Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC DVD)

I, like many on here, have played WoW and it is rediculous to review any new game in this genre without any comparisons to what is the defining version of any game in this field to date....I enjoyed it, but it has begun to feel stale and moving backwards and was eager for something else to come along and if not blow it out the water at least nuzzle up along-side it and settle in to the genre...I feel SWTOR is the best in a very long time to give this a very good attempt. As I so delicately put it to a friend of mine, SWTOR is like WoW before they started catering for idiots.

What a lot of reviewers do need to understand is this is a brand new MMO. It is pointless addressing issues about end-game content available at launch, about bugs and such and compare it to an MMO that has been aroudn for the best part of a Decade. If anyone tried out Age of Conan then they have a fair idea of just how bad a new MMO can be at launch. SWTOR is a very good game at launch, and it is not my place here to speculate on future content (if you powered to max level then you clearly missed the point of this game and as such deserve all you get - or don't get to hit the nail on the head).

This game offers a truly immersive environment, a trip into the raging battles between the Republic and the Empire 2,000 years before Anakin was even bump on the horizon of the merchandising world. You are able to choose from a number of iconic classes ranging from Bounty Hunters and Smugglers through to the force weilding Jedi and Sith. Each class has a completely different path to choose with some having a number roles to fulfill....but be warned, once you choose a particular path at level 10 that is it and there is no going back, your destiny is set in stone (at least for that character hehe).

The starting zones are amazing, the graphics in general a step up from WoW (you do need a hefty PC to run it at full) but still falling a little short of games like Rift, which really did impress with the graphics, but the fact that your character is involved in close up dialogue cut-scenes more than makes this acceptable. The fact that you have a distinct storyline for your character is truly where the RPG element of this game shines, you feel like you are playing your character, decisions help you get into character, gives you chances to impress your companion and gain favour with them as well as shift your allegiance towards the light side or dark side (yes you can still have a dark-side lean even playing as a jedi - how far you go each way determines which items you have available to you later in the game).
The gameplay itself is very reminicent of WoW, and a good deal of other MMO's out there too. This is no bad thing since you immediately feel comfortable with the controls, there is no steep learning curve to retune your muscle memory from other games. While levelling you have lots of solo quests to do as well as story quests which are unique to your class and progress your own story along. But there are also group quests while you level, which actually offer greater experience and greater rewards as well as earning you Social points which you can spend on in-game items...it's a tangible benefit for being social with other players and being polite to get invited back - something that is very much apparent in how helpful the overall community feel is. There are also small group instanced events called flashpoints (think of dungeon instances but with a storyline built in), once you get your own ship you can do ship battles which earn experience and a lot of these have daily quests associated with them for more rewards, gold and experience.

It's not all golden, there are some problems. Yes there are some bugs, but not many considering how long it's been going and many have already been fixed (in the early access we had huge issues with forming groups and more over leaving them). This is to be expected and if this is the only reason you don't want to play it then good luck finding any MMOthat doesn't have them - WoW included. There is a lack of end game right now but since the developers are hardly going to release everything straight away, they never do that in any MMO so it's to be expected. That will come, there is no sense in releasing content 95% of players aren't even up to yet just to appease those who powerlevelled.

PvP though is a strange beast and does seem a little tacked on. Huttball is very cool and a little different which makes it a nice thing to see, and also removes the allegiance sides and I can see this being developed into a serious form of team PvP in the future, but it is all still new, class balance isn't quite tweaked but it's there as fun, not an e-sport as some think of their PvP battles. The other PvP areas are both very much along the capture the flag and guard a base ideals of many MMO's out there (think WSG and AB in WoW), which is fine, but the fact you can join at any level past 10 and get "extra health" to compete with much higher levels but you seem to lack any of their fire power (and obviously skills) does mean it's still an uneven fight. There are some class balance issues but these are much less obvious than some lead people to believe - much comes down to understanding their class better and playing to their strengths rather than assuming every class is just run in and nuke nuke nuke. I expect this to improve with time and have more areas of battle added over time, right now it's a nice break from PvE but far from perfect. There are a couple of problematic areas which result in exploits - not really illegal but just playign to strength areas....but as said, if you play as a Sith Assassin then there is little point in running in all sabers whirling, it is much more a stun and stealth class (think rogue in WoW) and subsequently lacks some survivability (which admittedly isn't great for the PvP areas available_. So there is work to be done.

All in all this is a very refreshing addition to a rather stale genre. But be warned, if you expect to level in a day, get everything handed to you on a plate with zero effort and need zero skill to play properly then this may not be for you (or perhaps it is for you to learnt that things you want take time and effort). There is a vested time input into this game to get the most out of it. BUT, if you don't get to 50 in the first week of playing then it really doesn't matter as if you take your time, explore and just enjoy the game for what it is and be sociable and friendly then there is plenty to keep you going and feel a sense of purpose about without lusting for beign maxed out. It is great to see an MMO finally reward players for just playing the game again.

While I grew up with the original Star-Wars trilogy and therefore clearly awoke the inner child when I started playing this (and why I waited a while before reviewing) this does give a very good account of itself. It does have some teething issues but that is to be expected and very likely addressed in future content patches, but for a fresh off the market MMO it does a nice job of providing an immersive content that isn't to be rushed through and once again makes players adhere to their choices. It's hardly a unique game in many respects but that is why I feel it works, it doesnt' try to be too different that it feels alien to players of other games, what ti does it try to put the MMO AND the RPG back in MMORPG games. Work WITH other players in an immersive environment filled with aliens and spaceships and freakin' lightsabers....what more could you want :)

Not 100%, but a very good attempt at a true WoW challenger!

Admittedly I was at best sceptical over Bioware's announcement - back in 2008 - that they would henceforth continue the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic franchise (which I adore) as an MMO. I don't like MMOs; I find them more often than not to be shallow and the worst representations of video games as a leisure activity. Also, the communities in-game and over the internet seem to attract the worst examples of gamer.

When I entered the universe of Star Wars: The Old Republic, I would say many of my reservations were put aside. The game fits right in with the Star Wars RPG standard set by KotOR, with an extraordinary amount of quality voice acting and an engaging story from the get go. The dialogue mechanics also make grouping up a rather fun experience. This was all to be expected from Bioware and the story elements are where this game really shines above the competition (MMO or otherwise). The combat is a definite improvement over KotOR 2, which could be rather sluggish and frankly quite boring at times. In ToR the hotkey-based combat mechanics add more strategy and depth, yet remain perfectly accessible. It's not innovative in itself but is a great solution for this particular franchise.

Gameplay outside of the story is of the familiar MMO archetype, and is also for the most part optional. If you don't like PvP, grouping, guilds you can easily avoid these elements and still have a huge game to enjoy. But you can't ignore the fact that ToR is an MMO. The odd server queue (although drastically reduced since launch), glitches, and less than optimal framerate (with respect to the graphical fidelity) make sure of this. Oh, and yeah a monthly fee. Yet it's worth tolerating this to enjoy the larger game that ToR is, larger perhaps because of the fact that it is an MMO...

For most all you need to know is this - there is truly an incredible amount of Star Wars lore to discover in this game, with rich character stories and an immensely fun exploration of the light/dark side of the force.

Not everyone is going to like The Old Republic, but it has a lot to like about it. If you're a gnarly veteran of many an MMO, you may find TOR refreshing or not your cup of tea. If you've never played an MMO in your life, TOR may surprise you. If you take away one thing from this review, I would say that you need to look at the game, try it, and form your own opinion. MMOs with a subscription are a big ongoing investment; after a few weeks in the game, I believe TOR is worth that investment, but it's very much dependent on what *you* want to get out of an MMO.

What is TOR? Cutting through the marketing blurb, it is a relatively standard MMORPG where you have a hotbar of skills and run around saving the galaxy, but with a few huge twists. This is an RPG that contains 8 distinct stories, and practically the entire content of the MMO is voiced. If you've played Mass Effect or KOTOR, you will know the drill; Bioware's usual excellent storytelling, coupled with some great voice acting. In many ways TOR is an homage to & continuation of KOTOR & KOTOR2, set around 200 years later in the Old Republic (hence the name); it extends the saga which began with Revan and then followed with the Exile, and without spoilers, lets' just say it ties up a few loose ends.

What does this mean for you the player? If you get emotively involved even a tiny amount in voiced story in RPGs, you will find yourself caught up in TOR. Perhaps the greatest difference compared to any other MMO before it is that quests in, say, LOTRO, to kill ten boars are just some text you click on and go do. In TOR, the game does its level best to make you understand why you have to go kill something and the impact of your decisions around that. This leads nicely onto choices - yes, this is an MMO with choices, and no reloading an earlier saved game either for obvious reasons. Characters in dialogue get the now-classic Bioware dialogue wheel, and are able to respond in various ways. You can mould your character; are they sarcastic & snarky, or earnest & caring, or just in it for the money? As with KOTOR, you gain companions, with whom you develop your story, outfit, and can take with you into the game world. These will vary in their capabilities, but all players start either with a heavy-armoured tanking companion or a healing companion, to take the edge off needing those specific archetypes around (there is of course no substitute for a real capable player).

Conversations bring two additional mechanics not really seen in MMOs before: some choices can yield Light or Dark Side points (akin to Renegade & Paragon in ME), leading your character down a given path over time, or you can try and stay neutral. There are benefits for going far down a given path, and Bioware intend to add some for staying neutral as well. Conversations whilst grouped with other players has the game roll dice to determine whose choice wins (though it respects your individual light/dark choices regardless), and you gain social points for conversations whilst grouped, unlocking a variety of cosmetic items. This yields both surprises & replay value - one player may choose to spare someone and the game takes a given course from that.

The game world is currently at launch set across around eighteen planets, and fifty levels. Your personal story falls across several Acts of what is currently Chapter 1, which gives you a good hint that Bioware aren't exactly finished, nor would we expect so in an evolving MMO. The content of the game is relatively linear in that each planet as it stands is bracketed for a given level, but you do revisit planets later in your story. Content is essentially split into:

1) Personal missions, which can be grouped for, solo is not a requirement, but they advance your story specifically and so other players present are mostly observers outside of combat
2) Standard missions, which also can be grouped for but are usually feasible with just yourself and your companion at the appropriate level. These can be taken or declined as you prefer.
3) Heroic missions, which require a group, offer much greater reward for that investment, but are definitely optional.
All of the above content happens 'out in the world', though occasionally part of them is inside an instanced area if the content is complex enough that multiple groups running it would just get confusing. You will come across red & green 'doors' in the world that are essentially the instanced parts that separate things out for your individual story or key encounters so that groups don't disrupt each other too much but you still will see everyone running around the map. The scale of the worlds is impressive; it's pretty easy to lose twenty or thirty people into an area and wonder where everyone is, but it's very rare that I've not come across at least one or two other people in doing even the most remote activity.

There is also some additional instanced content akin to Warcraft dungeons; these are flashpoints. These are where your party essentially shuttles off to somewhere in your own instance to play more challenging group content. Some flashpoints are very much standard tank,heal,dps boring affairs, and others are very innovative & clever in their execution. Your mileage may vary. Finally there are larger scale affairs called operations which are akin to raids. The game is as solo or grouped as you make it - it is entirely feasible to achieve max level solo but you will have missed out on some content.

Crafting is quite innovatively handled. You gain three crew skills, two of which are gathering skills, and one which is the actual crafting skill. You gather materials in the game, or by paying for your companions to go off on crafting missions to gather more esoteric materials. One very nice aspect is the way you can have either yourself or your companion harvest materials, so there is less trudging around and more 'go over there and pick that up'. The actual crafting is done by your companions; as you gain companions, your crafting ability will scale up and you'll be able to get more done in the same time. The mechanics are pretty straightforward - you learn basic recipes, reverse engineer results from those to learn more advanced recipes, and repeat, with some nice 'critical' results yielding superior versions, both of recipes & results. The end result is a crafting system that requires time & investment to become truly capable in your given craft, but doesn't feel like it's overly onerous compared to some out there. As there are six crafting professions and numerous gathering skills, one can expect a fairly active economy as populations stabilise.

Space combat is currently solo only but fun enough as a little diversion within the game; it's very reminiscent of Starfox and is not very complex, but it's still a good addition to the game. It offers a lot of potential for future expansions into more complex & group mechanisms, and given that few MMOs combine both ground & space combat at all, this is noteworthy all by itself. It's certainly an area I'd like to see real expansion in.

The game is filled to the brim with lore & codex entries and other little nuggets of things to discover. Datacrons can be found that require some puzzling to figure out how to reach them, and provide more lore entries & tiny stat boosts. Despite the linear and slightly rail-roaded feel that most quest-based MMOs yield, there's a fair bit on planets to go out & find.

Replay value is actually quite high. With two factions, two major branches of choices & approach, and eight stories, there's a lot to try out with multiple characters. Even the same side-missions will feel different as the NPCs will greet & react to you in quite different manners - an alien bounty hunter in the Empire is viewed very differently to a Sith Lord for example. There is a legacy system that kicks in once one character has reached the end of Act 1 (around level 35), where any additional characters subsequently played add to a legacy level system which will unlock future rewards (yet to be determined) - one existing benefit is the ability to add a shared legacy surname to your characters across your server.

From a technical perspective, the game has been extremely stable, the servers solid, and general performance good. Even in busy areas like the Fleet the game copes with a hundred people running around you. Graphics looks good & suitably Star Wars, sound effects all fit, and there are enough graphical options to allow the game to be tailored to lower end machines. It is more demanding than some other MMOs, but the quality of the result is also equivalently higher.

For all of the above praise, the game is not without flaws or areas that need improvement. PvP is a little lacklustre currently, and I would not go into TOR as it stands looking for the same open world PvP one sees in WoW or EVE for example simply due to the planets breaking things up. To compare with EVE, there isn't really an large area of EVE low-security space currently. There are of course quite a lot of bugs; I don't think I've played an MMO yet that didn't have its fair share of them. There is, especially relevant to PvP, under investigation right now an ability delay bug that is causing some difficulty around cooldown and reacting to other players, for example. Most however are simple bits of polish needed and will get updated as the game evolves. My own experience with Customer Service has been pretty good; a lot of stock responses but they do respond to more complex or urgent issues in a reasonable manner most of the time. Considering that the number of CS tickets (about any and all issues) went into the millions on day two due to the sheer number of players, that's fairly good going. Read more ›