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. BatmanRising
    May 18, 2012
    10
    Amazing. This game shows amazing promise for the future and already delivers on great gameplay, story and general meachanics. The graphics are brilliant for an MMO, if you have a high end computer, definitely put the settings on very high. The story mechanics are better in every one than all other MMO's and a lot of other games. The conversation system is engrossing and the plot isAmazing. This game shows amazing promise for the future and already delivers on great gameplay, story and general meachanics. The graphics are brilliant for an MMO, if you have a high end computer, definitely put the settings on very high. The story mechanics are better in every one than all other MMO's and a lot of other games. The conversation system is engrossing and the plot is cleverly crafted. The combat is always fun because you feel like their is a reason behind every fight. When comparing to games such as World of Warcraft, there is a huge difference in quality. WOW is boring because the whole game is basically one massive grind. However TOR has variety in companions, building frienships and weapons and armour. In terms of PvP and group combat, I am happy to say that the game works incredibly well. The group warzones in PvP all feel different from eachother and make epic battle grounds. For groups in the story, the conversation point system keeps everyone involved and the flashpoints arebrilliant for high-level players. Overall, I have no doubt in saying that this is the best MMO available. Move over WOW and Guild Wars.… Expand
  2. wightdeath
    Mar 13, 2012
    8
    i thought it was a really good game, yes there was some grind but what would a mmo be without grinding?
    i have played rift and wow and they all have grinding so i just say sit back and enjoy the story and if you don't like it do not play it
  3. slmarty
    Mar 16, 2012
    8
    If you're expecting something totally new and revolutionary this isn't your game. What it is, is the typical tried and true MMO template with a Star Wars twist to it. The leveling from 1-50 is very entertaining and story driven. End-game content is pretty good as well. I wouldn't rate the end game content as top-notch as I have played several MMO games with a more robust content poolIf you're expecting something totally new and revolutionary this isn't your game. What it is, is the typical tried and true MMO template with a Star Wars twist to it. The leveling from 1-50 is very entertaining and story driven. End-game content is pretty good as well. I wouldn't rate the end game content as top-notch as I have played several MMO games with a more robust content pool once you reach the level cap. Overall, a good game and worth a shot. It's a great way to burn some time and an easy replacement for other games you may be playing, if you're into that kind of thing.… Expand
  4. abydos
    Oct 9, 2014
    10
    Best, I love it, Star Wars forever with lot of people.
    I don't agree with the haters. This is a very good game with epic and beautiful story.
    Thank you Bioware
  5. Ogr
    Jan 21, 2015
    10
    There are a lot of people who dislike this game because of issues with their PC etc.

    I have to admit that swtor is quite bad programmed... it has high requirements for it's casual graphics. Besides that it has a lot of great things to offer now, the best story ever in a mmorpg, playing in a group is well supported even during the leveling phase (that should be normal, but look at    There are a lot of people who dislike this game because of issues with their PC etc.

    I have to admit that swtor is quite bad programmed... it has high requirements for it's casual graphics.

    Besides that it has a lot of great things to offer now, the best story ever in a mmorpg, playing in a group is well supported even during the leveling phase (that should be normal, but look at teso, wow etc.). Some of the classes belong to the most fun classes of all mmorpg, pvp games are fun, there is a "tie fighter game in swtor" etc.

    I have played most of the popular mmorpg (I started with Ultima Online, DAoC, WoW, AC, AC2, EQ1, EQ2, GW2, Rift, Tera, etc. etc.) and swtor definitely belongs to the best of these. You should of course like RPG's with a story and not just simple grind games.    … Expand
  6. metacrdg
    Jul 3, 2018
    10
    My favorite game ever. So much story, so many characters, an enormous universe, full of adventure. The writers really nailed it. A daring and wonderful project.
  7. LeeVanCleef
    Oct 27, 2015
    10
    One of the best MMO in the market. I guess I am over 1,000 hours of play and I own 8 characters. An awesome story-driven MMO, with PVE and PVP fights. Forget here to find hackers, you can play safe. Now it's also free-to-play. You have play it!!
  8. Slayer_of_2012
    Apr 4, 2013
    10
    This game is just fu**** amazing pal, i'm seriously brotha. This game is perfect i play this when i get sick from the WoW. And man i gotta say in my opnion this game is so epic and perfect can i even describe the feel to play as a Sith and a Bounty Hunter, for example. Made your choices betwen Dark Side/Light Side, Companion approves or desagrement. Flirt, Kill, Torture, PvP, Warzones,This game is just fu**** amazing pal, i'm seriously brotha. This game is perfect i play this when i get sick from the WoW. And man i gotta say in my opnion this game is so epic and perfect can i even describe the feel to play as a Sith and a Bounty Hunter, for example. Made your choices betwen Dark Side/Light Side, Companion approves or desagrement. Flirt, Kill, Torture, PvP, Warzones, Duels, A really nice AI, an amazing balancing, Missions u praticaly just can finish with a group, Social and interactive dialogues from cutscenes with another players. I mean, man this game is epic and perfect, that's it.… Expand
  9. Pureray
    Feb 8, 2013
    10
    This game is Fun, Massive, and addicting once you get into your story. I'm not enjoying the free to play restrictions that they have since I used to be a paid subscriber. I'm still rating this as a 10 because of all the fun I had during that time, and the quality is wonderful like actually being part of the star wars galexy. Also Their are no quest boxes which is annoying and never readThis game is Fun, Massive, and addicting once you get into your story. I'm not enjoying the free to play restrictions that they have since I used to be a paid subscriber. I'm still rating this as a 10 because of all the fun I had during that time, and the quality is wonderful like actually being part of the star wars galexy. Also Their are no quest boxes which is annoying and never read they actually communicate with you with your own response and decision to make a good or bad choices which makes this game a must get now that its free.… Expand
  10. Wildtaz32
    Aug 27, 2019
    9
    Play it for yourself, I personally think peoples expectations are to high these days when it comes to games "its not addictive enough" and honestly people need to stop throwing that word addictive around so much,if you want something addictive go do drugs lol.
    The stories are really good for the most part, I enjoy the feel of combat, I find I like the pvp in this game more than other mmos    Play it for yourself, I personally think peoples expectations are to high these days when it comes to games "its not addictive enough" and honestly people need to stop throwing that word addictive around so much,if you want something addictive go do drugs lol.
    The stories are really good for the most part, I enjoy the feel of combat, I find I like the pvp in this game more than other mmos I’ve played. Don’t let other peoples opinion determine your own. try it,Besides its Star Wars,and Free To Play.    … Expand
  11. Zahrada
    Feb 24, 2014
    8
    This game does quite a few things quite well. Story-telling being on of them. It feels friendly and welcoming and it has its own unique style and setting. I spent many hours having loads of fun. I leveled few characters to level 30-40. I was never into end-game content in this game, because it wasn't what I played it for. See this game or as a Mass Effect game with MMO features. That isThis game does quite a few things quite well. Story-telling being on of them. It feels friendly and welcoming and it has its own unique style and setting. I spent many hours having loads of fun. I leveled few characters to level 30-40. I was never into end-game content in this game, because it wasn't what I played it for. See this game or as a Mass Effect game with MMO features. That is what it feels like. And it is not so bad as you may think. Leveling is the real deal here, not the end game content. The story telling is pretty cool too. The MMo formula based on grind is still present, but it is elegantly packed into cut-scenes and dialogue and it is also flexible. Most of the "kill X of Y" quests are optional and are progressed/finished authomatically as you go. I expected more of this MMO. I expected it to be much more open, but it still is a good one.… Expand
  12. Panserbjorne39
    Aug 3, 2014
    9
    I've been trying to find a new MMO to play after deciding to leave Star Trek Online. I tried a few other F2Ps and have landed on SWTOR and am not looking back. I'm sorry I hadn't found this game sooner. I remember all the hype surrounding the game when it came out and all the negativity.
    I remember back then not wanting to try it because you could only play as a humanoid character and not    I've been trying to find a new MMO to play after deciding to leave Star Trek Online. I tried a few other F2Ps and have landed on SWTOR and am not looking back. I'm sorry I hadn't found this game sooner. I remember all the hype surrounding the game when it came out and all the negativity.
    I remember back then not wanting to try it because you could only play as a humanoid character and not a wookie, ewok, droid etc. and got turned off by all the stuff I was hearing.
    I still do wish that you could play as some of the iconic non-humanoids from the movies but the quality of the game and the fun I'm having cannot be stated enough. The story is top notch and voice over is so well done. The cut scenes are great and I look forward to the story as it unfolds.
    The game runs very smoothly on my old laptop which was also a pleasant suprise. After playing a few days and getting my character to level 10 I decided to sub for a month. People (leechers and FotM F2Pers) complain about the free to play restrictions but I actually think they're very fair considering the quality of the game and the story it provides. Better than any MMO I've played so far. I was happy to pay the $15.00 to help keep the game going.    … Expand
  13. AceOfDymonds
    Apr 23, 2015
    8
    The F2P model is a definitely on the restrictive side, but there is a lot to love about this game for subscribers.

    If you are a fan of story in your video games, this is the single best MMORPG for you in particular. It weaves a strong narrative and compelling characters throughout the leveling experience and into many of the end-game areas and group encounters. Most of the negative    The F2P model is a definitely on the restrictive side, but there is a lot to love about this game for subscribers.

    If you are a fan of story in your video games, this is the single best MMORPG for you in particular. It weaves a strong narrative and compelling characters throughout the leveling experience and into many of the end-game areas and group encounters.

    Most of the negative reviews here come from the state it released in - which had two glaring problems: [1] Not a lot of end-game content (the developers came out and admitted they thought it would take most players months to get to max-level, which they believed would give them time to release most of the end-game content in the first few patches without any harm done... it was almost cute in its naivete), and [2] lack of a group finder and some other 'basic' MMO features. (Some of the negative reviews also came from Star Wars Galaxies fans who are bitter over their Sandbox MMO closing down as this Themepark Star Wars MMO came out.)

    Both of these problems have been rectified. There are multiple raids (called Operations in SWTOR), all of which have fun and engaging encounters, and most of the standard MMO features have been added - the biggest feature still missing is an in-game Guild Calendar. (I also wouldn't complain if they implemented Cross-Server queuing.)

    The underlying gameplay design doesn't stray too far from WoW's basic formula, which will make the game particularly accessible to current or former fans of Blizzard's mega-hit. The biggest deviation is the presence of 'companions' - which basically function like combat pets. While you play through the leveling content, every class gets five unique companions specific to the story and gameplay of that class, plus one companion that is shared by all characters (a 'ship droid' which has a different name and appearance depending on which faction you play, but is functionally the same). Currently there are also two more shared companions that were added in Updates over the years, which can be unlocked on any character (one can be purchased, the other acquired by a unique quest chain). All these companions have their own personalities and back-stories, and add a wonderful amount of personality to the game.

    New 'Content Updates' are released around every nine weeks, which add new Daily Areas (which usually continue the game's story the first time you play through them, before the quests become repeatable), small group PVE encounters (called 'Flashpoints' - equivalent to WoW's 'Dungeons'), instanced PVP maps (called 'Warzones'), reoccurring Events (some seasonal, like the X-mas themed 'Life Day', some that occur sporadically, and one that returns every month) or large group PVE instances (Operations, as mentioned above).

    To date, there have also been two 'free expansions'. Galactic Starfighter, which added a PVP space dog-fighting minigame that is a lot of fun once you get over the initial hump of learning it (they admittedly need a better tutorial, but if you stick with it through the first couple frustrating attempts as you learn the ins and outs, then you will probably find it a rewarding, fun aspect of the game), and Galactic Strongholds, which added Player Housing and Guild Flagships to the game.

    The game is not without its flaws. While new content comes out every two months or so, the pacing for individual types of content has sometimes left long gaps in between new Operations or Warzones,which can be frustrating to Raiders or PVPers (a current long gap between new Warzones shows that the developers still haven't quite gotten a handle on this issue). Most new Content Updates come with a few notable bugs which have to be worked out over the course of a few maintenance patches in the weeks that follow their release. And as mentioned above, the Free-to-Play model is pretty restrictive - there is no doubt the game is best enjoyed as a subscriber. But the good far outweighs the bad.

    Despite the restrictiveness of the F2P mode, the Cash Shop has a lot to praise: the content is almost exclusively cosmetic or convenience items, so you won't be hobbled if you choose not to spend any money on the Shop. Almost all of the items from the Cash Shop can be traded or sold on the in-game auction house - allowing you to get most of them for credits (just expect the rarest items to fetch a hefty price if you go that route). And subscribers get around 500 free 'Cartel Coins' (the Cash Shop currency) each month, with an additional 100 Coins a month if you use the free Security Key app to secure your account (getting friends to subscribe through the Refer-A-Friend program and even completing some in-game achievements can also net you additional Coins without having to pay real money).

    SWTOR is a Themepark game through and through, so Sandbox fans may not care for it, but if you enjoy solid storytelling, a great leveling experience, fun mini-games, and the Star Wars universe - this is a fantastic game!    … Expand
  14. coth
    Dec 17, 2020
    8
    A good feeling of that Star Wars - untouched by Hollywood. Though combat system is quite boring and monotonous.
    The game keeps evolving. It's freemium now and subscription prices are fine for developing countries.
  15. MyPetMonkey
    Apr 18, 2013
    8
    Despite the amount of trolls who will go out of their way to tell you that this game killed their first born and molested them inappropriately, THE GAME ISN'T BAD.

    It's not genre breaking. It's a MMO it does what most MMO's do. That means it has issues like all MMO's. People will moan about class balance in PVP whenever they are getting slapped around. Strong server populations. And    Despite the amount of trolls who will go out of their way to tell you that this game killed their first born and molested them inappropriately, THE GAME ISN'T BAD.

    It's not genre breaking. It's a MMO it does what most MMO's do. That means it has issues like all MMO's. People will moan about class balance in PVP whenever they are getting slapped around.

    Strong server populations. And you can play the story for free. So all those moaning about wanting KOTOR 3 can get their fill.

    If you pay for $60 worth of unlocks then you get the near full experience without a sub.

    It's not the greatest but it's far no where near the worst.    … Expand
  16. Wizzsama
    Jul 31, 2013
    9
    Good game for 1-50 lvl. Story, voicing and characters are good and fun.
    About end-content I play many MMO and it's all the same: some dungeons to clear, some PvP gear, some something... So I don't bother about it, just clear the story and move to another game.
    After all the Good PvP can be only in high-PvP oriented games. And most of them are pay-to-win..
  17. galactafunk
    Oct 12, 2015
    9
    I've had a great time with this game. Good story lines, great voice acting, fun pvp. I've given it up for awhile only to return and find more and more to do. The developers have put a lot of time into this game and supported it for years now. Highly recommended.
  18. snootchie
    Dec 18, 2020
    10
    Best MMORPG of all time. Fully voice acted, all of the missions have substance (they aren’t just random fetch quests like most “cheap” MMO’s), and the choice system definitely causes you to be more invested in the story.
    The combat is superb and fast-paced and you can easily play through an entire character solo if you really wanted to. Each class has it’s own story, so the replay value is    Best MMORPG of all time. Fully voice acted, all of the missions have substance (they aren’t just random fetch quests like most “cheap” MMO’s), and the choice system definitely causes you to be more invested in the story.
    The combat is superb and fast-paced and you can easily play through an entire character solo if you really wanted to. Each class has it’s own story, so the replay value is huge here. There are voice actors for each class, and male and female choices for the latter. The sheer quantity of detail throughout this game is unparalleled. I highly recommend it to any RPG and/or Star Wars fan. Plus it can be free if you don’t care about having a limited experience. Gp try it out!    … Expand
  19. TruthSeer
    Dec 23, 2011
    8
    *WARNING* This is an RPG MMO, with intricate story telling, with you (and your friends) as the main characters and is meant to be played as such. So all of the complaints about Endgame content, because someone chose to grind their char to max lvl the same day the game was released, instead of actually having fun playing the game... this game is obviously not intended for you. On to the*WARNING* This is an RPG MMO, with intricate story telling, with you (and your friends) as the main characters and is meant to be played as such. So all of the complaints about Endgame content, because someone chose to grind their char to max lvl the same day the game was released, instead of actually having fun playing the game... this game is obviously not intended for you. On to the game review:
    First, I would like to acknowledge the fact that SWTOR did borrow heavily from WoW. Which so happens is the most successful MMO out in the US. WoW however, had also borrowed heavily from other games, most notably EQ and Warhammer at the time and was far less stable then SWTOR is now.
    2nd, SWTOR is fun. It blends the traditional Bioware SWKOTOR/MassEffect/DragonAage RPG as we have come to know, with multiplayer instanced zones and battles. These zones are a blessing and a curse. A blessing in the respect that you don't have to wait in line for hundreds of people who are killing the same boss over and over, plus a curse because the world seems (on the surface) less populated then it really is.
    The story telling is great, for it is wonderfully engaging, well voice acted and even feels epic at times. Truly immersing you in to their StarWars universe and making you feel as if you play an important role. Light and Dark side moral choices and traditional Bioware companions/relationships are excellent additions as well (if not already expected).
    3rd the original musical score is Epic and everything you would expect from any StarWars movie.
    4rth I am not traditionally a tradeskill/farming type of player and I truly enjoy the companions doing all the tradeskill "legwork" for you. Both on and offline.
    5th PVP still needs balance. They have some creative ideas for the PVP battles, like normalizing hit points and damage, so all lvls can compete. But class bias, chaotic zerg style of fights and dieing before you can even figure who hit you, seriously needs balancing. Mind you I have not seen maxed lvl pvp. So take that from a 30 something.
    Lastly, there are a handful of minor bugs, that are noticeable, but not game shattering. Although, for some reason Bioware disabled AA during the beta and has not brought it back yet. So for now you either have to either put up with jagged edge graphics, or use Nvidia/ATI tools to force it until they patch it.
    My Rating for SWTOR: 8.2
    Gameplay: 9 (-1 for WoW esque)
    Story: 9 (Voice Acting and YOU are the main character, -1 for periodic obscure chat dialog choices)
    Sound: 10 (Traditional StarWars sound effects mixed with truly movie worthy soundtracks)
    Graphics: 7 (until they patch AA)
    PVP: 6 (Balance issues)    … Expand
  20. Loosestool
    Dec 23, 2011
    9
    I played WoW off and (mostly) on for seven years. WoW was successful because the gameplay struck the right balance between complex and fun, while the content struck the right balance between casual and dedicated. As the Blizz people often said, they strove to make the game easy to learn but difficult to master. Similarly, there was a ton to do whether you wanted to level every alt or focusI played WoW off and (mostly) on for seven years. WoW was successful because the gameplay struck the right balance between complex and fun, while the content struck the right balance between casual and dedicated. As the Blizz people often said, they strove to make the game easy to learn but difficult to master. Similarly, there was a ton to do whether you wanted to level every alt or focus one or two toons in endgame. Or for the unemployed, all of the above. So far, SWTOR is the clearest heir to WoW's throne and actually improves on the general concept by the enhanced story aspect. But as many reviewers have mentioned, whether people will still be playing SWTOR in seven years from today depends on how well and how quickly (like w/in six months max) Bioware rolls out enough new casual and endgame content. While I am thoroughly enjoying the game now, and will probably play at least one or two alts with the status quo, I can see getting tired of the game faster than I did WoW. Some of this is not SWTOR's fault. Frankly, I'm older now and have less disposable time. But standing on the shoulders of giants in the MMO world comes with the price of diminishing returns. We may not have seen this precise movie before, but the genre is familiar. Bioware adopted and in some ways improved on the right formula, but SWTOR's ultimate longevity will require additional substance with innovation beyond greater than average story elements/voice acting.… Expand
  21. Valorian
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    For everybody who loves Star Wars and wants to be a part of it, this game offers a wonderful opportunity do to just that. The world is beautiful and created with much love for the detail, the Gameplay is easy to learn and there a lot of possibilities to specialise your character if you want to. Furthermore the people who are playing TOR are all very very nice, which may not be entirelyFor everybody who loves Star Wars and wants to be a part of it, this game offers a wonderful opportunity do to just that. The world is beautiful and created with much love for the detail, the Gameplay is easy to learn and there a lot of possibilities to specialise your character if you want to. Furthermore the people who are playing TOR are all very very nice, which may not be entirely attributed to Biowars policies, but nonetheless is important for a game to be really funny and enjoyable.
    Finally the best part: The Story! I love Games with a good Stories and TOR has loads of it. So lean back, play and may the Force be with you!    … Expand
  22. EJ107
    Dec 25, 2011
    8
    The game is good overall. Not great, as it has only just been released and there are several issues to work out, but it isn't bad. Certainly not as bad as some people are making it out to be. The combat isn't very new or interesting, and the characters creation is downright bad, but the voice acting on quests is very good, and the way quests are handled in general is better than most MMO'sThe game is good overall. Not great, as it has only just been released and there are several issues to work out, but it isn't bad. Certainly not as bad as some people are making it out to be. The combat isn't very new or interesting, and the characters creation is downright bad, but the voice acting on quests is very good, and the way quests are handled in general is better than most MMO's I have played. It is refreshing to see an MMORPG with a decent story and good characters, something that most of these type of games lack. The crafting system, with crew skills, is very well done, and very different from what I have experienced in other games. The companions are also not only very useful in combat but are also good characters, with interesting stories that make it worth talking to them. Overall the game is good. There may be some issues, but that is to be expected from a game like this upon release. I would certainly recommend at least giving it a attempt.… Expand
  23. shingoukieh
    Dec 26, 2011
    8
    This game is what you would expect it to be. It is a standard mmorpg with a twist...Star Wars!! Now in all fairness this game is very different from World of Warcraft. Yes it has the skill tree like WoW, for the most part similar quests, and also classes but what it does different is combat..The combat in SWTOR is very fast paced..it is similar to titles such as DCUO and COH. So in thisThis game is what you would expect it to be. It is a standard mmorpg with a twist...Star Wars!! Now in all fairness this game is very different from World of Warcraft. Yes it has the skill tree like WoW, for the most part similar quests, and also classes but what it does different is combat..The combat in SWTOR is very fast paced..it is similar to titles such as DCUO and COH. So in this game you will be swinging ur light saber away in fast thrilling combat sequences. The game story is very impressive! It is particularly impressive when you are in a group doing a story. All of your group members get a chance to speak and sometimes its funny to see what your team mates say. The game is very immerse and you feel like you feel connected to the starwars universe. The only negative thing i can think of so far is the side quests....some of them are just boring to do..the main quests are fun and has good plot to it but the side ones make me want to skip the talking. Im not the furthest in the game but what i can do is recommend this to any starwars or mmorpg player looking for the next big mmorpg....I have to warn you the game starts off a lil slow...but once you leave the starting area it gets alot more fun!!!… Expand
  24. Shaggywookiee
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    This is a fun game. The inclusion of story to an MMO is brilliant. The sense of immersion is awesome. It doesn't take long to completely forget the world around you while playing. There is tons of content in this game. A player would have to try really hard to get bored while playing.
  25. Przemo
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    I was not sure about this game in early beta but after thelast beta test I liked it. I played wow, rift, aion, STO, and many others. None were as fun as this one and it is in SW universe. It has grown on me. I do not think it is a WOW clone even that the interface is similar. I think it just made it easier to get in to. It has some small problems but it was just released. IT is FUNI was not sure about this game in early beta but after thelast beta test I liked it. I played wow, rift, aion, STO, and many others. None were as fun as this one and it is in SW universe. It has grown on me. I do not think it is a WOW clone even that the interface is similar. I think it just made it easier to get in to. It has some small problems but it was just released. IT is FUN overall and that is what games are about.
    HATERS ARE GOING to HATE    … Expand
  26. IkariBattousai
    Jan 11, 2012
    8
    I played WoW for a few months, but really felt the experience lacking because it just felt like a grind. This game has done an amazing job of keeping me interested by incorporating a story. A lot of criticism I've seen points to a lackluster endgame, but the nice thing about this title is that you can always start a new character and experience a different class's story. The game playI played WoW for a few months, but really felt the experience lacking because it just felt like a grind. This game has done an amazing job of keeping me interested by incorporating a story. A lot of criticism I've seen points to a lackluster endgame, but the nice thing about this title is that you can always start a new character and experience a different class's story. The game play mechanics are probably the most lacking part of the game, and I do get a little bored at times in combat when I'm just sitting back and hitting a different number to do the next action, but I feel like the overall experience makes up for that.… Expand
  27. Slartibartfast
    Jan 28, 2012
    8
    The game is quite entertaining and really tries to give a feel of the Star Wars universe. It does however have quite some strange issues and lacking features that one wonders why were not fixed/implemented before the launch.

    I am very much enjoying the game though and I will remain patient to give Bioware time to correct and improve the game, so we will all have an enjoyable game for    The game is quite entertaining and really tries to give a feel of the Star Wars universe. It does however have quite some strange issues and lacking features that one wonders why were not fixed/implemented before the launch.

    I am very much enjoying the game though and I will remain patient to give Bioware time to correct and improve the game, so we will all have an enjoyable game for years to come.

    It is definitely worth a try for anyone who enjoys Star Wars, MMOs and emphasis on story. But if you need fast paced action and smooth gaming from day one, then you should probably wait a few months.    … Expand
  28. MJreview
    Dec 29, 2011
    8
    This is one of if not the best AAA mmo launches I have ever experienced. It's a great game and ( To the WoW fanbois) yes it is very similar to wow in mechanics, but it brings an unusual twist to the MMO world. It is not completely without its flaws or bugs. The majority of which are easily fixed or can be ignored. The story is compelling and enjoyable. The combat animations look great.This is one of if not the best AAA mmo launches I have ever experienced. It's a great game and ( To the WoW fanbois) yes it is very similar to wow in mechanics, but it brings an unusual twist to the MMO world. It is not completely without its flaws or bugs. The majority of which are easily fixed or can be ignored. The story is compelling and enjoyable. The combat animations look great. There are many different areas to SWTOR that add a change of pace. With a few months of patches and updates, I'd easily put this as one of my Top 5 mmo's ever.… Expand
  29. NovaSix
    Dec 22, 2011
    9
    Best themepark MMO ever. If that's not that your thing, don't buy the game. Bioware does an excellent job incorporating tried and true themepark elements, great VO, beautiful graphics and engaging story. On top of that, they have had the best launch in MMO history - way more polished than WoW, EQ2, Lotro, or Rift. If you liked those games, or you like Bioware games in general, then youBest themepark MMO ever. If that's not that your thing, don't buy the game. Bioware does an excellent job incorporating tried and true themepark elements, great VO, beautiful graphics and engaging story. On top of that, they have had the best launch in MMO history - way more polished than WoW, EQ2, Lotro, or Rift. If you liked those games, or you like Bioware games in general, then you have nothing to lose in checking this game out. If, on the other hand, you like sandboxes like Eve Online or SWG then this isn't your cup of tea. Nothing wrong with that.

    Just please stop trying to judge a themepark as a sandbox. That's like complaining "Shawn of the Dead" wasn't scary enough. -1 point for missing guild features and UI, LFG tools, and an auction house that all need work. I expect all those issues to be ironed out within the next few months.    … Expand
  30. riot_gun
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    I'm being completely honest when I say this is the best game I have ever played. Nothing else has ever sucked me in so completely. The bond with your character that BioWare fosters with their in depth story lines is entirely unique in the MMO world. Some people will draw parallels to other successful MMOs while forgetting that WoW copied most of the features it had at launch and most ofI'm being completely honest when I say this is the best game I have ever played. Nothing else has ever sucked me in so completely. The bond with your character that BioWare fosters with their in depth story lines is entirely unique in the MMO world. Some people will draw parallels to other successful MMOs while forgetting that WoW copied most of the features it had at launch and most of the features it has now. Either way, TOR is far and away more engaging than anything I've played before it. If you like BioWare games, you'll love this one.… Expand
  31. Verus76
    Dec 23, 2011
    9
    With Star Wars: The Old Republic BioWare has manages a revolution in the mmorpg genre. They have added solid storytelling and voice and many small innovations such as companions and choices to what in other mmo games are a bunch of random text quests with no real meaning.

    The game perfectly captures the atmosphere of Star Wars with the music and graphics and lovingly recreated Tattoine,    With Star Wars: The Old Republic BioWare has manages a revolution in the mmorpg genre. They have added solid storytelling and voice and many small innovations such as companions and choices to what in other mmo games are a bunch of random text quests with no real meaning.

    The game perfectly captures the atmosphere of Star Wars with the music and graphics and lovingly recreated Tattoine, Hoth and other well known planets to Star Wars fans.

    Sidenote if you are giving this game 0-2 or something you are really wasting time. I can´t even think of a game bad enough to get a rating such as that. Simply go back to playing world of warcraft instead..    … Expand
  32. Desie01
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    Its an ok game. High production value. Good customer service. Bad community. Still some non game breaking bugs at launch. An MMO with a story along with multiple options. Its not a WoW clone. Graphics are on par with this generation of MMOs if not better. The Old Republic isnt a perfect game. No game is. Its fun and actually brings you back to what a Role Playing Game should be.Its an ok game. High production value. Good customer service. Bad community. Still some non game breaking bugs at launch. An MMO with a story along with multiple options. Its not a WoW clone. Graphics are on par with this generation of MMOs if not better. The Old Republic isnt a perfect game. No game is. Its fun and actually brings you back to what a Role Playing Game should be. It draws you into the story like no other MMO has done.

    The story elements make this game what it is. Its not a linear story, unless you make it one. Each conversation has multiple choices which branch out for each chapter you move through. Its an attempt to actually have a story in an MMO that you feel a part of and not just some average citizen who is one grunt in an army of billions. The game is as balanced as they could make it at launch. Forcing you to know your role and your skills if you are going to compete. PVP is about the most balanced PVP I have experienced over the history of MMOs. PVP still needs a lot of work and content, it just wasnt the focus of Bioware before launch.



    Crafting is OK and useful. Its not as indepth as SWG was. It has an appeal to it. You, yourself, doesnt craft. Your companions do while you are out questing. The only thing you have to do is gather and queue up their crafting and crew skill missions (which give you various rare and other items which can be used for crafting).

    The Crew Skill system sets this game apart and is singular to The Old Republic. Over your leveling experience you gain companions who can assist you with their different abilities and companion type. You get tank, healer, and DPS companions. Each companion comes with their separate story line which is gained by gaining or loosing affection with them. Companions also come with their own specific bonuses to different crafting types. Some may give a bonus to a gathering ability, others may give a bonus to a crew skill mission type, others may give bonuses to physical crafting types. Each class has a different set of Companions which are gained through your main story arc. You have the same choices you do, during the companion story lines, that you do in regular stories. You can treat them poorly and get negative affection. You can praise them and gain it. You also gain affection, with your companions, when they are out with you on your missions through which dialogue choice you select. And you can gain affection by giving them companion gifts.

    There are a lot of elements to this game that borrows from its predicesors. I said earlier, this is not a WoW clone. A clone would imply a direct copy. This does not copy WoW. WoW doesnt have a story that you are drawn into, you have the feeling that you are part of a massive army and you watch other peoples story be revealed before you. You dont have active companions in WoW unless you are a Hunter and even then, a bear can not heal you and you cant send a bear into fight a champion difficulty boss mob and heal it continuously. The Old Republic does borrow a lot of the basic functions which most people have mistakenly labled these as belonging to WoW. Quick Travel, mounts, story progression, raids, etc. Its really up to you on what you think about this game. A lot of people built up their own personal pedestal for this game and became jaded when they realized that Bioware is making a game to make money, borrowing from successful models and adding in their own flare to it (Item moding, Companions, an immersive story line, voiced acting, etc.) The base of this game is the same old same old. Everything else isnt. If you are looking for a game that solves all your problems, issues, and boredom from the same as usual MMO style and dont like a story line you can get into; look somewhere else. If you like a good story that you can direct down several different paths, the IP, or newer graphics; they this may be the game for you.

    People need to look at this game without rose or jaded colored glasses. Its worth giving it a try.    … Expand
  33. Bithammer
    Dec 22, 2011
    9
    Having played both WoW and WAR, I feel SWTOR is superior to both. WoW feels like a cartoon compared to SW's rich textures and lighting. PVE gameplay has been engaging and I like the fact that you can duel your own side. Other than that, I haven't had the chance to get into PvP, so we'll see how that pans out. I've encountered a few terrain (stuck) and graphic glitches, but all in all aHaving played both WoW and WAR, I feel SWTOR is superior to both. WoW feels like a cartoon compared to SW's rich textures and lighting. PVE gameplay has been engaging and I like the fact that you can duel your own side. Other than that, I haven't had the chance to get into PvP, so we'll see how that pans out. I've encountered a few terrain (stuck) and graphic glitches, but all in all a great launch for a complex game.… Expand
  34. ctacconi21
    Dec 23, 2011
    10
    Do u like, star wars? do u like a freaking huge word, with the most immersive story driven quest u ever seen in any mmorpg out there? do u like a deep pet system? do u like lighstabers? this game is for u, just go out and buy it.
    Star wars take all of the good and bad of the mmorpg genre, and fuse them in a unique way, his way.
    Don't expect anything ultranew, u still have sidebar, tab    Do u like, star wars? do u like a freaking huge word, with the most immersive story driven quest u ever seen in any mmorpg out there? do u like a deep pet system? do u like lighstabers? this game is for u, just go out and buy it.
    Star wars take all of the good and bad of the mmorpg genre, and fuse them in a unique way, his way.
    Don't expect anything ultranew, u still have sidebar, tab targetting, hotkey for using skills, fetch sidequest "kill 10x" etc. But the level of polish, the soundtrack, the combat animation, is just jaw dropping.
    This is the first time in 13 years of mmorpgs play, that i actually don't mind my level, i want to play just to know what happen next: is my master really trying to deceive me? i am really the new hope of the sith empire? im not bound anymore, to check my xp to the next lvl, hoping to never ever kill another 200 boars to level up.
    Im just traveling space back and fort trying to rise from a slave to a dark lord of sith, this and many more is STWOR, im playing my story, im finally playing my character the way i want to, not bound anymore, to kill everything on sight to gather xp, and proceed to the next area with no real motive other than get another lvl up.
    If u like multiplayer games, don't lose this one, i think we are not gonna see something like this for years to come.    … Expand
  35. VorpalCheese
    Dec 23, 2011
    9
    There are a lot of trolls and shills for other games piling on TOR here, which is expected. TOR is one of the most polished and most well-realized games I've seen at a launch and BW has really hit it out of the park with this one.

    Most criticisms revolve around TOR using MMO mechanics, which is ridiculous considering it's akin to griping about how an FPS might use guns and first-person    There are a lot of trolls and shills for other games piling on TOR here, which is expected. TOR is one of the most polished and most well-realized games I've seen at a launch and BW has really hit it out of the park with this one.

    Most criticisms revolve around TOR using MMO mechanics, which is ridiculous considering it's akin to griping about how an FPS might use guns and first-person view and deal with ammo and the like. MMOs have MMO mechanics, and no matter how much "prettying up" a developer does, the base mechanics will be what they are. Even my beloved sandbox MMOs must bow to this convention.

    TOR takes what makes an MMO great and improves on it with a fine level of polish and updating. BW has managed to remove the dreaded grind (from crafting to quests), weave top-notch story-telling throughout every corner of the game, and bring the Star Wars universe to life.

    I have been playing since the first day of Early Access. In spite of running into a few bugs (none of which are game-breaking), I have had an incredibly pleasant gaming experience. I have reached level 30 with a Sith Juggernaut and I actually care about my character and companions (well, Vette not as much, but that's what the shock collar's for :p).

    Combat is very smooth and the animations superb. I love that you aren't merely striking at empty air but are shown actually striking your opponent and blocking. I love the fast-paced combat and I love the art style, which is also beautifully realized. The planets start from "respectably-sized beginner's box" to massive "Oh, God, I need my speeder right now." They only get larger as you go. The game packs content to the brim, from soloable missions to engaging group content (and there are built-in benefits to grouping in the form of things like social points).

    I can't gush enough about TOR and if I do this will take all day to write (and I'd rather get back to playing so I'm going to wrap this up shortly). Yes, there are some minor hiccups, and thus this game doesn't get a perfect score. There are improvements to be made, but they will come in time (space combat--while passable, BW is already working to improve it--I'm looking at you). This is one of the most solid and fun foundations to an MMO I've experienced yet, and I can see really good things coming from this game with future content patches and expansions.

    If you like MMOs, BW, Star Wars, or any combination of the above, I urge you to try this game. If not now, then sometime in the future. If a sandbox lover like me can come to love a themepark game (and this might well become the pinnacle of that sub-genre), well...I think a lot of people will be surprised going in.    … Expand
  36. Riddlefang
    Mar 20, 2012
    9
    Star Wars: The Old Republic manages to bring good storytelling and decisions in to the mmo genre, but at the same as you want to experience the great story you also want to level up as fast as you can to get to level 50. The quests are good because you get all the voice acting, but I would have liked to see more quests with different ways to go like in the kotor games. The instances areStar Wars: The Old Republic manages to bring good storytelling and decisions in to the mmo genre, but at the same as you want to experience the great story you also want to level up as fast as you can to get to level 50. The quests are good because you get all the voice acting, but I would have liked to see more quests with different ways to go like in the kotor games. The instances are good and offers some challenges. The combat and progression is much like any other mmo out there, and I would've liked to see a new combat system that is more based on skills. Having some flaws it's still the best looking mmo out there and offers a lot of content to the players.… Expand
  37. Miir
    Dec 22, 2011
    8
    Ok, this is not the second coming of Jesus or a mmo revolution. But it is a very good and solid game nevertheless. It is a themepark MMO and Bioware did the same thing that WoW did 6 years ago. Took a already existing and well tested gamedynamic, added a famous IP, fine tuned some things and added the companies main strength, the story element. I'm looking forward to seeing where BiowareOk, this is not the second coming of Jesus or a mmo revolution. But it is a very good and solid game nevertheless. It is a themepark MMO and Bioware did the same thing that WoW did 6 years ago. Took a already existing and well tested gamedynamic, added a famous IP, fine tuned some things and added the companies main strength, the story element. I'm looking forward to seeing where Bioware will take this game in the future, it has so much more potensial, just like wow did when it first released.… Expand
  38. Kortirion
    Dec 23, 2011
    9
    After months of watching this pitiful downvoting of good games for pathetic fanboy reasons, I've decided it's time to contribute.

    The criticisms about linearity and 'lobby' gaming are understandable (the lobby instancing really turned me off from GW, but it was only part of it, and the rest of the game didn't make up for it unlike this game), but poor. I have played many MMOs (WoW, Aion,    After months of watching this pitiful downvoting of good games for pathetic fanboy reasons, I've decided it's time to contribute.

    The criticisms about linearity and 'lobby' gaming are understandable (the lobby instancing really turned me off from GW, but it was only part of it, and the rest of the game didn't make up for it unlike this game), but poor. I have played many MMOs (WoW, Aion, CoH, SWG, EvE, Warhammer Online, Rift, Vanguard, etc) and I honestly can't think of any *good* utterly sandbox MMOs. And SWTOR is *not* any more linear than any of the games I've listed. If you wanted a sandbox MMO, and you're looking for it in a game that has voice acting and cutscenes, you're doing it wrong. The story is massive, immersive, and well crafted. I've never felt so invested in my character since vanilla WoW, or let alone as excited to play an MMO for that matter. The zones are much more open than other Bioware games, and more open than in games like Aion, where i felt like a rat in a maze between quests. The warzones are fun and well designed. Perhaps the biggest weakness in this game is the lobby style zone instancing which can break immersion when grouping with others and waiting for them to transfer zones. Zones still never feel empty (like they did in GW), and I'd much rather this than have to compete for every single mob tag and deal with incessant lag.

    The graphics complaints are ridiculous. This is one of the most visually impressive games I've ever seen, and it's the apex of Bioware's excellent art style.

    The gameplay, while *similar* in core mechanics to WoW, Rift, et al, works, and plays well. You feel powerful, skilled, and in control. Why people think it had to be different in ever aspect from other MMOs completely boggles my mind with the advancements and innovations it brings in other departments.(gameplay is tied to action RPGs for a reason, what the hell did you want, a first person shooter MMO? Wait for Planetside 2.) The moddable equipment is great, and gives you the option to keep a favoured aesthetic while leveling if you desire (and happen upon the gear). The companion system is excellent, but could use some tweaking for the AI and a few glitches. The crafting system is perfect, minimizing time spent on probably one of the most tedious aspects of MMOs yet still giving you enough control.

    Flashpoints are fun and engaging, and I haven't had as much fun running an instance since being blown away by the expansive and epic BRD/UBRS/LBRS complex in WoW.

    Light side and dark side choices are interesting and suitable (from what I've seen thus far), but I am disappointed by the lack of neutral relics (I have gone light side on my main character partially as a response to this).

    It is definitely the newest gem of the MMO market, and one I see myself playing for much longer than most. Highly recommended.    … Expand
  39. Sools
    Jan 2, 2012
    9
    In one little simple addition SWTOR has taking the grind out of MMOs, "voice acting", this is a game changer for me, I've played mmo's for more than 10 years now and I can honestly say in all that time I have read less than 1% of quest text.Even a simple fetch quest the voice acting makes it feel less tedious and actually feels like your doing something important.Bioware made a greatIn one little simple addition SWTOR has taking the grind out of MMOs, "voice acting", this is a game changer for me, I've played mmo's for more than 10 years now and I can honestly say in all that time I have read less than 1% of quest text.Even a simple fetch quest the voice acting makes it feel less tedious and actually feels like your doing something important.Bioware made a great decision with this.There will be the players who like to race to end game will moan about this but I say to them.Slow down and enjoy the experience.There is so much to take on board in this beautifully crafted game. Here are some of the things they implemented Companions- can aid u on your journey when you don't have friends online to help you out. - they all look after all your crafting which for me personally I hated crafting and am really enjoying it in this game.

    Space Combat - it's an on rails ship mini game for me,this is something added late on and I can see huge Improvements coming soon

    Crafting. - best crafting system in any mmo I've played

    My overall impression of this game is I think this game is it for the long
    Haul. Feels great and the most smooth launch of this type of game ever.

    May the force be with you    … Expand
  40. Kauldric
    Dec 27, 2011
    8
    This is a fun game. The class story quests make a huge difference. Bioware does a good job of putting you in the middle of a story that progresses and makes you want to find out what will happen next. I do not feel a sense of quest grinding at all. The game very much feels like Dragon Age or Mass Effect. The idea of having companions whom you can affect plus a Light/Dark meter isThis is a fun game. The class story quests make a huge difference. Bioware does a good job of putting you in the middle of a story that progresses and makes you want to find out what will happen next. I do not feel a sense of quest grinding at all. The game very much feels like Dragon Age or Mass Effect. The idea of having companions whom you can affect plus a Light/Dark meter is brilliant. The phasing is also great and adds to the immersion. The crafting system is great: just sent one of your six companions in a crafting missions while you keep playing! All in all, it has been a very fun experience.

    There are small features that are missing, such as dual spec, that would make the game better, but all-in-all, I would certainly recommend this game.    … Expand
  41. kremeovsumgai
    Dec 22, 2011
    9
    The world is immersive, and the quest system is setup great. I really like the spoken dialogue with the Mass Effect dialogue wheel. Weapons crafting is really addicting. I spent an hour just modifying my lightsaber. The queue for servers was annoying at first, but that's bound to happen when you're trying to play a really popular game at release. I'd be worried about the game's futureThe world is immersive, and the quest system is setup great. I really like the spoken dialogue with the Mass Effect dialogue wheel. Weapons crafting is really addicting. I spent an hour just modifying my lightsaber. The queue for servers was annoying at first, but that's bound to happen when you're trying to play a really popular game at release. I'd be worried about the game's future if there wasn't a wait. Star Wars fans will be satisfied. Comparisons to WOW and bashing are going to be there, but no one really cares about whining weekend beta testers that played the game for 5 mins. This site should have proof of purchase for all user game reviews. I haven't heard one paying customer that I know have anything bad to say about this game.… Expand
  42. iconicman
    Jan 5, 2012
    8
    I'm surprised at the many negative scores so hence my review.

    SW:TOR challenges the mold of MMO but falls well short of redefining it. That is no bad thing, this genre is certainly one that can only evolve slowly given the huge investment necessary to get an MMO off the ground, noone is likely to go for completely redefining it in one go. What SWTOR has managed to is craft a story    I'm surprised at the many negative scores so hence my review.

    SW:TOR challenges the mold of MMO but falls well short of redefining it. That is no bad thing, this genre is certainly one that can only evolve slowly given the huge investment necessary to get an MMO off the ground, noone is likely to go for completely redefining it in one go.

    What SWTOR has managed to is craft a story through the game that players can follow and be entertained with. Most MMO are sandboxes with camps you can grind through, or themeparks you can play in. SWTOR really does make you feel part of the world, with the excellent voice acting throughout the game and the overarching story for your character to take part in. What is even better is that you can solo (or with AI companions) through this at your leisure.

    SWTOR also adds crafting to the game but doesn't make it a chore. Crafting is levelled by investing time in it and using the cash you acquire from either questing or trading.

    The Companions all add another dimension to the game, providing support and also humour/ consequences to your actions.

    If you want to engage in group fun, there are instanced dungeons 'Flashpoints' that continue the great story telling and also provide social points, a reward path for grouping. Heroic quests also require people to group up.

    Finally if you want to take on the Republic/ Empire you can enter the battlegrounds.

    Most suited to the casual player but offers enough to keep hardcore players occupied but more content is needed in the coming months to keep that crowd happy.

    If you are a completionist you may grow tired of the missions on offer, still the standard 'Kill X number of' or 'Collect X items from' but that is inherent in MMOs. The voice acting and thought involved in each of the missions and the fact they are usually linked close to where you are questing anyway, does remove a lot of the tedium usually found in other MMOs.

    If you love Star Wars and online games, you'll love this game.    … Expand
  43. commonperson
    Dec 22, 2011
    8
    It's amazing how many people are giving the game scores of 0 or 1 where they've played the game for 30 minutes. This game is not perfect, they did not innovate in the gameplay department they took a working system (which is something they have said they were going to do from the begining) and applied their story telling techniques to it. The gameplay is reminiscent of dozens of otherIt's amazing how many people are giving the game scores of 0 or 1 where they've played the game for 30 minutes. This game is not perfect, they did not innovate in the gameplay department they took a working system (which is something they have said they were going to do from the begining) and applied their story telling techniques to it. The gameplay is reminiscent of dozens of other games before it, there are limitations to the UI BUT what it does bring is an actual story. WoW was never compelling because there was no worth to your character it was a collection of OCD traits for hording collecting compiled in to an avatar. SWTOR creates characters where your decisions reflect on your story, you have a real weight behind your character and there is actual connections with the other players on your "Stage" the complaints it's "Zoned" and a "lobby" game are not really well founded. The game is instanced but it's easy to jump between them and given the immediate load it's probably best they did this as it saved them a lot of server trouble.

    It boils down to this, if you like Bioware stories, if you like Star Wars' Expanded Universe, if you like feeling like you're actually achieving something with your character you will enjoy this game. If you are looking for something to "reinvent the genre" go elsewhere.    … Expand
  44. BradleyBondage
    Dec 23, 2011
    9
    Excellent game been playing it non stop with my friend ever since it came out. Easy to get used to really enjoyable experience cannot comment on the end game experience yet but so far its one of the best mmorpg's I've ever played.
  45. bden19
    Dec 22, 2011
    8
    WoW is an Everquest clone. Get over yourself and this tired old argument of "cloning". Everyone giving this game a bad comment has the attention span of "Click guy with !, ignore text, click accept, OMGWHEREDOIGO???, click ?" . This game isn't for people who need to be spoon fed ez mode raids. How much content are you expecting an MMO to have at launch? What did wow have at launch in termsWoW is an Everquest clone. Get over yourself and this tired old argument of "cloning". Everyone giving this game a bad comment has the attention span of "Click guy with !, ignore text, click accept, OMGWHEREDOIGO???, click ?" . This game isn't for people who need to be spoon fed ez mode raids. How much content are you expecting an MMO to have at launch? What did wow have at launch in terms of raid content?

    When has anyone ever played an mmo where leveling wasn't some sort of a grind? Are these kids serious with that argument? The grind in this game is actually FUN. Bonus quests pop up to incline you to actually kill your way to the objective. And they aren't just kill quests, and the quest content itself varies due to it being voiced over. All of it. All quests. Not to mention the Flashpoints (dungeons) that are very fun. PVP is scaled and is not OP at all, people screaming OP are screaming that they are not good at playing the class that they attempted.

    This is a very good game. And anyone trying to spoil it for you with a bad review about false things is just terribad.

    To sum it up, this game requires more thinking and strategy going into fights,    … Expand
  46. rockitman
    Dec 22, 2011
    9
    This is a great game, hands down. Many people are bashing this game while comparing it too heavily to WoW. Don't forget WoW, along with every other MMORPG has taken queues from their predecessor over the years. This is no different, and this is how games improve.
    Yes, there is a bunch of running, which improves after you get to level 25 and get a mount.
    Otherwise the voice acting is    This is a great game, hands down. Many people are bashing this game while comparing it too heavily to WoW. Don't forget WoW, along with every other MMORPG has taken queues from their predecessor over the years. This is no different, and this is how games improve.
    Yes, there is a bunch of running, which improves after you get to level 25 and get a mount.
    Otherwise the voice acting is incredible, the class variety is vast, the PvP is fun, the space missions are great, the graphics at max are wonderful.
    It has just been released, and I suspect it will be releasing many patches throughout the months to drastically improve upon current issues.
    I told myself I wouldnt get glued and here I am defending it in a review - It's a great game.    … Expand
  47. Kucha
    Dec 23, 2011
    10
    This is the MMO I've been waiting for! This is by far the best MMO I've played to date.

    Ask me the one thing that makes this one stand out over all the others and I will say that you get to experience real and meaningful story BEFORE you get to high end raids unlike other MMOs. In other words, you already are a hero by the time you start raiding which goes a long way to satisfy casual,    This is the MMO I've been waiting for! This is by far the best MMO I've played to date.

    Ask me the one thing that makes this one stand out over all the others and I will say that you get to experience real and meaningful story BEFORE you get to high end raids unlike other MMOs. In other words, you already are a hero by the time you start raiding which goes a long way to satisfy casual, solo and small group minded players.

    Getting into raids is easier too. Not to bash WoW (which I did like), but this game doesn't require that you grind dozens if not hundreds of hours trying to get enough gear so that you can get into the significant raids where the meaningful story takes place. That endless grind and obscene demand of my time was what previously burned me out of other MMOs. Instead, you can jump into the raids right away.

    Other great aspects of this game are:

    * Fully voiced dialogue with quest givers, companions, and others.

    * Morality choices giving light or dark side points. These choices do have some impact on your game experience with quests opening up while others close based on your prior choices.

    * Companions to talk to that give you quests, craft, and grow closer (or farther) to/from you depending on how you interact with them.

    * Stable launch. Have experienced very few bugs.

    * Fun and dynamic PvP system. Reminds me of WoW in this way and this is not a bad thing.

    * Smaller raid (8 or 16 man) sizes than most other MMOs which I like.

    * Difficulty slider for Flashpoints (Dungeons) and Operations (Raids) for the casual and hard core player alike.

    * A solid crafting system that allows one to not only create new items but to upgrade existing items so that one can keep weapons and armor for the duration of their game play experience if they so choose. In other words, the crafting system is deceptively deep.

    * Fantastic music that gives me a real sense of Star Wars immersion.


    CONS

    There are a few cons and I would be remiss if I didn't mention them. Some of these are:

    * Long que waits on Sunday night for me. Both wait times lasted 25 and 30 minutes.

    * Small bug where I didn't get money from selling a few items on the auction system.

    * Coruscant is too big. Lots of running around that planet. They should've made the ground vehicle available to us allot sooner. * Inflexible and cumbersome UI. They need to allow the community to create their own mods for this.    … Expand
  48. Aporis
    Dec 24, 2011
    9
    This is the MMO i have been waiting, very interesting story, very well desinged combat system thank god no longer hitting the air, actually useful companion characters, crew skills and off course Roleplaying.
    Right when i started playing as a Trooper i noticed it doesent have boring starting quests like many other MMO has including World of Warcraft, fully voiced mmo with tons of dialog    This is the MMO i have been waiting, very interesting story, very well desinged combat system thank god no longer hitting the air, actually useful companion characters, crew skills and off course Roleplaying.
    Right when i started playing as a Trooper i noticed it doesent have boring starting quests like many other MMO has including World of Warcraft, fully voiced mmo with tons of dialog thats impressive. No longer the boring little box full of text that no one likes to read after every single quest. every character has its own story and for once i have learned something about the world, something about the different characters. There are so many people with Negative reviews and i know most of you are annnoyed because of the queue times well i don't like them either but we know bioware is currently doing their best for fixing the annoying bugs, Fps issue because of the bad coding , and the server queue's . And some of you guys are just annoyed because of the waiting room system. But you guys should keep yourself positive about the game, most of MMO's had same start as Star Wars The Old Republic had, Including World of Warcraft. Even so that the game has been out for just a few days it has already so much things to do.

    But now to some negative stuff, I personally dont like the space battle system its going to be boring after a while, the ship customization could be a little bit more Advanced and there should be more starships to buy form vendors. Bioware tough mentioned that they are going to change it maybe in the first expansion pack. Then there's these terrible frame's per second problems with most of the players and they are trying to fix the bad coding. Bioware mentioned before the game launch that they are going to make the game os that even players with a bit older computers can play it, currently even some players who have a latest gaming computer that can run Battlefield 3 on Ultra graphics are having terrible framerate issues so there is something to do with the coding rather than the system specs.
    All of these are very small problems cause they are able to be fixed.

    Now to good things in a Nutshell: Voice acting is best i have ever heard, Graphics are stunning even there are alot fps issues. PVP is good, Flashpoints operations and all other Raids are really fun with the story based quests. And i dont even have to mention the great 1,2,3 choises you can make in every quest conversation.

    Giving full 10 points!    … Expand
  49. hearsman
    Dec 25, 2011
    9
    As a gaming veteran, and having played many types of rpg, both single player and MMO, I approached SWTOR with cautious optimism. I am pleased to say that, with some limited caveats, the game is a success.

    The general gameplay mechanics are not revolutionary, but in many cases provide clear evolution of the genre. The big plus in this game for me is that it is largely successful in    As a gaming veteran, and having played many types of rpg, both single player and MMO, I approached SWTOR with cautious optimism. I am pleased to say that, with some limited caveats, the game is a success.

    The general gameplay mechanics are not revolutionary, but in many cases provide clear evolution of the genre. The big plus in this game for me is that it is largely successful in achieving the aim of creating a worthwhile single player experience within an MMO framework. This enables a greater level of connection with the character you have created, with a story being played out that is actively your own. This is a game that encourages you to play with others in the form of "heroic" missions that require 2-4 players to group up in order to tackle them. However, the majority of quests do not require you to team up, and so you do not have to group unless you really want to.

    The PVP is still a little rough around the edges, although I have certainly found it more enjoyable than other MMO's played. An "equalisation" mechanic where everyone's stats are scaled up helps to level the playing field, but eventually the additional skills that higher level characters have will make a difference.

    If you would like to play a game that allows you to create your own story, full of intrigue, then this game will certainly be worth a try. It will not be for everyone, but in my opinion will be enjoyable for both MMO and Star Wars fans!    … Expand
  50. supermonkey
    Dec 30, 2011
    8
    Yes the game needs tweaks, bug fixes, and some balancing. Yes the end game needs more content. But when you look at it for what it is, you will find an extremely well polished MMO. There is a ton of content to play through while they work on these fixes and new content. However, if your one of those types that is going to power level without sleep from 1-50 and take no enjoyment from that,Yes the game needs tweaks, bug fixes, and some balancing. Yes the end game needs more content. But when you look at it for what it is, you will find an extremely well polished MMO. There is a ton of content to play through while they work on these fixes and new content. However, if your one of those types that is going to power level without sleep from 1-50 and take no enjoyment from that, just to get to the end game content, I would recommend waiting a little while before signing up.

    Reading a lot of the negative comments, they contain a lot of similarities, and those similarities look to be from people that are either so burned out from World of Warcraft that this game just hits too close to home to that game to hold any enjoyment, or people that aren't familiar with what works in mmo's and only tried this game because they like Star wars, expecting to find some type of console action type game wrapped up in an MMO. There are some legitimate arguements from people hoping this MMO would have gone in a totally new direction--to that I can say if you didn't enjoy the game mechanics from wow, this game probably isn't for you (unless you love Star Wars so much you can overlook everything else).

    Anybody that has spent a substancial amount of time in WOW, and gave this game an honest try, would see this game changes enough about the familiar formula to feel fresh and new. I have played WOW for many years, still enjoy it, and really enjoy what this game has to offer.

    I have also read a lot of comments stating this game is really single player only. To that I would respond that while the single player content is much more fun to play through, with companions and superior story telling, this does not take away from what the game has to offer for groups or pvp. A bunch of my WOW guild members are now playing this game, and I have to say grouping up with them for difficult quests, or to do a flashpoint (what this game calls a "dungeon"), is just as enjoyable as it is in WOW. PVP is also not a hugh departure for how it plays out in WOW, but you still need skill and thought to secure victories--try randomly mashing your abilities like some suggest on here and see how far that gets you.

    With such a hugh investment in development, can anybody really blame this game for taking an approach to appeal to the extremely large playerbase that already exists for WOW. If this game felt too different from that one, you'd would end up alienating that existing player base.

    One thing that I will agree should be different is the upfront cost of the game. This isn't the same playing field for MMOs that was around when World of Warcraft launched. I'm sure they are charging full price upfront for fear if the game does not catch on they will have at least recouped some of their development costs. But they should have confidence in their game enough to reduce the starting cost or make it free, then start charging their monthly subscription fee.    … Expand
  51. elfelixg
    Feb 14, 2012
    8
    I will admit that at first I was extremely disappointed with the game. The graphics were not what I expected, the pvp is alright, and the open world feel of most MMO's seems to be lacking a bit. These will all hit you in the face like a pie and quite rudely so. That said though, the game has come around further in as I went, it was not bad at all. Having been a Dark Ages of Camelot, WOW,I will admit that at first I was extremely disappointed with the game. The graphics were not what I expected, the pvp is alright, and the open world feel of most MMO's seems to be lacking a bit. These will all hit you in the face like a pie and quite rudely so. That said though, the game has come around further in as I went, it was not bad at all. Having been a Dark Ages of Camelot, WOW, DC Universe online MMO veteran I know what I am talking about. SWTOR is not a bad game, matter of fact, it is extremely good for a game not even 2 months old. Yes it has some bugs, yes the pvp needs to be balanced better, yes the game has to address many more areas of development and entertainment. I still can't feel anything but optimistic though, the game can shine, and it is worthy of your time. To be honest, any improvements made on what they already have will be a plus, the game has a lot going for it. The positives: Hard mode Flashpoints and gear hunting is FUN! You have to have a good group, work together, even if it is just 4 of you the PVE is a challenge. At first you will get demolished as you enter under geared, but slowly as you build up, you are able to handle the mistakes and accidents that happen when pulling mobs. This aspect of the game is golden, almost anyone that makes it to 50 and plays the Hard Mode Flashpoints really like it. Next are the 8 man Ops Raids, very fun, very difficult to keep everyone alive. You must be a part of a decent guild to tackle and win in these. Even normal mode Ops Raids drop good loot for your toons. Now on to PVP, it is competitive, but it is extremely unbalanced. Why? Bioware did not think out well the advancement of PVP gear well, in the first month guilds that were around since BETA took advantage of a PVP experience buff period, and now there are monster players with top gear wiping new players in War Zones. I can tell you it is no fun and can cause people to rage and quit the game early on as there is no point to the fiasco. Fortunately for me, I battled through most of that low gear period and now hold my own amongst the top players. Still, certain classes hold a big edge against other classes and this needs to be addressed. The BAD: The list is long and there is no way I can go into it all. Bugs are a major issue, some bosses in HMs or Ops raids can bug out and can't be beaten. This is a MAJOR flaw that needs to be addressed ASAP. The game on many planets feels like a tunneled and funneled experience, not an MMO with an open world. World's I like are Hoth, Voss, Ilum but many I don't like for various reasons such as Corelia being a nightmare to get from point A to point B. PVP imbalance. Not enough customization for your toon's look. Certain instances and areas in the world do not allow speeders to be used making the trek extremely long at times. Space combat need to be developed because as it is now its a joke. CONCLUSION: If you are itching for the Star Wars universe then play it by all means. There are fun classes to play, there are fun dungeon raids to do, the pvp can become fun once and only you get geared. You need to be social for the game to be great as with every MMO. I do wish it were more like Star Wars Galaxies in terms of the open world exploration but for what it is this is not bad. A good start, needs improvement, but a good start.… Expand
  52. Cyntax3rr0r
    May 22, 2012
    8
    I needed to give this game a few months before posting a review. I figured my bias towards the franchise would make me spam 10 a dozen times. I'm one of those that left WoW because... Cataclysm sucked. ToR brings a better experience for me and what I like to do in an MMO. The gathering system is great. I've never met anyone who logged into my WoW guild and said, "I can't wait to goI needed to give this game a few months before posting a review. I figured my bias towards the franchise would make me spam 10 a dozen times. I'm one of those that left WoW because... Cataclysm sucked. ToR brings a better experience for me and what I like to do in an MMO. The gathering system is great. I've never met anyone who logged into my WoW guild and said, "I can't wait to go mining for 2 hours!" I do feel that the crafting in the game needs improvement. A buddy of mine who played Galaxies for 5+ years mentioned the crafting system there and it sounds a whole lot better than what is in ToR currently. The classes that I have played have enough variety that I see potential as class tweaks are made. I was surprised that my favorite class to play would turn out to be the Bounty Hunter. I'm sure most folks jump into a Star Wars game lunging for a lightsaber, as I did. As I dabbled in my alt-itis, I found there was much more interaction in the combat. Going from ranged to mele and managing heat (the class resource) seems much more interactive then just spamming a rotation. I'm not trying to gulp the hatorade, just my preference. I don't mind the quick travel to planets, but I feel like the game is lacking without some free space flight. PvP queues are much less painful with everyone in the same pool, but your level (abilities available) and gear balance it nicely. I'm hoping for more diverse PvP modes in the future. The questing is the best I've ever seen in an MMO. This is literally building your character's persona with every decision you make. Leveling different classes are not cloned experiences like in WoW. Currently, the game lacks that amazing endgame content that's supposed to keep players hooked. I really think this game has incredible potential, but they need to work fast to make these improvements. With new MMOs constantly on the horizon, you gotta strike while the iron is hot. Even with the game in its current state, I enjoy it a heck of a lot more than WoW. That's why, for now, I'm rating it an 8/10. I'll amend this review as this game continues to evolve. Here's hoping history doesn't repeat itself with another fail patch!… Expand
  53. Maul84
    Dec 25, 2011
    9
    Lots of fun and tons of content with 8 different storylines, will be spending alot of time on this one. I'm not a MMO troll but being a fan of the first games I had to give this a shot. So far I'm really enjoying it.
  54. klinestife
    Jan 2, 2012
    9
    I don't quite understand all the hate for this game. I have experienced very minor bugs, such as the abilities looking like they are not cooling down, but those are easily bypassed. It baffles me that the negative reviews are complaining about lag, crashes, and server issues. I have only crashed a single time, and disconnected maybe 2 times in the 3 weeks I've played. This is significantlyI don't quite understand all the hate for this game. I have experienced very minor bugs, such as the abilities looking like they are not cooling down, but those are easily bypassed. It baffles me that the negative reviews are complaining about lag, crashes, and server issues. I have only crashed a single time, and disconnected maybe 2 times in the 3 weeks I've played. This is significantly more stable than most, if not all other MMOs at launch.

    The battle system reminded me of KOTOR, only heavily stylized and faster paced. The user interface does interfere with the

    The graphics are also easy on the eye, not great, but they definitely will not hurt you, unless you're a graphics whore. If you go through the trouble of forcing anti-aliasing (an option that is baffingly absent), you will find the game actually looks great.

    If you actually paid attention to the quest giver, it gives you a sense of purpose for that quest, significantly decreasing the "grind" feeling. Your class quest starts off slow, but picks up significantly after the end of your 1st act. The animation only looks stiff if you compare it to a single player game, but then you remember most MMOs have a set looping attack animation and skill animations. In SWTOR, you can watch your character deflect the bolts and attacks coming at him from multiple angles (if you're a lighstaber wielder). Each class and their mirror has its own mechanic: The Sith Warrior/Jedi Knight needs to build up fury/focus with basic attacks or other skills, the Trooper/Bounty Hunter can instantly regenerate their mana, the Smuggler/Imperial Agent has a cover mechanic, which lets yo use cover skills and also gives a defensive bonus, and the Sith Inquisitor/Jedi Consular has a traditional mana system.

    The classes also branch into 2 advanced classes, both of which branches your class into two very different roles. For example, the Inquisitor has a skill that knocks back all enemies around him/her. When he becomes a Sorcerer, this skill becomes a defensive tactic against anyone surrounding him. If he becomes an Assassin, however, the skill is redefined into an ambush skill, one of which you can knock people off cliffs or stun them long enough for you to inflict severe damage.

    There are quests called Heroic Quests and Flashpoints. Heroic quests take place on a planet, and usually require you to find a group to have a hope of completing it. Flashpoints are story-heavy instances, where you and 3 other players take the role of a strike team. I've found that Flashpoints are disappointingly empty story-wise, from your first flashpoint, to the flashpoint where you encounter a character from KOTOR 1 and 2. (hint hint) The final flashpoints feel like episode 6 of the Star Wars saga, extremely dramatic and gives you a genuine desperation feeling. Each Flashpoint boss has its own strategy, which you will need to figure out to beat. My team and I wiped on one flashpoint boss several times before we searched up the strategy.

    PVP is fun, but there is only 3 warzones so far. It also definitely favors the higher levelled characters, as they have skills and fully specced trees that give them the advantage. For example, my Sith Juggernaut's Force Charge will stun the enemy, and I can move while using Force Choke. This definitely gives me the edge in PVP. However, it is a very slight edge, and most matchups come down to whoever has more skill.

    I would give this a full score, but there is one severe flaw: endgame. There is absolutely nothing to do at endgame except one raid. The single player quests which take place on Ilum also turn into a grind fest quickly, and you will be better of starting another character.

    Bioware has promised many features unavailable in most other MMOs, one of them being the fabled "Guild Capital Ship". They have also promised more planets, more flashpoints, more warzones, and most importantly, more raids. I look forward to watching this game grow and develop as time passes.    … Expand
  55. giovanni
    Dec 23, 2011
    10
    It's extremely funny to read reviews from people that bash the game to bits while they've been submitted on the day of release, which means they didn't even play it. Everyone played the beta and are basing their arguments on issues that were present there. Yes the game still has things that need to be fixed but by all means it's idiotic to bash something that doesn't even have a week inIt's extremely funny to read reviews from people that bash the game to bits while they've been submitted on the day of release, which means they didn't even play it. Everyone played the beta and are basing their arguments on issues that were present there. Yes the game still has things that need to be fixed but by all means it's idiotic to bash something that doesn't even have a week in existence.
    Arguments about PvP being unbalanced are a joke. Classes will get adjustments in the coming weeks as it's been said by the devs. It's logical for some things to be "wrong" since there are games (no i won't mention which) that run for over 5 years and are still incredibly unbalanced.
    All in all this game has massive potential. It looks very nice, the combat, in my opinion, is pretty fun and the story for each character is just plainly put, amazing. The planets are MASSIVE, apart from the two starting planets, which just get you into the story before getting started. To explore the whole of Tattoine or Alderaan you need at least a couple of hours. Quests are extremelly fun to do, as there are no "kill 20 of x" quests in the game. They do exist but ONLY appear as bonus quests in certain areas while you're doing your main quests and you can just skip them, as they disappear from your log when you leave.
    If you've been thinking of playing an MMO, i suggest you give it a try. It's an amazing journey to take. Haters will hate as they say. When someone types in their review that "It's like WoW in space" and grades it with a "2" or worse, it just shows how bad fanboys can hurt a good upcoming game. If it's as good as wow, then why do you slap it down..?
    It's far from perfect and that's why i give it an 8. But it's only the beginning and i'm having high hopes!    … Expand
  56. c20h25n3o
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    This game is awesome!
    It's a fantastic experience. Especially that it allows you to have a very solid single player experience in a MMO game. WoW eat your heart out. It's everything WoW is in a better setting and just a bit better in many ways.
  57. Konungsmathur
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    I've been playing this game for about a week now. The things I like most is grouping with other people. There is something called Heroics scattered around the world, where you group with another person and I find these really fun. There is also a longer grouping subgame called Flashpoints. I have only done one of them so far called the Black Talon and I thought it was really done one, andI've been playing this game for about a week now. The things I like most is grouping with other people. There is something called Heroics scattered around the world, where you group with another person and I find these really fun. There is also a longer grouping subgame called Flashpoints. I have only done one of them so far called the Black Talon and I thought it was really done one, and it is fun how the story changes slightly by choosing different options during the cut scenes.

    I would definitely recommend this game, well worth the price.    … Expand
  58. hentaipanda
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    After playing Wow for a few years, this game was very easy to transition into. Though I did pre-order back in July, and have played 2 or 3 of the betas and am now playing the game, I still see many bugs, however this is completely made up for by it's rich story lines. I find myself enjoying each story line very much. I believe within a year that this game will be completely refined. ItAfter playing Wow for a few years, this game was very easy to transition into. Though I did pre-order back in July, and have played 2 or 3 of the betas and am now playing the game, I still see many bugs, however this is completely made up for by it's rich story lines. I find myself enjoying each story line very much. I believe within a year that this game will be completely refined. It seems like BioWare actually listens to what people say, so all I have to say is have faith, and patience. This game will be great!… Expand
  59. giventofly330
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    One of the most fully featured, polished MMO games to ever release. Incredibly smooth launch and just what you would expect from a KotoR game as an MMO. One of the best written games hands down and the combat is sooo incredibly smooth. I particularly love my Smuggler and the awesome cover system they use which changes up your skills and ads a whole new layer of strategic elements. TheOne of the most fully featured, polished MMO games to ever release. Incredibly smooth launch and just what you would expect from a KotoR game as an MMO. One of the best written games hands down and the combat is sooo incredibly smooth. I particularly love my Smuggler and the awesome cover system they use which changes up your skills and ads a whole new layer of strategic elements. The group dialogue is fantastic as well and reminds me of the old paper and pen games where you're just sitting around your buddies. If you are a MMO fan, Bioware fan, or Star Wars fan do yourself a favor and pick this game up.… Expand
  60. Harlen11
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    Gameplay - Very slick, fast, fun with some top quality animations. The blocking and reversals of the lightsaber classes are a joy to look at. Visuals - A really nice, stylized look that will be revelant for years to come. I especially looove the character models and sky boxes.

    Sound - Great weapon sounds, lightsabers sound great, voice acting is tremendous, and the music is Star Wars    Gameplay - Very slick, fast, fun with some top quality animations. The blocking and reversals of the lightsaber classes are a joy to look at. Visuals - A really nice, stylized look that will be revelant for years to come. I especially looove the character models and sky boxes.

    Sound - Great weapon sounds, lightsabers sound great, voice acting is tremendous, and the music is Star Wars what more could you want? =)    … Expand
  61. Melschat
    Dec 22, 2011
    8
    I have really enjoyed playing this game. It embraces qualities that so many like in other games to make this beautifully well done. There are a few areas that could use improvement, but with a few patches, this game will be even more awesome.
  62. Jessrond
    Dec 26, 2011
    9
    This game is excellent, and it would be nearly as good as a single-player game than it is as an MMO. The single-player content is more developed, the stories are richer, and the characters seem to have more personality with excellent voice-acting. Yet that is also a bit of a problem, as multiplayer content sometimes seems like an afterthought, with pointless "social points" tacked on toThis game is excellent, and it would be nearly as good as a single-player game than it is as an MMO. The single-player content is more developed, the stories are richer, and the characters seem to have more personality with excellent voice-acting. Yet that is also a bit of a problem, as multiplayer content sometimes seems like an afterthought, with pointless "social points" tacked on to reward players for doing soloable content in groups.

    For social points, you seem to get them for picking the same answers in conversations with NPCs as you turn in a quest. This seems to be interesting, and I suspect that the timing of your clicking on one of the 3 options provided to your characters also influences the number of social points awarded.

    The Jedi and Sith have four "different" class types each, but the catch is that the Jedi and Sith roles seem very similar. The Sith Inquisitor shooting streams of lightning at a monster is just like a Jedi Consular striking them with debris... both are damage over time spells that don't allow the player to cast other things without losing concentration.

    Each class has two sub-classes, and then those subclasses have 3 trees of their own where they can choose talents that interest them. One of my favorite things about SWTOR is that the classes are more unique than in other games, and really can't be compared to WoW, Everquest, and don't seem to be influenced by Tolkien and D&D like most MMOs, at least not as blatantly.

    I haven't done any end-game content as I am level 24 as I write this interview, but so far this game looks promising. It probably won't be the WoW killer, but I think it can appeal to enough people to compete with WoW and not fade into "free to play" status.    … Expand
  63. freejhk
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    Is it mostly WoW in a Star Wars skin. Yes. But is uber-polished and the story lines are great. I leveled 4 different classes in WoW, and for the life of me can't remember a cohesive story line. Now I take the heads off of people who reveal plot lines! I'm hooked!
  64. Nevermore47
    Dec 24, 2011
    9
    While not a perfect game by any means, and still getting a few bugs ironed out, the only reason this game has middling user review score is because of the scores of haters that inhabit the video game fandom.

    BioWare has added a solid addition into the MMO market, rich with plot, making it compelling to level up multiple alts just to see all the different story arcs, as well as made a    While not a perfect game by any means, and still getting a few bugs ironed out, the only reason this game has middling user review score is because of the scores of haters that inhabit the video game fandom.

    BioWare has added a solid addition into the MMO market, rich with plot, making it compelling to level up multiple alts just to see all the different story arcs, as well as made a pretty smooth launch. The Star Wars universe feels alive as you progress your way through dialogues where your choices affect your character for the rest of your playing experience, with my Jedi Knight still being plagued by a "misguided" Dark Side decision I made early in the game.

    As I said, though, the game isn't perfect, and I will definitely put some criticism in here that there are some bugs that really should have been worked out in beta. Graphical glitches that make it seem that there's a laser light show going off behind you and certain abilities, like sending off your companion to sell your gray items, only work sporadically. The auction house system's UI is extremely user unfriendly, as well. I'm not one to use a lot of mods in MMO's, as I feel in order to claim yourself as being a good player, you should be able to use the default UI, but if that AH doesn't get improved, as soon as the mod market is open, I'll definitely be getting one for that.

    Definitely worth checking out if you want to try an MMO or absolutely love Star Wars, there's nothing like the thrill of getting your first lightsaber...    … Expand
  65. cleppy
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    Haters gonna hate. This is great game. it plays the familiar territory with adding in enough new to keep your interest. Already level capped with 1 toon, working on another. The ones who complain about it being non-social, probably didn't have a guild or work with others, because it constantly is encouraging group activities, also there are world bosses and plenty of instances through outHaters gonna hate. This is great game. it plays the familiar territory with adding in enough new to keep your interest. Already level capped with 1 toon, working on another. The ones who complain about it being non-social, probably didn't have a guild or work with others, because it constantly is encouraging group activities, also there are world bosses and plenty of instances through out leveling. The big thing here thati loved, is there is a story. When I'm not running with guildies and I'm playing the game, i'm actually playing a game, not a random grindfest. The game works to give you the feeling that you are always working towards a greater goal, especially in the class specific quest lines. I love how I've actually read some people saying this is like a free to play grindfest. It is NOTHING like those games. Every game is going to have its 'I hate the game cause it's not what I play' style haters.

    If you like MMO's, you like RPG's, you like your choices effecting things, great gameplay. This is a great place to be.    … Expand
  66. Kardiak
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    I've played many MMO's, like WoW, EQ2, Rift, SWG, and many others as well as Bioware's earlier games like KOTOR, DA and ME. One thing I've found in the MMO world is there's no innovation, it's always just more of the same. And that stagnation not only makes games your playing get boring faster, but makes new games in that genre just seem like more of the same.

    Bioware has broken from the    I've played many MMO's, like WoW, EQ2, Rift, SWG, and many others as well as Bioware's earlier games like KOTOR, DA and ME. One thing I've found in the MMO world is there's no innovation, it's always just more of the same. And that stagnation not only makes games your playing get boring faster, but makes new games in that genre just seem like more of the same.

    Bioware has broken from the redundant norm, and has made something brilliant. They've made a MMO with incredible immersion, depth and the richest story lines of any game I've ever played. It's different & all gamers know trolls can't handle change. For some reason anything different then the same old daily grind creates such a case of nerd rage in trolls their emotions literally explode all over the internet's related forums, like many posts we have seen here.

    If it's to different for you, don't play it. But don't make crap up and lie just to try and make other people hate what your incapable of understanding by creating dozens of accounts to spam your bile so you can pretend others think like you. Just have your say, and move on.    … Expand
  67. stocean
    Dec 22, 2011
    9
    I'm a gamer that plays all kinds of games regardless of their genre. I'd been playing WoW since 2004 till 2010 and moved to Rift for a couple month, and now to Swtor. This game has some traits that I really missed from good old classic WoW and some inherent good personalities of the Bioware.

    Firstly, the huge world is actually there to explore. What I mean by this is that you don't just    I'm a gamer that plays all kinds of games regardless of their genre. I'd been playing WoW since 2004 till 2010 and moved to Rift for a couple month, and now to Swtor. This game has some traits that I really missed from good old classic WoW and some inherent good personalities of the Bioware.

    Firstly, the huge world is actually there to explore. What I mean by this is that you don't just seat around in the Capital, waiting for dungeon que to pop up and just kill yourself out of boredom in the process. In Swtor, you have to look for groups the old way and there are actually people to communicate with. For me, the large world that you actually have to explore which puts you to work with other people is the foundation of any MMORPG. The game doesn't force you to choose one way by giving one choice too much advantage though. What I like about Swtor is that you can truly play either way: Solo playing the story is satisfying enough but Group play feels very natural and fun. Many instances are positioned in the world so naturally that you often don't realize they're actually dungeons meant for a group of people.

    Secondly, the epic amount of immersive story telling. What I hated about Cataclysm is the destruction of good immersive story telling and lore in favor for convenient and easy play. In Swtor though, the game is built upon story telling, characters, and lore. Although admittedly the storytelling is not quite as good as other great Bioware single player titles, its quality and quantity are far above any other MMORPG. All 8 classes have different fully voice-overed stories as well so the replayability is amazing. It very much feels like playing buffed up version of DA:O with other people. Also the quests, while not too innovative tbh, actually put you to walk a lot. I know some people hate this but I really welcome this. If a game is too easy the experience is very forgettable, like in Cataclysm. Lastly, the classes aren't pigeon holed into set roles in favor for 'balance'. What I really like about classic RPG games is that the classes play very uniquely and each class has its clear specialty and weakness. There are things that you just can't do as effectively, but there are also things only you can do. This is why teaming up with other classes is so fun. WoW used to be like this, but since the arrival of DK who could do just everything including melee DPS, ranged DPS, AOE, Pet, Dot, Tank, DW, etc, every other class begun to be generalized as well and since Cata, there are effectively only 3 classes of tank, healer, and dps. You only get to choose what kind of 'theme' your character is, really. I think Swtor classes are very well made, built around their own unique strength rather than having just everything.

    There are some things that I don't like, however. Firstly, the game needs a bit more polishing imo. The experience is not as epic as other great Bioware titles. I can understand though since the amount of content this game offers is so huge. It doesn't mean they aren't great either. It's just not as epic as I expected from the company that produced so many great titles. Still much better than DA2 imo. Also, while the music is quite good, none are that memorable. Yes. They all feel very Lucas Artistic but games like this need some more memorable music imo. Such music gets people attached to the game. For example, I still hear the SW choir sound whenever I think about WoW, and I hear the 'Vigil' music whenever I think about Mass Effect 1. I hear the DA:O title music when I think about the game. I haven't found such moment in Swtor yet(except for the opening text movie music maybe? lol), which is quite unfortunate. Lastly, Bioware took it too safe. I love both Blizzard style and Bioware style but I'm not sure If I like the Bioware style trying to be like Blizzard too much. All of the Bioware games had their unique, fun skill system, class system, combat, and so on. Why not go for them instead of copying WoW? I understand that WoW had copied many previous RPG systems as well but the core gameplay was in line with Blizzard's own previous titles. I wonder how epic Swtor would have been if Bioware pushed their own style just a little bit bit more.

    Despite its drawbacks, Swtor is an epic MMORPG. I know the word 'epic' is so overused theseday but trust me, the game is epic in many ways. It's just that the game is too epic that some of the details feel a bit missing. Also the similarities with WoW can be both good and bad depending on the player. To me, though, although some of the EA feel spoils the game here and there, the game in general feels as if Blizzard and Bioware had a baby and his appearance(gameplay) resembles Blizzard and the personality(storytelling) feel similar to Bioware.    … Expand
  68. Bagamer
    Dec 24, 2011
    8
    As a long time player of MMO's i have to say this game has intrigued me more than any of them.While it has not turned the industry up side down it is a good game.The story and voice acting done by Bioware is what makes the game.Otherwise yes it would be WOW or Guildwars its an mmo what did you think it would be? Character creation is a little lacking and pvp needs work but these are allAs a long time player of MMO's i have to say this game has intrigued me more than any of them.While it has not turned the industry up side down it is a good game.The story and voice acting done by Bioware is what makes the game.Otherwise yes it would be WOW or Guildwars its an mmo what did you think it would be? Character creation is a little lacking and pvp needs work but these are all things that are promised to be dealt with.(WOW sucked when it first came out and Guildwars was even worse so give it time)SWTOR doesn't seem like a grind and farm game it keeps you interacting with people and your constantly getting bits of story to help you along.Flash points and heroic quest are a lot of fun, you get a small group together and wreck havoc on a lot of high power enemies.All while being drawn into the story and being pushed by the need to see whats going to happen.Graphics are not awesome but they look good and way better then WOW or Guildwars ever has.To wrap it up here it is the story and voice acting make this game. After putting in five plus years into WOW and 2 on and off in Guildwars its nice to finally have the game give me something to look forward too! Grab it it's good!… Expand
  69. senshi
    Jan 6, 2012
    9
    First off I have been playing MMO's for 13 years. Started with Everquest and moved onto many others through the years including Shadowbane, Final Fantasy XI, SWG, DDO, Vanguard, WOW (not much time spent in WOW) and Everquest 2. I show the games I have played so anyone that reads knows I am not just blowing smoke.

    About 2 years ago I just did not feel like playing MMO's anymore, I went to    First off I have been playing MMO's for 13 years. Started with Everquest and moved onto many others through the years including Shadowbane, Final Fantasy XI, SWG, DDO, Vanguard, WOW (not much time spent in WOW) and Everquest 2. I show the games I have played so anyone that reads knows I am not just blowing smoke.

    About 2 years ago I just did not feel like playing MMO's anymore, I went to log into a game one evening and just said to myself that this is just really not fun anymore. That night I canceled my active subs to the 2 games I was currently playing. Before that time I was really looking forward to SWTOR and even after I decided to quit MMO's I still followed the development off and on. I did go ahead and pre-order a couple of days after it was announced, I was really hoping that the game would reignite my passion for this genre.

    During my hiatus from MMO's I had some time to think about why I just did not want to play them anymore and what made me play them in the first place. Everquest and Final Fantasy XI to such a long time to level that you could go days without feeling like you achieved anything but I absolutely loved the communities. Shadowbane was just flat out fun to play when you felt like some PVP but that was it, no dungeons, economy was crap etc... DDO had awesome dungeons but nothing else. SWG was fun until they screwed it up with their improvements but could not attain mass appeal mostly because of the sandbox design, most people just do not want that. WOW was never really given a chance by me, I have the collector's edition still sitting on my shelf. I played for about 2 weeks and quit because of the obnoxious players that happened to choose the same server as myself. Everquest 2 was fun but I think this is when I started feeling like it was just not fun anymore.

    Having pre-ordered I was able to begin playing on day one of early access. Having played since the 13th I can honestly say that SWTOR has definitely brought the spark back. I cannot wait to get home from work to log in. Does it have some problems, yes but anyone who has ever played an MMO knows that there will be problems and with every new piece of content more problems will surface. Nature of the beast. The awesome definitely outweighs the problems.

    Cons:
    Ability animation lag. Cannot see this bug lasting much longer, not a game breaking bug but one that hampers enjoyment.

    GTN needs some refinement, it is passable for now but would like to see it improved.

    The UI needs to be customizable. I am running this on a laptop with an odd resolution, this causes some windows and bars to overlap oddly.

    Chat Bubbles would be a nice addition.

    The LFG tool is there, just type LFG in the search and it brings up everybody with their tag on but I would like to see this improved upon as a lot of people simply don't know you can do that.

    Jumping ability seems clunky and sluggish, one night I can get a datacron on the first try, the next I feel like I forgot how to jump onto a box.

    Pros:
    This is the first time with regards to my mmo characters that I feel like I am truly a hero and not just mage number 1100 or some Paladin who is not awesome enough to be protecting the king. The head of the Jedi Order actually asked to see me at level 3. Awesome.

    I can honestly say that I have not even so much as thought about looking at my experience bar, I am pleasantly surprised when I find the level up graphic over my head. That is saying something in the MMO world.

    Great balance between solo and group content. This past weekend I ran in a group all day Saturday, it was so much fun. Sunday I had to be on call for work so I knew I may have to stop playing at any second so I ran solo that day while having a blast hunting for datacrons with other people and chatting it up on General and through Whispers.

    I can honestly say I have not group this much since playing Final Fantasy XI when you had to have a full group to kill anything that conned hard or above.

    In every area of the planets I quest on I see people running around questing but I have not had to fight over a spawn once. Actually if I or someone else sees we are on the same objective we give a quick whisper to make sure and just group up. Much fun.

    The boss battles in the flashpoints have been a blast, you fight one who is a tank and spank and go into the next one thinking the same and bam, the boss disappears and you have to start dodging fireballs. Good times.

    Crafting has been fun, still too early to see how much money can be made and what will sell but I am very much enjoying the mechanics.

    This is starting to get fairly long so I will stop. I have to say thank you Bioware, this is the game for me and I will be here for a good long while. I am no blind fanboy but I know what I likes and I likes the game.    … Expand
  70. DrunkenMaster
    Jan 6, 2012
    9
    The game is an MMO at heart. If you don't like MMO's you will not like Star Wars. That being said what it does, it does extremely well. The story and voice acting are tremendous, as well as the game play is awesome. If you like MMO's and you like Star Wars it's a must buy.
  71. deathspard
    Dec 28, 2011
    8
    From what i have played it is very solid for just being released. There have been so many that release MMOs and are unplayable from the start . Some may complain, but remember that there is much room for fixes and improvements as they are needed. Even WOW didn't start off perfect, same could be said about just about every other MMO out there.Without going into more objective opinions of myFrom what i have played it is very solid for just being released. There have been so many that release MMOs and are unplayable from the start . Some may complain, but remember that there is much room for fixes and improvements as they are needed. Even WOW didn't start off perfect, same could be said about just about every other MMO out there.Without going into more objective opinions of my own, I will tell you this. I have played MMOs such as WOW, FF11,FF14,Aion,DC universe,City of heroes, Global agenda, Rusty hearts, APB, Fallen earth and many more. And I can feel that there is something good about this game and that with time it will become great. So far I'm having a great time with it and I guess that's all i can say about it.… Expand
  72. thormart
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    Bioware has created something amazing with this game that no developer will be able to match or even attempt in the next 10 years.

    The story immersion and all out star wars "feel" of the game is all there while at the same time feeling fresh and unique. The sheer anount of work that has gone into each facet of it is nothing short of stunning dwarfing any mmos that has come before it.    Bioware has created something amazing with this game that no developer will be able to match or even attempt in the next 10 years.

    The story immersion and all out star wars "feel" of the game is all there while at the same time feeling fresh and unique. The sheer anount of work that has gone into each facet of it is nothing short of stunning dwarfing any mmos that has come before it. Having played several of the higher level flashpoints i'm also pleased to say that the game offers a substantial challenge as well.

    This is a game for those who really want to see the scope of storytelling in ANY medium taken to a whole new level.    … Expand
  73. Chester_Koenig
    Jan 2, 2012
    9
    As a disclaimer, the last reall MMO I played in depth was Everquest and before that Ultima Online, so this new generation of MMOs (including WoW) has never entered into the equation in regards to what I play. Saying that, I don't think that I have ever played a game that has captured the essence of Star Wars so well; I am absolutely having a blast playing SW:TOR. I am not a video gameAs a disclaimer, the last reall MMO I played in depth was Everquest and before that Ultima Online, so this new generation of MMOs (including WoW) has never entered into the equation in regards to what I play. Saying that, I don't think that I have ever played a game that has captured the essence of Star Wars so well; I am absolutely having a blast playing SW:TOR. I am not a video game reviewer, so I will keep this short and sweet: I think about playing this game many times while I am doing other things, including playing other games! I was playing Uncharted 3 a day ago (which is part of one of my favorite series of all time) and I thought to myself, "I should really go play some SW:TOR. I'm missing out on the action!"

    Suffice to say, the story is what brings the whole package together. I've always been a fan of Bioware and how they tell their stories, and even though this game is an MMO, they have still captured that same brilliance in this regard. Even many of the subplots are quite amazing!

    I have a feeling that much of the negativity on this review board stems from people who have played and got bored with WoW and don't find this to be as big of a step that they were expecting or are still playing religiously and are afraid that this game may steal some of it's thunder. As a new player of the new generation of MMOs, I can honestly say that I couldn't have asked for much more. I am in love!    … Expand
  74. Redfordsto
    Oct 14, 2013
    10
    Truly amazing. An online gaming experience that can be played as a group experience or as an individual self contained story. Bioware rewards subscribers, but the core experience remains even for free to play players. The star here is the individual well written and rewarding stories for each playable class. There are interesting and not-too repetitive (it's an mmo, repetition is part ofTruly amazing. An online gaming experience that can be played as a group experience or as an individual self contained story. Bioware rewards subscribers, but the core experience remains even for free to play players. The star here is the individual well written and rewarding stories for each playable class. There are interesting and not-too repetitive (it's an mmo, repetition is part of the genre) missions. Further, players are rewarded for interacting with other players and for exploration. Any problems are minor. The only true frustration is how difficult the optional datacrons can be to obtain. In earnest, this is the best MMO I've ever attempted.… Expand
  75. Sugewise
    May 17, 2012
    8
    Star Wars: The Old Republic, is a good game with great stories. Unfortunately the post 50 end game is lacking and very wow like. No open world pvp at all. Levels 1-49 are truly amazing though, definitely worth a play through or two.
  76. Haristo
    Dec 23, 2011
    9
    a satisfying and refreshing experience, mixing WoW and such others game mechanics with BioWare unique storytelling and level design. with smart class balancing and interresting group zones, SWTOR can be played alone and grouped. It also has a bit of everything for everybody : gentle skill based PvP system where everybody can play whatever their level. SWTOR is a great game for everybodya satisfying and refreshing experience, mixing WoW and such others game mechanics with BioWare unique storytelling and level design. with smart class balancing and interresting group zones, SWTOR can be played alone and grouped. It also has a bit of everything for everybody : gentle skill based PvP system where everybody can play whatever their level. SWTOR is a great game for everybody who enjoys the MMO genre.… Expand
  77. unbound
    Dec 22, 2011
    9
    Well, this game seems to have drawn some polarity. Let me add some reality to the mix here.

    First, anyone that has rated this game in the red zone is being highly unrealistic. They may not like the game for this reason or that reason, but it is certainly not a sub-5 game by any stretch of the imagination. There are plenty of MMOs out there that are far worse. Second, comparing this    Well, this game seems to have drawn some polarity. Let me add some reality to the mix here.

    First, anyone that has rated this game in the red zone is being highly unrealistic. They may not like the game for this reason or that reason, but it is certainly not a sub-5 game by any stretch of the imagination. There are plenty of MMOs out there that are far worse. Second, comparing this game to WoW is like comparing Battlefield 3 to Doom...other than the familiar mechanics and game play at the most superficial levels, they don't play or feel the same at all.

    On to the game itself. I've played in a few rounds of beta and have been playing in the early entry. My past history includes 6+ months (typically much more) of WoW, LoTRO, Rift, CoH / CoV, and Aion with some playing of Guild Wars, Warhammer, Age of Conan and Champions Online.

    The opening cutscene is very well done and does set the mood for the game very well. The character creation is fairly minimal with some races only being available based on class and/or faction selection. Customization is limited to a handful or two of pre-set conditions around hair style, facial expression, scars / tattoos, and general character size. This is pretty standard for any MMO that uses the armor / clothing pieces as the primary character appearance.

    Starting with you new character introduces the next major cutscene which is also well done and sets the stage for your character's storyline. Each faction / class combination truly feels unique with their storylines even though the starting areas (levels 1 thru 10) are shared (e.g. both jedi types - knight and consular - have the same starting area). The story is the primary separation between SWTOR and other MMOs at this stage. The stories are well done with voice acting all along the way. If you are not particularly interested in following the story, then you may want to pass on the game since you are missing out on 1/2 the experience.

    Interaction with NPCs take 2 flavors: Quest interactions which are all story based and voice acted (some are just for your class, others are for anyone in the zone) or trainers / vendors.

    Combat follows standard MMO conventions with various cc, damage, heal, and anti-cc abilities. Cooldowns are put appropriately on abilities that have higher damage, heal or cc effects. Several abilities are conditional on the status of the target (e.g. stunned). You will find rotations that are far more effective than others, and as you get up in levels, you will find that you can't rely on a single spam ability that will get you thru...and optimizing your rotation allows you to keep progressing with minimal breaks.

    Specialization gives you access to two different set of trees based on your class. The trees support tank, dps, or heals. Notably, the trees that support tank give access to good damage as do the trees that supporting healing. Trees that are heavy dps tend to give access to better cc.

    PvP is decently supported and reasonably well balanced. Queues tend to pop quickly since all levels play together (levels 10 thru 50) with players below level 50 powered up to do competitive damage. Since lower level players lack many abilities, there are more struggles, but I've been able to take out higher level opponents on my lower level toons, so my impression of PvP is that balance is better than most other MMOs I've played. The maps are rather interesting changes to the standard capture the flag approach with a game of Huttball with allowable passing to other players on your side being the most popular.

    Crafting is pretty unique in this MMO. Rather than gathering yourself, your crew does the work for you. You send the crew out to gather or craft and they will be unavailable until their mission / crafting is complete. You are able to send them out while working in a group on an instance as well. There is a good selection of crafting / gathering skills to select from, so it makes for some interesting choices. You are limited to 3 selections per character.

    Most of the game world is shared. Instancing is restricted to your class story line quests or group instancing (I know some of the reviews make it sound like the game world is as heavily instanced as Guild Wars, but that is definitely incorrect). There are some group "required" areas / instancing even in the starter areas, so you do get introduced to grouping early on. Even servers labeled as "Light" are full of activity as a result.

    Overall, the game is lively and fun. The classes are interesting approaches to a sci-fi MMORPG that makes for a very capable MMO. If you don't enjoy the RPG aspect, you probably won't find anything more compelling than other MMO games, but it is still a first rate game worth a try.    … Expand
  78. Manical_Koala
    Dec 27, 2011
    8
    I enjoy the game. It's not the end all of end alls.. or the new MMO that will lead us to the glory land. It's an MMO that focuses around voice acting, crafting and a Star Wars feel. To clear a few things up. The "fanboys" claiming its just a clone of WoW, remember that WoW is just a clone of EverQuest. Yes, this is a holy trinity game. Tank / Healer / DPS. Yes. It features stories,I enjoy the game. It's not the end all of end alls.. or the new MMO that will lead us to the glory land. It's an MMO that focuses around voice acting, crafting and a Star Wars feel. To clear a few things up. The "fanboys" claiming its just a clone of WoW, remember that WoW is just a clone of EverQuest. Yes, this is a holy trinity game. Tank / Healer / DPS. Yes. It features stories, choices and gear grinding. It also has a new crafting system and I find space combat and the voice acting a welcome distraction. All BioWare did was take the time tested and proven formula, and shined it up. Just like WoW did. This is a "better" version of WoW / EQ / etc. If you don't want toolbars, hotkeys, or were hoping it'd be a FPS MMO... I'm not sure what to tell you. You're obviously clueless about what the game is and you're trolling. So, I give it an 8.… Expand
  79. sennajin
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    Easily the best MMO since WoW. It takes the tried and true formula that dates all the way back to EQ and DAOC, that was refined by WoW and other games, mixes in a couple of new features from MMOs like Rift (AOE looting, anyone?), meshes all of that into BioWares trademark single player dialogue, tacks on Star Wars, and equals amazing. The game has a few kinks yet to work out, but theEasily the best MMO since WoW. It takes the tried and true formula that dates all the way back to EQ and DAOC, that was refined by WoW and other games, mixes in a couple of new features from MMOs like Rift (AOE looting, anyone?), meshes all of that into BioWares trademark single player dialogue, tacks on Star Wars, and equals amazing. The game has a few kinks yet to work out, but the issues I have with it are pretty minor.

    If you're looking for SWG2, don't bother, because this isn't it. If you where expecting SWG2, you have apparently been hiding under a rock for the past several years, as BioWare made it clear that this wasn't going to be SWG2. The worlds are all incredibly immersive and beautifully crafted. The stories, both world and class, are very well written. The PVP is fantastic, especially when you work as a team and get things done (pass the ball!). RPing comes easy, not only because so many people are familiar with Star Wars, but because the game lends itself to it. For me, this is the perfect theme park MMO.    … Expand
  80. Ka-Shem
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    I'm in love with this game... game play is fun as hell... our community is awesome & the story... its made me LOL, its made me go WTF! & its made me stare at the options its given me & have an internal debate about what I should choose. Ever read a book just before going to bed & say to yourself... "ill just get to the end of this chapter & go to bed" & then 4 chapters later your stillI'm in love with this game... game play is fun as hell... our community is awesome & the story... its made me LOL, its made me go WTF! & its made me stare at the options its given me & have an internal debate about what I should choose. Ever read a book just before going to bed & say to yourself... "ill just get to the end of this chapter & go to bed" & then 4 chapters later your still reading because you cant put the book down? TOR = that & more.… Expand
  81. Warfist
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    Spent months in beta, watched the game evolve into one of, if not the, best MMO's I have ever played (after 15 years of playing them) BioWare has laid an excellent foundation to build upon for years to come.
  82. zzrryll
    Dec 23, 2011
    10
    So, there's this theory that A Normal Person + An Audience + Anonymity = Total F***Tard. I think the majority of the negative reviews for this game support that.

    This game is a major step forward for the MMO genre, period. It combines the compelling story based gameplay of other Bioware games like Kotor and Mass Effect with the basics of the best in breed MMOs. I personally have tried    So, there's this theory that A Normal Person + An Audience + Anonymity = Total F***Tard. I think the majority of the negative reviews for this game support that.

    This game is a major step forward for the MMO genre, period. It combines the compelling story based gameplay of other Bioware games like Kotor and Mass Effect with the basics of the best in breed MMOs. I personally have tried every "wow killer" MMO that's come out since 2007, including Warhammer, Age of Conan, Aion, and Star Trek Online (tbh the only one I didn't play was Rift.) This game is really the only one, out of all of them, that has not only lived up to my expectations, but has surpassed them.

    I wasn't really looking forward to this game initially; then I got into the beta. Once I actually played the game, I started counting the days until release. Each class has class only quests that tell a compelling story about that particular class. Additionally, unlike pretty much every other major MMO, you are presented with choices during these quests lines, much like the aforementioned Kotor and Mass Effect games. All in all this is a first rate, top notch game, both from the MMO and single player perspectives.

    I'm honestly not really sure what the trolls are complaining about....if you like WoW and don't HATE Star Wars you'll enjoy this game, period.    … Expand
  83. CaptainRAVE
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    Ignore the low ratings, this deserves nothing less than a 7 or 8 out of 10. I am having an absolute blast! Even if people call it a WoW clone with lightsabers, what is wrong with that? I see that as a compliment. The story is the best of any MMO I have played, the light/dark decisions actually fun to make, companions add an extra social element, the graphics excellent for an MMO, and theIgnore the low ratings, this deserves nothing less than a 7 or 8 out of 10. I am having an absolute blast! Even if people call it a WoW clone with lightsabers, what is wrong with that? I see that as a compliment. The story is the best of any MMO I have played, the light/dark decisions actually fun to make, companions add an extra social element, the graphics excellent for an MMO, and the flashpoints positively exciting! This is by far the best MMO out there, play this now, you won't be disappointed!… Expand
  84. VAIsag-
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    Bah, here we go again. Another big name game is released and the trolls are out in full force raiting the game with 0's the minute it is released. Anywho, I am really enjoying the game and it's definitely the best MMO I have played. You wouldn't believe how much of a difference story, dialogue, choices makes in an MMO until you have actually played it.

    The game has everything that an    Bah, here we go again. Another big name game is released and the trolls are out in full force raiting the game with 0's the minute it is released. Anywho, I am really enjoying the game and it's definitely the best MMO I have played. You wouldn't believe how much of a difference story, dialogue, choices makes in an MMO until you have actually played it.

    The game has everything that an MMO is supposed to have and more, that more is the story, writing, and voice work of a high quality single player MMO. You'll be hooked!    … Expand
  85. Qwibs
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    A perfect game for a Star Wars, RPG, MMO fan. This game does have some issues, but I am giving it a 10 because frankly the current user score of 5.7 is not TRUE! If you happen to stumble upon this review and are planning on using it to purchase the game DON'T. Go to a different website and find a trusted reviewer (NO not IGN). Ok rant over, this game is great.
  86. GreenCheetah
    Dec 23, 2011
    9
    The game can be described as WoW with a Star Wars skin with Mass Effect style storytelling. I love it. The game play will be familiar with anyone who has played that other MMO. The Story is on par with BioWare's games. The game is just fun to play. I've already put in a around three days worth of game time and it has been a blast. Ignore all the trolls and give it a spin if you likedThe game can be described as WoW with a Star Wars skin with Mass Effect style storytelling. I love it. The game play will be familiar with anyone who has played that other MMO. The Story is on par with BioWare's games. The game is just fun to play. I've already put in a around three days worth of game time and it has been a blast. Ignore all the trolls and give it a spin if you liked WoW, Star Wars, or Mass Effect. If isn't broken why fix it?… Expand
  87. irishman505
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    A fantastic game if u are into star wars or mmo get this there a bunch of naysayers but truly it is great experience. Get this game ignore wow obsessed haters
  88. warruse
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    I read a lot of these bad reviews and can tell you more then half of what i have read are completely false..stuff they are complaining about isnt even in the game and stuff they have said they have done like "got to 50 and hated every second of it" can you really take someone like that serious thats over 200 hours of game play..IT IS NOT A WOW CLONE..i have played wow for 6 years andI read a lot of these bad reviews and can tell you more then half of what i have read are completely false..stuff they are complaining about isnt even in the game and stuff they have said they have done like "got to 50 and hated every second of it" can you really take someone like that serious thats over 200 hours of game play..IT IS NOT A WOW CLONE..i have played wow for 6 years and dozens of other mmos and this is my most enjoyable experience ( Advice for people who dont like voice overs..dont get it) the story is where this game shines everything else is really well done too but i dont have add and take my time.… Expand
  89. elterifico
    Apr 2, 2012
    8
    Great game, I played it since the beta testing and I love it. It should be better, and it will... people are still expecting the content to be as big as wow... For now it is not. I find it funny though when I read about people that are pissed at the game mecanics since it is to similar to WOW just before complaining about things that are not like WOW. (Many onstanced zones andGreat game, I played it since the beta testing and I love it. It should be better, and it will... people are still expecting the content to be as big as wow... For now it is not. I find it funny though when I read about people that are pissed at the game mecanics since it is to similar to WOW just before complaining about things that are not like WOW. (Many onstanced zones and linearity). Following a story is not linearity to me.

    I expected more, but I still enjoy what they delivered and I'm sure they will improve...    … Expand
  90. InfinityBlaze
    Mar 25, 2012
    8
    First off, I would like to say that this game is not a rip-off of WoW. WoW is a great, successful game, and developers would be dumb to not borrow some mechanics from it. SWTOR takes what WoW does and refines it until perfection. The RPG part of the game is incredibly immersive, and makes you feel as if you are part of the world. The combat is fun, visually dynamic, and challenging. NowFirst off, I would like to say that this game is not a rip-off of WoW. WoW is a great, successful game, and developers would be dumb to not borrow some mechanics from it. SWTOR takes what WoW does and refines it until perfection. The RPG part of the game is incredibly immersive, and makes you feel as if you are part of the world. The combat is fun, visually dynamic, and challenging. Now for the negatives. SWTOR's sprawling landscapes take absolutely FOREVER to traverse, and it's sad to see no Flashpoint matchmaking system. Open-world PvP is dead, customer service is not the greatest. All in all, SWTOR is a great MMO, and will be alive for years to come.… Expand
  91. Vindeb
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    Been fantastic so far. The story makes all the difference. I actually care about the character I'm playing for once. There's no way you can rate this below a 5. Even if you think it is a knock off of WoW it's polished as hell and introduces a dynamic story.
  92. RolandDeschain
    Dec 23, 2011
    10
    This is KOTOR with multiplayer and at least ten times more content than ordinary KOTOR 3 might have had. Any KOTOR fan can only be impressed.;)
    I hope WoW fanboys and **** trolls will find better things to do than spamming this site and SWTOR with bad ratings and reviews.
  93. Sygon
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    Amazing game, started MMO's back in the day of Everquest and have yet had the feeling of "magic" like this game has created.

    Story- No MMO in HISTORY has ever made you feel like a true hero like SWTOR will. Excellent questing. Combat- WTFBBQ I acutally saw my guy parry an attack?! Combat animation TOP notch for an MMO. Classes- You will not find a better mix of classes for creative,    Amazing game, started MMO's back in the day of Everquest and have yet had the feeling of "magic" like this game has created.

    Story- No MMO in HISTORY has ever made you feel like a true hero like SWTOR will. Excellent questing.
    Combat- WTFBBQ I acutally saw my guy parry an attack?! Combat animation TOP notch for an MMO.
    Classes- You will not find a better mix of classes for creative, not your typical roles that we have used for the past 15 years
    Zones- Very lifelike, cities that are well..... very large like cities. Tatooine, Corescant, Nar Shadaa, gorgeous and large.
    Companions/Crafting- Best system in the world especially for those dads like me who dont want to take precious gaming time to sit infront of a forge, your companion crafts for you as well as gather materials.
    Size- This game is the largest MMO I have ever encountered in sheer SIZE, planets are very large and beautiful.

    People who say the graphics are terrible know nothing about graphics, the amount of polygons in each character is amazing, lighting, the amount of color put into objects very very impressive, this game will look great 5 years from now because of its style.

    If you are thinking about getting this game it is a MUST have.    … Expand
  94. shalott
    Dec 20, 2011
    9
    I'm rather shocked to see so many negative reviews here. I've been loving the game so far (playing it since Early Access), and all the friends with which I'm playing seem to be having a blast as well. I admit that it started off a bit slow, and the graphics threw me off at first, but the quests became more involving as the game went on, IMO, and by the time I reached Coruscant, I wasI'm rather shocked to see so many negative reviews here. I've been loving the game so far (playing it since Early Access), and all the friends with which I'm playing seem to be having a blast as well. I admit that it started off a bit slow, and the graphics threw me off at first, but the quests became more involving as the game went on, IMO, and by the time I reached Coruscant, I was hooked.

    I suppose combat is similar to WoW, but that's not a turn-off for me (I'm still a semi-hardcore raider) -- your mileage may vary, of course. Honestly, I don't really care about the combat at this point. It might be an issue at end-game once I've run out of quests, but that's a long way off. What I love is the sense of immersion, of wonder while running through the avenues of Coruscant, uncertainty while wrestling with one of the game's many moral dilemmas, cheer when sauntering into a cantina with trippy music and pole-dancing girls. I love the companion system, which adds an extra level to each dialogue choice, since every companion has their own personalities and value systems and will pass judgment on your decisions according to them. I love the crafting system, which allows me to do something constructive even when I'm idling in a city, alt-tabbed out or chatting in Vent.

    Is the game perfect? No. I would like to see more NPCs to interact with -- not quest-givers (I already feel like there are almost too many quests), just people that might spout off a random, hilarious line or two, same as in the Dragon Age/Baldur's Gate series or, of course, my beloved Planescape: Torment. I'd like some more humor in the quests and companion banter, although perhaps I've been shooting myself in the foot by playing an ultra goody-two-shoes Jedi; I really enjoy grouping with less determinedly virtuous friends and listening to the responses they can toss out without losing my own Light Side points.

    I'm only about a third of the way through my first character playthrough so far, so I can't guarantee that the bloom will last, but thus far, I feel like the game is giving me a really solid single-player experience while also allowing me to reap the benefits of grouping with friends (dungeons aren't scary anymore! I don't have to micro-manage every member of my party, or worry about their pathing, or about them running ahead bravely to get themselves killed!)

    I appreciate that others clearly didn't find what they were looking for in SW:TOR, but I've just been getting so much enjoyment out of the game, it's ridiculous, and that's with the core game as it stands -- the thought of what updates and expansions can do for this world makes my heart go pitter-pat.    … Expand
  95. Veimi
    Dec 20, 2011
    9
    This game is the first MMO I have vastly enjoyed since the early days of World of Warcraft. It just feels so new even though most of the basic functions are already similar to other mmos. No it is not complete but yes, it has the content and the design that anyone will enjoy. Do not, I repeat, do not let this game pass by because of the 0 reviewers, they clearly don't have no idea how toThis game is the first MMO I have vastly enjoyed since the early days of World of Warcraft. It just feels so new even though most of the basic functions are already similar to other mmos. No it is not complete but yes, it has the content and the design that anyone will enjoy. Do not, I repeat, do not let this game pass by because of the 0 reviewers, they clearly don't have no idea how to rate a game. I am currently standing @ level 22 with my Jedi Shadow and don't want to shut the game down even though I go to work every morning. Try it, you won't regret it.… Expand
  96. randomo
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    Anyone who doesn't give this game atleast a 9 is crazy. All the 0-4 scores are absolutely ridiculous. This game should put all other mmorps to rest, or atleast take away from them greatly.
  97. Trsc
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    the best MMO I have played to date. The launch was unbelievably smooth and me and my friends have been enjoying the hell out of it. There are a few small issues with it, but I am sure they will be fixed in the future. Overall easily a 9/10.
  98. Lazerbrain
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    I created a account here just to write this review because I felt the score was too low.

    Life long star wars fan, past MMO experience 4years in SWG, 4 years in WoW, 4 years in UltimaOnline, done all the other MMO's for brief periods, you name it I'v played it. I absolutely love SWTOR, this is the game I have been waiting for, there are some things that I would love to see added, like    I created a account here just to write this review because I felt the score was too low.

    Life long star wars fan, past MMO experience 4years in SWG, 4 years in WoW, 4 years in UltimaOnline, done all the other MMO's for brief periods, you name it I'v played it.

    I absolutely love SWTOR, this is the game I have been waiting for, there are some things that I would love to see added, like alien races, space pvp, but all can be expansion added later so I'm gonna give this game a 10 cause a meta score of 5.7 has to be addressed.

    It's got great singel player!

    It's got great friendly multiplayer, no large raids just enough for real life friends to be able to have some real fun without going all wow raid nolife.

    It's got balanced and fun PvP. (you will hear people QQ just because they don't know how to play and expect something else instead of learning this games mechanics) (Still I could kill any class with any other class at max skill level and thats balance enough for me.)

    Best game I'v played in a long long time... best Star Wars game since Jedi Academy.

    I would say it's a lot better then KOTOR wich so many people seem to love. This is KOTOR 3,4,5,6,7,8 combined.    … Expand
  99. GreenVMan
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    *pretends to be shocked* Another popular game out and another smear campaign from trolls in the user section. This bombardment of 0's needs to be dealt with, this is getting ridiculous and abusive. ToR is a wonderful MMO that any Bioware and Star Wars fan is going to love. You can play this as your standard MMO or as a single player game even. JUST because this game has a personal story*pretends to be shocked* Another popular game out and another smear campaign from trolls in the user section. This bombardment of 0's needs to be dealt with, this is getting ridiculous and abusive. ToR is a wonderful MMO that any Bioware and Star Wars fan is going to love. You can play this as your standard MMO or as a single player game even. JUST because this game has a personal story doesn't mean it's a "lobby game" as one user puts it. Tell me...what standard MMO feature is ToR missing that these non lobby games have? Dungeons check, Raids check, PvP check, World PvP check, World PvP objectives check, group quests check. Enough with the trolling already.… Expand
  100. TrissM
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    Official reviews so far:

    Venturebeat - 89%, G4TV - 5/5, Digitaltrend - 9/10, Eurogamer Italy 8/10, AusGamers - 9.5/10, Gameblog.fr - 8/10 Who are you gonna believe? Legit reviews with pages worth of info and opinion or trolls who have only reviewed this game making BS comments that aren't true at all. You decide.
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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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