first off - you need to play with the restored content mod for the optimal experience. this is a great game with even greater potential unfortunately hampered a bit by rushed development. There are some bugs and storylines that dont get fleshed out all the way. If they had time to finish it this game would be a legit 10/10. although even in its imperfect state the story and characters are far more nuanced and complex than those in KOTOR 1. The combat is also smoother and more enjoyable to boot.
The Jedi being painted in a negative or ambiguous light almost always signals a promising piece of Star Wars media to me. Anyone who isn’t a raving fan boy or a small child can see that Jedi are a little bit off. They’re a reclusive and supremacist cult of celibate and emotionless space monks who abduct children and force them to abandon all outside relationships. There are however, also good things about the Jedi - they’re very well intentioned and truly want to create peace in the universe, they’re wise in many ways, and they’re also amazing fighters with really cool tech. KOTOR 2 is partially a story about the failure of the Jedi. It earnestly examines the ideology of the Jedi as if they were real and interrogates why they would fail to affect positive change. This is a level of care and thoughtfulness that is practically unheard of in the Star Wars universe. While I love the classic Star Wars films because they’re a fun time, they’re certainly not thoughtful, nuanced, and critical in the way KOTOR 2 is. It’s truly a shame we don’t get more stories that are really trying to interrogate the tropes and conventions of the Star Wars universe.
It’s makes me really sad that this game wasn’t totally finished and that we never got an Obsidian developed KOTOR 3. Obsidian has the somewhat hilarious tendency to helm the sequels to series created by other developers and pretty handily out do them in almost every way. I’m so glad they started (?) that trend with this game.
The Jedi being painted in a negative or ambiguous light almost always signals a promising piece of Star Wars media to me. Anyone who isn’t a raving fan boy or a small child can see that Jedi are a little bit off. They’re a reclusive and supremacist cult of celibate and emotionless space monks who abduct children and force them to abandon all outside relationships. There are however, also good things about the Jedi - they’re very well intentioned and truly want to create peace in the universe, they’re wise in many ways, and they’re also amazing fighters with really cool tech. KOTOR 2 is partially a story about the failure of the Jedi. It earnestly examines the ideology of the Jedi as if they were real and interrogates why they would fail to affect positive change. This is a level of care and thoughtfulness that is practically unheard of in the Star Wars universe. While I love the classic Star Wars films because they’re a fun time, they’re certainly not thoughtful, nuanced, and critical in the way KOTOR 2 is. It’s truly a shame we don’t get more stories that are really trying to interrogate the tropes and conventions of the Star Wars universe.
It’s makes me really sad that this game wasn’t totally finished and that we never got an Obsidian developed KOTOR 3. Obsidian has the somewhat hilarious tendency to helm the sequels to series created by other developers and pretty handily out do them in almost every way. I’m so glad they started (?) that trend with this game.