Star Wars: The Old Republic Preview
Bioware and Lucasarts Re-Unite to Create a Star Wars MMORPG
Dec 16, 2008
Following up the raging success of their hit title Knights of the Old Republic, Lucasarts and Bioware reunite to create a new Star Wars epic, an MMORPG that they have entitled The Old Republic. Set three hundred years after the events of KOTOR, but three and a half thousand years before the movies, The Old Republic is perfectly set up to draw upon the inspiration of its predecessor KOTOR, without disrupting the continuity of the movies.
Immersive Story Driven MMORPG
Star Wars elements from the movies and previous games will deeply shape the design of the game, and Bioware mentioned that the Old Republic will feature a few characters whose ancestors appeared in KOTOR alongside some of the droids from the KOTOR. However, most of the characters and stories will be brand new, allowing the player to truly shape their own destiny in the Star Wars Universe. This will allow the experience to be more immersive than any previous Star Wars title to date.
Knowing this, Bioware hopes to develop the immersive experience and set a new precedence in the MMORPG department by making it a story driven title. This does not mean that the developers are trying to shape the experience of the player, but rather that they are trying to build upon it. By utilizing the decision system, which was first made famous in KOTOR, the player will be able to choose the path that their character will follow.
Unlike KOTOR, however, where players could save before an important decision and trial various options, in the Old Republic all decisions will be made in real time and will have real consequences. This will ultimately affect which side of the force the character will follow. Initially, the player can choose to join a faction to support, either the Galactic Republic or the Sith Empire, but ultimately the decisions that the player makes throughout the game will decide where their character finally ends up.
Battling as an Online Community
The overall universe will be set against the backdrop of tenuous relations between the Galactic Republic and Sith Empire, who are at the brink of war. This will allow players to travel from planet to planet, forming small parties to fight small battles, or uniting an entire faction to launch a full scale invasion. The scope for multiplayer options is huge.
Whether as a large faction, a small party, or even solo, the player will never have to fight alone. Similar to Kotor, the Old Republic allows players to have a companion fight by their side. Each companion will have their own detailed life story, and each will also change according to its relations with the player’s character.
Intense Combat Experience
One of the most important determinant's of any Star Wars character is their lightsaber. The Old Republic will feature extreme, action heavy light saber battles. While customizability is yet to be seen, if it follows KOTOR’s take, then players will be able to choose:
- their lightsaber's color
- the style (either single, double or double-bladed)
- any specials effects of the saber
One part of combat that has not been mentioned at all is the role of force powers, but if they’re as intense as the Force Unleashed coupled with depth of Kotor then combat will be a unique and refreshing experience.
Bioware Corp Will No Doubt Succeed With New Star Wars Game
Drawing heavily from the tried and true formula of Knights of the Old Republic, Bioware is hoping to create a truly immersive Star Wars experience through detailed character development, and limitless multiplayer capabilities. They have many classic titles under their belt:
- Knights of the Old Republic
- Mass Effect
- Jade Empire
- Never Winter Nights
- Baldur’s Gate
With so many great achievements in game development, it is doubtful that they will fail.
 |
 |
 |
 |
