When I wrote about Knights of the Old Republic I, I admittedly gushed over it, calling it one of the best games ever due to it's mix of great story, strong characters, and the ease by which even RPG novices such as myself could enjoy it.  Now the reins for the franchise passed on to Obisidian Enterainment and I think a few horses fell off the wagon between KoTOR 1 and KoTOR2.  Am I going to say that KoTOR 2 is a terrible game? No, in fact in some areas, it retains many of the aspects which proved to be so enjoyable in KoTOR 1; but in other areas it falters, making it difficult to so readily suggest using your valuable time to play it.

I think it's important from the outset here to establish the fact that my lukewarm response to this game does not in part depend on the graphics.  I've never felt that the graphics in a game were the all encompassing reason to play a game.  Sure, good graphics do make my Radeon 9700 purr with delight but I personally can still play older games like Diablo II and enjoy them the same if not more than a Half-Life 2 or Doom 3. Content means a lot more to me than flashy graphics which might again explain the physical convulsions I feel when I get next to an Xbox or Gamecube (Playstation 2 at least possesses the Gran Turismo series). 

KoTOR2 retains the same engine as KoTOR 1 which means the graphics, while adequate, will definitely not make you stand up and cheer.  But, content does make up for some of this but unlike KoTOR 1, this sequel misses some content in terms of gameplay, storyline, and the balance of fun provided between the Light and Dark side. 

Now admittedly, the gameplay of both Knights game can best be described as "basic" or even "rudimentary."  If you're a hardcore RPGer who greatly enjoys micromanaging each step of your character and also sweats the details like "Will my dexterity be greater if I wear the Earring of Hope or the Earring of Despair?" then KoTOR 2 will leave you vastly wanting in terms of gameplay depth.  The basic character attributes are there (strength, dexterity, constitution, charisma) and yes items can again be modified or interchanged to give you boosts to certain skills, but all in all it doesn't matter much. By the time you get a lightsaber and some Force skills, your character can pretty much wail on anyone they encounter easily. Is this a bad thing? Well for me, as a novice RPGer whose biggest concern was getting an awesome crystal for my lightsaber, no it wasn't.  I tried to give my main character the best armor of course but after a while anything would do, especially when you realize that in close combat you can simply hit once, run away, then repeat that over and over in melee to pretty much walk away from any battle unscathed. 

The storyline for KoTOR2 provides great entertainment if you played KoTOR1 and even if you're a Star Wars dork but also fails in several key points, particularly at the end of the game. The storyline picks up some time after the events of KoTOR1.  You're the lone wolf thrust into events which you have no desire to be a part of but are given no choice.  You and your motley bunch must go from system to system trying to piece together the overarching events occurring on the various planets as well as make amends with those who wronged your character after the Mandalorian wars.  Of particular interest are the party members Kreia and Visas, both female Jedi who will provide a vast array of skills and dialogue to enjoy. 

An observant person in one of the forums discussing the game brought up an interesting point: Unlike KoTOR1 where the stereotypes of different characters followed the movies (a wise sage Yoda like, a giant but humble Wookie), now we see differing types of personas which run counter to what we have seen on the screen.  And in fact entire groups of people (namely the Jedi) own traits which vastly differ from what you might expect and run counter to their portrayal in the movies.  It could be argued that KoTOR2 turns out to be an anti-Jedi game.  

A new twist on the storyline encompasses your crewmates. As you continue to play your teammates will take cues from your behavior and unlike KoTOR1, their dialogue will change as your attitude changes.  If you take the Light side, for example, those who might have a more evil disposition might become to some degree a little more compassionate.  Follow the Dark Side and even the most angelic of angels in your squad begin to shoot first and ask questions never.

The biggest disappointment in the game concerns the ending and the build up to the ending.  Rather than allow you to keep your crewmates together or select the party you want, the game splits your party into different groups or forces your character to go solo for far too long. Of course I can understand going solo for the final boss but forcing me to run solo at another time with one of my secondary characters does not make the game fun but instead tedious and I felt served no useful purpose.

Also, the ending well and truly sucks.  Kill the boss and roll credits. Thanks for playing. Even the cheesy "Oh-great-savior-thanks-so-much" parade at the end of KoTOR 1 was more desirable than what occurs (or doesn't occur) at the end of KoTOR2.  It's my understanding that a great deal of dialogue and sub-plots with your crewmates were excluded from the finished product and some clever fellow hacked the games files and found it all (with sound no less) so perhaps if I took the time to read that dialogue things might make more sense. But as it is right now, the end of the game felt rushed with too many loose ends left open or too many plots just dropped outright. 

My final complaint pertains to the balance of fun provided between the light and dark side. In the first one the two sides seemed about on par but now, even after only getting a small fraction of the way with the Dark Side, the dialogue between characters, the fighting with Force Powers, and the dialog branches seem much more robust and more fleshed out than with the Light Side.  Naturally, who wants to be a do-gooder in a game but already I've seen better dialogue and side discussions between my characters as a Dark Side user than Light Side. 

Fans of the original KoTOR 1 and Star Wars fans will probably easily overlook these shortcomings but I feel it's important to be honest about them.  While I played through KoTOR 1 at least five times, I'm uncertain if the shortcomings in KoTOR 2 will make that a desirable option.  Maybe I just need to play it a few more times.  :P