A fantstic RPG that stays true to the Star Wars mythology.
I've just finished my second trip through the KotOR game. The first time I played it as male (light side) and the second time as female (dark side). I spent about 50 hours per character. But, I went on every little side quest I could find (and played a lot of Pazak!).
I found it easier when I went to the dark side, though the believability of the game suffers when you play the dark side. I'm swindling people out of money, murdering innocents, ruining lives, etc. All the while, Bastila just watches on and only occasionally does she wag her finger at me and give me a verbal slap on the wrist. And then everyone acts so surprised when I fully embrace the dark side at the end. Gee, it's not like I didn't give them any hints as to what I was doing.
The characters and stories in this game are full and rich. Although I loved playing the dark side, I found it difficult at times because I really wanted to help these people. The overall story does not change too much depending upon whether you play the light side or dark side until you get to the last chapter of the game. Then I was pleasantly surprised by the alternate endings.
The graphics and sound are top notch and the cut scenes were well done though sometimes the dialogue went on a bit too long.
My biggest complaint with the game is the inventory system. You are inundated with items and it is very difficult to sort through and determine what you should be wearing/utilizing at any given time. It's like you just have a big pile of stuff and everytime you want something you have to wade through it and pull each piece out one by one and try it on to determine what is really beneficial. And, in the end, I felt that nothing really mattered too much other than just allocating your points to your character correctly.
This was a great game that really made me feel part of the Star Wars universe. I'm eagerly looking forward to starting KotOR 2 where I'll be able to turn my fellow companions to the dark side as well... (evil laugh) MWAHH, HA, HAH, HA!!
