I love Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. I have ever since I learned how to play video games as a little baby gamer. I still play it from time to time, and will continue returning to it in the years to come. I think about it often, I write about it constantly. I am TheGamer’s most annoying KOTOR fan. I will never stop.
But there is only so much KOTOR that I can KOTOR considering that it’s been 20 years since we saw the sequel first launch. Considering that the long-awaited remake has been delayed indefinitely and may or may not still be in development, there’s really only one place to scratch that itch while not having to replay the same game for probably the 15th time – Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Why Now?
Star Wars: The Old Republic has been around for a long time – nearly 13 years now, by my count. That also makes it one of the most expensive games of all time. It’s done pretty well for itself, since it got in on the MMO genre back when people were still really into those, because live-service games hadn’t yet started subsuming the triple-A gaming industry like a parasitic plant.
Getting into an MMO over a decade after it launched isn’t ideal, I know, but look, I’m here now. I haven’t really thought about SW:TOR that much over the years, though it’s long piqued my interest – it’s set 300 years after the events of KOTOR and, in true OG BioWare fashion, is heavily informed by player choice, two things which are immediately interesting to me. But I’ve put off making an account for years, at this point. Why now?
The game just received some changes in the form of its 7.6 update. Because the game has been around for so long, it looks, well… dated. That’s kind of unavoidable, considering the hugely improved graphical fidelity we’ve come to expect from triple-A games nowadays. The update targets spruced up graphics for character models and several planets, and adds open world content. There’s other stuff too, but none of it really means much to me as a current non-player.
This is, supposedly, one of the first updates that developer Broadsword has got in store. Since the studio took over from BioWare last year, it seems that efforts to modernise the game (while preserving its charm, mind you) will continue. If the best time to get The Old Republic was 13 years ago, the next best time is now.
Yes, I Know How The Update Went
Okay, fine, let’s address the elephant in the room. The update didn’t go very smoothly. The graphical updates to character models were fairly minimal – Broadsword didn’t want the appearances of characters to change so dramatically that they were unrecognisable to players who’d been playing as them for so long – but some models ended up looking a little… weird.
On the SW:TOR subreddit, players seem split between two extremes. Either their characters barely changed at all, or their characters have leathery skin, their makeup has changed, their skin tone looks mottled and splotchy, and they have wrinkles that weren’t there before. I am sorry to those players. I’m sure seeing a beloved player character suddenly look off could be upsetting.
However, I am not those players, I’m going in fresh. This is a new playground for me, and none of those things really affect me. With the holidays coming up, why not give myself the gift of a new KOTOR experience? It’s not like we saw KOTOR Remake at The Game Awards or anything.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is an MMORPG from BioWare, and is a continuation of their single-player RPG series. Initially launched in 2011, it is still popular with players today, seeing a Steam launch in mid-2020.