Writing Sample

Star Wars: The Old Republic

The release of Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) in July 2003 marked a historic moment for Star Wars fans across the globe – a Star Wars video game that was actually fun to play. The game had an in-depth storyline that added to the already massive Star Wars universe from the movies, books, and comic books. The game gained credibility with fans by incorporating stories from the comic books into the game. KOTOR left Star Wars fans eager for a sequel, but KOTOR II: The Sith Lords left much to be desired.

The Sith Lords was modeled after KOTOR, but it was developed by a different company. Despite the fact that the new company followed the same game design, the game was lacking in story and functionality. The Sith Lords was originally scheduled for release in February 2005, but was released early in December 2004 in an effort to take advantage of holiday sales. It seems that the game was rushed out before it was adequately tested because many of the non-playable character (NPC) stories would not trigger at the intended moments. The game was also quite short and the story had too many holes in it for many fans. The Sith Lords was a disappointing sequel to an excellent and well-loved game.

Since 2005, fans of KOTOR have wondered if another sequel would be released and speculated about who would develop it if a sequel were to be made.  Fans waited eagerly for news of a new game, but for four years there was no word came. That changed in 2009 when it was announced that the original developer of KOTOR had begun work developing a new game called The Old Republic. Fans flocked to The Old Republic website in droves to sign-up for the news letter – many crossing their fingers and hoping to be chosen as a beta tester.  Will The Old Republic be the game Star Wars fans have been dreaming about?

The Old Republic is similar to KOTOR because it takes place on the same time-line as KOTOR, but the differences between the two games outnumber the similarities. Early screenshots and concept art look very much like the original KOTOR and The Sith Lords. The look of the games does not seem to have changed. Many of the planets available to visit in The Old Republic are also the same ones that were visited in KOTOR and The Sith Lords. These elements will make fans feel right-at-home in The Old Republic universe.

The main difference between KOTOR and The New Republic is the method of game-play. KOTOR and The Sith Lords were both released for game consoles as well as PC, and although online connectivity was available, online game-play was seriously limited. The Old Republic is being developed for PC instead of for game consoles. The Old Republic will be a Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG).  While playing The Old Republic, players will be able to interact with other players located across the globe.

Since The Old Republic is an MMORPG, the game will be larger and less linear than the original KOTORs. The developers are currently creating classes, planets, and quests for the game. A large effort is going into making The Old Republic the best Star Wars game in history. One way this is being accomplished is through the voice acting; each character will have its own unique voice. No two character’s voices will be the same in an effort to increase the realistic-feeling of the game. The Old Republic also has more character classes to choose from, and these classes are more detailed than they were in the first KOTORs. These are just two examples of the care that is being put into the creation of this game.

Will The Old Republic be the game that Star Wars fans have been longing for since the first KOTOR? It is difficult to say until after the game has been released, but it appears that this game has great potential for being the best Star Wars game of all time. Will that potential develop? A lot of Star Wars fans are holding their breath.