Poll: Is KOTOR II worth playing?

[LookingGlass]

I ask because I've noticed people saying that it's actually better than the original (which I very much enjoyed both when it was first released and on a recent replay). But the issue that seems to come up is that it has an extremely unsatisfying conclusion after a lot of build up... as if it was unfinished or hurried out the door.

So...

Is it a good/great game?
Is it better than the original?
Will the ending leave a sour taste in my mouth that's better to be without, assuming there won't be a KOTOR III?

Bear in mind, I actually already own it. I bought it a few years ago but it got to a point, quite early on, where I couldn't leave the planet I was on as it always crashed to the desktop. That was on a different computer however and I'll assume that either that won't happen or I can find a way to get around it.

I just don't want to play a game for 20 hours only to have it piss me off.

 

[DustyDrB]

It is definitely worth playing [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.257449-Dusty-Reviews-Knights-of-the-Old-Republic-II]. The ending will leave a bad taste in your mouth, but most of the experience is great. They added some new features to leveling that adds more customization options for your character and the writing is mostly top notch.

There is the content mod that adds in a ton of what was left out of the final game, and it comes highly recommended.

There are some rough spots about the game, but it's in many ways an improvement over the first one. Its ending is the only thing that makes me still like KotOR I better. But KotOR II has my favorite video game character and favorite Star Wars character ever in Kreia.

Play it.

 

[JB1528]

It's a good game but because of its rushed ending that leaves several conflicts unfinished, it's not half as good as it should be.

 

[dancinginfernal]

Yes, it's a great game. It has tons of bugs however, and the ending is a bit disappointing. The overall experience, however, is great. Modding for the game is essential if you want to get the best experience. A lot of content was cut, and there are plenty of mods restoring lost content.

I absolutely love this game, more than the first. I'd give it another go.

Snip

I saw you posted and instantly reminded myself not to mistake this for a Bioware game again.

 

[Truth Cake]

Yeah, ending sucked but it was well worth the playing overall, I've played it through about 7 times or so, in spite of the ending- I think it was to set up for KOTOR 3, which seems to have been long since abandoned.

 

[octafish]

Sith Lords Restored Content Mod. That is what you are looking for. I think it is better than KOTOR. It's Obsidian so the story is king. It is a bit of a bugger to run in Vista/7, if you have access to XP things are a lot smoother. I'm sure there are work arounds for 7 though.

 

[Can't CatchMe Coyote]

A great game that was ruined by bugs, cut content, and a poor ending. All of which were the result of intense pressure by LucasArts on Obsidian to release the game sooner. In spite of its shortcomings, it really makes for a great game as the tone is darker and the antagonists seem much more malevolent and dangerous. Additionally, there are some great characters and locales in the game.

 

[trooper6]

It is a great video game. Much more nuanced than KotOR I. More gray than black and white. Kreia is amazing...the voice acting in general is great. Such a good game.

One of the reasons why Obsidian still has goodwill banked with me.

 

[DustyDrB]

Yes, it's a great game. It has tons of bugs however, and the ending is a bit disappointing. The overall experience, however, is great. Modding for the game is essential if you want to get the best experience. A lot of content was cut, and there are plenty of mods restoring lost content.

I absolutely love this game, more than the first. I'd give it another go.

Snip

I saw you posted and instantly reminded myself not to mistake this for a Bioware game again.

I actually had to edit my original post in that thread. I had listed Kreia as my favorite. Then I realized at the same time I clicked "post". It's an easy mistake to make.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

the ending does...tie things off in a pretty horrid way..if you can get it to even work that is.

HOWEVER

the rest of the game itself is a fucking improvement to be seen by all rpg makers out there, that shit is fucking amazing, the characters are great, the style/depth of the overall story arc/philosophy of the game, while giving so much depth and being open at the same time, it's truly worth every second you play it.

oh and the restored content...it's fucking amazing, if you install it right away you won't notice most of it, but if you play the game first then install a whole ton of the restored content (there is more than one patch/version, official and unofficial and fan made stuff) so mix and match to see what you like, unfortunately one of the planet restoration mods (droid planet) hasn't gotten a fix so it can work with the other restoration mod, which is a shame because it is frickin amazing and sucks that obsidian didnt have time to refine it before shipping the game out..

tl;dr

go fucking play it right now.

oh and for people wondering where to buy it

http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Knights-Old-Republic-Pc/dp/B00027CXEM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311051541&sr=8-1

i got it there and works amazing, flawless disks.

 

[Nurb]

It's not essential, most dismiss the story as part of the timeline though since it didn't add anything to it except the concept of the "grey side" of the force

 

[thiosk]

Kotor and kotor 2 are basically the only starwars stuff i actually like these days.

I recommend.

 

[shrekfan246]

I ask because I've noticed people saying that it's actually better than the original (which I very much enjoyed both when it was first released and on a recent replay). But the issue that seems to come up is that it has an extremely unsatisfying conclusion after a lot of build up... as if it was unfinished or hurried out the door.

So...

Is it a good/great game?
Is it better than the original?
Will the ending leave a sour taste in my mouth that's better to be without, assuming there won't be a KOTOR III?

Bear in mind, I actually already own it. I bought it a few years ago but it got to a point, quite early on, where I couldn't leave the planet I was on as it always crashed to the desktop. That was on a different computer however and I'll assume that either that won't happen or I can find a way to get around it.

I just don't want to play a game for 20 hours only to have it piss me off.

I'll honestly say I don't even remember the ending, but overall I enjoyed KOTOR II much more than the first. If you care about the ending so much that it would ruin the entire game, I would suggest not playing it I suppose, but honestly you would be depriving yourself of a great overall experience.

Wait! I remember it now..yeah, okay, it's a bit anti-climatic and leaves you with a bunch of questions. Also..

Spoiler: Very Mild Spoilers

I wish that Canderous had had a larger and/or better part in II, because he was my all-time favorite character of the two games and while I enjoyed his "promotion" in II, he felt a bit like he was just added as token fanservice.

 

[dyre]

It's mostly an excellent game, but the ending has got to be near the top of my "horrendous endings that ruined otherwise brilliant stories" list, second only to the ending of Danny Boyle's Sunshine.

I couldn't really say if the rage you're going to feel when the game suddenly just ends is worth the wonderful experience you'll have up to that point. But I'm leaning closer to "no, don't bother."

 

[mysecondlife]

Yeah, ending sucked but it was well worth the playing overall, I've played it through about 7 times or so, in spite of the ending- I think it was to set up for KOTOR 3, which seems to have been long since abandoned.

Incase you didn't know, novel titled 'Revan' is coming out instead at the end of the year.

EDIT
OP: I thought the KOTOR2 was a huge letdown. What the previous post didn't mention was random cutscenes that disjoints story, subplots that were never resolved because the contents were cut and etc.

but to be fair, I never got the chance to play with the restoration mod, perhaps that fixes things.

To set myself up for the upcoming novel, I'll play once more.. this time as canonical female character..

 

[starwarsgeek]

If you're a fan of Star Wars and/or RPGs, you will probably love it. I think it's one of the greatest scripts in gaming, and the cornerstone of what makes it work is the universe and genre it belongs to (I would elaborate, but...you know, spoilers). However, Lucas Arts forced Obsidian into rushing it for a Christmas release, so it is buggy and a lot of content is cut. Personally. Despite it's flaws and major pacing issues early on (Peragus and Telos take way too long), I enjoy it even more than the first game.

 

[LookingGlass]

Do any of these content mods change the ending?

Is this [http://knightsoftheoldrepublic.filefront.com/file/;115177] what I'm looking for? It looks far too small for a content mod at about 25MB. Is that because it's mostly using content that was included in the game but never referenced?

 

[2fish]

Yes it is worth playing but I subtract points for how long it took me to get HK-47.

Play it now but make sure you do your own HK-47 voice until you get him, if not for you then for me.

Have fun and remember the dark side has force crush! Crush you like a piece of paper alien scum!