Genre: RPG
Year: 2003
Developed by: BioWare
Published by: LucasArts
Platforms: PC, a bunch of others
#71
Feeling Like: Go Big or Go Home (to Tatooine)
Video games in Bigelow came and went like the wind. Word would get around that enough of us liked StarCraft and so we should immediately boot up an eight player free for all. We did, then gathered in Greg’s room to watch the full replay. I tell you, losing a match stings far less when you’re in the good company of the six others who also lost. But generally we’d find the flavor of the month and move on when something new would come along. Some single player games would garner attention, but nothing swept over the building’s video game zeitgeist harder than Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR).
This is the highest rated Star Wars game on the 500 and still the best one I’ve played. It dove into the Star Wars lore better than anything we’d ever seen. It may not have had the same beloved characters from the movies, but all the core fundamentals are here: Sith, Jedi, alien races, wary government councils, cities that spanned entire planets, backwater outposts, blasters, space ships and the feel of western, samurai and science-fiction movies. There’s a reason this franchise won’t ever die – George Lucas hit enough magnificent pop culture creations that Star Wars will be eternal.
Look, I know it’s not much to look at, but bear with me. It was 2003, and twenty years is a long time. In terms of video game hardware progression, it’s an eternity so we weren’t picky with what we had. We’d seen many iterations of Star Wars video games before, but they were mostly relegated to the cockpit of an X-Wing or a 3D platformer that was rough around the edges. This was a full on role playing experience with the majority of the gameplay being dialogue driven, or menu scouring, or turn based-ish combat. You could use lightsabers (a must, in any Star Wars game), but you weren’t flailing them around like in Jedi Outcast; you had to make tactical decisions about when to use your powers, how to allocate your skill points and which side of the force you would lean towards. The companions were a highlight, as they are in any BioWare game worth its salt. Droids, Wookies, Twi’leks and other Jedi all await your commands, but they may not agree with everything you say. It truly is a rag tag bunch of colorful personalities and motivations and I will play that formula anytime, in 2003 or 2023. We really had no chance. Resistance is f….wait, wrong franchise. Sorry.
It wasn’t uncommon to find Greg playing through the campaign while having several hangers-on watching. Our residence was a tightly knit group, particularly in my 2nd year, so it was entirely common to wander into somebody’s room and, as long as they weren’t doing homework, become a passive observer in their activity. It’s always nice to have a friend by your side, whatever you’re doing.
KOTOR captured our imagination with a vengeance. Sleep become a secondary motivation, studying was procrastinated heavily, and my room was soon home to more than a few lads wanting their shot. Who was I to tell them no? I was thrilled anytime my favorite hobby landed in the acceptably cool territory, I wasn’t about to refute any potential invitation. Stay awhile, and listen!
I’d never had a friend like Greg before, or since. He’s knowledgeable about seemingly everything, and teaches with such a straightforward yet detailed manner, I’ve yet to see it replicated. I try to model his mix of thoughtfulness, direct information and humor when I’m managing my reports at Kano. I don’t always succeed, but Greg will tell you he doesn’t either. I think he’s being modest.
While I tried to be a goody-goody two shoes in KOTOR, Greg turned to the dark side. I won’t spoil the major twists, even twenty years later, because they are monumental in their impact. Let’s just say that sometimes it’s more fun to be the bad guy and I didn’t have the courage to test those waters. Unsurprisingly, Greg did.
Here’s what he remembers.
(Greg)
I find myself in my mid-40s, reflecting on my gaming journey so far. No single game has stood out more in my memory than KOTOR. A Star Wars game released in 2003 that was set some 4000 years prior to the Galactic Empire in the movies. In many ways, this was a game ahead of its time both in concept and hardware requirements.
Frustratingly, the PC which I purchased one year prior couldn’t support the game. Thanks to the generosity of my friend Henry who had a more capable PC, we embarked on one of my most memorable gaming adventures. The game introduced me to a non-linear, choose-your-own-adventure-style story with distinct consequences for actions. The writing and main plot were well thought out and captivating. Two decades later, I can still remember the excitement I felt when I discovered the main plot twist. The characters were interesting and evolved their relationships with you depending on your choices, adding to the immersion in the game. In particular, I recall how easy it was to fall in love with Bastila Shan, voiced by Jennifer Hale.
Nothing demonstrates the immersion of this game like an incident one evening while playing on Henry’s PC in our university residence. Henry mentioned he was heading to bed and gave me instructions for his PC when I was done. “No problem,” I told him. Then what felt like a moment later his 7:00 am alarm went off as we both looked at each other in shock and started laughing.
The game choices captured the concept of good and evil, with each action pushing your character towards the light or dark ends of the spectrum. Henry attempted to make the noble choice at each opportunity. I recall the moment he proudly showed me his character stats screen where he had maxed out the light side. His character was so angelic he was practically floating among little blue bubbles of light rising up around him. In contrast, at the same stage of the game, my character had developed what must have been a nearly fatal liver condition, judging by the extreme jaundice of his eyes and pale skin. Think Anakin Skywalker in the “I HATE YOU!” scene.
I had chosen the evil option at every juncture, and it was cathartic. I was in awe that a game could offer such an incredibly different experience based on choices made, or even that such evil choices would be allowed. Spoiler: (can it even be a spoiler for a decades-old game?) towards the end of my playthrough, I had the option to order the Wookie Zaalbar to grudgingly execute his best friend, Mission Vao. Henry happened to be watching at that time and screamed “NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” as I confirmed this most heinous action with the click of his mouse.
KOTOR was the first time I truly felt that irresistible compulsion to play a game that my hardware could not support. Because of that experience, it has been a priority to have enthusiast-level PC performance in the decades since, and I have spent more than I care to admit on PC components. Recently, I nostalgically bought KOTOR on a Steam sale but found the graphics to be so bad by modern standards that I felt the game was practically unplayable. In 2003, KOTOR was a masterpiece, through the rose-coloured glasses of nostalgia I consider this to be one of the greatest games of all time. While the plot still holds up, it’s visually not an experience that would live up to the standards set by modern gaming.
(Greg’s writeup finished)
Regardless of which side of the force we resided on, playing through the game together brought us, and our wide eyed audience, together like moths to a flame. Greg’s right, the window dressing doesn’t hold up. But the story, characters and incredible twist are permanent fixtures when it comes to recalling my favorite games, or favorite Bigelow memories. Thanks, Greg! Live long, and prosp…DAMNIT!
The 500 