Star Wars: The Old Republic

 PC
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 2879 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,378 out of 2879
  2. Mixed: 545 out of 2879
  3. Negative: 956 out of 2879
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  1. Goosebump
    Dec 23, 2011
    7
    *** Pros (in no specific order other than as they come to me): Fantastic voice acting throughout. Decent graphics. Star Wars! Nice twist on professions by letting your companion(s) grind em while you get on with other stuff. Decent stories and class chains. Good travel options (only let down by the ridiculously long fleet recall cd). Various levels of mob difficulty for their*** Pros (in no specific order other than as they come to me): Fantastic voice acting throughout. Decent graphics. Star Wars! Nice twist on professions by letting your companion(s) grind em while you get on with other stuff. Decent stories and class chains. Good travel options (only let down by the ridiculously long fleet recall cd). Various levels of mob difficulty for their respective level. Bioware, Lucasarts are two greats in the industry. Reasonable UI options but can get very cluttered with frames overlapping side action bars and the likes. Your own space ship is cool and some space fights are great fun. Two options to take on how you want to res when you die - this is really good. Everyone can resurrect people out of combat. Nice chat choice roll system when in a group on quests. Dark and Light side is another bit of fun to focus on when levelling. *** Cons: PvP - just don't bother. Dire combat mechanics for melee - WoW is light years ahead in terms of combat fun for a melee class in this regard. Ranged combat seems ok and doesnt feel anywhere as awkward or clunky as melee combat. The deposit scaling with buyout price and auction time is insanely high and totally discourages people posting things on the auction house - especially while levelling where credits are tight. The taint of EA is in the back of players minds that have been stung by their awful support and/or dollar-grabbing previously - I truely wish Bioware would cut all ties with these guys. *** Summary: From my six years of WoW, this is not a WoW killer imho for those interested in it as a potential challenger. It's something that can be played alongside WoW purely for the whole Star Wars thing goin on but I have my doubts about the longevity of the game unless Bioware can keep it interesting - we'll just have to wait and see. The frustrating combat mechanics, bad deposit system on the auction house and after thought PvP are enough to make me cancel my sub when my 30 days are up however. This is not a bash at the game by the way - it's an honest opinion - there's alot to love in the game too as you can see in the pros above and maybe the cons are things that you can live with - if so, great - have a blast! 7/10… Expand
  2. Kassdhal
    Dec 31, 2011
    7
    I am very mixed about this game. Went up to lvl 45 at the moment, participated in the beta and have tried 3 other characters to levl 10-12.

    On one hand it is a pure Bioware game, with amazing RPG feature and story, a strong SW background and a very solid gameplay, very good realization, interesting PVP battlegrounds, the Companion system is great, .... On the other hand, the comparison    I am very mixed about this game. Went up to lvl 45 at the moment, participated in the beta and have tried 3 other characters to levl 10-12.

    On one hand it is a pure Bioware game, with amazing RPG feature and story, a strong SW background and a very solid gameplay, very good realization, interesting PVP battlegrounds, the Companion system is great, ....

    On the other hand, the comparison with WOW is unavoidable and this is where we see what's missing in TOR: the polish that Blizzard put in everything. There are a load of very good things in TOR but, for example, myriads of small things that makes your life easy in WoW are missing (too many load screens, too many small zones, Town Portal system that needs to be improved, tons of small information that should be present in details instead of giving overall numbers, several bugs that should have been eliminated in Alpha version in the fly system for example, or in the fact that often you are out of a BG because the game does not let you go outside of the start zone before the end of the timer).

    Also some key features like a LFD system are missing, which makes finding a group for Flashpoint a real pain in the ass. There are no statistic system that would allow a player to track what he's done in the game, ...
    Also not possible yet to have two spec, which means that you need a full respec if you want to be a tank or a heal, which makes, again, finding flashpoint groups a pain in the ass...

    Very very mixed feeling. Sadly, I feel like it misses maybe 6 month of polish, a little the same feeling as for when Warhammer was launched, very strong base but not polished enough. Way better than WoW at the start but the competition is not anymore Wow in 2005... Prediction is that there will be c. 500-700k player for a while but baring implementation of the key features very very quickly, there will be a huge leakage as soon as Diablo 3 or Guild Wars 2 will be out.

    A good game, but not good enough. A very good, BioWare, RPG game, but not enough to nail the MMO part bit.    … Expand
  3. SchroederRock
    May 7, 2012
    7
    SW The Old Republic is quite the achievement for the newcomer into MMO's (BioWare/EA). It's essentially WoW with lightsabers. But for every great achievement found in this game, there seems to be a drawback. The leveling process is fairly well done (not too hard, not too easy) and the space missions are a great change of pace while questing. However, it's like BioWare took much of whatSW The Old Republic is quite the achievement for the newcomer into MMO's (BioWare/EA). It's essentially WoW with lightsabers. But for every great achievement found in this game, there seems to be a drawback. The leveling process is fairly well done (not too hard, not too easy) and the space missions are a great change of pace while questing. However, it's like BioWare took much of what made WoW great but left a lot of the nuances that allowed the MMO giant to streamline group play and get people into special dungeons/instances (called Flashpoints in TOR). The voice acting is a nice touch and cutscenes are a welcomed element, giving more attention to things like the story that you play through depending on your class chosen. Then there's the light side/dark side choices you can make, which may lend a lot of replayability to TOR. But still, that's if you get hooked enough to continue on. After leveling a 50 and a couple alternative classes AND doing all the latest & greatest in Operations (raids) and Warzones (battlegrounds/PvP) often, TOR has steadily become less and less glamorous. The point that took me years to hit with World of Warcraft has only taken me roughly 4 months to hit in TOR. And while it's been a good investment, I feel this game will only be a flash in the pan for the mass majority. I'd be more interested to play Guild Wars 2, TERA, or the upcoming Elder Scrolls Online at this point to experience the MMO genre. But all that to say that SWTOR is good, it's just not the great competitor to WoW that everyone hyped it to be.… Expand
  4. Lycanthrope
    Jan 13, 2012
    7
    Best MMO there is at the moment. Immersive, choice-oriented and successfully manages to make you feel important and part of the world. Some minor niggles: no LFG window or dungeon finder equivalent, very limited varieties of armour, cannot sell the exact same armour cross-faction without it changing to something else. But as far as MMOs go, it'll be incredibly hard to upstage this one.
  5. Cookies5000
    May 1, 2012
    7
    SWTOR the game with quite the storyline. Decent game but I was hoping more from the PvP front of things than HUTTBALL. Game still has some fun factor in it but the latest event was too short and I still disapprove of the handling of the PvP system currently. Ilum was handled poorly and all the exploiters still got to keep their rewards while the rest of us who played the game legitSWTOR the game with quite the storyline. Decent game but I was hoping more from the PvP front of things than HUTTBALL. Game still has some fun factor in it but the latest event was too short and I still disapprove of the handling of the PvP system currently. Ilum was handled poorly and all the exploiters still got to keep their rewards while the rest of us who played the game legit basically got told that we should have been exploiting as well. It's really quite dumb. Besides that though good storyline, loveable choices like I would love to have in all MMOs, and awesome side kicks that help you adventure along. Sad thing is once you're done the main point of the side kick is to craft or gather for you which seems kinda pointless really. You build a relationship...ohh thx for helping me kill such and such enjoy your time mining some rocks for me while I go PvP in huttball. Space combat I was hoping for something more but it's an crazy easy arcade game no matter what level you are. So I give it a 7 as its worth a few months of fun.… Expand
  6. Berzerker556
    Mar 16, 2012
    7
    Very typical MMO in that it plays very similarly to wow.

    I like the specialization of classes, except that you cannot undo that decision, so if you go with one sub class you have to re-roll and level the same character to swap to the other sub class. This is a design oversight in my eye. II found that overall the story was very generic, and the Empire side was to evil for evils sake and    Very typical MMO in that it plays very similarly to wow.

    I like the specialization of classes, except that you cannot undo that decision, so if you go with one sub class you have to re-roll and level the same character to swap to the other sub class. This is a design oversight in my eye. II found that overall the story was very generic, and the Empire side was to evil for evils sake and the republic felt very vanilla, in a goody two shoes way. Technically, the game looks good and has a good level of polish, but I did run into stability issues and some setting and the game has lowish frame rates on a high-end system. I also noticed that you don't really have to interact with other players and found that as with most MMOs the other players usually make the experience worse so this was a plus or a minus depending on your point of view. One interesting mechanic I loved was the space combat, It was a good idea that needs refinement. I would like to see it evolve into a full "flight sim" implementation as opposed to the current scripted track implementation. Overall if you are tired of fantasy MMOs and want something with a different flavor give this a shot, just be prepared because to me it felt like wow with lightsabers.    … Expand
  7. intruder313
    Dec 21, 2011
    7
    They really have played it safe with this one, largely cloning WoW but adding a few nice touches that make things even easier and allows you to focus on the fun rather than the grind (so far it seems). Highlights include Space Combat events, Companions and Crafting by proxy.

    Very much marring the experience though are the horrendous PvP Instances, the blatant dominance of the "Mage" Class    They really have played it safe with this one, largely cloning WoW but adding a few nice touches that make things even easier and allows you to focus on the fun rather than the grind (so far it seems). Highlights include Space Combat events, Companions and Crafting by proxy.

    Very much marring the experience though are the horrendous PvP Instances, the blatant dominance of the "Mage" Class (this was abundantly clear in Beta so no excuses for going live like this) and the gigantic queues (which will subside).

    Treat it as a solo Bioware game and it's great, the MMO aspects needs a bit more work though to escape the WoW-clone badge.    … Expand
  8. Superstring
    Dec 20, 2011
    7
    The game is average. The only new thing that makes it stand out is VO, which is quite controversial. Everything else is good old WoW with lightsabers.
  9. PLANETX
    Mar 13, 2012
    7
    I have been waiting for this game to come out ever since it was officially acknowledged to the public. I was one of the people who went on the site every Friday looking for the weekly update. When the game finally came out I spent a lot of time leveling my character, moving through the story, and killing other players along the way. Overall the leveling experience is by far the best of anyI have been waiting for this game to come out ever since it was officially acknowledged to the public. I was one of the people who went on the site every Friday looking for the weekly update. When the game finally came out I spent a lot of time leveling my character, moving through the story, and killing other players along the way. Overall the leveling experience is by far the best of any MMO to date. The story is really what makes this game what it is, combing the best aspects of a singleplayer RPG, with an MMO was really mastered in swtor. However, with that all said there are still many problems. Unbalanced classes, an assortment of glitches which seem to never get fixed, and of course lack of good end-game content. Everyone plays an MMO for its end-game content, which is the whole point of leveling. Once you get there the Operations are very enjoyable, but then it gets way to repetitive way to fast, there are many bugs that still haven't been fixed, and of course a very small selection. They spent most of their time focusing on sucking people in early and mid game that they seemed to forget that the end game exists. People need something to do on their max level main character, it's not the point to create new characters, you want to be able to use your first character. Not being able to do that was really the fatal blow that caused me to quit. I enjoyed the game very much, I consider it a masterpiece among MMO's, but they still have a lot to work on if it's going to be worth playing at end game. I don't doubt that the future will cure the problems I faced, but for now it has yet to happen.… Expand
  10. Kazee
    Feb 12, 2012
    7
    Positives: SW:TOR is a fine MMO offering that had a smooth launch but inadequate endgame, which is about as much as you can hope for from a modern MMO.

    Negatives: Some of the class design choices went too far trying to differentiate from accepted 'trinity' ability distribution (a stealth healer with DPS? kind of OP. A pure Tank class that doesn't have effective mob gathering skills? Not    Positives: SW:TOR is a fine MMO offering that had a smooth launch but inadequate endgame, which is about as much as you can hope for from a modern MMO.

    Negatives: Some of the class design choices went too far trying to differentiate from accepted 'trinity' ability distribution (a stealth healer with DPS? kind of OP. A pure Tank class that doesn't have effective mob gathering skills? Not a good idea.) The story is very well done, but becomes tedious on subsequent play through. After reading some of the reviews here and on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, I think I will be avoiding 'User reviews' on Metacritic from here on. The hyperbole of the reviews and the flimsy justifications for the extreme positions are not entertaining nor a good guide to whether or not anyone should purchase a game, which I think should be the most useful thing about them.

    I justify a score of 7 because I was thoroughly entertained for my first play through and I am regularly raiding with my guild. I would highly recommend a guild for grouping and endgames. As with every MMO ever, pug tanks will make you want to perform seppuku.

    A zero through three should only be given to a thoroughly broken game, not because the game designers made a perfectly acceptable design decision that you didn't like. A ten should only be given to a game that cures terminally ill children and creates a bridge to Valhalla.    … Expand
  11. grammarye
    Dec 20, 2011
    7
    TOR has managed to revitalise the tired MMO market with an actual story; nay eight actual stories, that have the same level & quality of Bioware storytelling we've all become used to in Mass Effect, KOTOR and the like. Sure, it's now in an MMO which means some aspects of flow have been sacrificed, and there are some key MMO typical features that seem absent, but nevertheless it fitsTOR has managed to revitalise the tired MMO market with an actual story; nay eight actual stories, that have the same level & quality of Bioware storytelling we've all become used to in Mass Effect, KOTOR and the like. Sure, it's now in an MMO which means some aspects of flow have been sacrificed, and there are some key MMO typical features that seem absent, but nevertheless it fits together pretty well. Extremely stable, sounds great & looks gorgeous.

    The game presents you with a series of worlds to play on, tailored to a set of levels, although the story will have you returning to earlier worlds and tougher areas at points. Pacing is fair, perhaps a little fast, when compared to, say, World of Warcraft, and indeed it's hard not to compare the two; the mechanics are quite similar. Where they diverge is the involving story & fully voiced content, along with better crafting mechanisms & more diverse & useful skills. If I compare my experiences between levelling up a character in WoW and one in TOR, I would say I have experienced less burnout, less frustration, and more fun in TOR.    … Expand
  12. DudasDrakaan
    Dec 23, 2011
    7
    I'll state upfront that this game is not good enough to charge a $15/ month fee. NO game is -- period. If a company needs long term revenue then there are other ways to get that without mandatory fees. Valve has shown this with their store, and then there are the DLCs that Bethesda has used. Both of these methods are annoying, but they do not detract from a game. The fact that you canI'll state upfront that this game is not good enough to charge a $15/ month fee. NO game is -- period. If a company needs long term revenue then there are other ways to get that without mandatory fees. Valve has shown this with their store, and then there are the DLCs that Bethesda has used. Both of these methods are annoying, but they do not detract from a game. The fact that you can lose your account and all data attached to it if you cease paying for it is, by contrast, a live issue for any game. _____ My soap box aside, this is an extremely fun game that -- at least in terms of storyline -- does something that other MMOs do not: allow multiple players to determine the course of a story by taking a vote of what action to take. The lightside/ darkside choices and dialogue should be familiar to KOTOR fans, and TOR has expanded this to the multiplayer. Now, what I have trouble with is the wait times during Instances (that is to say those areas where multiple players go together and determine the course of the story during an event). If a player is lagging behind -- looting and so forth -- then you will have to wait on that person to catch up before you can move on. There is no skipping waiting for that person, and so this can destroy your experience. Bioware could have allowed the player to forgo their part in the story, or just teleport them to their team to cut the annoyance on the press of a button, but no. And I'm not even going to go into teamwork, any online gamer should know matching yourself with random people will make that stitchy. It's just all the sitting, and the waiting, that ruins the experience. This is true for all the minor snatch-and-grab quests that are annoying, even when you are by yourself. How I want the ability to "fast travel" like on Oblivion or Skyrim (and I'm not trolling, but seriously -- why can't a different company use that system to cut down unnecessary travel time). It is not as if they are trying to make Star Wars realistic.... _____ But within these things is the sandbox experience, and the cool, novel features that have yet to be ironed out. When they are the story portion will be vastly improved. The writing itself is still Bioware quality, even though I've found character responses to often be repetitive this is to be expected with a work so massive as this. Combat matches the KOTOR/ WOW style that everyone is talking about, so I'm not going to go into that. I will just say that it stays true to KOTOR enough that I'm not complaining, though the fact that you have to go to a "Trainer" instead of acquring abilities "through the Force," as was explained in the previous KOTOR makes leveling annoying at times and -- in addition -- questions the validity of those previous Star Wars games. Does a Jedi acquire his abilities through practice and from force within, as KOTOR implied? Or does he/she need a master to acquire these abilities, as TOR is now suggesting? I'm not going to force the fact that it makes TOR unnecessarily like WOW in this respect. Finding and paying trainers are a hassle. Nothing that would block a player from getting an "unfair advantage," they are simply an annoyance: why doesn't Bioware make you file an income tax in the game every year while they are at it? Furthermore, it disturbs the lore of Star Wars. Since Dark Forces II there has been both lore that a person gains abilities through experience (which makes sense) but this must first be instigated after learning the basics from a master or other teaching source (also makes sense). Why is TOR suddenly violating this lore? For "game balance?" It just seems like an unnecessary kick in the crotch. _____ In summary, this is a good game but it still has quirks which need to be resolved. If these were resolved, then you're looking at a fantastic game. If Bioware would stop playing the role of King John, like Blizzard, and stop levying a game tax, then you are looking at a 10. Though, really, it would probably be like a 94% due to the graphical glitches and the general look which is outdated. But graphics are forgivable. As are the timing quirks and slow pacing. But a slow game that charges $15/month?... NO. Now if you are rich and have too much time on your hands: this is a game for you.… Expand
  13. DustyPig
    Mar 6, 2013
    7
    I've never been immersed in an MMO before, but I felt like giving SWTOR a try due to it being, well, a Star Wars game. It didn't make me like the combat system commonly used in an MMO, but I began to see why someone would. The graphics aren't great but they do the Star Wars world justice; after all, who sees Star Wars for the realistic and detailed content? Being a Sith Lord is awesome,I've never been immersed in an MMO before, but I felt like giving SWTOR a try due to it being, well, a Star Wars game. It didn't make me like the combat system commonly used in an MMO, but I began to see why someone would. The graphics aren't great but they do the Star Wars world justice; after all, who sees Star Wars for the realistic and detailed content? Being a Sith Lord is awesome, and anyone who appreciates Star Wars will enjoy emulating their favourite character or creating their own. The free to play option is decent; it's annoying to get less XP and be forced to grind to progress in the story, but it doesn't feel restricting in terms of PVP battles and space missions. Overall, my main complaint is the grinding, but it's only bad because of the story focus something that is rare in MMOs. And if the player finds it that bad, all they need to do is get a subscription.… Expand
  14. Falrinth
    Feb 1, 2012
    7
    Game casts a spell on me whenever i do questing and immerse myself in the lore, which is easy, because of the full voiceover. I love questing and doing flashpoints. They made it excellent, its going in right direction! At this point my vote would be: 9/10.
    However its mmorpg and as mmorpg i have bought it. At this moment the mmo part of the game is not very enjoyable (excluding the 4man    Game casts a spell on me whenever i do questing and immerse myself in the lore, which is easy, because of the full voiceover. I love questing and doing flashpoints. They made it excellent, its going in right direction! At this point my vote would be: 9/10.
    However its mmorpg and as mmorpg i have bought it. At this moment the mmo part of the game is not very enjoyable (excluding the 4man flashpoints), due to horrid performance (dont aim for mmo part of swtor like warzones unless you have i5 CPU or higher unless you like PvP with 5-18fps). They simply overdosed polygons in the warzones not thinking about performance at all... Interface in many places is rushed and not working as intended, let alone be comfortable.
    Its beta - but that shoudlnt suprise anyone anymore, becouse thats usuall EA and other low quality producers' strategy.

    So far it wont score more than 7 from me. There is a chance they gonna improve some things soon, becouse some parts of the game are really outstanding and cool.    … Expand
  15. ufte34
    Dec 20, 2011
    7
    hold on a sec, i see where this is going those people who are calming to reach max level, gave the game a rating of 0 on the first day, is that even possible (not even possible if you got access to the game before 5 days of release)?. those people who compares the game with XXX gave a rating of 1 or 2. those people who reached level 32 gave the game rating of 0(it's been 6 hours since thehold on a sec, i see where this is going those people who are calming to reach max level, gave the game a rating of 0 on the first day, is that even possible (not even possible if you got access to the game before 5 days of release)?. those people who compares the game with XXX gave a rating of 1 or 2. those people who reached level 32 gave the game rating of 0(it's been 6 hours since the game has been released). those people who are complain about a game being a grind gave the rating of 0-2, note to self if you are going to play an MMO it's a grind. those people who say it's a clone of another XXX mmo, every MMO has been an clone of others, get your brains examined. any one who compares this game to WOW gave a rating of 0. and most of those people never even played SWTOR.… Expand
  16. dobserver
    Oct 8, 2013
    7
    I did have fun playing this game as I do like Star Wars Lore and do prefer solo-ing MMOs unless I have to group up. Thus this may not be a game for everyone if you like the more MMO aspects of it. I have a feeling EA and Bioware were trying to be greedy in targeting both sets of audiences and charging a premium for it.

    Story: Was decent with the voice acting and the quests seem to try    I did have fun playing this game as I do like Star Wars Lore and do prefer solo-ing MMOs unless I have to group up. Thus this may not be a game for everyone if you like the more MMO aspects of it. I have a feeling EA and Bioware were trying to be greedy in targeting both sets of audiences and charging a premium for it.

    Story: Was decent with the voice acting and the quests seem to try and tie into the main story a lot better than some other MMOs I played. It's a bit weak at times, but not bad for an MMO.

    Gameplay: I like the variety of skills that you can choose to use on your toolbar or expanded toolbar, BUT the animations do not link very well with the key press and the cooldowns are all over the place. Combat seemed to be just punching buttons and hoping for the best. IF the key presses matched the animations, it would have been okay.

    Sounds and video were decent. Sometimes a bit glitchy. I would say the gameplay is a bit slow, it takes forever to get past the initial hold your hand levels and I found travelling to be slow, even when I had a speeder. Was surprised to find so much voice acting in an MMO, a nice bioware touch.

    Found classes and character limitation to be a bit limiting. Though it was kind of cool that each character had a distinct story (sadly not very customizeable) but quite deep good effort.

    Recommend this game if you have patience, are a Star Wars fan and prefer solo PVE. Else, pass.

    Not worth buying at all since the core of the game has some problems.    … Expand
  17. proscure
    Jan 17, 2012
    7
    Narrative(story) wise this games tops WoW by far. But unfortunatly the questing is dreadfull. Most of the same after a few lvls. The Ship/Companion/Gatherings are also things i feel very positive about.
    Also the flashpoints are nice cause there is a story in it which evolves as you progress.
    But I still feel like i want to skip quests and just experience the story. So there is where it    Narrative(story) wise this games tops WoW by far. But unfortunatly the questing is dreadfull. Most of the same after a few lvls. The Ship/Companion/Gatherings are also things i feel very positive about.
    Also the flashpoints are nice cause there is a story in it which evolves as you progress.

    But I still feel like i want to skip quests and just experience the story. So there is where it fails for me.    … Expand
  18. Ngamok
    Jan 13, 2012
    7
    Great Space Themed MMO with voice overs. I have tried the Smuggler, Trooper, Bounty Hunter and Imperial Agent and love the stories they have associated with them. Game has some flaws and important issues needed with MMOs that are being released today. No guild functionality, dual specs are required, UI customization and moving UI elements around. Graphics and worlds look amazing. So IGreat Space Themed MMO with voice overs. I have tried the Smuggler, Trooper, Bounty Hunter and Imperial Agent and love the stories they have associated with them. Game has some flaws and important issues needed with MMOs that are being released today. No guild functionality, dual specs are required, UI customization and moving UI elements around. Graphics and worlds look amazing. So I give it a 7 because of launching with some basic stuff missing. But the story and voice overs are amazing.… Expand
  19. Ordish
    Nov 23, 2012
    7
    Just because it is Star Wars the game starts with a score of 5 instead of zero. There is a lot to like about Star Wars: The Old Republic, and there is a lot that could have been done better. The Good:
    The graphics are good and mesh very well with the whole Star Wars universe. The sound effects are excellent also keeping in line with the Star Wars universe. The greatest strength of this    Just because it is Star Wars the game starts with a score of 5 instead of zero. There is a lot to like about Star Wars: The Old Republic, and there is a lot that could have been done better. The Good:
    The graphics are good and mesh very well with the whole Star Wars universe. The sound effects are excellent also keeping in line with the Star Wars universe. The greatest strength of this title is the story line, which is both compelling and action packed. The story makes good use of decisions affecting your character build. The Bad: After more than a decade of MMO's that use the age old, and tired, grind fest for leveling, this game will leave you feeling less than original. The story line is good but not even a fresh coat of paint will cover up a bad base coat. The game play is typical of most MMO's of the last decade. Get quest, kill x number of bad things, return to quest giver for reward. Rinse, repeat. Overall, you can't beat the price (free) and if you are a Star Wars fan you will likely enjoy many parts of the game. Just not for very long.    … Expand
  20. IriathZhul
    Jan 21, 2012
    7
    I should probably start by saying that I don't actually have a subscription. I'm just speaking from tail-end-of-beta experience. I enjoyed the game, I really did. And then I completed the Sith Warrior storyline and realized that what had kept me going was the amazing story.

    The stories and roleplaying and characters in this game are stunning. The tragic fact, however, is that you'd have    I should probably start by saying that I don't actually have a subscription. I'm just speaking from tail-end-of-beta experience. I enjoyed the game, I really did. And then I completed the Sith Warrior storyline and realized that what had kept me going was the amazing story.

    The stories and roleplaying and characters in this game are stunning. The tragic fact, however, is that you'd have to roll 8 different alts to experience all 8 stories, or 16 if you want to see the different sides of those stories, not to mention the infinite permutations by going back and forth. Anyways, I say this game is fun and I'm happy for people who enjoy it, I really am, but there's a reason I didn't subscribe--it doesn't function enough as an MMO to make up for the rather "blah" end-game material. I end by reiterating a lot of other people's wishes--this game should have been singleplayer. Bioware could have made the "Dragon Age" of Star Wars RPGs and it would have been legendary, and they went for an MMO instead. At least they'll make enough money from it to fund better games in the future.    … Expand
  21. Sevvy88
    Dec 20, 2011
    7
    For years many gamers have watched and waited for a game that would pique their interest in the same way WoW did (and for many continues to) did years ago. The MMO market has been a dreadful one, and Bioware promised alot with this game. Did they deliver? Early signs are pointing, for the most part, yes. The game is extremely well put together. The zones flow well, the story clicks along,For years many gamers have watched and waited for a game that would pique their interest in the same way WoW did (and for many continues to) did years ago. The MMO market has been a dreadful one, and Bioware promised alot with this game. Did they deliver? Early signs are pointing, for the most part, yes. The game is extremely well put together. The zones flow well, the story clicks along, and the combat is solid, albeit traditional. If WoW expanded upon Everquest in all the right ways, then I believe SW:TOR continues this trend. MMO veterans will feel comfortable immediately with the UI and combat, but before you walk out, give it a chance. The story is what Bioware has been pushing HARD for this game, and at first I was skeptical. Let me tell you, the story in WoW never interested me, and I am an AVID reader to boot. Not the case with SW:TOR. I find myself "stepping into my character's shoes" quite constantly. The voice overs add immersion and, get this, Bioware did a FANTASTIC job of making sure that even if you are grouped, voice overs can be seamless. The voice acting is not Hollywood level, but for a video game, it is certainly above standard. Bioware is famous for their storytelling in games, and SW:TOR absolutely shines here. Gameplay wise the game strikes a fair balance between fairly easy and challenging. The game will require you to group at times to complete certain missions, many of which your companion will not be enough to make up the difference of lacking another player's help. I welcome this return of group questing. Fear not though, group quests are not overdone. There are far more solo quests than group quests, and while the solo quests are fairly easy, they are not insulting to the player's intelligence. That may be because I am still learning my class. :) Those who claimed this would be a "single player MMO" are only imposing that on themselves at this point. The most fun I have had in game has been in groups, and I find FREQUENT opportunities to play with others.

    The instances are fun and click along at a nice pace, here again, the story does wonders. Watching your group members gasp at you when, despite all of their choices, you win the conversation roll and choose a dark side option will never get old. It creates alot of opportunity for discussion and friendly banter. Great stuff. The instances are very do-able, but again, I didn't feel like my intelligence was insulted.

    Crafting feels traditional in some respects, but contains a twist: you can send your companion to gather materials and run "crew skill missions" for you while you quest, group in an instance, or just chill out in a city socializing. This is a GREAT addition. I've never met someone who enjoyed farming. There are still many nodes in the open game world for players to collect for materials as they quest as well. Again, Bioware striking a great balance. That really is the name of the game here: balance. Bioware didn't re-invent the wheel by any means, they kept it simple and traditional in many ways, but the spins they have put on it are refreshing and fun. If you are looking for a game that is unlike any MMO ever, then sadly, you will probably be disappointed, the game is by no means a "WoW clone" anymore than WoW was an "EQ clone." Good ideas build off of one another, they don't exist in vacuums. So why the 7 and not a 10 or a 9? Well, because the game can improve in many ways. There are still many bugs afflicting players, and Bioware's support team has been less than transparent about them. The UI cannot be customized, not even resized, and quite frankly, I find it maddening and unacceptable. The game could use better group forming tools, as right now you simply much spam a chat channel for a group. High res textures are also not working. The game still needs alot of love, and I don't think anyone will deny that if they take an honest look at the state of things.

    Overall, the game is solid, and I truly believe it has great potential to see success. Personally I am having a BLAST, and haven't enjoyed an MMO this much since my first journeys in WoW back in 2006. Great jobs Bioware, now just keep up the good work. That's going to be the hardest part... and the true test.    … Expand
  22. kendrickdk
    Jun 20, 2014
    7
    It is definitely a great game. The combat system is out of date but there is no denying that the voice over and story is top notch. If they would just update the combat system this game would be a real contender.
  23. Superfly3176
    Dec 20, 2011
    7
    Personally I like this game, it doesn't really do anything out of the ordinary but does some good things for the genre. Questing feels immersive, as a sith sorcerer every quest feels like I'm doing something to help win a war. The voice acting is above average, but it's new for the MMO genre. I can't count how many times I've accepted a quest in wow, and went right to the bottom where itPersonally I like this game, it doesn't really do anything out of the ordinary but does some good things for the genre. Questing feels immersive, as a sith sorcerer every quest feels like I'm doing something to help win a war. The voice acting is above average, but it's new for the MMO genre. I can't count how many times I've accepted a quest in wow, and went right to the bottom where it said "Collect x number of y". SW:TOR doesn't leave you feeling detached.

    The main quest for a sith seems to be pretty good so far, I'm level 20 on the 3rd planet. Combat is smooth, but not as smooth as wow's is. It seems to have a little bit of delay and just lacks that polished fluidity.

    Crafting/Collecting skills are half great, half a major pain. You can set your companions to do crafting or collecting missions, which really streamlines your leveling. The problem is it take forever for them to do it. One minute to craft a belt? Come on now. It also doesn't seem easy to find materials for things you need to craft.

    The game has more faults, while there's a lot of group quests, there doesn't feel like there's a lot of bosses or instances thus far up to level 20. Feels like there's less opportunity to group up in instances. It leads me to wonder if I decide to play Jedi 3 months down the road if there will be anyone around to do the group quests.

    The worlds don't seem very big during the first 2 planets, although I'm on the 3rd one and it feels much larger then the previous two. But even still for an entire plant to feel like it's the size of one zone in wow (think duskwood is just about korriban). The difference is SWTOR puts you in a lot of tunnels and "sub zones" for quests.

    Overall I'd give it a 6.5/10, it has potential but unless they come up with some endgame this is just going to be a leveling ordeal, in which case they should have just made it single player.    … Expand
  24. DeathTouch
    Dec 20, 2011
    7
    Can use some more polishing, but have been enjoying myself quite a bit. All I can say is get a friend(s) to group with and have fun, better yet get into a guild with like minded people.
  25. Publicius
    Dec 20, 2011
    7
    There's been a mixed bag of reviews here. Plenty of WoW comparisons, however I've never played WoW, but have played other MMO's such as Swg, Lotro, and Sto. As such I find this game somewhat difficult to judge. The VO is a nice addition to MMO playing, but you also have your typical kill that, kill this quest (which every MMO does). The class story lines are decent, some predictable,There's been a mixed bag of reviews here. Plenty of WoW comparisons, however I've never played WoW, but have played other MMO's such as Swg, Lotro, and Sto. As such I find this game somewhat difficult to judge. The VO is a nice addition to MMO playing, but you also have your typical kill that, kill this quest (which every MMO does). The class story lines are decent, some predictable, others not. The zone design and planetary design is very linear..however there is room for expansion. Having played in beta I've paid attention to the various progressions of the game. There is certainly room for improvement, in many areas of the game. However, if you like the star wars genre, you'll most certainly appreciate the game. The game has a decent ground to build off of, provided it's handled in thecorrect manner, which remains to be seen. For the most part it is your typical MMO, theres nothing surprising or jaw dropping from any other MMO (except maybe the VO), however it can be quite fun if you look past some little flaws. I would encourage to make your own conclusions based on your play, but would recommend the standard edition only, as the game is not worth spending the cash on the collectors edition.… Expand
  26. CStormdancer
    Dec 21, 2011
    7
    The thing that defines and separates The Old Republic is story. The whole game is wrapped around it both for good and ill. If you like RPG's then you will likely enjoy TOR because at its heart that is what it is. It borrows its format from other Bioware games where your choices shape the game for you at least to a point. The stories in most cases are enjoyable however there are someThe thing that defines and separates The Old Republic is story. The whole game is wrapped around it both for good and ill. If you like RPG's then you will likely enjoy TOR because at its heart that is what it is. It borrows its format from other Bioware games where your choices shape the game for you at least to a point. The stories in most cases are enjoyable however there are some themes on the Imperial side that become trite. Primarily the Empire in many cases comes off as completely incompetent. I believe that this was done in an attempt to make the player feel heroic. The game play follows the successful model of WoW. Some people criticise this but I find it handy. This game doesn't have a steep learning curve because its play style is already familiar. You can jump in and enjoy the story and the game play right away. Sometimes the game play lacks challenge. However I beleive that is because due to the large number of quest on each planet. If you do all the quest on a planet you will out level the next planets quest. Throw in exp for falshpoints, or pvp or space combat and you can make the game very simple. if you out level the game try doing heroics solo and you will find some challenges. The crafting system is very similar to wow but does have a nice wrinkle to it with the ability to reverse engineer items in order to get better schematics. it offers a little more than WoW in crafting but doesn't become burdensome. The companion system has its ups and downs. While companions stories become interesting you constantly have to be concerned with your faction with them. Some of the companions abilites mesh better with certain class choices. Also your morality choices can please or displease your companion. If your making them happy its all gravy. if your not making them happy you sometimes feel a little animosity towards them. The games reliance on story while its biggest strength does have a few issues. It makes the game very linear. You are pushed along a certain path. You can deviate a bit but largely there is one way to go. So there is less freedom in this game during leveling. However this is something most MMO's suffer from. The gear system is very familiar as it borrows greatly from wow. There are a large amount of armors in the game and the modification system allows for players to customize their gear and if they care to put in the time they can maintain a certain look. The system was far more robust in beta but regrettably they have dumbed it down. Still you do have a lot more options to customize your appearance. They are reportedly coming out with a more robust system for altering the color of gear. They have abandoned their "fit to chest" option for this system. It is a little disappointing but if they come through with their promise then it will be worth it. One criticism I have is that the game revolves around story which is a huge draw for roleplayers. Yet many roleplaying tools are sadly missing from the game. You cannot sit in chairs, many emotes do not have animations and such. I am hoping that this will be addressed. All and all I think the game has a lot of [promise. However there are many things still missing. To be fare it is unreasonable to assume that a new game will have all the features of games that have had years to establish themselves. I have give the game a 7 because while I find it enjoyable I think Bioware has a lot of work to do for the game to reach its potential. I am willing to give them that time.… Expand
  27. Jirekianu
    Dec 22, 2011
    7
    This game over all has the makings of a good game. It's got some innovation but at the same time mechanics that are familiar enough to not be put off by something completely new or untested. Now that's not to say what's the same is always better. But sometimes games will trade being unique for what works. In this instance bioware has raised the bar in regards to missions/quests and theThis game over all has the makings of a good game. It's got some innovation but at the same time mechanics that are familiar enough to not be put off by something completely new or untested. Now that's not to say what's the same is always better. But sometimes games will trade being unique for what works. In this instance bioware has raised the bar in regards to missions/quests and the investment you have in the characters. The voice acting has quality, and the dialogue is reasonably well written. My only complaints are the lack of polish with things that shouldn't need polishing. No anti-aliasing for graphics. You can't friend someone unless they're online. And even on lower settings a mid-range pc has trouble running the game smoothly. (this wouldn't be a problem if the lower settings were giving you the bang for your figurative buck.)… Expand
  28. 200mg
    Dec 22, 2011
    7
    My MMO Credentials: WoW, AOC, WaR, Aion, Rift

    SWOTR is great, the allegations of this being "WoW with VO" are wildly inaccurate. The game play is fun and fast paced, the story is deep, and all of the accompanying media (voice and music) are extremely well done. They have done a splendid job of Star Wars universe immersion. One only has to play the game for a short period of time before    My MMO Credentials: WoW, AOC, WaR, Aion, Rift

    SWOTR is great, the allegations of this being "WoW with VO" are wildly inaccurate. The game play is fun and fast paced, the story is deep, and all of the accompanying media (voice and music) are extremely well done.

    They have done a splendid job of Star Wars universe immersion. One only has to play the game for a short period of time before it becomes apparent that SWOTR is not a status quo MMO. For Star Wars fans this is a must play. For non Star Wars fans looking for a new mmo universe to migrate to, SWOTR offers you a less "grindy" and fresh new take on a gaming genre desperately seeking new play styles.

    As of 12/23/11 1:21AM CST SWOTR has garnered a 5.9 user score on meta, this is blasphemy! 10/10 all the way. This game is great!    … Expand
  29. kamryu
    Dec 23, 2011
    7
    2 out of 3 story (at times generic and predictable but the addition of voice acting makes you care unless your one of those people looking for a grind fest where you can just pick up a quest go do it level up and get your gear soon as possible,plenty of choice quest wise also)
    1 out of 3 game play (yes its a wow clone)
    2 out of 3 Social/Multiplayer (people calling it a solo game full of    2 out of 3 story (at times generic and predictable but the addition of voice acting makes you care unless your one of those people looking for a grind fest where you can just pick up a quest go do it level up and get your gear soon as possible,plenty of choice quest wise also)
    1 out of 3 game play (yes its a wow clone)
    2 out of 3 Social/Multiplayer (people calling it a solo game full of **** they are not gonna do a flashpoint solo or a heroic unless they are over leveled for them same as any other MMO also the addition of social conversation choices adds a good little mix to it never know if your party member wins the role you might be about to kill a ton of innocents or end up having to go the long way round).
    1 out of 2 for graphics (cartoony one or two bugs)
    1 out of 2 customization very limited character image choice races seem to similar only 4 body types user interface not very customizable, on the plus the advance class system means not all consular are going to be the same you ll become a sage or a shadow knight becomes guardian or sentinel and this is before you start deciding on a talent tree to advance through.
    total 7 out of 10.

    Now into some nitty gritty. As I said sometimes the quests can be predictable for instance training a militia you know is going to be a case of go out kill some things and return (boring and predictable) but at the same time you ll get some quests which will make you have to decide for instance recover some medical supplies for the army only to find out refugees are the ones who stole it and they need them you ll be presented with a social choice leave them with the refugees or take them back for the army this in turn has an effect on whether your light side or dark side points go up (some grey would be nice like splitting the supplies between the two). The voice acting is good and if your someone who actually CARES about story and reasons why your doing things you ll enjoy it if however your one of those people who plays games like wow and never even reads the quest because all that matters to you is what is the reward for doing it then it will be nothing more than annoying to you.
    Gameplay is such a clone of all other previous MMO's its almost an insult the few features such as cover (limited to smuggler and imperial agent) add some interest but otherwise be prepared to be playing as you always have (oh yeah no auto attack which personally I feel is actually a good thing) I would have gave 0 out of 3 for this but truth is the system does work it might be boring but reality is the click buttons feature works (just as point and click works for fps I are not going to give an fps review 0 because its point and click why should I give tor 0 because its the same as the others).
    Social would be 3 if not for the simple fact planets are instanced so you don't see lots of people sure you can chat with them and if you want you can chance the instance your on to another version of it very easily just bring up world map and click the pull down menu for it down the bottom right. Flashpoints are pretty good again the addition of rolling on decisions within them adds a nice element never forget how annoyed my first group was when I passed on the free money at the end of our first instance and won the roll meaning no one got the money to you this may seem annoying the point is it adds a new layer of social interaction your going to care about who you group with and such. Heroics also add to social interaction since your not going to solo these quests yourself they are designed for group each planet has around a minimum 3 or 4 of these and they each tell a story its not just a case of go kill this elite mob because well its an elite mob sure your going to be killing an elite mob but before your killing it your going to run around sabotaging his ship because he is using it to smuggle slaves.
    Graphics are cartoony and have a few glitches I would not say it doe snot work the thing is its an MMO it needs a wide audience so of course its not going to be the best graphically and people who expect it are the same people who have blown thousands on their PC not everyone can afford to graphics score for me is out of 2 cause I don't prioritize them.

    People saying not a WoW killer and scoring 0 saying just a WoW clone your not reviewing the game your comparing it to WoW there thats not a review.    … Expand
  30. bobby_bouscher
    Dec 23, 2011
    7
    This is not a very innovative game, more like an extension of World of Warcraft with a Star Wars skin. It is no doubt a fun and well made game, but very traditional. For those looking for innovation I would recommend researching Guild Wars 2, where they are turning the traditional mmo model upside down, in a good way!

    SWTOR will definitely be a more than sufficient placeholder for me in    This is not a very innovative game, more like an extension of World of Warcraft with a Star Wars skin. It is no doubt a fun and well made game, but very traditional. For those looking for innovation I would recommend researching Guild Wars 2, where they are turning the traditional mmo model upside down, in a good way!

    SWTOR will definitely be a more than sufficient placeholder for me in the meantime!    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

19
#19 Best PC Game of 2011
8
#8 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
9
#9 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 73 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 68 out of 73
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 73
  3. Negative: 0 out of 73
  1. RPGamer
    Apr 23, 2012
    80
    LucasArts generally exercised greater quality control of Star Wars games than most licensed properties receive, though that didn't necessarily translate into titles that were actually good. I've played a few other Star Wars games in the past, and while the SNES platformers were pretty good, this one is even better. Knights of the Old Republic may just be the best game in the franchise, and succeeds at being a top-tier RPG even if one has no interest in Star Wars. BioWare did the license proud.
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  2. GameCritics
    Mar 31, 2012
    70
    I wound up bailing out on Star Wars: The Old Republic well before hitting the level cap, but not before digging into it more so than any other MMO I've played. Even if it is an unhappy marriage between two wildly different game types, the fact that it kept me hooked for so long at least counts for something.
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  3. NZGamer
    Mar 5, 2012
    83
    A good game. It pays excellent homage to the film series (even though it's set before the movies), and is a really solid MMO.
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