To create the sequel for the best game of 2003 isn’t an easy task. Especially when you have to follow the footsteps of one of the best role playing games ever made. Due to the critical acclaim and its huge success, Lucas Arts’ decision to make a sequel for Knights of the Old Republic didn’t surprise anyone. However, the development time of only a year did raise some eyebrows. No matter how you look at it, one year is an incredibly short amount of time to make a game, not to mention one as complex as KotOR 2. The fact that Bioware weren’t going to be the producers also had some fans concerned, which believed that the sequel wasn’t going to have the same feeling as its predecessor. Fortunately, Obsidian Entertainment managed to create a sequel which in some ways is better than the first Knights, but which is plagued by countless technical problems and bugs plus a certain feel of an unpolished title. Despite these shortcomings however, Knights of the Old Republic 2 is still one of the best games of the year, and without a serious contender, I think it will win the RPG of the year award with ease.

     The story of KotOR 2 is strongly tied to that of its predecessor and despite the producers’ efforts to familiarize new comers to the background of the series, it’s still a very good idea to play the first Knights before you start with the sequel. By doing so, you will have a much better understanding of the story and will also come to appreciate the comeback of some characters, which will be familiar to those who played the first part. The game begins roughly five years after the events in KotOR 1 and although Malak was defeated, the galaxy is in total chaos: the Jedi Order is only a memory, the Republic’s resources are stretched to the limit and the Sith are everywhere, tirelessly pursuing what they believe is the last of the Jedi Knights. You guessed it, that’s your character they’re talking about.      

     As you can see, you start the game straight as a Jedi, which however seems to be as amnesic as the hero of the first game, with almost no recollection of his past. Moreover, he has lost his connection to the Force due to the exile enforced upon him by the Jedi Council at the end of the Mandalorian Wars. Who are you, why were you exiled and why are the Sith so relentlessly chasing you are questions to which you’ll find the answers at the end of some 30 to 40 hours of gameplay, which is quite some amount of time. The story is by far the best part of KotOR 2, having much more shades of gray than that of KotOR 1. The moral ambiguity of the choices that you will have to make during your adventures is what makes the sequel so fascinating. Gone are the days when you clearly had to choose between good or evil. This time around, it’s much more complicated. You might think for instance, as a light side player, that giving a couple of credits to a beggar might ease his suffering, but the reality is that in so doing, you’ve only hastened his doom. You won’t slip towards the dark side for this, because basically you did help this poor fellow, but the consequences of your actions will haunt your through the end of the game. The main contender of your decisions and the one who is going to open your eyes to the world around you will be Kreia, one of the most intriguing and well-crafted characters in the history of gaming. She will join you right from the start of the game and as the story progresses, she will help you to get in touch with the Force and teach you how to fight the Sith that are hunting you. Her motives however will be a mystery until the end of the game, and you will find yourself arguing with her over the rightfulness of your decisions on numerous occasions, which is truly amazing.