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New KOTOR2 Trailer Released

xCepheus writes "IGN has posted a new trailer for Xbox/PC RPG Knights Of The Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords. An interesting tidbit from the trailer notes that, as your character sways towards the light or dark side, so do the rest of the characters in your party." The original was my fav non Final Fantasy RPG in recent memory, so I can't wait for this one.

52 comments

  1. could Obsidian = Bioware? by incubusnb · · Score: 1
    hopefully Obsibian can fill Bioware's very large shoes for this one

    i have faith

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    1. Re:could Obsidian = Bioware? by Ayaress · · Score: 1

      I think they can not only fill Bioware's shoes, but exceed them. Remember that Obsidian has a lot of Black Isle talent behind it, and I can't think of one Black Isle game that I didn't completely love.

    2. Re:could Obsidian = Bioware? by Spleener12 · · Score: 1

      Given that they're re-using the game engine, it shouldn't be too hard. It's basically just new force powers and a new campaign, if I recall correctly. That's not too hard to fuck up, is it?

    3. Re:could Obsidian = Bioware? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      You probably skipped their latest one:
      http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/56159 4.asp

      Black Isle:

      - Fallout 3: Cancelled
      - T.O.R.N. : Looked Crappy, Cancelled
      - BG3/Jefferson: Cancelled
      - LionHeart: Ugh

      - Icewind Dale: Nice, but not Baldur's Gate
      - Icewind Dale2: Nice, but not Baldur's Gate III

      Leaves:
      - Fallout 2 : Good, but no fallout I
      - Fallout 1 : Great Game
      - PS: T: Great Game

      While I have faith that Obsidian will be doing a good job on their games, I don't give a penny about their past as Black Isle, as they had more cancelled or canned games than released ones.

    4. Re:could Obsidian = Bioware? by Pausanias · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You can expect a darker tone in KoTOR II compared to the original. The guys at Obsidian have experience designing morbid games such as Planescape: Torment. They are very good at what they do, and we can expect an outstanding storyline, but I wonder if it'll be too dark for my taste.

      They are hard workers. One of the developers read a ton of star wars novelizations (yuck), just so he wouldn't duplicate a story that was done before.

      Still, I am suspicious. These are also the people who put out the Icewind Dale series of bland dungeon crawls. I think, though, that it was due to pressure by their former employer, and not their own volition.

    5. Re:could Obsidian = Bioware? by NealokNYU · · Score: 1
      That's not entirely fair.

      They did put out the "bland dungeon crawls" of Icewind Dale, but they did so shamelessly, as a contrast to the Baldur's Gate games and their own Planescape: Torment. I absolutely respect if you want more from your Infinity Engine RPGs than that, but for those of us who bought the games knowing what Black Isle had in store, a lot of us felt those were some of the best damned dungeon crawls we'd ever had in a D&D based game.

      Moreover, the lead designer of Planescape: Torment was one Chris Avellone. He is a (the?) project lead on KOTOR2. From what I've read, in so much as you can ever point a finger at one person for the quality of a modern game, this is the guy you can point a finger at for Planescape's quirky excellence. Granted, he was also a designer for Icewind Dale, but I stick to my assessment that you weren't being 100% fair in condemning it against Baldur's Gate or Torment

      If he's onboard and Obsidian claims to be making the game for storytelling and not for kewl St4r W4rs 4ction, I think we can rest assured that the game will be far and away better than KOTOR. (which lagged waybehind Torment in terms of overall writing quality, I felt.)

  2. IGN? by prockcore · · Score: 3, Informative

    Why link to IGN, which requires you to log in to watch the damn trailer.

    www.gametrailers.com has the same trailer and you don't need to log in.

    1. Re:IGN? by SeaEye420 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Heh, I sure didn't have to log in...Where were you clicking? :-)

      I even downloaded it, which used to be such a PITA when you weren't a subscriber.

      --
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    2. Re:IGN? by xCepheus · · Score: 2, Informative

      I noted that the trailer was available on the LucasArts website but IGN had it in both WMV and Quicktime formats... so at least the IGN link gives you the option to choose a format that best suits you. Plus, as has already been stated you don't have to log into IGN to view or download the trailer.

    3. Re:IGN? by xCepheus · · Score: 1

      I also noticed that IGN also offers both a high-res and low-res version of the trailer in the Quicktime format where as gametrailers.com does not.

    4. Re:IGN? by jutski · · Score: 1

      Sure, you don't have to log in, unless you want to view/download one of the QT versions.

    5. Re:IGN? by Randolpho · · Score: 4, Informative

      Nice of you to post a direct link. Try here:

      http://www.gametrailers.com/gt_vault/t_knightsrepu blic2_demo.html

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  3. I know I'm being negative... by rsilvergun · · Score: 4, Insightful

    but maybe this time they'll make the dark side/light side choices something other than a) Kill innocent woman in cold blood or b) don't.

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    1. Re:I know I'm being negative... by gmhowell · · Score: 5, Interesting

      The dark/light choices were a nice thing, but only in a nascent way. The trick is that light vs. dark is not the same as black vs. white. For example, in TESB, Luke going to save his friends was a white choice that led him closer to the dark side. At the tree, taking his weapons with him was obviously a dark choice, although a sensible one.

      Also, remember how often it's stated that once you start down the dark path, the easier it becomes. After the first dark step or two, make it require several light actions to go back to the light side. When at the very, very light side of the spectrum. If mining the extended universe, the dark side is also more attractive if you are powerful and light, because powerful and the dark is so much more powerful.

      Speaking of powerful, why were the high level light side powers so lame?

      Still, loved the game. And I don't fault it for not having any of this, as it was the first crack at it. And even though I expect more this time around, if it's 100% the same with a new story, I'll probably still buy it (but I'll wait until it is about $30, like I did for the first one. Make these improvements and I'll purchase when it is still at the $50 level).

      --
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    2. Re:I know I'm being negative... by Ayaress · · Score: 1

      The high level light side powers weren't lame, just nowhere near as spectacular as the dark side ones. If you throw up all those light side combat buffs, then you can dish out much more lightsabre damage, and make yourself pretty much invincible.

    3. Re:I know I'm being negative... by Spleener12 · · Score: 1
      Speaking of powerful, why were the high level light side powers so lame?

      It's more of a comparison thing, really. You can't get much more awesome than the high-level dark side powers (HELL YEAH FORCE LIGHTNING) without getting into powers that would be very un-light side-ish.

    4. Re:I know I'm being negative... by Shihar · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I actually found light side to be sickenly over powered if you went the guardian rout. My guardian smuggler could have easily beaten the entire game by himself without breaking a sweat, but I know that my dark side guy was in pain for that last level. Few things are more badass then a speed/forcejump with full buffs. Most things died first round.

      As to your point about dark/light, I agree completely. Often times in KOTOR I would have to make a decision. Then sensible thing to do is the light side option. The stupid things to do is the dark side option. The light side offers the greatest reward, while the dark side offers and equal or lesser reward. I found it more then a little annoying that I would have to be a jack ass to be on the dark side.

      So, let's consider one of the earliest situations you run into in KOTOR. You find an alien getting kicked around by some Sith troopers. The Sith troopers see you, attack, and of course die. You talk to the alien. You can either rough up and kill the alien for no reason, mug him, or be nice. The two jack ass things to do would be to kill or mug the guy. Killing or mugging the guy nets you a few credits and is all around a worthless action. Why draw attention to yourself by killing or mugging a some poor bastard? That isn't the dark side thing to do; that is the stupid thing to do. The smart thing to do is to be friendly to the guy you saved and pump him for information that might help you in your mission to get off the alien world you know nothing about. What I would propose is that you keep the option to kill/mug him for the truly insane people out there, but also include the ability be friendly in a 'dark side' way. Namely, be friendly not because you are a nice guy, but because you know he is in debt to you and you can probably get some quality information if you just crack a little smile for thirty seconds.

      This same sort of dilemma presents itself all over the game. The sensible thing to do is the light side option, while the stupid thing to do is the dark side option. The game ignores that you might do something 'nice' for purely selfish reasons.

      Another thing that would improve dark/light decisions would be to make it so that the light side choice doesn't always resolve itself nicely, and have the dark side choice some times resolve better then the light side choice. So, a hypothetical example might be that you are tasked with stopping a terrorist from blowing up the shipping yard (for whatever reasons). The dark side option is to simply confront the terrorist before he attacks and kill him, thus completing the mission and saving the shipping yard. The light side option is to talk the terrorist out of it, believe that you have succeeded, but have the shipyard blow up anyways because the terrorist was just bluffing because he knew he couldn't beat you in a fight. The dark side decision in this case is the one that has the fewest consequences, while the light side decision makes you feel like a jack ass for letting the guy go. In this case the dark side decision saves the ship yard, gets revered by whoever sent them to do the task, and saves a pile of lives. The light side decision results in the deaths of innocent lives, no reward, and some people pissed that you didn't stop the terrorist when you had the chance.

      Basically, I am saying that you should be able to play the dark side without playing like you are some stupid and crazy maniac who would rather burn an orphanage and rape the charred bodies rather then complete a vital mission.

    5. Re:I know I'm being negative... by DeepHurtn! · · Score: 1

      The trick is that light vs. dark is not the same as black vs. white.You're totally right, but KOTOR did have one situation that was a little ambiguous: Sunry's (is that his name? Jolee Bindo's buddy on Manaan) murder trial. Getting him convicted, even though it will screw the Republic, is the light side solution.

    6. Re:I know I'm being negative... by Babbster · · Score: 4, Informative

      In D&D terms, you're describing an option to be "Lawful Evil," which would indeed be more interesting than being (the only dark side option in KOTOR) "Chaotic Evil."

    7. Re:I know I'm being negative... by Shihar · · Score: 2, Interesting

      As much I absolutely hate to bring up the new SW movies, Clone Wars did show a great many scenes of how you slip to the dark side without being insane and stupid.

      Namely, the two points that stuck out in my mind was Anakin's desire to love that annoying princess wench and his destruction of the Tuskin raiders camp. The raider camp is straightforward. His mother died and he wanted revenge, rightfully so. In the case of the wench, he selfishly wanted to experience love, and placed this desire over the greater good. A Jedi is supposed to put the greater good above himself, and he can't possibly do that if he is being lead by his passions.

      I personally think they could make a more complex and interesting game if they took this idea and ran with it in KOTOR2. Let the love of someone be what leads to the dark side. Make it an actual struggle to avoid the dark side by making the decision and actual struggle.

      In KOTOR I never felt like it was a challenge to avoid the dark side. Just be a generally okay guy, don't randomly murder people, and the dark side is easily enough avoided. The light side always lead to the most satisfying and happy ending. Whenever I picked a dark side decision I felt like an ass because the dark side decision was generally you just being malicious for the sake of being malicious. There was never anything satisfying about it and there was never any temptation to fall into the dark side. Playing the game purely on feeling left you easily running to the light side and feeling good about it.

      Now, if they had instead toyed with the idea of putting love over the greater good leading to the dark side, it could have been a far more interesting game. Perhaps Bastille could have been killed by the Jedi in order to prevent her from using her Battle Meditation against them when she got turned to the dark side. Now you are faced with wanting revenge against the Jedi. For the fun of it, make it so that the Star Forge can revive her. NOW you have a real incentive to go to the dark side. Choose the light side and accept the death of your love and stop the Star Forge, or in a fit of rage take the Star Forge for yourself, revive Bastille, and wreak revenge against the Jedi for destroying your love. Now you have an interesting game and interesting decision to make between dark and light.

      The choice between Dark and Light is between the greater good and the personal good. Instead of making the 'personal good temptation' a stupid thing you don't really care about, like a few extra credits for mugging a guy, make it a real choice. Make the gamer choose between what is most satisfying to appease his emotions, or to do the right thing for the greater good. Wiping out the Jedi just because you like power isn't a satisfying dark side ending. Wiping out the Jedi in a fit of rage and furry because they decided to sacrifice something you love to preserve what they thought was the greater good is satisfying. Bonus points if the sacrifice the Jedi made ends up having no positive effect of consequence. I know it goes against all attempts to 'teach' a moral in these games, but you will know that you have done the Dark Side justice when you complete the game on the dark side and feel satisfied with the ending.

    8. Re:I know I'm being negative... by dporowski · · Score: 1

      Destroy Droid and Stasis Field ruled.

      The former annnihilated anything mechanical you found, while the other one... Well, nothing could move.

      Yeah yeah, no zappy, but DAMN, were they powerful.

    9. Re:I know I'm being negative... by MagicDude · · Score: 4, Informative

      It would probably be closer to neutral evil, since your decision to kill someone would be based on how much it suited you at that given point. Lawful evil would mean that you wouldn't kill him, not because you didn't want to, but because the consequences of being caught were worse than you're willing to accept for the act, even though you really want to see him dead.

    10. Re:I know I'm being negative... by MBraynard · · Score: 1
      It's quiet difficult to write that into games because different people have different value sets. I'm not making the case for relativism, it's just that you and I could have a long argument about what is really right and really wrong.

      I suppose what you need to do is pick a set of ethics and try to develop a game around it. Imagine a game like this with Kantian ethics and then one with Ayn Rand's ethics and then one with Christian ethics. Very different games.

    11. Re:I know I'm being negative... by Ayaress · · Score: 1

      They were both excellent powers. I couldn't remember if they were light side or universal, though. But, like you said, no zappy. The Dark side powers looks really, really sweet - which is where all the alure of the dark side comes from, I suppose. You're not only powerful, but you get to look like a total badass by choking somebody accross a room and then electrocuting them. Down the light side, you're still pretty powerful (moreso, if you play your cards right), but you don't look nearly as cool.

  4. Waldo! by mZam · · Score: 1

    Obsibian is waldo! Hooray i win!

  5. Go Bioware! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I really like Bioware, its games, and the various derivatives of its games; e.g.,

    BG2 and PlaneScape: Torment were both great games.

    NWN wasn't bad. It lacked somewhat compared to BG2, but was still fun. Haven't played the expansions.

    KOTOR was immense fun. My only complaint was that it was a little short, with the story being an almost exact replica of NWN. (e.g., Lady Aribeth == Bastila, etc. etc.)

    1. Re:Go Bioware! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      PlaneScape: Torment had nothing to do with bioware, being developed by black isle.
      this game (KOTOR2) will not have anything to do with bioware either, being written by obsidian

  6. Nice one! by BollocksToThis · · Score: 2, Funny

    The original was my fav non Final Fantasy RPG in recent memory, so I can't wait for this one.

    Ha ha, Final Fantasy an RPG! Nice one, CmdrTaco!

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    1. Re:Nice one! by obeythefist · · Score: 1, Funny

      I was wondering about that myself! I thought FF was a cutscene on a disk?

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    2. Re:Nice one! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      To the slightly mentally defunct Final Fantasy lover who added a troll mod to this comment, there is no role-playing in Final Fantasy. There was no bashing on the game, no insulting your favourite title, just a humourous way to point out that it's been labelled incorrectly. FF is an adventure game, like Zelda or Diablo. A couple of roleplaying-like elements added to a pre-set story don't make something a roleplaying game.

    3. Re:Nice one! by arhar · · Score: 1

      Obviously it it has stats and they increase over time, it HAS to be a roleplaying game ... [/sarcasm]

      It's good to know some people still know the difference between real RPG's and all the FF's/Diablos over there.

    4. Re:Nice one! by Reapy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I don't get what makes it an adventure game. An adventure game to me is sam and max or monkey island. As far as I know, rpg games are roll playing games, meaning, you play a roll, with some stats.

      KOTOR has a shallow feature to let you help or kill everything. I fail to see how this somehow makes it a better rpg game? The combat system in kotor is baldurs gate ad&d translated to star wars. Nothing creative. Final fantasy comes out with a new scheme with every game. Usually with a bit more depth. In KOTOR I just use speed, jump, and destroy everything, then get free force heals. At liest it looked cool.

      They are different types of rpg games. Final fantasy is the product of consol rpg games, and sticks to the consol style rpg. KOTOR is the product of computer rpg games, and reflects those styles. Both are great games, but both are RPG games. Role playing... you play a role, get it? RPG doesn't mean flexability to kill everything on the map, that's a feature.

      I think people need to just love games, and not get all pissed off when a game they don't like is popular and has the audacity to get classified in MY GENERA!!

      Games are good, varying features are good. Don't get all mad that both games are RPGs.

    5. Re:Nice one! by king-manic · · Score: 2, Insightful

      FF is more along the lines of "roleplaying" then wizadry 8 or ultima. FF is a role playing game, morrowind is more of a "exploit finding" game, or "how many ways I can mess with NPX's" game.

      Don't act so snotty. A RPG is a role playing game, and it also involves stats and choices. FF measures up. Your choices are just nto signigifcant tot he story, but arguably in Morrowind your choices are meaningless too.

      In essence, they all derive from the D&D idea, just think of FF as a DM thats a good story teller but makes you stict to the script, Morrowind is a DM that can't tell stories but is great at letting you customize your character and fallout is a DM with too much time on his hands.

      --
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    6. Re:Nice one! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      An adventure game to me is sam and max or monkey island.

      Hmm, an adventure game to you is one in which you control a character with a predetermined personality, along a single story path, finding the correct way to advance the game? Sounds a godawful lot like Final Fantasy to me.

      Yes, KOTOR's role playing is fairly shallow, but your choices make a change to the character and the NPCs reactions to you. The world evolves (even in a minor way) to the way YOU define the personality of the character. Your choices affect the role. Hence, role playing game.

      I think people need to just love games, and not get all pissed off when a game they don't like is popular and has the audacity to get classified in MY GENERA!!

      For future reference, the word is "genre". Anyway, nowhere did I say that I don't like Final Fantasy. It's just not an RPG. I get pissed off because I do like games, and I don't like them being misrepresented. I would correct someone who said Tetris was an RTS too, even though it has elements of strategy AND is real time.

    7. Re:Nice one! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't act so snotty. A RPG is a role playing game, and it also involves stats and choices. FF measures up. Your choices are just nto signigifcant tot he story, but arguably in Morrowind your choices are meaningless too.

      Why is it snotty to use correct terminology? In Sam and Max you can make choices that are insignificant to the story as well. Diablo has stats, and you can make choices that have no impact on the story. Fuck, even some RTS games have stats! Are these all role playing games? NO! Why not? Mostly because you don't have an effect on the role.

    8. Re:Nice one! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How on Earth did this dross get modded to "3, Insightful"?

      I could get more "insight" from reading the back of my cereal box.

      While I'm ranting, why isn't there a "-1, Grammar and Spelling" option?

    9. Re:Nice one! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How on Earth did this dross get modded to "3, Insightful"?

      Final Fantasy fanboys with no critical thinking skills, but mod points. Aparently some of them take it personally when you want their game categorized correctly.

  7. Delicious evil side antics by Wylfing · · Score: 2, Interesting
    An interesting tidbit from the trailer notes that, as your character sways towards the light or dark side, so do the rest of the characters in your party.

    This is something I expected to happen in the original, and I had so many evil plans of corruption in cohort with that evil assassin droid (can't remember his name). I was immensely entertained by the fact that my face got grayer and more veiny as my evil intensified, but I was never able to sway anyone except at the very end.

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    1. Re:Delicious evil side antics by DeepHurtn! · · Score: 2, Interesting
      I was immensely entertained by the fact that my face got grayer and more veiny as my evil intensified, but I was never able to sway anyone except at the very end.

      This was one of my disappointments too. Juhani (the cat jedi) was a perfect example of this -- she starts off as Darkside, turns back to the light, and then during her side-quest you can encourage her to give in to her rage (in fact, most of the side-quests have a dark and light side solution). But does she turn to the dark side after that? No, she just whines about regretting what she did, or something like that. Would have been nice to be able to sway your buddies over to the darkside with you (or get Canderous to become light side).

    2. Re:Delicious evil side antics by Babbster · · Score: 2, Insightful
      In terms of his words (and his actions in fighting for the newly goody two-shoes Reven), Canderous does make a start toward the light side if you talk through his entire subquest and followup (lots of regretful words about being out only for war and glory). Of course, it's not reflected on his character sheet - then again, it would have no effect if it was since he's not Force-sensitive.

      To me, the biggest problem of the light/dark choice in KOTOR is that the story path remains essentially the same, with differences only becoming evident towards the end. What would be interesting is if different planets/quests were encountered according to one's alignment. Even more entertaining (for replay value) would be if a THIRD path was encountered by those going neutral (presumably this would be the more difficult to achieve). It would take a lot of extra work but the fans would eat it up.

    3. Re:Delicious evil side antics by Rallion · · Score: 1

      That non-linearity (without resorting to overwhelming Morrowind-levels) is what made many Black Isle games (namely Fallout) great. Since KoTOR has such a touted non-linear plot (which it doesn't, really, as everybody's pointed out) it makes sense to me that this 'new Black Isle' would do something a bit like that.

      I'm very optimistic about this game, really.

    4. Re:Delicious evil side antics by paulcammish · · Score: 1
      ...I had so many evil plans of corruption in cohort with that evil assassin droid...

      His name is HK-47, Meatbag.

    5. Re:Delicious evil side antics by Chmcginn · · Score: 1

      What's so wrong with Morrowind? I mean, I'm only about 350 hours into the game, so I'm not that far through it, but.... ;)

      --
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  8. Is IGN's trailer the same as LucasArts'? by antdude · · Score: 2, Informative

    direct link. I assume it is the same.

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  9. Don't think you should admit that in public by Pluvius · · Score: 1

    The original was my fav non Final Fantasy RPG in recent memory

    Not that KOTOR is your favorite non-FF RPG, but that an FF is your favorite RPG. You get enough troll posts about you as it is.

    Rob

    1. Re:Don't think you should admit that in public by xCepheus · · Score: 1

      Ya, come on, everyone knows that Zelda is better than FF. :-)

    2. Re:Don't think you should admit that in public by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ah yes, elite dorkism at its finest.

  10. Different Endings by paulcammish · · Score: 1
    Personally, im going to be interested to see how they handle the different endings from the first game.

    Avoiding spoilers, the end of the first came game could be potentially very galaxy changing, so it will be interesting to see how they handle the different potential endings, maybe checking for saves on the Xbox HDD, then playing the appropriate intro....

    1. Re:Different Endings by Chyeld · · Score: 1

      Actually they will probably do a Deus Ex 2 and pick the ending that wasn't actually in the game. Still cheeses me off.

    2. Re:Different Endings by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or they could have KOTR2 take place prior to the first game.

    3. Re:Different Endings by Kaimelar · · Score: 1
      Personally, im going to be interested to see how they handle the different endings from the first game.

      I remember reading in the Computer Game World preview (I think that was the source -- the magazine/issue with Tribes 1/2 free) that KOTOR2 would have the first few missions/encounters ask you questions. Based on your responses, it figures out what you think the ending to the original game was, and adjusts accordingly.

  11. yawn... by araczynski · · Score: 0

    personally i didn't find anything spectacular about the first KOTOR, and quite frankly I won't waste my time/money on the second one. The world seemed dry, sparse, disjointed, not fleshed out. whatever. i'll probably have more fun with D3/HL2, and i'm an RPG'er at heart.

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