sure what path to choose, what to go for. Your friends aren't really connected, kinda feels like theres no real group in kotor 2. The beginning in kotor 1 is much better, Taris is great. Kotor 2 has not such a good beginning for new players. BUT: I think Peragus is meant to make you feel isolated, mostly alone and confused. As a kid, Peragus scared me so much. Not too sure why but everything feels creepy, like someones watching. That said, Kotor 2 is no game for a kid like me in the early 2000s. I think it was around 2014 when I finally understood the story of the game and the meaning of certain characters. Not sure why, but with the second game, they jumped into a entirely different direction. Not saying 1 or 2 is better than the other, just noting the story went from Walt Whitman to Artur Schopenhauer.
The only thing that pissed me off was you can't learn about HK unless you do dark side...he won't respond...the first game you had to have mechanical skills... I don't know why they changed it .. but small gripe in the grand scheme of things these games are the definitive star wars games... nothing has come close since
No you can't free roam if that's what you're asking... Also, this is an ENTIRELY different type of RPG game than Skyrim, in the sense that.. It's actually an RPG.
There is only enough exp in the game normally to get just above 30 if you do literally everything min/maxed. 50 is the literal cap which can only be reached by exploiting glitches or using mods.
I can play a dark Revan and make Big Z kill Mission.. I can play a light Revan and romance Carth🤢. I can even play an evil Exile and sell T3 into slavery. The one truly awful thing that I can never do is play a light Exile and turn Atton into a Jedi. I don’t like him. I don’t trust him. I don’t let him level up. I hate even giving him a weapon to survive his mandatory battle scene against the twilek twins. Letting that lying manipulative murderer become a Jedi is so un-Lucas Star Wars that the idea of it makes me want to vomit. I am happy to be the Vrook in this situation. Everyone can disagree with me and I will still stick to my Jedi dogma in this circumstance😝
12:09 Level cap is 30? The level cap is *60*, my friend. It gets _ridiculous_. My Sentinel was way more powerful than Darth Traya, it wasn't even a contest.
Seemed like such a neat story but I never even figured out how to get off the station. It seemed like a great nested problem that had no hints how to proceed. I left the game for awhile and when I came back I couldnt remember where I left off. Its unfortunate, so many excellent ideas.
@@briansheehan5256 Sure, thankyou, it was so long ago that I don't even rememeber what you mean or where I could possibly find what you refer to but the help is great.
Truly a great game but so much dissatisfaction left. You mean to tell me as long as I binged on it there is no replay value? You just sparta kick kreia and that's it. What about the stuff left on the planets??. A total letdown man.
Kotor 2 is like Majoras Mask, in that it was a sequel to an extremely popular game that godfathered a whole new era of gaming, but was made in a short time with a depressing story that is arguably better in almost every way to the original.
I hate to be the weirdo. I love so many rpgs and usually am somewhere near the public consensus. But this game. I could never get into it. I found companions ranging from decent to me hating them. Except Canderous and HK, which are really just Kotor one companions. I think my problem is Kreia. I can't stand her or honestly the plot as a whole. And then the ending is just her waxing philosophical bullshit about what she sees in the future. Bitch I don't care what you have to say, I never liked you in the first place. I think if you dont appreciate Kreia this game's quality drops dramatically. The game is basically "are jedi really good. Are sith really evil? What is good and evil?" The problem is Kotor one actually handled the exact same themes, only they did it subtly rather than explaining it to you. So in essence they did it better.
In a world were "professional" reviewers don't even finish games on a first run, is nice seeing someone putting the time and thought on games that deserve it.
This was the first RPG ive ever played. I was 10 years old and was stuck on peragus because i skipped all the reading. When i was 14 my father played through the game and gave it back to me and insisted i give it another shot. Back then, i visited my father every second weekend. I still remeber the exitement i had every time i went to his place, knowing i was going to be able to play again. Kotor means a lot to me. Apart from introducing me to the genre, it strenghtened my bond with my dad. Talking with him about possible builds and lore of the game was so much fun back then. Thanks for reviewing this masterpiece!!!
That's an awesome memory to have❤
It also cannot be overstated what an amazing job Sara Kestelman did as Kreia, her voice is forever stuck in my head. The other actors are also all great, probably my favorite cast of any game.
This game came out when I was in the army. I was on a tasking to a training base, and my roomate would just sit and drink beer watching me play this, as he found the story and voice work enthralling, but was not a big gamer, so did not want to play.
Possibly the best written character and best voice acting I’ve experienced.
When you started talking about how good the prologue is, I was thinking, “Oh, someone actually loved Peragus as much as I did”. But then it turned out you were talking about T3-M4 tutorial and some time later came another Peragus rant.
I honestly don’t know why everyone hates it so much. It was so refreshing to see something like this, almost horror-like, in a Star Wars game and unravel the mystery behind the events there, watching all those holo logs, talking to HK-50 etc. Even on repeated playthroughs I don’t skip a single holo record, a single line of conversation and always go wherever I can. Man, I love Peragus and I think it perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the game
Absolutely agree with you. And, my god, Sion reveal. Amazing atmosphere, writing and score.
The closest thing Star Wars has ever got to PURE, BONE CHILLING HORROR.
I enjoyed the Peragus level too, it introduced everything you need to know, and so much mystery. I love this whole game.
I loved the Peragus level. The tension was palpable.
Peragus is a really interesting opening. I really have 2 main complaints with it. first, it is very long for where it is in the game. seriously, how many back-and-forth trips does one really need to take with minimal change and variety in enemies and environment looks? this is compounded by how empty the station is. sure there is a lot of lore to be found, but the absolute lack of life is just accentuating the length right at the beginning. the only saving grace once you realize how little you have moved over the last several hours is when Scion arrives. If they had leaned harder on the mystery horror aspects of the level rather than dropping the escape objective on you right away it might have alleviated this issue without changing the length.
For an unfinished game, it's pretty amazingly written. And I love making companions Jedi
Its the best Star Wars ever written IMO
@@TheRealAbraxas the story in kotor 2 is so good imo that it makes kotor 1 hard to return to
@@TheRealAbraxas Honestly, its one of the best games ever written.
What i absolutely adore about this game is that almost all of your companions can be made into a jedi.
Kreia's philosophy is so well written...
It is especially good because it has flaws which you can use to form your own and combat her philosophy
It really isn't.
@@godspeedhero3671 sorry that your parents were siblings. it must be hard for you.
i didnt really get how she wanted to end the force and how would her actions in the end of the game lead to the death of the force
@@NeravarSneed86 Jesus christ. Even though he could elaborate. Let the guy have his opinion.
If you play today without TSLRCM + M4-78 I think you are doing a disservice to the true game. There are way to many additions to even make a list for it (words from the mod devs). Also you mentioned that there were a lot of bugs in your playthough, the mod also fixs ALOT of the them so for that reason alone its worth recommending the mod. I do agree with all you said overall about the mod tho, M4-78 definitely requires you to use your imagination and you can skip installing that part of the mod and still be okay, but I would say the mod changes so much so that parts of the game felt different, and it adds a lot of extra time in game. For me thats a blessing.
On a random note, on my last playthough I figured out a way to glitch into the inner city area of the Telos station! (The big open areas near the cantina). Its cool seeing the game in different ways.
Also its kinda funny watching you go through the character build. Now a days, I always put my attribute points into the least impactful things to make the game harder since I can breeze though the whole game lol
Also, you made a comment on Vogga on Narshado not falling asleep again, you have to dance for him in the dancer outfit to make him fall asleep again xD thats no glitch. Although i dont know if its the TSLRCM that fixes that xD
Good vid, glad people are still talking about kotor 2
My first playthrough wasn't particularly thorough when I was a kid but when I replayed it I figured out how to train most of my companions as jedi and my god, we would kick ass and take names... it's like building your own jedi army, so cool.
I like Bao-Dur's story and writing. I just hate that it always sounds like his voice actor woke up, stumbled out of bed, and recorded his lines, all before having his first sip of coffee.
He probely did
He had severe PTSD from what he did at the end of the mandalorian wars. It was a part of his character to speak really oddly
If you get enough influence with him he'll open up about all the hatred he still carries within himself, I think he represses that and part of that is his weird voice
His voice is one of my favorite in the game actually. It’s soothing, almost ASMR-like, but at the same time you hear a lot of suppressed pain in his intonations. Like you’re talking to an unusually calm person suffering through severe PTSD
@@KusabiTetsugoro Bao-Dur is my favorite. His voice actor is a perfect fit, imo.
"you've probably already played this if you are watching the video"
I feel called out
I enjoyed Peragus but a lot of people hate the intro area. As for the game though it often doesn't feel like an actual sequel. A title I've played many times. Though I hated the time you had to use other characters in forced situations.
I enjoyed the new M4-78 planet. It was a planet that was supposed to be added, but got canceled. It adds to the story and allows you to make a ton of money and component parts. It's a very beneficial planet.
The game that made me fall in love with RPGs
Gamers today will never understand just how amazing KOTOR 1&2 were in the early 2000s. The fact that these games still hold up 2 decades later just goes to show how mind blowing they were upon release.
I bought this a long time ago and never played it. I am about to finish it for the second time. I immediately played it all over again after I beat it, I enjoyed it that much. It left me wanting more out of it though. If another installment finishes, I certainly hope it takes on the AC II-Black Flag style fighting (not sure how blasters would go with it). The story was pretty incredible, the character development was awesome even though it seemed superficial for all of them. With all the saber stances you can use, I never really got to do the 1v1 saber duels, pretty decent animations for what it is. I can keep going with my own thoughts on it, but I’ll spare you. Definitely would recommend this game. I laughed plenty when using the T3 Force lightning power on large groups of hostiles. Light side over the Dark side.
Telos surface can definitely be considered difficult combat, that merc camp tho
I really like the way you summarized and described everything
I was hoping you'd cover this one after KOTOR1. Kreia, alone, makes the sequel better than the first game.
Why? She's just frustrated, old woman who loves the dark side. Nothing special.
@@Blastanker lmao why everyone's excited about a blind old woman, who refuses to help poor people and hates Jedi
Yessss
@@redfella1527 that’s so not true, you clearly weren’t paying attention, although her character is very pretentious she is an interesting character
@@blazefa. she is always vague and never really answers your questions, leaving me unsatisfied after conversations. You never really know for sure what her motives were and I hate things left hanging at the end of a game. Then, on top of that, I am forced to ally with someone who I know is evil and will screw me over. I knew it just from the beginning. The community and the game itself praise her for hating the Jedi, hating the force and criticising ALL of the players actions.
If you didn't know you can use the other party members to craft on the ship so you can fiddle with your character better
I'm probably in the minority here but as a horror fan, I really enjoyed the peragus section of the game. It is not often that you get something like that in rpgs, let alone in star wars games and I personally loved the more atmospheric, claustrophobic approach. Did it take to long? Yes but I personally always enjoyed it.
Peragus wouldn’t be as bad if it wasn’t followed by Telos. The combo of them one after the other is what really feels like a slog
@@4477supermanso true, love peragus hate telos
Peragus is perfectly eerie and a good place to get some universe flavor and skill practice. No hate here
Please do Underrail
Tip - Master a Weapon and a playstyle. No Jack of All trades.
I wish Kotor 2 was about 12 hours longer
Cannot wait to see what they are doing with the Remake/remaster of this
Keep living in that fantasy world mate. The announcement will either come May the 4th be with you or Revenge of the 5th
Try not to get your hopes up too much xD *something Kreia might say: "Dont let the echo shake your world....actions are what matter...." lol
@@KCCOmug you were saying...👀😂
@@kyju7093 Well I'll be damned. This guy knew there would be one before it was announced. Pardon that I don't pay heed to rumours. Let's wait and see what the fanbase can calspe onto to hate about it. I'm sure there's already something about it that will RUIN the original.
Your point about Paragus being too long I really really agree with. Even as a kid I recognized it as pretty drawn out, and only meeting two people really wore on me.
Back then I couldn't decide which game I liked more, but watching these videos back makes me want to go and try 2 out with the restoration mod. I've only played these on xbox a lifetime ago.
Great reviews, just found your channel and I love the depth you go into.
I actually started with KOTOR II on the Xbox, and that compelled me to try KOTOR on the PC, then KOTOR II on the PC, then both for the iPad. The fact that these games are still so profound 20+ years after their release really says something about how good they are!
SPOILERS …..
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I think the thing that felt the most rushed for me was Korriban. You are told to explore the academy before the cave, and then when you go into the academy, you explore all these corners to find the Sith assassins, who, despite coming in after you, are already there. You find that, unlike the rest of the Jedi Masters, Lonna Vash lies dead in front of you, because they couldn’t find out how to use her in the plot. I do actually like the encounter with Darth Sion, and the combination of his near invincibility and Kreia’s promise that you’ll encounter him again is a neat plot device, but then you leave the academy. You could go back to the cave like Kreia suggested, or you can just ignore it completely and save yourself a few hours of gameplay because the plot progresses whether you go to the cave or not. I usually opt to skip the cave because as the Exile says, it’s all a vision and it doesn’t matter what you do.
There's one more thing that this game did, that I *loved* but never saw again after this.
At certain points in the game, you have to take control of just a team member, or - assign a team that does one job - while you yourself go do something else.
I find this an *exceptionally* cool idea for CRPGs, where you typically deck your protagonist out with all the best stuff, and then have your favorites tag along all game long - or, characters you encounter late [Pizepi in Wasteland 3, Alora in Baldur's Gate etc] that you don't really get to use them. Or, you don't want to double-class. So, if you're a Barbarian in BG3, you don't take Karlach along. That sort of thing.
This way of level design lets you suddenly think different, having to create multiple teams that your own character isn't even a part of. This game lets you play as Atton, all by himself to try and defend against two very tough bounty hunters. You get to take control as T3 to infiltrate some place and... I don't remember. Do things. And, as I said before, you assemble one team to take out.. something, while you deal with the big bad elsewhere. Awesome stuff. I *love* that idea, and I wish more games did this.
The start of kotor 2 (not only talking about peragus) are just unclear quests and its hard to get started
Yeah it’s amazing how much time I cut off peragus when I play vs the first time. I completed peragus last night in about an hour. I could’ve done it faster but I hadn’t played in a long time. Great game, it’s one of my favorites
I asked one of the Bioware devs that worked on KOTOR at the PAX East SWTOR reveal why they didn't develop KOTOR 2, and he told me that EA did not give them enough time to make the game. I'm impressed that Obsidian released such an incredible experience with the tight timeline they had.
holy shit i didn't even know about those optional companions or the fact you could change their alignment
i just finished it for the first time, ending felt a little abrupt tho but thats the og version not the restored content
Honestly one think I really dislike about this game is chasm in power between lightsaber combat and force powers. The moment you hit lvl 18 and learn force storm, you are practicaly invincible. It does almost as much damage as pure swordmaster build, except to multiple enemies at once and from distance.
Love your channel man. Kinda new here.
This is my favorite game of all time, and it completely recontextualized what I percieved a Star Wars game could be. No Star Wars game has come close to rivaling how good this game is, in my opinion.
I understand all criticisms you laid at its feet, but it is still such a special game to me. Thank you for giving it a chance. I'm glad you reviewed it.
You know what might be kinda cool is if you did more in-depth story reviews of some of these games. I've always had the KOTOR games on my list to play but I've also kind of resigned myself to probably never actually playing em. Just too much other stuff.
But I'd definitely watch a video that gave a full run through of the stories and the game so I could at finally notch it off my list. :)
Potentially, those videos are just tons of work so I mostly stick to doing them with the CRPGs I cover more extensively
@@MortismalGaming I do really like the fact that you went over the ending in this review. Honestly I think doing a "spoiler" review of a 15 year old game is totally ok. You have plenty of warnings and if someone hasn't finished it at this point I think it's totally fair game.
The problem with that, with this game specifically, is that depending on how you play, it changes a lot of middle stuff in the game specifically with companions. The ending not so much
They're not that long games though, Kotor 1 is only about 28 hours long give or take
I beat this game at least 9 times when it originally released & had strategy guide. Since big parts of game were cut to make $ before Christmas, Kreia ability to attack w floating sabers was cut when playable. Too much of game was cut & the blasted character relations suffered from cut content. Make 1 decision someone doesn't agree w & influence to train them to b Jedi is lost later. Complete version of the game is what ppl need, not cliche mods that unlock deleted parts.
Have you ever played TSLRCM? its deff worth playing through if you love this game!
I actually love the peragis section more than almost any other!
a technical improvement over kotor 1?
Thanks for the video I was wondering if I want to play kotor 2 after. I completed everything in kotor and father mentioned that this exists.
Should have saved this for May 4th. So you could have ended the video with May the 4th be with you.
Comprehensive review! Loved it !
The restored content mod fixes a lot of broken quest lines like the Batu Rem and HK droid factory questline
The restoration mod adds a lot for the plot, the whole story of the cut planet is really interesting even if it's not very fun to play
Of all the star wars games out there, this one has the most interesting story and the best writing, in my opinion; and it's really original too! Actually the guy who was in charge of writing it is the same guy who was in charge of planescape: torment's story. I think these two are probably his best.
It's super sad to see how well this game set up the potential of the true Sith beyond the edges of the galaxy and Revan's true intentions to be something amazing, only for the MMO to come out and basically flush it all down the toilet. I love Bioware, but they do not hold a candle to old Obsidian when it comes to writing.
Glad you liked the game even though it's aged. This is the one single player rpg I will always come back to and play in order to pay my respects.
I have KOTOR 1 and 2 for Xbox and have played both casually. I seem to be more into KOTOR 2, and recently picked it up again after an 8 month break. Does it matter what order I play them in? Does the game pick up in pace at all? I'm a bit confused by what I'm doing but have also found the games a little tedious after 5 or 6 hours
Probably the best RPG I ever played. It's one of those games where you can really feel it's made from passion, not for the quick bucks.
Not one reviewer have filmed how the ipad is used? I want to see hands fingers in action.
Thanks for the video. Game was free on Amazon Prime these last few days and I nabbed it, just getting back into gaming having gotten and playing Fallout 3 (again free on Prime) after seeing the show.
Just hoping this install is compatible with the restored content mod, it was redeemed and installed through Amazon Games launcher so idk
When I was a kid I played this game more than 50 times over. Didn't have internet to read it was unfinished. I always felt I missed something.
Love your channel, subbed.
Paragus made me give up on the game multiple times because it's boring, the loot sucks and it drags forever. Agreed on Telos, at least you feel like you're progressing through the story.
So basically you played the clean Steam version with restored content from the workshop? Without any major technical problems? I heard about bugs sooo many times that I am really afraid of touching the game, but still very interested.
Thank you for firstly speaking on the Cut Content mod. I really felt that I was going to missing out ( playing Kotor2 for the first time right now) and I heard a bit of people hyping this mod claiming "it's the only way to play the game ". If the mod substantially fixes bugs , then I could see the value, but narrative wise and actual content wise, seems that it doesn't really offer anything that makes any difference.
Even this "ending" you mention. If I end up beating the game, I can simply look up the completed ending here on TH-cam to get the greater completed narrative.
So that answers a lot for me going forward.
Old comment, I know, but it's also worth pointing out that a popular Skip Peragus mod that has existed for 15 years and is a fan favorite does NOT work with TSLRCM. Irreversibly corrupts your save. Another reason why TSLRCM is overrated (not to mention I actually think it bloats the game)
Restored content mod adds a lot of additional dialogue, scenes, gameplay segments that provide more context and just make the game feel like a generally more complete experience. Not all of it needs to fundamentally change the story to be worthwhile. In fact, none of it has to be. Its still important to have, for the mere fact that it adds in a lot that makes it a more full and complete experience.
Like seriously . the story itself is basically the same in its broader strokes. But the extra scenes and dialogue are too good. And some of it is meaningful and does matter for giving more light on different aspects of the characters and the plot. for example HK-47's arc is tied to his vendetta against the HK-50s. This culminates in an entire level that actually concludes the HK-50 subplot, gives closure to HK47's entire reason for even being with you in the game. The restored content mod actually adds this all back in.
The HK stuff also pays off in the ending too, but that's spoilers so I won't get into it.
TLDR, you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not getting the mod. Frankly I don't understand why anybody would choose not to get it. Its not like it's hard to install lol. Even if you don't think it adds much, you may as well get it anyway since it fixes bugs and adds missing scenes.
KOTOR2 one of my all time favs!
yeah i don't really know why im watching this, since ive played this game multiple times.... i guess i just want to have a good time on yt :D
This game WONT run too 25-30 hours on first play? Hell I'm on 35 and on my 2nd planet.
Other than peragus the worlds were all interesting and fluid the game was well written if a little dark for a game about space wizards. I liked it enough to play through 4-5 times but the story left more questions than answers I guess to set up sequels we never really got
Ahh caught red-handed but it's always fun to revisit Kotor
Just gonna toss out there if you use steam workshop for the restoration mod, you still are able to unlock achievements. Doing a dark side consular/assassin run, having a blast. Love ya mort.
good review meatbag
Thanks for the vid I'm enjoying the game
Surprinsgly I like this one more than the first one
was just playing this and boom this gets recommended
My achievements weren't disabled with the mod installed.
On Xbox they were both on sale I got the 1st game
I always liked Kotor2 more than the first game.
I have the restored content mod and I still get achievements on Steam
Anyone has System Shock vibe on Peragus ?????
I liked Peragus
kotor 1 was much better imo, but 2 is not bad either
Kotor 1 is colorful, optimistic, with a goal in mind.
Kotor 2 is dark, has a certain depressing and pessimistic vibe to it. For me, the first game is youth, growing up to a world full of options and a great goal in mind, with great company around you.
The second game throws you into the seriousness and possible cruelty of life. Not sure what path to choose, what to go for. Your friends aren't really connected, kinda feels like theres no real group in kotor 2.
The beginning in kotor 1 is much better, Taris is great. Kotor 2 has not such a good beginning for new players. BUT: I think Peragus is meant to make you feel isolated, mostly alone and confused. As a kid, Peragus scared me so much. Not too sure why but everything feels creepy, like someones watching.
That said, Kotor 2 is no game for a kid like me in the early 2000s. I think it was around 2014 when I finally understood the story of the game and the meaning of certain characters.
Not sure why, but with the second game, they jumped into a entirely different direction. Not saying 1 or 2 is better than the other, just noting the story went from Walt Whitman to Artur Schopenhauer.
25 hours! I think more like 40 doing everything. There’s ALOT to do.
The only thing that pissed me off was you can't learn about HK unless you do dark side...he won't respond...the first game you had to have mechanical skills... I don't know why they changed it .. but small gripe in the grand scheme of things these games are the definitive star wars games... nothing has come close since
Can you play it after you beat it I want to buy it on xbox360 so please let me know
If I cant play after beating it like skyrim then I wont get it
No you can't free roam if that's what you're asking... Also, this is an ENTIRELY different type of RPG game than Skyrim, in the sense that.. It's actually an RPG.
KOTOR is amazing - next thing you should try is Gothic 2 the night of the Raven!
Played and reviewed a few months ago
@@MortismalGaming and I watched it already... 😅keep up the great work!
I know this is an older video, but max level isn't 30. I've gotten to level 80 in one of my run throughs.
There is only enough exp in the game normally to get just above 30 if you do literally everything min/maxed. 50 is the literal cap which can only be reached by exploiting glitches or using mods.
That's not true as of now. I'm playing the game with the restored content mod and I'm still receiving all achievements.
I can play a dark Revan and make Big Z kill Mission.. I can play a light Revan and romance Carth🤢. I can even play an evil Exile and sell T3 into slavery. The one truly awful thing that I can never do is play a light Exile and turn Atton into a Jedi.
I don’t like him. I don’t trust him. I don’t let him level up. I hate even giving him a weapon to survive his mandatory battle scene against the twilek twins.
Letting that lying manipulative murderer become a Jedi is so un-Lucas Star Wars that the idea of it makes me want to vomit. I am happy to be the Vrook in this situation. Everyone can disagree with me and I will still stick to my Jedi dogma in this circumstance😝
Damn, them's some tight shorts
12:09 Level cap is 30?
The level cap is *60*, my friend.
It gets _ridiculous_. My Sentinel was way more powerful than Darth Traya, it wasn't even a contest.
Its *50* technically my friend, it has an effective level cap of 30 because the only way you're getting higher than that is exploiting a few things.
I remember this game. Go full evil, unlock force choke. Every battle began with me choking some insignificant enemy. Felt great.
my God is it an old game man
Hey the best game ever created…
Seemed like such a neat story but I never even figured out how to get off the station. It seemed like a great nested problem that had no hints how to proceed. I left the game for awhile and when I came back I couldnt remember where I left off.
Its unfortunate, so many excellent ideas.
You have to listen to some of the hologram recordings after getting the voice recorder from the HK-50.
Or you could just bash the terminals..
@@briansheehan5256 Sure, thankyou, it was so long ago that I don't even rememeber what you mean or where I could possibly find what you refer to but the help is great.
HK-47 ftw
Truly a great game but so much dissatisfaction left. You mean to tell me as long as I binged on it there is no replay value?
You just sparta kick kreia and that's it. What about the stuff left on the planets??.
A total letdown man.
Consular end game is broken
You should play Planescape: Torment if you can appreciate deep story on philosophical side
I have, even have an old review of it
Thanks for the spoiler warning. I stopped the video since I haven't played it yet.
Kotor 2 is like Majoras Mask, in that it was a sequel to an extremely popular game that godfathered a whole new era of gaming, but was made in a short time with a depressing story that is arguably better in almost every way to the original.
Kreia is GOATED!
free comment.
Don't remember any achievements.
They were added to steam after the fact, they weren't there originally
kotor 2 felt long and boring for me compared to kotor which is a masterpiece
Star war games Lore? Please? I like Star Wars and all the other content you do
I hate to be the weirdo. I love so many rpgs and usually am somewhere near the public consensus. But this game. I could never get into it. I found companions ranging from decent to me hating them. Except Canderous and HK, which are really just Kotor one companions.
I think my problem is Kreia. I can't stand her or honestly the plot as a whole. And then the ending is just her waxing philosophical bullshit about what she sees in the future. Bitch I don't care what you have to say, I never liked you in the first place. I think if you dont appreciate Kreia this game's quality drops dramatically.
The game is basically "are jedi really good. Are sith really evil? What is good and evil?" The problem is Kotor one actually handled the exact same themes, only they did it subtly rather than explaining it to you. So in essence they did it better.
uwu
Good review.. but seriously man no soul on earth cares about 100%ing a game.