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. PretentiousCat
    Dec 20, 2011
    4
    When I first heard about this game, many moons ago, I was instantly hyped. I loved KotOR and the atmosphere. I was de-based on Bioware after the DA2 fiasco but I said I'd give them a second chance.

    After playing the early release, getting into the mid 40's in the first day of playing, I realized something. The rumors of a copy-pasted WoW were true. The skills were the same, the combat was    When I first heard about this game, many moons ago, I was instantly hyped. I loved KotOR and the atmosphere. I was de-based on Bioware after the DA2 fiasco but I said I'd give them a second chance.

    After playing the early release, getting into the mid 40's in the first day of playing, I realized something.
    The rumors of a copy-pasted WoW were true. The skills were the same, the combat was the same. Heck, even the quests were the same.

    What they didn't copy was the sense of accomplishment you get from attaining a high level and good gear.

    And don't get me started on the gear in ToR. Terrible textures, nothing that sets you apart from other classes and the clown syndrome is everywhere with mismatching gear.

    This game is nothing more than a mix of social networking and a glorified Facebook game.
    Avoid it at all costs.    … Expand
  2. ARTHURIUSS
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    This is a terrific game.I can't believe some of the negative reviews and scores being handed out here.How is this game a 0 or 1 or a 2!? Hell,even handing out a score of 6 is a great disservice to a game as fine as this.
    Sure, it plays a lot like WOW but it's a hell lot more immersive than WOW ever was and the stories are so well told that you can't wait to see what happens next.The voice    This is a terrific game.I can't believe some of the negative reviews and scores being handed out here.How is this game a 0 or 1 or a 2!? Hell,even handing out a score of 6 is a great disservice to a game as fine as this.
    Sure, it plays a lot like WOW but it's a hell lot more immersive than WOW ever was and the stories are so well told that you can't wait to see what happens next.The voice acting is phenomenal and adds to whole immersion factor and is so much fun playing this with friends.Definitely a must buy game IMO.

    I'd rate this a 9 but looking at the troll scores that are being handed out I think a perfect score is fully justified.    … Expand
  3. DeathRow
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    It's alright, would have been better as a single player game. The story is good and interesting, the characters age good and interesting, but the difficulty seems to either be stupidly hard or ridiculously easy.
  4. chainzor
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    This game is getting a LOT of heat for being a dull WoW-clone. Fair enough, they copied a lot of what -works- in WoW. In my humble opinion, a lot of the criticism completely misses it's own point - this game IS, in fact, innovating. I don't think they 'wasted a lot of money on voice acting', I think it's money well spend. When i first got into the game, I was very chilled, my expectationsThis game is getting a LOT of heat for being a dull WoW-clone. Fair enough, they copied a lot of what -works- in WoW. In my humble opinion, a lot of the criticism completely misses it's own point - this game IS, in fact, innovating. I don't think they 'wasted a lot of money on voice acting', I think it's money well spend. When i first got into the game, I was very chilled, my expectations were super-high, and met by an according cinematic - that thing rocked. I was taken to the character-creation - no Eve Online creator, still, more customization than World of Warcraft ever offered. The first 10 levels were amazing, when I moved from the tutorial-planet I felt like I did after playing the first part of Age og Conan - difference was the good stories and awesome voice-acting didn't stop here, the whole thing didn't just turn in to 'go out and do whatever, kill some boars if you like or something'.. Nope, I find even the side-quests interesting, and grinding very optional. Then there's the combat system. Well.. They didn't exactly re-redefine.. well anything. BUT, people tend to look back at the games that did, and forget why they're not playing them. The locked-target ability system does offer some things, it's clearly not very confusing (although targeting could have been sneakier), and it makes it more important how you prioritize your skills, then how well you make a headshot, make wierd combos, or whatever innovative fantastic combat system that for some reason isn't popular enough to beat this classic in popularity. The 2 points from 10 comes from a couple of things - the gear, for once. Ouch. I got my sweet jedi-robe at lvl 14-15 and then it just kinda went down from there. PvP-gear was much harder to get, but made me look like a silly homemade halloween-costume aiming for a mix of Superman and Julius Caesar. Very weird, and not very cool. Another thing that disappointed me was spaceships. I'd hoped for an implementation where you could be a group manning a spaceship, and it'd matter, and you could buy new ones and such, but in reality the 'locked on route'-type spaceship missions made me wanna get it over with and get back on land. However, overall I'm having a splendid time, and I really think it's worth the while. Maybe even worth the queue-times.… Expand
  5. TooOldtoGame
    Dec 20, 2011
    1
    A good single player game, a terrible MMO. After all the hype and promises of epic this and epic that, it turned out to be rather above average. Now after seeing Bioware acquired a F2P company, it looks pretty obvious they know their product didn't live up to the hype either. I wouldn't say don't bother, but I sure wouldn't purchase a year sub if I were you.
  6. madeux
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    Please be aware that 99% of the reviews so far are from jaded haters who have not even played the game. This game is EXACTLY what BioWare has been promising all along. Whether you like it or not, at least they were honest and up front with it.

    I've felt immersed into the story and the world from the very beginning. Unlike every MMO I've played in the last 5 years (and I've played them    Please be aware that 99% of the reviews so far are from jaded haters who have not even played the game. This game is EXACTLY what BioWare has been promising all along. Whether you like it or not, at least they were honest and up front with it.

    I've felt immersed into the story and the world from the very beginning. Unlike every MMO I've played in the last 5 years (and I've played them all), I don't feel like I'm being pressured to level up quickly. I'm enjoying the story and taking in everything the game has to offer.

    It in NO WAY feels like a lobby based game and is 100% an MMORPG. If you see someone say otherwise, you can know with absolute certainty that they are nothing but a troll.    … Expand
  7. QuakerOfDoom
    Dec 20, 2011
    4
    I'll be honest here, I only got to Level 33 before quitting out of boredom, so if there is something to make up for the poor post-endgame, consider this a 6 instead of a 4. It's just that I just can't support Bioware anymore for what they've done to the SW:TOR games, with the retcons to Revan and the boring quests. I've always been a huge fan of Bioware ever since the SW:TOR 1, but everI'll be honest here, I only got to Level 33 before quitting out of boredom, so if there is something to make up for the poor post-endgame, consider this a 6 instead of a 4. It's just that I just can't support Bioware anymore for what they've done to the SW:TOR games, with the retcons to Revan and the boring quests. I've always been a huge fan of Bioware ever since the SW:TOR 1, but ever since they were bought out by EA, the quality of their games has noticeably dropped. TOR, being, in a nutshell, WoW with lightsabers, has done little to change my opinion of this. I really hope Bioware manages to buck the trend with the upcoming ME3, but I can't help but feel doubt about Bioware's ability to continue making quality games after this.
    Anyway, if you're into WoW, you might like this game. If you're not, then TOR won't do anything to change your opinion.
    P.S. I know that I will be called a troll for expressing my honest opinion, but I don't give a ****    … Expand
  8. experienceddog
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    This is a world of warcraft clone. the graphics are bad and dumb as poop. I sometimes wonder why there are no many fanboy for this game. It is just an cheaper alternative to WoW, and that game is dumb also. I wanted action game, I got boring mess. Writing is on par with a harlequin romance novel. sorry for poor english not frist language. Hope helpful!! :)
  9. minsu2
    Dec 20, 2011
    1
    This is a poor excuse for a MMORPG in 2012, $60 + $5 "Pre Order fee", $15 monthly subscription for a subpar World of Warcraft set in the Star Wars universe. If you enjoy the fact that people have completed all of the content, including getting to the maximum character level during "pre-access" (before the servers even opened) you will enjoy paying to play a single player game with aThis is a poor excuse for a MMORPG in 2012, $60 + $5 "Pre Order fee", $15 monthly subscription for a subpar World of Warcraft set in the Star Wars universe. If you enjoy the fact that people have completed all of the content, including getting to the maximum character level during "pre-access" (before the servers even opened) you will enjoy paying to play a single player game with a monthly subscription fee. This is a blight on the MMO industry and I don't think fellow players will stick around after the first month or two unless they are sadly mistaken into paying to stick around and hoping the game transforms itself, which it won't.

    Avoid    … Expand
  10. Energiie
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    This is a Milestone for the MMO Genre! Bioware has done a fantastic job, creating great storyline, sublime action in dungeons (witch in WOW tended to be boring times to time), great possibilities when playing with your friends as well! people tends to have WAY high expectations, that the graphs should be over the charts, all story no "hack-and-slash" quest.. but no an MMO needs that, andThis is a Milestone for the MMO Genre! Bioware has done a fantastic job, creating great storyline, sublime action in dungeons (witch in WOW tended to be boring times to time), great possibilities when playing with your friends as well! people tends to have WAY high expectations, that the graphs should be over the charts, all story no "hack-and-slash" quest.. but no an MMO needs that, and Bioware has done this in a great manner! it is a great MMO, with an even greater story!… Expand
  11. Tro
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    I've been patiently waiting for this game ever since I heard about it back in mid 2010. Prior to that I had sworn off MMORPGs after getting bored with the genre, however the combination of Star Wars and a massively open world to play in convinced me to keep an eye on developments. After having participated in the recent beta weekend events, I knew with 100% certainty that Star Wars: TheI've been patiently waiting for this game ever since I heard about it back in mid 2010. Prior to that I had sworn off MMORPGs after getting bored with the genre, however the combination of Star Wars and a massively open world to play in convinced me to keep an eye on developments. After having participated in the recent beta weekend events, I knew with 100% certainty that Star Wars: The Old Republic would be my new digital home for the foreseeable future. Once you get your ship and more powerful abilities early-to-mid level you really start to appreciate the sheer amount of hard work that has gone into this game; the scenery especially is outstanding, from the claustrophobic tunnels of Coruscant to the brash, neon skyline of Nar Shaddaa, and then to the dusty, sandy, scorched world of Tatooine, you are fully immersed in the Star Wars galaxy so deftly and lovingly crafted by BioWare. The gameplay is also excellent, and I've got so many abilities to play around with even though I'm level 33 (out of 50) that I've run out of hotkeys! Conclusion: I can heartily recommend this game to newcomers and veterans alike. There are hundreds, thousands of hours of game time to be had, for the price of a couple of rental dvds per month. This premium entertainment is excellent value for money.… Expand
  12. tototototo
    Dec 20, 2011
    2
    This game plays similar to a mix between a typical mordern BioWare game and World of Warcraft.
    This may seem like a good idea on paper but the problem is this: The story completely retcons the events of the previous Knights of the Old Republic games, setting Revan(PC of the first game) as a generic, mid-strength sith and completely ignoring the 'wound in the force' concept of the second    This game plays similar to a mix between a typical mordern BioWare game and World of Warcraft.
    This may seem like a good idea on paper but the problem is this: The story completely retcons the events of the previous Knights of the Old Republic games, setting Revan(PC of the first game) as a generic, mid-strength sith and completely ignoring the 'wound in the force' concept of the second game.
    A change from the normal MMO storyline where you begin as a nobody that must make his way in the world, in TOR you begin as a legendary 'classname' and are a hero of 'faction'. While it nice to be special, once everyone is special nobody is.
    The character models, regardless of race, share the exact same frame and animations, defeating the purpose of having multiple races. Despite this consolidation of effort, the animations still manage to look unnatural and wooden.
    As an MMO the content can definitely be called limited. It is fully possible to reach max level in a single weekend without resorting to any exploits or guides(which don't exist yet), while even WoW(popularly considered an easy, streamlined levelling experience) takes at least week of solid playtime while following guides developed over months to powerlevel a character.    … Expand
  13. DoctorBarber
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    An entertaining way to spend a few months while waiting for other, distant MMOs. While it's true it doesn't innovate as much as it could have, it provides a nice diversion for fans of Star Wars and Bioware RPGs. The storytelling and dialogue system is an interesting alternative to your typical MMO questing, but too often the quests themselves amount to the kill X of Y we've come to expect.An entertaining way to spend a few months while waiting for other, distant MMOs. While it's true it doesn't innovate as much as it could have, it provides a nice diversion for fans of Star Wars and Bioware RPGs. The storytelling and dialogue system is an interesting alternative to your typical MMO questing, but too often the quests themselves amount to the kill X of Y we've come to expect. In all honesty this game is no better or worse than WoW. If you're tired of WoW's world and want a change of scenery but fairly familiar gameplay, consider giving this a try. This is a game you are either going to love or hate.… Expand
  14. GatorFan
    Dec 20, 2011
    9
    One phrase sums up SW:TOR, "It's the STORY.....(stupid)".

    The EQ -> WoW MMO legacy was based only loosely on story and mostly about gear progression. In those games I always felt the urge to rush to max level, skip quest text, follow the bread crumb trail that was obvious, and get to the next level, the next zone, the next gear upgrade. Blah, blah boring after 7 years of playing like    One phrase sums up SW:TOR, "It's the STORY.....(stupid)".

    The EQ -> WoW MMO legacy was based only loosely on story and mostly about gear progression. In those games I always felt the urge to rush to max level, skip quest text, follow the bread crumb trail that was obvious, and get to the next level, the next zone, the next gear upgrade. Blah, blah boring after 7 years of playing like that. WoW is an awesome game and there is enough room in my gaming interests to play BOTH without the universe exploding. But that gaming mode is old, old, old.

    Make no mistake, this is NOT WoW and is not trying to copy WoW. There are basic things that are in common such as talents and combat, but that's about as far as it goes. The immersion comes from paying attention to the quest voice dialog and really interacting with it. Your choices in the dialog matter and as a result I have found myself personally attached to my toon within the first 5 levels. My toons in other games are all about their gear at max level where leveling doesn't mean jack at the end. In this case, our choices all along the way are unique and give a unique feel to your toon.

    Mechanically, SW:TOR has a number of nice "quality of life" goodies. The Companion system for crafting is a fantastic concept. No more taking your own time to farm and craft grind over and over again, send your companion off to do that. AoE looting is a huge improvement to the questing experience. The light/dark options along the way leave you with a unique character at max level as well based on the choices along the way. Yes, you can be a dark Jedi or a light Sith. And what's even more interesting is the clear distinction between Empire and Republic with no blurring the lines and "capital city" mess of being "nice" to the other faction. The other guys are your sworn enemies and you want to kill them. Take that into PvP and you'll have a lot more fun!

    Yes, there are improvements that need to be made but what games doesn't need them? The UI needs customization (which they say is coming), the GTN (auction house equivalent) needs some better filtering ability. If those improvements don't come, then there is a problem. But to be sitting on launch day and have the major things RIGHT, and some details like the ones I mentioned not done yet just tells me they made good choices in building a game that is INTERESTING first. They are not fatal flaws unless you're a hyper-obsessive basement dweller.

    The term "WoW killer" is so overused and misapplied it's laughable. BW didn't set out to make this a killer of anything but to make a game with their unique way of story telling that happens to be one of the most relateable and immersive story lines of the modern movie generation, Star Wars. To enjoy that means setting aside most of the mind set trained from the WoW's of the MMO genre and being open to a new experience. One that I personally find to be the best and most refreshing since I started playing MMOs 8 years ago.    … Expand
  15. Nerux
    Dec 20, 2011
    1
    This is embarrassing. Bioware clearly spend too much money on stuff that didn't matter such as voice-acting. Instead they shipped a WoW-clone (Let's face it, it is) with a dull atmosphere and boring gameplay. The visuals and graphics are dull and inconsistent which makes it look like a mediocre F2P game. Also, the animations are clearly rehashed from other Bioware titles. They had theThis is embarrassing. Bioware clearly spend too much money on stuff that didn't matter such as voice-acting. Instead they shipped a WoW-clone (Let's face it, it is) with a dull atmosphere and boring gameplay. The visuals and graphics are dull and inconsistent which makes it look like a mediocre F2P game. Also, the animations are clearly rehashed from other Bioware titles. They had the budget and opportunity to create something original, but instead they chose to go for the cash-grab. Sadly, this is probably rather fitting for a Star Wars game. Oh well.

    Anyway, it is not worth it.    … Expand
  16. SHAMEFURDISPRAY
    Dec 20, 2011
    0
    The game is essentially World of Warcraft in space.

    It is honestly amazing how Bioware is completely incapable of coming up with a single unique idea for themselves. Do not support horrible developers such as these.
  17. spinspock
    Dec 20, 2011
    0
    This is an absolutely rubbish MMO, even by recent standards. The gameplay is essentially World of Warcraft in Space with zero innovation. The characters are generic, the story is tepid, and the gameplay is slow and boring. It's made all the more painful when you consider Galaxies getting shut down a few weeks ago.
  18. Krichevskoy
    Dec 20, 2011
    1
    Hardly any end-game content.
    Huge world. 90% empty space/useless uninteresting areas.
    Poor pvp balance.
    Hardly any diversity in the armor models. The different races only differ in slight remakes of the human bone structure. No body changes whatsoever (you couldn't tell the different races apart if you covered up the face).
  19. doctorworm
    Dec 20, 2011
    1
    Yeah the game is pretty good and balanced all round, but at the end of the day it's just another wow-clone. Combat is extremely boring and its writing and voice acting (It's biggest selling point mind you) ranges from mediocre to poor. The game also has a distinct lack of end game and leveling a character only takes a few days. Most players are likely to abandon after the first month.Yeah the game is pretty good and balanced all round, but at the end of the day it's just another wow-clone. Combat is extremely boring and its writing and voice acting (It's biggest selling point mind you) ranges from mediocre to poor. The game also has a distinct lack of end game and leveling a character only takes a few days. Most players are likely to abandon after the first month. At the end of the day, it feels like a rushed KOTOR sequel, only you require to pay a monthly fee.… Expand
  20. CazNeerg
    Dec 20, 2011
    9
    Bottom line on TOR is that if you love BioWare style storytelling, and don't absolutely loathe traditional themepark MMO mechanics, you will probably like this game, maybe even love it. But if you think story doesn't belong in MMOs, or themeparks suck, look elsewhere.
  21. shikamaru31789
    Dec 20, 2011
    9
    I have played SWTOR in two Beta Weekends, and every day since I got let into Early Access on Day 1. In total, I've probably logged more than 100 hours, and have played every classes origin world, as well as levelled 2 characters into the mid-high 20's, one in beta and my main now at launch. I've played maybe 5 MMO's previously. SWTOR is the best MMO I've ever played, but that doesn't meanI have played SWTOR in two Beta Weekends, and every day since I got let into Early Access on Day 1. In total, I've probably logged more than 100 hours, and have played every classes origin world, as well as levelled 2 characters into the mid-high 20's, one in beta and my main now at launch. I've played maybe 5 MMO's previously. SWTOR is the best MMO I've ever played, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. They've taken alot of the features that I didn't like about other MMO's and have fixed them. Crafting for one, no more wasting time doing it yourself, you can send your companions on missions to gather resources or craft for you. The crafting system is plenty detailed, it's better than any MMO I've ever played, though not as good as some other MMO's I've heard others speak of. You gather mats, you craft some greens, you reverse engineer them to get back some mats and have a chance at unlocking a blue quality recipe of that item, then you can make the blues and reverse engineer them for a chance at a purple quality item. There are crafting crits as well, which give you a chance at an extra bonus to an item, such as an extra mod slot. Many items can be modded, and certain crafting professions specialize in mods. The modding system, after having gone through several iterations in the beta, is finally as it should be, just enough mods for things to be simple, but still offer a lot of customization options for gear. Combat is your standard MMO hotkey fare, but Bioware has given abilities the best animations I've ever seen in an MMO, which really helps to spice up combat. Combat is responsive, unlike in many other MMO's I've played, when you hit a key, the ability is used almost immediately. Auto-attack has been removed, which also helps to liven up combat and make it feel more involving. Companions also help to liven up combat, but have much better AI than "pets" in other MMO's, so they don't require babysitting or micro-managing. Difficulty is pretty low throughout much of the game, but there are certain boss encounters in Flashpoints (SWTOR's story-driven version of Dungeons) and in certain points of the class story that are fairly difficult, requiring multiple tries. Death is made easier with an in place revive with a scaling cooldown. Death penalty is your standard item degradation, beware, items can degrade pretty quickly if you're dying alo, and repairig full degredation on all of your gear is somewhat pricey.

    Graphics are better than those of any MMO I've ever played. You'll see some people complaining about the graphics, but those people are generally comparing SWTOR to singleplayer games, an unfair comparison for any MMO, a genre known for lesser graphics. There are few areas that are sloppily done, but that's to be expected in a game SWTOR's size, it may have more total land area than any game ever created except for Daggerfall (which used recycled generated areas). Character graphics are a weak area, as is character creation (but they've steadily added more options to creation throughout the beta and have said that they will contiunue to do so after launch). Story. Now this is where SWTOR stands out. I've played every classes origin world story, and 2 classes well into Chapter 1 (mid-late 20's). There isn't a story that I'm not hooked to, and I find myself having trouble playing choosing which character to work on each day. Writing is pretty good on most quests, there are few awkward moments both in the class stories and in side stories, but in general, they're fantastic. The Side stories aren't quite as good as the Class Stories, but I still find myself engrossed by several of them. Bioware has succeeded in making me feel an emotional connection to many of the charcters, both in Class Stories and Side Stories, so I have major trouble trying to choose dark side choices, even on my Sith characters.

    PvP is amazing, better than in any MMO I've ever played. Combat is balanced, I find myself at the top of one leaderboard or other regardless of what class I'm playing. All the amazing Star Wars themed animations going off at once in a group engagement looks amazing, lightsabers whirring everywhere, blasterbolts and lightning flying past. The Warzones are varied and are quite entertaining. SWTOR's weakest area is social features. Right now, guilds are lacking features (high priority fix after launch), there are no social minigames to get people socializing in Cantinas (another post-launch feature), It's very difficult to find PUGs to run Heroics and Flashpoints with once you get out of the teens, the economy on the Galactic Exchange seems fairly poor (barely anyone are selling items there or are buying items from others). But all in all, SWTOR is an amazing achievement in MMO history. It's the best MMO I've ever played and I fully intend to play this game for at least a year.    … Expand
  22. Arianolese
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    Star Wars: The Old Republicâ
  23. Rocka1
    Dec 20, 2011
    0
    At first I thought, World of warcraft with starwars? Sounds like crap, but then bioware pulled a bioware and messed the gameplay, the voice acting, the UI, and almost everything else up, so now it's really just A walking simulator with buggy, boring combat.

    Bioware does it again.
  24. CoreDave
    Dec 20, 2011
    0
    Biggest wasted opportunity in years. Who ever was responsible for making this game a WoW clone should be shot and the developers should hang their heads in shame to have created such a blatantly uninspired rip off of a tired and outdated formula. It could of been so different, don't waste your money on this one it deserves to go down and the biggest flop in gaming history.
  25. mxair
    Dec 20, 2011
    0
    Game is over rated. Save your money for Diablo 3. Too many crashes, bugs, and glitches that get ignored at the STWOR forum. Customer service is by far worse than ATT. THE GAME IS BUILT ON FLASH. What you see in the trailors is just for show and advertising of the game.

    When you get to the game content it is lame. Poor PvP concept. Seems like the game is build on PvE. The mobs just stand    Game is over rated. Save your money for Diablo 3. Too many crashes, bugs, and glitches that get ignored at the STWOR forum. Customer service is by far worse than ATT. THE GAME IS BUILT ON FLASH. What you see in the trailors is just for show and advertising of the game.

    When you get to the game content it is lame. Poor PvP concept. Seems like the game is build on PvE. The mobs just stand up and waiting to be killed. The instances are annoying, story telling at times confusing.

    The game was rushed for Dec 20. you can tell the details are not there. Sith is so one sided in battles. If you join this game for PvP you will be frustrated. Light sabers dont even look like light sabers. They look like a piece of stick. Very low key on graphics.

    So do your self a big favor again and wait for Diablo 3. You can not trust bioware to make a decent MMO.

    Quite frustrating really.    … Expand
  26. celerity321
    Dec 20, 2011
    2
    When I heard about this I was disappointed by the fact that they would be turning my beloved KoTOR into an MMO, but, I gave it a chance. Sadly it proved my fears right. Gameplay wise it is a poor WoW clone at best, except it's even more dumbed down. The graphics are just pathetic for a game coming out in 2011, it barely looks like an upgrade over KoTOR. And don't get me started on theWhen I heard about this I was disappointed by the fact that they would be turning my beloved KoTOR into an MMO, but, I gave it a chance. Sadly it proved my fears right. Gameplay wise it is a poor WoW clone at best, except it's even more dumbed down. The graphics are just pathetic for a game coming out in 2011, it barely looks like an upgrade over KoTOR. And don't get me started on the "story". Grade school writing, combined with an utter mangling of everything in KoTOR just led to me hanging my head in shame with bile creeping up my throat.… Expand
  27. SMDRH
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    I came on Metacritic today expecting that this game would have insanely positive user reviews, however was left disappointed at the amount of hate being thrown around and a shoddy 5.2 User Score. For convenience, I am going to cut right to the chase. Yes, the gameplay is very similar to World of Warcraft, but that is not a bad thing, especially for people who are new to MMOs. Here is why;I came on Metacritic today expecting that this game would have insanely positive user reviews, however was left disappointed at the amount of hate being thrown around and a shoddy 5.2 User Score. For convenience, I am going to cut right to the chase. Yes, the gameplay is very similar to World of Warcraft, but that is not a bad thing, especially for people who are new to MMOs. Here is why; it is very smooth, easy to adapt to and hits the standard that is expected of MMOs. WoW achieves this, and ToR does as well. Features are expanded on with Companion characters, and new mini-games are included (AKA, Space Battles while piloting your very own starfighter). Where the two games differ substantially is in their methods of conveying story. The Old Republic is completely and superbly voiced over, in true Mass Effect fashion. Do not let people fool you into thinking that this is an insignificant feature, because it isn't. It makes the game tenfold more interesting and engaging. Although the missions are your usual run of the mill "collect three of these" or "kill four of those", it feels like much less of a grind because you are given purpose for doing what you are doing in a way that is engaging (because of the voice acting and decision making features). Bioware have miraculously designed the game to make you feel like you are the focus of it. Your choices carry weight, you grow somewhat connected to your companions and you always feel like you are achieving something. Instead of finding myself completing missions in order to level up (as I have done with every single other MMO to date), I am completing them to see what happens next, as the writing is of a quality you would expect in Mass Effect or Knights Of The Old Republic and always manages to keep you curious. This game is superb in every aspect. Don't let yourself be put off by all of these unjustified negative review scores. This game is definitely not anything less than an 8 out of 10, and in my opinion it hits top scores. Star Wars fans, Bioware fans and MMO fans alike all have plenty of reason to love this game, and very little to hate it.… Expand
  28. BeezNeez
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    I hope no one decides weather or not to buy this game on these user reviews the Game is great i admit i have been a follower of the games development for years and to me the game was everything i hoped for. For the people claiming all you do is grind i'd like to disagree as grinding in this game is completely optional, all grinding missions ar side quest that you don't need to do if youI hope no one decides weather or not to buy this game on these user reviews the Game is great i admit i have been a follower of the games development for years and to me the game was everything i hoped for. For the people claiming all you do is grind i'd like to disagree as grinding in this game is completely optional, all grinding missions ar side quest that you don't need to do if you don't want to that main quest line the class story does not contain grinding missions Bioware made sure of this. And for the people claiming it's like wow and it's nothing new i don't understand why you are complaining so far every oher mmo trying to be different has failed and wow has reigned supreme i agree it feels like wow but this isn't bad because it's made the things people love from wow and put it in but made it better if you love wow you will love this game because it has all the good things plus more for you people angry about this you must just want to hang on to wow because this game is going to murder it because it is a new and improved version. Conclusion i found myself immersed in every aspect i care about the quest i'm doing and i see myself and alot of other people playing this game for years to come just wait for the official reviews 10/10 peeps… Expand
  29. Xasf
    Dec 20, 2011
    9
    TL,DR version: If you are an MMO (especially WoW) veteran looking for something entirely else, move along. If you are here to enjoy a very solid Star Wars MMO with a refreshing take on NPC and mission interactions, come on in!
    *************************
    SW:TOR is all about expectations. This is an observation I made during my time in the beta and early-access communities and I'd like to    TL,DR version: If you are an MMO (especially WoW) veteran looking for something entirely else, move along. If you are here to enjoy a very solid Star Wars MMO with a refreshing take on NPC and mission interactions, come on in!
    *************************
    SW:TOR is all about expectations.

    This is an observation I made during my time in the beta and early-access communities and I'd like to elaborate on that rather than futilely give a final verdict to an online game that has been officially live for less than 24 hours right away.

    There is a group of players (I won't call them "minority" just yet, but they are certainly more vocal then they ought to be) who came to SW:TOR expecting groundbreaking new features, cutting edge technological feats and never-before-seen, game-changing innovation.
    They were counting on SW:TOR to make right all the failings and shortcoming they perceive in other MMOs (especially WoW) and if not that, then at least vastly improve upon already existing features. The absurdly negative reviews you see on this site, as well as other sources, will for the most part be their doing.
    I've been following SW:TOR since 2008 and I never got that " *everything* will be brand-new" vibe from all the announcements, news and ads I've seen / read during this time, so frankly I'm at a loss where all these baseless expectations are coming from. However, it's undeniable that a considerable group was thinking otherwise so I'm sure they must have their reasons. So honest warning: If you expect this game to greatly deviate from the trodden path, to have such features and gameplay that you, as a MMO veteran, will be astonished with something new at every turn, then SW:TOR is sure to disappoint you, and if you can't alter those expectations to match reality you'd be better off to stay away.

    HOWEVER, SW:TOR is a great game in its own right. Quite similar to what Blizzard did when they were making the most successful MMO ever, Bioware takes the established Star Wars name, blends it with tried-and-true best practices copied from numerous other games, does some fine-tuning improvements where necessary, and then adds their original flavor on top of that. And what a flavor it is, in my 10+ years of MMO gaming, I never though that there could such engrossing storytelling and character interaction in a online game.
    If you want your game to be different not in combat mechanics or talent trees or class system etc. but in the way of how you become a part of an epic world along with other players, SW:TOR more than delivers: It excels above all others. (Sure, sandbox games such as EVE Online -of which I'm an avid fan- can challenge that, but "making up your own story" isn't quite the same as taking part in the tales of a master storyteller).

    So if you came to SW:TOR hoping to find quests with moral choices and multiple outcomes (that contrary to some uninformed accusations have greater effect on your character than purely cosmetic), to feel personally involved in completing the next mission or killing the next big bad, to take your own starship to the far reaches of a wonderfully "Star Warsy" galaxy, to interact with and influence NPCs almost as much as you can with human players, and if you want to do all of these based on rock-solid MMO mechanics instead of wild experimental ideas that might just fail and ruin all of the above, then look no more, welcome home.    … Expand
  30. ColdestForever
    Dec 20, 2011
    5
    My SWTOR experience has been limited to a few months of beta testing; My last experience with TOR had been in the beta weekends spanning from September to October. Although SWTOR does offer something new to the MMORPG genre it hardly offers any innovation. SWTOR essentially utilizes the same old stale MMORPG formula that we've all grown to love and loath. The cutscenes did not add much toMy SWTOR experience has been limited to a few months of beta testing; My last experience with TOR had been in the beta weekends spanning from September to October. Although SWTOR does offer something new to the MMORPG genre it hardly offers any innovation. SWTOR essentially utilizes the same old stale MMORPG formula that we've all grown to love and loath. The cutscenes did not add much to immersion and seemed like a novelty at best. As SWTOR hardly offers anything new to genre, aside from another Star Wars title to replace SWG, I've decided to opt-out and hope for something better in the future.… Expand
  31. Skeletor
    Dec 20, 2011
    0
    I know you've been following all the hype train for this game, but don't fall for it!
    All that was promised is nothing like the final product. The quests are just boring fetch quests and extermination quests padded out with meandering dialog and boring stories.
    The combat is frustratingly simple, just mash F1 F2 F1 F3 F2 F1, ad nauseum. It's just the same combat system in every MMO for the    I know you've been following all the hype train for this game, but don't fall for it!
    All that was promised is nothing like the final product. The quests are just boring fetch quests and extermination quests padded out with meandering dialog and boring stories.
    The combat is frustratingly simple, just mash F1 F2 F1 F3 F2 F1, ad nauseum. It's just the same combat system in every MMO for the last 7 years.
    The story is nothing special, the cinematics are awkward and nothing you do affects anything in the game ever. This is unacceptable, concidering the gimmick in this game relied entirely on it's story, which has no replayablity and you can complete it in 6 days.
    This won't be fixed, this game is a mess to the core. I wouldn't recommend anyone buy it, not even if you are a WoW addict, better stay with your other MMOs rather than this messy piece of crap.    … Expand
  32. mQCmD
    Dec 20, 2011
    0
    Expecting something different like everything that I was promised all i got a was blatant wow copy with different skin. It's so exactly the same its not even funny, the only difference is that you get those silly mass effect cutscenes that go like this "Welcome overlord of moons oh great Sith Lord, I want you to kill 10 Drones. Bye." 0/10
  33. Fappachino
    Dec 20, 2011
    4
    I really feel betrayed by Bioware.When they announced this game a few years ago i was over the moon knowing that my favorite things were being combined, Star wars and MMOs.Knowing it was Bioware i had great hope for this game ever since i played KOTOR which still-is one of my favorite Rpgs to this very day.Fast forward to now and what i got was:
    >Repetitive quest
    >Hours of Grinding >Lack    I really feel betrayed by Bioware.When they announced this game a few years ago i was over the moon knowing that my favorite things were being combined, Star wars and MMOs.Knowing it was Bioware i had great hope for this game ever since i played KOTOR which still-is one of my favorite Rpgs to this very day.Fast forward to now and what i got was:
    >Repetitive quest
    >Hours of Grinding
    >Lack of immersion

    I could go on.They claimed it was something 'new' but it was just vanilla WoW.They claimed they went all out on voice acting which is mostly true but the fact that it's only used to tell you to go kill 10 x and report back kills the whole feel. Ok game if you're just looking to play it for a month but i really can't see myself or anyone of my friends playing this more than a month.    … Expand
  34. c4nn1b4l
    Dec 20, 2011
    1
    They promised me content equivalent with ~10-20 masseffect. They promised great story. They promised heroic battles. All i got was a yet-another-mmog with boring gameplay (go kill 20 beasts, etc), bad story full of cliche'. I was lvl 45 when i cancelled my subscription.
  35. Ryha2000
    Dec 20, 2011
    9
    The game play in not game changing if you'll pardon the pun, but the sum of the game is greater than the parts. The excellent storytelling reinforces the pacing of the missions and instances, it keeps everyone in the story. I hated questing with friends in WoW, I missed all the story and always felt pressured to click through the walls of text and dash off after my companions. The voicedThe game play in not game changing if you'll pardon the pun, but the sum of the game is greater than the parts. The excellent storytelling reinforces the pacing of the missions and instances, it keeps everyone in the story. I hated questing with friends in WoW, I missed all the story and always felt pressured to click through the walls of text and dash off after my companions. The voiced dialogue and cut scenes fix that problem. Also the introduction of a social skill that you level through doing group dialogue keeps all the talking interesting from a game mechanics perspective. So, strong single player. Strong multi-palyer. Even the PvP which I have rarely even liked in other MMO's is quite fun. It feels more like a FPS to me, particularly the kind of ridiculous Hutball. I'm only 12 levels in so I can't speak to the end game, but so far I have to say that yes, it's a lot like WoW but the core game is better in pretty much every way.… Expand
  36. sams
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    If you've ever liked world of warcraft, or if you've ever liked a bioware game like mass effect, you will really enjoy star wars the old republic. You can't go wrong buying this game. At worst, you can play this game to max level a couple times and uninstall. At best you'll play it for many many hours.

    If you are looking for a sand box mmo, keep looking (if you want an AAA sand box    If you've ever liked world of warcraft, or if you've ever liked a bioware game like mass effect, you will really enjoy star wars the old republic. You can't go wrong buying this game. At worst, you can play this game to max level a couple times and uninstall. At best you'll play it for many many hours.

    If you are looking for a sand box mmo, keep looking (if you want an AAA sand box mmo, sorry, they don't exist).    … Expand
  37. nigsylbd
    Dec 20, 2011
    3
    Average so very very average had such high hopes linear and disappointing. 2011 game with 2008 graphics and a 2003 interface. Cant believe I spent £45 pounds at retail free to play in under 2 years you heard it here first
  38. Attricus
    Dec 20, 2011
    9
    Everybody who only knows WoW will say this game is bad. But anyone with more vision and who like good stories will say this game is good. I have been playing during Early Access and beta and I love this game. The mixture of traditional WoW mechanics, with KOTOR mechanics, Mass Effect and Dragon Age make this game a great one. The ambientation and feelings are great.

    I recommend this game    Everybody who only knows WoW will say this game is bad. But anyone with more vision and who like good stories will say this game is good. I have been playing during Early Access and beta and I love this game. The mixture of traditional WoW mechanics, with KOTOR mechanics, Mass Effect and Dragon Age make this game a great one. The ambientation and feelings are great.

    I recommend this game to everyone willing to taste something new in MMO world.    … Expand
  39. JiDW
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    They made a KOTOR (best game ever), but multiplayers. It's all I ever dreamed. I've played a lot of MMOs and it's the first time that I'm interested in the story of quests. I truly don't care if the gameplay is like in WoW, I've played MMOs before WoW and it was already the same. Did players complained about WoW gameplay ? At first I was afraid about graphics when I saw screenshots, butThey made a KOTOR (best game ever), but multiplayers. It's all I ever dreamed. I've played a lot of MMOs and it's the first time that I'm interested in the story of quests. I truly don't care if the gameplay is like in WoW, I've played MMOs before WoW and it was already the same. Did players complained about WoW gameplay ? At first I was afraid about graphics when I saw screenshots, but in fact the game is beautiful, I really love its style. Excellent work Bioware, thanks for all !… Expand
  40. KOTORfan1
    Dec 20, 2011
    0
    I was a gigantic fan of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and to a lesser extent its sequel. I loved the pen and paper-style combat and character development system, the story and scenery were well done, the dialogue itself ranged from good to passable, and all of the characters were at the very least likable. You can imagine my surprise when, a few years ago, I heard that a KOTORI was a gigantic fan of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and to a lesser extent its sequel. I loved the pen and paper-style combat and character development system, the story and scenery were well done, the dialogue itself ranged from good to passable, and all of the characters were at the very least likable. You can imagine my surprise when, a few years ago, I heard that a KOTOR MMO was being made. "Finally!" I thought, "an MMO with a real pen and paper combat system! It makes so much more sense than the "action" combat in current MMOs (111121111113111121211431111) Unfortunately that is not what Bioware has delivered in the slightest. Bioware has pumped out a bland WoW clone with pretty but homogeneous environments, identical races (all colored humans), heavily instanced planets, glitched PvP (rather than put in a stalemate or no-win condition, they give full exp to those who cannot find enough players to fill a PvP instance as if they had won), a single broken end-game raid (currently unplayable by the level 50's who powerlevelled through the PvP glitch), and some hilariously bad story scenes. Really, I mean MST3K-level bad. Somehow I get the feeling that Dragon Age 2 was Bioware's death knell, and EA is just parading around its shambling corpse.… Expand
  41. GigaHz
    Dec 20, 2011
    6
    I pre-ordered my game and have been playing it through Early Access. I have been trying to give the game a fair chance, but in all honesty, I feel as if the game is a massive disappointment.

    I'm not sure where to start. The game isn't terrible, it just isn't great. There's something about the gameplay and overarching design philosophy that feels very dated and I don't know why I wasted so    I pre-ordered my game and have been playing it through Early Access. I have been trying to give the game a fair chance, but in all honesty, I feel as if the game is a massive disappointment.

    I'm not sure where to start. The game isn't terrible, it just isn't great. There's something about the gameplay and overarching design philosophy that feels very dated and I don't know why I wasted so much time trying to convince myself that it's acceptable. I'm not so much referring to the mechanics that were ripped from WoW or other MMOs, it just feels as if the team that worked on this game lacked any sort of passion to separate this game from its competition.

    Yes, the game has the standard Bioware cutscenes and they do give a sense of importance to certain quests, but that's basically the only unique thing this game has going for it. And really, there is only so far you can take something like that without it turning into a gimmick. Having fully voiced cutscenes for the majority of quests is a great idea... in theory. After a while, it starts to become a bit ridiculous. I don't care how you act out an unimportant fetch quest, a fetch quest is a fetch quest. You don't need to pretend that I'm looking for buried treasure or Al Capone's vault, I won't suddenly convince myself that your quest offer is less redundant than it already is.

    I also really tried to connect with my character (Smuggler/Gunslinger) to immerse myself in the plot. Despite the character playing out as a glorified Han Solo simulator (which I mean in the best possible way), I must have heard 'I can do it blindfolded!' 3 times in the starting world alone. If they're going to pride themselves on having fully-voiced cutscenes, they could at least be clever about how they recycle dialogue lines.

    As some have said before, the worlds are incredibly linear. As old and criticized as WoW is, at least there is a sense of free-roaming and unique set pieces to differentiate each zone from the next. SWTOR's world design takes uninspired to new heights. It doesn't matter what zone you're in, there is a universal sense of monotony and sterility to everything. It's like the game was designed for corridor fetishists. If you're in an indoor or outdoor zone, everything feels (and is) closed in or restrictive. I can't even think of a single prop or locale in these locations that have stuck out on my mind. If Bioware or EA were seriously looking to keep people playing their game for years instead of months, they should have put more emphasis on the design and aesthetics of these locations. Right now, the only positive description I can think of for these zones is that they are functional, and that doesn't mean much.

    Oddly enough, the Combat system is what I enjoy most for this game. It's not unique either, but at the very least it's fun. I've ran into a few issues with the Smuggler/Gunslinger class. These are not so much glitches as they are poor design choices. For instance, if I'm doing a Heroic instance with others as a Gunslinger, there are times when I am forced to go into cover to activate the abilities that I need. There are also times when I would like to keep my distance on the target and use my portable/holographic cover instead of rolling behind an object. In unfavourable circumstances, I will sometimes automatically roll to a place I don't want to be instead of just deploying my cover. If they were to add in an option to turn off this roll, that would solve my problem, but for now, it's a sloppy mechanic. It's a little ironic that when you're starting out as a Smuggler and you don't have portable cover, it's cumbersome to roll behind an object to mitigate damage taken.

    Everything else feels out of place or tacked-on. PvP doesn't play as good as it could have, Space Combat is just an on-rails shooter with plenty of repeating segments, and while they are pretty useful, the game almost forces you to utilize your companion. Why is it that I have to delegate crafting to my companion instead of crafting items myself? Is working with my hands beneath me? Do Star Wars players have God Complexes? I don't get it. However, I am a fan of sending my companion on side-missions. Only because then I don't have to put up with his spineless, good-for-nothing personality.

    I'm going to go out on a limb and say that The Old Republic is nothing more than a shameless cash grab. Maybe plenty of people who do their research on this game were aware of this already, but I was genuinely optimistic and unaware. Now I know why there were so many CG cutscenes to promote the game instead of actual content.    … Expand
  42. PurplePlains
    Dec 20, 2011
    0
    The final nail in the Bioware coffin, after the massive let down that was Dragon Age 2 I thought Bioware would get their act together and regain some dignity to their name. Sadly, it seems that SWTOR is not the game to do this, furthermore, I'm afraid this game will actually make Bioware disband as a developing studio. The game is a WOW clone, with even worse visuals, cut and pasteThe final nail in the Bioware coffin, after the massive let down that was Dragon Age 2 I thought Bioware would get their act together and regain some dignity to their name. Sadly, it seems that SWTOR is not the game to do this, furthermore, I'm afraid this game will actually make Bioware disband as a developing studio. The game is a WOW clone, with even worse visuals, cut and paste classes, the most boring grindfest gameplay you will ever experience. If you want an MMO with substance hold onto your wizard hats fro guild wars 2. Hopefully the writers and developers at Bioware will be banished to a galaxy far, far away.......… Expand
  43. VeryAverage
    Dec 20, 2011
    0
    Being a huge fan of the KOTOR games, I was pretty excited when I heard that Bioware would be making another foray into the Star Wars Universe. I looked forward to the innovation that they could bring to the increasingly stale genre and hopefully renew my interest for MMORPGs. As the beta grew closer, I of course bought into all the hype, the promises and the CGI trailers that IBeing a huge fan of the KOTOR games, I was pretty excited when I heard that Bioware would be making another foray into the Star Wars Universe. I looked forward to the innovation that they could bring to the increasingly stale genre and hopefully renew my interest for MMORPGs. As the beta grew closer, I of course bought into all the hype, the promises and the CGI trailers that I desperately hoped were gameplay.

    Instead of getting a true successor to KOTOR 2 in MMO form, I got World of Warcraft : Star Wars Edition. Needless to say, I was incredibly disappointed when I learned it was going to be standard fare in terms of MMO combat (hotkeys, stand there and watch your cooldown bar) but I had at least hoped that I was going to get some good quality controls. But when I got my early access build, I was incredibly disgusted to see that not only were the controls boring and uninspired, they were simply bad. Everything felt underwater and clunky and once I was in combat, it simply felt unresponsive. I had no real connection to the buttons I was pressing and the things my hero was doing on screen.

    However, the real story here is well, the story. A story driven, fully voice acted MMO, the first of it's kind. Heck, it's Bioware even, people who brought us such excellent work's like Baldur's Gate and KOTOR, so the writing can't be bad, right? Right guys? Well, I was wrong. This writing was much more along the lines of the recent abomination Dragon Age 2. Every line with the opposite gender was dripping with flirtation, every line that was supposed to be delivered seriously had a comical air to it. Everytime they were close to bringing me into the universe, I was ripped right back out into ours as some horribly delivered cheesy line was spoken. Most of the time I ended up just skipping right through the dialogue as it wasn't nearly good enough to warrant my interest. Voice acting is all great, but really, it's just an expensive way to sugarcoat the fact that you want me to kill 10 enemies and collect 5 of their body parts just like I've been doing for years.

    Visually speaking, this game is unimpressive for a game coming out in Q4 2011. From what we've seen with recent MMOs and ones yet to be released, this game is three to four years behind in graphical technology. I won't mention all the visual glitches that I was getting, because it's still a very early build, however, I will mention the overall very poor quality. The shadows looked something out of the Playstation 2 era and were so distracting, that I actually had to turn them off. Texture wise, while they clearly payed attention to things such as characters, weapons and armor, they also clearly went right over most of the environment and let most of it be incredibly poorly done for such a high budget game. It terms of the art style, it actually reminds me of a game called Free Realms, a free MMO. This may sound like an insult, however, it is not. Free Realms has a wonderful, cartoon style that is both technologically undemanding, yet pleasant to look at. Sadly, I have to say that SWTOR actually looks worse, whilst being in the same art style. The animations in various battle scenes had me in tears at points, mostly because of how pitifully bad they were. Now if you like Star Wars and/or Bioware, there is nothing I can say that will stop you from playing this game. You will probably enjoy it because of your brand loyalty and there is frankly nothing I can do about it. But please, if you are looking in on this game as an outsider, I highly recommend you do not play this game.    … Expand
  44. crazytant
    Dec 20, 2011
    2
    Boring, generic and ugly are 3 words that come to mind playing this game. The developers seem to have literally copy and pasted whatever WoW has done. Even minor things such the graphics remind you of Azeroth, the combat doesn't bring anything new to the table and although the PVE fights seem rather quick the seasoned MMO player has done the same things for years.

    The writing is very    Boring, generic and ugly are 3 words that come to mind playing this game. The developers seem to have literally copy and pasted whatever WoW has done. Even minor things such the graphics remind you of Azeroth, the combat doesn't bring anything new to the table and although the PVE fights seem rather quick the seasoned MMO player has done the same things for years.

    The writing is very Biowarey in that sometimes it's acceptable but sometimes it's just goddamn awful. Space Combat is so poor it's funny until you realise you just payed £40 for a Star Fox mini game. The developers of TOR must not of cared, they didn't want to do anything good with the game and decided from the get go they would make something medicore in hope that the Star Wars name will keep them afloat.    … Expand
  45. Zanadar
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    World of Warcraft in space with Voice-overs. That pretty much sums up The Old Republic entirely. Now, is that a bad thing? No, I don't think so. After all, millions of people have played World of Warcraft for six years, so clearly it's a model that works. The voice-overs really add to the experience, the class stories make the leveling process feel like "the game" instead of "that boringWorld of Warcraft in space with Voice-overs. That pretty much sums up The Old Republic entirely. Now, is that a bad thing? No, I don't think so. After all, millions of people have played World of Warcraft for six years, so clearly it's a model that works. The voice-overs really add to the experience, the class stories make the leveling process feel like "the game" instead of "that boring part you're forced to do before you get to max level". There are a few interesting ideas thrown in like the way the map functions, the way even outdoor content scales to match your party size, etc. So yeah, this in summary, good effort. Is it here to stay? That depends on how well they handle the end-game.… Expand
  46. GamerUntouch
    Dec 20, 2011
    1
    This game had potential, but once again Bioware rushing has ruined it. The graphics and aesthetics are way outdated, the voice acting is sub par and the animations are terrible.

    The fact that this game is all instanced makes you wonder if it really deserves the title of MMO. Don't listen to the reviewers that will give this game 10s just because it is a bioware game, it has almost no    This game had potential, but once again Bioware rushing has ruined it. The graphics and aesthetics are way outdated, the voice acting is sub par and the animations are terrible.

    The fact that this game is all instanced makes you wonder if it really deserves the title of MMO.
    Don't listen to the reviewers that will give this game 10s just because it is a bioware game, it has almost no endgame and will not keep you occupied for months.

    People have gotten 50 legitimately in the prelaunch, just to put things into perspective.    … Expand
  47. RivSteele
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    I signed up for Metacritic as I felt the need for a more indepth analysis of the game, after seeing some of the user "reviews" already out there I would describe SWTOR as a Story Driven MMORPG and it has a lot going for it. As has been mentioned, all quest givers, main characters and even your own character are voice acted, and it a high standard as well. Accepting quests usuallyI signed up for Metacritic as I felt the need for a more indepth analysis of the game, after seeing some of the user "reviews" already out there I would describe SWTOR as a Story Driven MMORPG and it has a lot going for it. As has been mentioned, all quest givers, main characters and even your own character are voice acted, and it a high standard as well. Accepting quests usually involves a bit of dialogue, in which you use a dialogue wheel (such as in Mass Effect and Dragon Age 2). I find this makes "normal" questing that much more engaging, and it gets even better if you are in a group, either in normal questing or in dungeons as all the party are engaged. When a dialogue choice needs to be made, each will make their choice and a roll is taken, the highest score uses their dialogue choice. This happens for each dialogue choice. I think this is a fantastic piece of the game. While quests are generally Kill that, activate this, retrieve those, they are well done (which MMO does not involve these quests, they all do, it is just how well they hide it). Also, many quests branch out or give you alternative solutions to completing them (do you do what the original quest giver wanted or take take up the alternative option of another). Many quests involve choices that affect your rewards and light side/dark side standing. While there are two factions (Sith and Republic) both factions can choose Dark and Light Side options (and get gear for that disposition) meaning you can have evil Jedi or good Sith if you so which, adding in a lot of choice. Dungeons are very well done with good stories. In addition to the usual loot that drops from bosses, there are also things call Commendations that drop from dungeons, normal mobs while questing and as rewards. You can turn these in in exchange for powerful gear. So even if there was nothing that dropped for you on a dungeon run, you usually get enough commendations (or close to enough) to get good gear from the respective vendors which is an excellent touch. Crafting is very well implemented. Instead of you having to go accross the map to find materials, you can send out your companions to gather them for you and they also craft the items, free you up to quest. You can also find materials in the wild if you so choose. I find combat to be extremely fun. Gone is the Auto-attack. You have to activly use an ability to perform an attack. I was skeptical about this at first but have found it great fun as it is very engaging and the combat looks great! It makes for a very nice visual experience. Class are fun, although I am a bit disappointing that the Sith and Republic classes are pretty much the same, just with different skill names and visual effects (but the same basic function). Each Class has two Advanced Classes, making for a total of about 8 unique classes in the game. In addition, each Advanced Class has 3 talent trees (you get 1 point per level after 10 to spend here) allow you to customize further. The game is not perfect of course. For us RP'ers, at the moment there are no Chat Bubbles (they will be implemented at a later date) making /Say chat more difficult than it needs to be. In addition there are various bugs atm, most are merely visual glithces, but I have experienced one in an instance which made be fall through the floor and get stuck, meaning I have to re-logg and could not complete the dungeon with my group. Also, I ordered the Collector's Edtion, and for some reason there is no manual! So there is very little explanation on how things work, for example that planets are divided into instances. Normally this is fine, but if you want to group with somebody from another instance (think another copy of the world) you have to change. The issue with this, is that is warns me I will not be able to see if my friends are online in this new instance and I do not know how to change back (since I do not have a manual!). So they need to provide better instructions and maybe actually include a game manual. Also there are some server waits at the moment and there seems to be a grafical glitch that can slow down even high end machines (Note: Fix by Setting Graphic Default to High, then apply. Then set to Low and turn of shadows and if you, like me have a low end machine, turn off grass etc and it works fine). Over all, from my 5 days of playing early access I have to say this is a great game, the story telling are signature Bioware, the quests usually have different outcomes and twists and the combat is fun. A bit rough around the edges still, but I expect many of these to be fixed post launch. The Good
    - Story/Characters
    - Grouping
    - Instances
    - Combat
    - Crafting

    The Bad
    - Bugs
    - Wait Times
    - Lack of manual/documentation
    - Missing features (chat bubbles)
    - Instanced Planets (but this does help reduce quest ganking)

    Recommendation: If you like MMORPG's you should give this game a try.
    Rating: 9 (10 to balance Red;s)    … Expand
  48. Gayben
    Dec 20, 2011
    2
    The Old Republic oesn't feel like an MMO. The only aspect of the game I enjoyed were the cutscenes and dialogue options I experienced when I was playing solo. Even the dialogue system is screwed up. If you wish to be an evil sith you must be cruel to everyone and show no empathy to even the characters you may have grown close to. The game's combat is extremely bland and fighting is aboutThe Old Republic oesn't feel like an MMO. The only aspect of the game I enjoyed were the cutscenes and dialogue options I experienced when I was playing solo. Even the dialogue system is screwed up. If you wish to be an evil sith you must be cruel to everyone and show no empathy to even the characters you may have grown close to. The game's combat is extremely bland and fighting is about all you will be doing. You have a sort of campaign that is set for you based on your class that you get to play through. As a sith I found the story interesting but the vanilla wow style quests I had to do in between made it not worth playing. Not worth my money or any one elses. Bio-ware made another streamlined MMO, the only difference between in and other MMO's that have come out the past couple years is the large amount of cutscenes and voice acting.… Expand
  49. Zennousha
    Dec 20, 2011
    0
    Apparently the slider at 5 came out as a 10, so to even it out I will nullify my rating with a 0. My reasons are explained well enough for this title in my previous review.
  50. seller137
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    Just fantastic. Don't buy into the hate, enjoy this game for what is it ... one of the most enjoyable bieoware games yet. It wins on just about every level with great quests, fantastic PVP, and huge production values
  51. ufte34
    Dec 20, 2011
    7
    hold on a sec, i see where this is going those people who are calming to reach max level, gave the game a rating of 0 on the first day, is that even possible (not even possible if you got access to the game before 5 days of release)?. those people who compares the game with XXX gave a rating of 1 or 2. those people who reached level 32 gave the game rating of 0(it's been 6 hours since thehold on a sec, i see where this is going those people who are calming to reach max level, gave the game a rating of 0 on the first day, is that even possible (not even possible if you got access to the game before 5 days of release)?. those people who compares the game with XXX gave a rating of 1 or 2. those people who reached level 32 gave the game rating of 0(it's been 6 hours since the game has been released). those people who are complain about a game being a grind gave the rating of 0-2, note to self if you are going to play an MMO it's a grind. those people who say it's a clone of another XXX mmo, every MMO has been an clone of others, get your brains examined. any one who compares this game to WOW gave a rating of 0. and most of those people never even played SWTOR.… Expand
  52. BibimBOP
    Dec 20, 2011
    0
    What a huge letdown. For the amount of money and hype this game got they delivered very little that you can't get from a free to play game.

    It's decent if you just really like star wars or bioware but i'm very disappointed.
  53. Scooped
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    I made this account for the sole purpose of reviewing this game. It is such an amazing product by bioware, who have a near flawless track record (I'm looking at you, Dragon Age 2). Many people expect this to be just like WoW, but it is not. There are so many things right with this game, it's unbelievable. First, the biggest thing about this game is the way it immerses you, unlike manyI made this account for the sole purpose of reviewing this game. It is such an amazing product by bioware, who have a near flawless track record (I'm looking at you, Dragon Age 2). Many people expect this to be just like WoW, but it is not. There are so many things right with this game, it's unbelievable. First, the biggest thing about this game is the way it immerses you, unlike many other MMOs. Because of the - you guessed it - voice acting, it feels like you are playing a single player game, but with friends. The people who are giving this game poor reviews most likely are the ones that hate change. Trust me, this is a game not to be missed.… Expand
  54. laldmanx23
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    Probably my favorite MMO (not a knee-jerk reaction I played the beta for months) and I've played quite a few from DAoC to WoW. At this point I my ideal game has an intriguing story and SWTOR easily delivers. You're essentially getting 8 good-great single player games in one. I look at this as my middle-class mans mass effect that never ends.
    The common legitimate complaints generally    Probably my favorite MMO (not a knee-jerk reaction I played the beta for months) and I've played quite a few from DAoC to WoW. At this point I my ideal game has an intriguing story and SWTOR easily delivers. You're essentially getting 8 good-great single player games in one. I look at this as my middle-class mans mass effect that never ends.
    The common legitimate complaints generally stem from sandbox players and they're completely valid, if you're not a fan of a more linear style of game or class constraints this may not be for you. However if you enjoy an excellent story (for an MMO) and highly polished game play you may be able to overlook the fact that you can't make a jedi with blasters who has to run fly 3 days in real time to reach the second planet. The graphics are fine (people who say they are comparable to wow are blind or playing on a toaster) and have been improved upon quite a bit from the early beta builds (they're definitely not great or revolutionary, but I'd say they are "good"). The game is focused on its many storyline which are, for the most part, quite good. At this point in time, technology limits the amount choices in a game can affect the world, it's simply not practical for bioware to allow choices to noticeably change the galaxy. I can actually think of a few instances of sparing a person and have him actually turn up later in the game, I'd say that's fairly impressive. Overall I'd say the game sits in the 9-10 range. Metacritic should really do some pruning on these reviews it's pretty obvious when 90% of the negative comments are made from accounts with 1 post who proceeded to thumbs up every negative comment and thumbs down the positives. I mean there's no way a post that says "Bioware sold their soul to the EA devil... **** GAME!!!" is in anyway helpful the reader. I don't mean to say that all negative reviews should be discounted, there are legitimate complaints to be maid and ultimately SWTOR may not be your style of game. Still the polished game play and story make this a must buy.    … Expand
  55. smk123
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    I've been playing MMO's for years now and I can easily say TOR is the best I have ever played; it's such a refreshing change to an increasingly stale genre, the story-lines for the individual classes offer very unique experiences to each other and the full voice over for all the quests is extremely satisfying. I found the PVP combat to be very balanced, no class was superior and theI've been playing MMO's for years now and I can easily say TOR is the best I have ever played; it's such a refreshing change to an increasingly stale genre, the story-lines for the individual classes offer very unique experiences to each other and the full voice over for all the quests is extremely satisfying. I found the PVP combat to be very balanced, no class was superior and the various PVP game modes are not only fun but more rewarding than other MMO's PVP content is, you can level up solely from grinding PVP if you want to. I knocked 1 off the score for 2 reasons; the first is the shocking space combat, which in my opinion could have been a browser based mini game as opposed to an advertised feature of the game, it's not that it isn't enjoyable it's just very very basic, the second is the sometimes dodgy animations, /cry is basically your character covering his face with his hands for instance. The crew aspect and owing your own ship reminded me a lot of Bioware's Mass Effect series, which of course isn't a negative point at all, I've played the game for nearing 100 hours now and I have no intention of stopping; this is one hell of a polished MMO that deserves every success it gets.… Expand
  56. papi
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    Beautiful storyline and beautiful graphics Lucas team did a superb job. Currently leveling a Sith warrior and so far it is enjoyable. Questing is fun one minute you're on planet and the next deep in space. Haven't encountered any PVP yet, I am a level 21, so far the dungeons have been great I am fighting great Jedi knights known in them movies with you and a group of random people. As farBeautiful storyline and beautiful graphics Lucas team did a superb job. Currently leveling a Sith warrior and so far it is enjoyable. Questing is fun one minute you're on planet and the next deep in space. Haven't encountered any PVP yet, I am a level 21, so far the dungeons have been great I am fighting great Jedi knights known in them movies with you and a group of random people. As far as professions, you don't have to worry you have slaves that can work for you 24/7, so you don't have to be picking on herbs have your slave to do it. So, far it is a fun game and can't wait for end content raiding, world bosses, and PVP SAAAAAN!… Expand
  57. ref
    Dec 20, 2011
    5
    A modest attempt from BioWare. Star Wars: The Old Republic isn't an awful game -- but it is a game we have all played before. This is basically every other MMORPG with voice overs. Quests are what you expect -- fetch 10 of this, kill 20 of these. It is one of these MMO's. The thing people like to bring up is how it is voiced -- the voice work for these fetch quests for the most part isA modest attempt from BioWare. Star Wars: The Old Republic isn't an awful game -- but it is a game we have all played before. This is basically every other MMORPG with voice overs. Quests are what you expect -- fetch 10 of this, kill 20 of these. It is one of these MMO's. The thing people like to bring up is how it is voiced -- the voice work for these fetch quests for the most part is average and not inspiring. Where this voice acting does immerse you is in the class stories. Most of the class stories are interesting, while others are predictable and subpar. A step above Dragon Age 2 writing quality, in my opinion. The classes themselves, are alright. All of these abilities you will be using should be familiar as they mechanically similar to every other MMO out there. This game has dungeons, raids, standard run of the mill features in an MMORPG. Basically, SWTOR is "meh". The voice acting and story does not make up for this reused and worse done game play that we have all seen before.… Expand
  58. Samcr0
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    This game does not deserve 0 or 1, think it's a great game with a good story with different perspectives, solid gameplay even though it is very similar to wow, i have been 3 different classes and have enjoyed them all. The endgame is obviously lacking a bit as any new mmo usually is and defenetly will need some work but overall I believe it's a solid start. I also do not mind theThis game does not deserve 0 or 1, think it's a great game with a good story with different perspectives, solid gameplay even though it is very similar to wow, i have been 3 different classes and have enjoyed them all. The endgame is obviously lacking a bit as any new mmo usually is and defenetly will need some work but overall I believe it's a solid start. I also do not mind the environments, never enjoyed walking a million miles in wow to grab a stupid quest item. I am going to give this a ten to even out all the haters unfair 1"s and 0"s… Expand
  59. Superfly3176
    Dec 20, 2011
    7
    Personally I like this game, it doesn't really do anything out of the ordinary but does some good things for the genre. Questing feels immersive, as a sith sorcerer every quest feels like I'm doing something to help win a war. The voice acting is above average, but it's new for the MMO genre. I can't count how many times I've accepted a quest in wow, and went right to the bottom where itPersonally I like this game, it doesn't really do anything out of the ordinary but does some good things for the genre. Questing feels immersive, as a sith sorcerer every quest feels like I'm doing something to help win a war. The voice acting is above average, but it's new for the MMO genre. I can't count how many times I've accepted a quest in wow, and went right to the bottom where it said "Collect x number of y". SW:TOR doesn't leave you feeling detached.

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

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

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

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

    Overall I'd give it a 6.5/10, it has potential but unless they come up with some endgame this is just going to be a leveling ordeal, in which case they should have just made it single player.    … Expand
  60. nirvycn
    Dec 20, 2011
    9
    Played for the last 7 days, currently level 35. loving it so far, combat is fun, the story is awesome, loving the voiceovers. There is a lot of group content which i love, i have done 5 different dungeons so far, which is pretty good for a level 30. So far so good!
  61. RustyShackle
    Dec 20, 2011
    3
    Singleplayer game with multiplayer thrown on so they can charge $15 a month. Virtually no endgame. If you enjoy starwars, might want to check it out for 1-50, but after that drop it instantly.
  62. Happytrails
    Dec 20, 2011
    2
    Am level 32 and this game leaves a lot to be desired. TOR has easily the shallowest character creation i've ever seen for a supposed 'AAA' title. The Star Wars universe is so rich and diverse that i just cant understand Bioware's reasoning for the lack of race choices and sliders. I put it down to pure laziness on their behalf. I have seen better choice in F2P mmo's from years ago (PerfectAm level 32 and this game leaves a lot to be desired. TOR has easily the shallowest character creation i've ever seen for a supposed 'AAA' title. The Star Wars universe is so rich and diverse that i just cant understand Bioware's reasoning for the lack of race choices and sliders. I put it down to pure laziness on their behalf. I have seen better choice in F2P mmo's from years ago (Perfect World anyone?). To make things worse the graphics are a complete joke for a 2011 title, textures are quite simply horrendous. The gameplay is stock standard WoW imitation crap, it brings nothing new to the MMO genre. I would have given Bioware points if they had at least tried to do something a bit different, but i guess they just couldn't be bothered. The worlds are linear and discourage any sort of exploration, whats worse is that even on full servers you will hardly run into another player, this is because BW decided to have multiple channels for each zone. I have no idea who came up with design for an MMO but they should have been fired for even putting it forward. This totally ruins the sense of community and feeling of being in a large, highly populated world. This is not an MMO. Its a single player RPG with a bit of co-op thrown in now and then that lets you chat people on other channels. If that floats your boat then good for you, but imo this is a complete let down and a does a great dis-service to the Star Wars universe.… Expand
  63. Pataties
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    TOR is a game that is going to split people down the middle. If you enjoy story, taking your time and exploring a wide universe then this game is for you. If, on the other hand, you want a perfect wow clone and instant gratification then you'll probably leave this game after a few weeks.

    Like ay game there are currrently some teething issues, in an effort to keep server population BW    TOR is a game that is going to split people down the middle. If you enjoy story, taking your time and exploring a wide universe then this game is for you. If, on the other hand, you want a perfect wow clone and instant gratification then you'll probably leave this game after a few weeks.

    Like ay game there are currrently some teething issues, in an effort to keep server population BW has implemented a vey unpopular queue system with some servers having a wait time of hours to log oto. Coupled to this are some pretty serious optimisation issues with lots of users reporting low to medium fps on some killer rigs.

    In addition to those there are still some minor gameplay bugs, the two biggest at the moment are a buged companion (Kira) and some pretty bad lag in Tarris. Despite this the game still manages to be fun, epic and makes you truly feel that you are the hero. For me it is definitely worth my monthly money and I expect to play this game for many years, after all it can only get better, especially with some of the hinted features still to come!    … Expand
  64. Nion
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    I am 22 lvl and didn`t skip any quests at all, I have to do them becouse voice acting, world design, combat animation, story telling made this expieriens much more interestning. There is bugs here and there, but after all I will think twice before buying a copy of GW2. Think I became a Star Wars fan. Haters are gonna hate.
  65. Superstring
    Dec 20, 2011
    7
    The game is average. The only new thing that makes it stand out is VO, which is quite controversial. Everything else is good old WoW with lightsabers.
  66. Volgamor
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    I participated in a couple beta test weekends and the early access; fortunately I have had no issues with queues or lag or anything whatsoever except your occasional bug. Its launch day and all I see on the forums are aggressive comments and hateful reviews; which I say are horribly exaggerated. Compared to other MMO's launched SWTOR has been a smoother experience. I enjoy the gameplay andI participated in a couple beta test weekends and the early access; fortunately I have had no issues with queues or lag or anything whatsoever except your occasional bug. Its launch day and all I see on the forums are aggressive comments and hateful reviews; which I say are horribly exaggerated. Compared to other MMO's launched SWTOR has been a smoother experience. I enjoy the gameplay and I have always loved the Star Wars franchise. Bioware's take on the Star Wars universe has brought renewed life to the franchise and if we are all patient and 'real' fans the game will get better. I rate the game at 10 to oppose the low scores that I see here and other sites cause those are biased opinions made out of the spirit of the moment. I like the story, I like the dialogues, I like the operations& flashpoints,space combat is not that thrilling but maybe they will change that, pvp and Huttball, loads of content ( what else do you want from an MMO if you dont like the franchise then play something else dont **** about it after only playing a couple hours....). I will be playing for the months to follow to be sure even just to play every character to see the story to the end. Go Bioware and Lucasarts! and yes I also love Blizzard but it doesnt mean we cant share the LUV!… Expand
  67. Beevman
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    Everyone knew what this game was gonna be like and now that it's released and not what they like, people act shocked and try and give it a bad name. It's a great game and only going to get better.

    Also i read a guy who gave a zero saying it's a WOW clone and how Star Wars Galaxies didnt copy wow, which proves people dont know what they are talking about seeing as Star Wars Galaxies came    Everyone knew what this game was gonna be like and now that it's released and not what they like, people act shocked and try and give it a bad name. It's a great game and only going to get better.

    Also i read a guy who gave a zero saying it's a WOW clone and how Star Wars Galaxies didnt copy wow, which proves people dont know what they are talking about seeing as Star Wars Galaxies came out before WOW. But honestly great game worth playing.    … Expand
  68. UpsetGamer
    Dec 20, 2011
    0
    It's a WoW clone in 2011 and that speaks for it's self.The 300 mil must have gone all on advertising because I can't see them in the game.I'll try to get a refund.
  69. Ravager
    Dec 20, 2011
    5
    I want you to imagine World of Warcraft back in 2004.

    Now replace the Warcraft universe with the Star Wars universe and add in a lot of voice acting.

    Thats all The Old Republic is.

    If you enjoy MMOs, I'm not going to deny that you will enjoy The Old Republic. If you are looking for something a little different, you wont find it.
  70. Destati
    Dec 20, 2011
    1
    The most glaring flaw of this game is that it plays it so goddamn safe. Here they have a huge, expansive, IP to take advantage of and they decide to go the baby route with it. They didn't take any chances. I don't see how they can expect to get the numbers they need to recoup the investment without trying something a little new. Bioware promised so much, and delivered on so little.The most glaring flaw of this game is that it plays it so goddamn safe. Here they have a huge, expansive, IP to take advantage of and they decide to go the baby route with it. They didn't take any chances. I don't see how they can expect to get the numbers they need to recoup the investment without trying something a little new. Bioware promised so much, and delivered on so little. Offensive in that with the deep pockets that EA has they could have made something fresh, but instead chose to walk in the path of their popular predecessors. In a lot of ways, as flawed as it was on launch, Star Wars Galaxies offered a lot more to people who like MMOs. There was player housing, a player economy, player set goals, a leveling system that encouraged experimentation and offered ways to change classes if dissatisfied, and social interaction through gameplay. Example. I played a Smuggler. I made my fortune selling Muon Gold and Neutron Pixie in Cantinas. I would go from world to world peddling my illicit substances to regular customers, and try to edge out other smugglers through competitive pricing. I sliced (upgraded) weapons for one of the best craftsman on the server. All my armor and clothing was created by a Fashion Designer who owned a huge **** mansion and would custom-make your stuff to your specifications. When I got tired of Smuggler, I became a commando to help combat the abuse of AT-STs. My friends and I set out on quests across planets to find notable Star Wars NPC's like Han Solo and Chewbacca. If you didn't want to be a hero, you could play an Entertainer, a Cook, or an Image Designer or Fashion Designer. You could be that guy who sat in a cantina all day talking, and still progress in your class and feel satisfaction and build a reputation for yourself. As a smuggler in Old Republic, the quest was sort of interesting, but ultimately I just shot **** to death and made a few dialogue options. Not once did I really feel like I was a smuggler.… Expand
  71. Sevvy88
    Dec 20, 2011
    7
    For years many gamers have watched and waited for a game that would pique their interest in the same way WoW did (and for many continues to) did years ago. The MMO market has been a dreadful one, and Bioware promised alot with this game. Did they deliver? Early signs are pointing, for the most part, yes. The game is extremely well put together. The zones flow well, the story clicks along,For years many gamers have watched and waited for a game that would pique their interest in the same way WoW did (and for many continues to) did years ago. The MMO market has been a dreadful one, and Bioware promised alot with this game. Did they deliver? Early signs are pointing, for the most part, yes. The game is extremely well put together. The zones flow well, the story clicks along, and the combat is solid, albeit traditional. If WoW expanded upon Everquest in all the right ways, then I believe SW:TOR continues this trend. MMO veterans will feel comfortable immediately with the UI and combat, but before you walk out, give it a chance. The story is what Bioware has been pushing HARD for this game, and at first I was skeptical. Let me tell you, the story in WoW never interested me, and I am an AVID reader to boot. Not the case with SW:TOR. I find myself "stepping into my character's shoes" quite constantly. The voice overs add immersion and, get this, Bioware did a FANTASTIC job of making sure that even if you are grouped, voice overs can be seamless. The voice acting is not Hollywood level, but for a video game, it is certainly above standard. Bioware is famous for their storytelling in games, and SW:TOR absolutely shines here. Gameplay wise the game strikes a fair balance between fairly easy and challenging. The game will require you to group at times to complete certain missions, many of which your companion will not be enough to make up the difference of lacking another player's help. I welcome this return of group questing. Fear not though, group quests are not overdone. There are far more solo quests than group quests, and while the solo quests are fairly easy, they are not insulting to the player's intelligence. That may be because I am still learning my class. :) Those who claimed this would be a "single player MMO" are only imposing that on themselves at this point. The most fun I have had in game has been in groups, and I find FREQUENT opportunities to play with others.

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

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

    Overall, the game is solid, and I truly believe it has great potential to see success. Personally I am having a BLAST, and haven't enjoyed an MMO this much since my first journeys in WoW back in 2006. Great jobs Bioware, now just keep up the good work. That's going to be the hardest part... and the true test.    … Expand
  72. Ultan
    Dec 20, 2011
    8
    Voice acting is very good for a MMO game. Gameplay is fun and story is great. Flashpoint are fun for some, others feels it needed more work. Some boss fights feel as though they made no sense and your fighting away wondering why they did what they did... Down side is they could have waitted another month or two still on the bugs and fixes. (nothing new here) Im a level 35+ jedi alreadyVoice acting is very good for a MMO game. Gameplay is fun and story is great. Flashpoint are fun for some, others feels it needed more work. Some boss fights feel as though they made no sense and your fighting away wondering why they did what they did... Down side is they could have waitted another month or two still on the bugs and fixes. (nothing new here) Im a level 35+ jedi already since early launch. So getting exp is way to fast and too easy and you can not explore the whole map of the zone. You die if you try. Yes you heard me. you die.... takes the exploring feel out of it and feels restrained. For these two reasons i gave the game a 8. For a Starwars game. this is the best i played.… Expand
  73. JennyRW
    Dec 20, 2011
    1
    My boyfriend convinced me to play this game with him. After the early access fiasco and now constantly getting kicked from the server I just don't care anymore. Honestly it's not worth it. Feel like I got robbed. By the way the story, cutscenes, and dialog make me want to puke. In my infinite wisdom I chose to play a male character but it's just disgusting seeing how bioware thinksMy boyfriend convinced me to play this game with him. After the early access fiasco and now constantly getting kicked from the server I just don't care anymore. Honestly it's not worth it. Feel like I got robbed. By the way the story, cutscenes, and dialog make me want to puke. In my infinite wisdom I chose to play a male character but it's just disgusting seeing how bioware thinks women are supposed to act.… Expand
  74. HunterZolomon
    Dec 20, 2011
    5
    The Old Republic is not a horrible game. It's just so mind-numbingly mediocre, average, bland. Bioware is one of the finest gaming companies on the planet with a proven track record. How could they release a game that not only feels unfinished in some areas, but also a game that disappoints you from the start?

    Character creation is a joke. There are only identical humanoid species    The Old Republic is not a horrible game. It's just so mind-numbingly mediocre, average, bland. Bioware is one of the finest gaming companies on the planet with a proven track record. How could they release a game that not only feels unfinished in some areas, but also a game that disappoints you from the start?

    Character creation is a joke. There are only identical humanoid species available, same body, different skin. I was expecting at least a few alien species in addition to much more customization. The Star Wars universe is so rich with alien beings, why settle for virtually unknown "races" that all look the same? Questing, boring. Combat, boring. Bland, boring environments, graphics and animation. Horrible UI, no really, you can't even scale it. No surprises whatsoever, nothing grabs your attention. It's a derivative, cookie-cutter mmo if I ever saw one. It should have been released 5-6 years ago.

    The ONLY thing that sticks out as good are some of the storylines and voice acting is really good. True to form, Bioware delivers on that count. But it simply doesn't blend well with the traditional mmo parts. The quests feel detached from the storyline.    … Expand
  75. Wilko
    Dec 20, 2011
    1
    Given the setting Bioware had to work with and in this day and age, the amount of experience they could have drawn from, I'm actually amazed at how awful SW:ToR. It's as if they had to actively work at making it as shoddy as possible. Straight away character creation is a letdown. You can choose from any race possible provided it's human, or a different colour of human. Animations areGiven the setting Bioware had to work with and in this day and age, the amount of experience they could have drawn from, I'm actually amazed at how awful SW:ToR. It's as if they had to actively work at making it as shoddy as possible. Straight away character creation is a letdown. You can choose from any race possible provided it's human, or a different colour of human. Animations are terrible with constant glitches, missing parts or areas where it just plain bugs out. Combat is snorefest, at least the PvE aspect of it, I didn't even bother with PvP given at the time I was desperately trying to come up with a reason to live. Map a damaging ability to hotkey 1, map a different ability to number 2 incase number 1 is on a longer cooldown than your global hotkey cooldown. Proceed to mash 1 and 2 as often as you feel like since the input lags half the time anyway so it's anyones guess when your ability will actually fire off. Congratulations, you have mastered ToRs "combat". This seems to be great practice for those flash games where you have to control a runner by pumping A and D until your fingers bleed.

    Imagine my suprise that ToR was touted as a WoW-Killer, to find that not does it copy WoW its questing content as much as possible but it manages to make it worse. I'm sure by now you can guess what I'm refering to. Of course, Kill X of Y and the genre-breaking Deliver X to Y. Holy damn it's a smorgasbord of questing options. This unfortunately culminates in you wanting to get the tedious things out the way as quickly as possible which results in skipping every voiced exposition available. A nice idea in concept I'm sure and no doubt Bioware put a lot of effort into this aspect (well the money and time must have gone somewhere) but if I'm trying to get through 30 minutes of tedium on a "quest" I'd rather not have to spend 5 minutes extra in the run-up to it. From the first couple I did bother to sit through, the voice actors seemed as bored as I did so I figured it was a fair trade from then on that one of us should be spared the nauseum .

    In the end though it turned out to be all for naught as I simply gave up. I just couldn't face more levels of the same rubbish and certainly couldn't fathom what end-game Bioware had in store that would have possibly made up for this exercise in how to be certifiably braindead while still moving. Maybe the final part of the game was transformed into a wonderous experience in which I could have finally understand where all the funding, time and (supposed) effort went. Somehow though, I sincerely doubt it.    … Expand
  76. Zoan626
    Dec 20, 2011
    0
    I don't know what Bioware was thinking when they made this game. It tries to be a singleplayer game with dialogue and story yet at the same time it also tires to be a competitive MMO. The fault here is trying to combine the single player and multiplayer elements together which leaves something that just doesn't feel right at all. I would dare not also note the fact that the multiplayerI don't know what Bioware was thinking when they made this game. It tries to be a singleplayer game with dialogue and story yet at the same time it also tires to be a competitive MMO. The fault here is trying to combine the single player and multiplayer elements together which leaves something that just doesn't feel right at all. I would dare not also note the fact that the multiplayer elements of the game are severely lacking what NEEDS to be in an MMO such as macros and endgame content. In it's current form the singleplayer elements fees just that singleplayer. When you quest in the game you feel very disconnected from other players and it just feels like a singleplayer game due to all the zone restrictions (most of the content is quests and some dungeons), yet at the same time the singleplayer feel is just watered down fetch quests with the actual meat given few and far between. Another major drawback is the size this game takes up on a HDD when you install it which can be 30gb with everything installed. The size is frankly ridiculous and due to the inane amount of voice acting that doesn't need to be in such a game. The result is something that is bloated beyond reason and would be equally difficult to create content with due to the promise of voiced content. The gameplay is probably the worst part of the game right now, as it STILL uses concepts from WOW which many people already know are outdated such as mobs that pull and aggro and hitboxes that make the character hit things that are farther away thus hit air and make models move through one another. The combat itself really tries to emulate WOW in every way possible, and I cannot praise a game that so blatantly copies another so much. The horrible part is that even though it tires to emulate WOW's combat so much it fails at it in many respects due to many encounters in dungeons being simple things that the WOW devs actually have already improved vastly on and the SWTOR devs seem to be stuck in the stone age with their encounter designs. The result is an absolutely game breaking error on their part to make the core of the game itself so very weak and in dire need of complete revamping. I'd also note that even the WOW devs themselves are planning on creating a new MMO, because even they realize the gameplay in WOW is very old. The decision to use such a system in SWTOR by Bioware baffles me and the only sense behind it was "let's just go with what makes the most money right now". The community forums is sadly also VERY moderated to a degree that many many negative complaints that are voiced are simply deleted by mods, I find this treatment of the community to be very insincere and terrible as Bioware seems to be just ignoring any kind of changes to be made to the game that make sense in favor of keeping a facade that he game is a great one which is far from the cause to to the many many incomplete or broken things in the game that I could never fit into this review. I know many people will take this review with a grain of salt with all the viral reviews that may give the game an unjust 10/10 and many paid journalists in the current joke of the videogame journalism industry, which I hope someday will reach the levels movies are right now, however currently too much dirty cash exchanges pockets of journalists and it frankly disgusts me that so much dishonest trickery about the quality of games is being fed to people right now. I am thus forced in order to create some accurate representation of the products actual quality to give a lower review score than what I would give normally ( 6/10) in order to cope with all the viral reviews made.… Expand
  77. iplaygamesalot
    Dec 20, 2011
    1
    I had high hopes for this game. Both as an avid gamer and as a fan of the Star Wars universe and I am saddened at just how bad it is. For a game with such a high budget and years of development, SWTOR doesn't tread too far from MMO's of the past. The combat is mediocre at best and the animations are rigid, my characters movement and actions seemed almost foreign. I played a Trooper becauseI had high hopes for this game. Both as an avid gamer and as a fan of the Star Wars universe and I am saddened at just how bad it is. For a game with such a high budget and years of development, SWTOR doesn't tread too far from MMO's of the past. The combat is mediocre at best and the animations are rigid, my characters movement and actions seemed almost foreign. I played a Trooper because I wanted to be an everyman, a man who fights with very mortal abilities against overwhelming forces and against sinister cyberninjas (sith/jedi). The voice overs, which was one of the main selling points, its rather half assed and later on in the game just becomes glorified quest text that just takes 10 times longer to go through. Like in DA:2, the writing is nothing to, well, write home about. As a Trooper most of my responses where "i live to serve the republic" or "just doing my duty". There was an alarming lack of variety in weapons as well, as a Commando i was restricted to assault cannons or gimp my dps. The quest areas are boring and there is no sense of exploration or world pvp. I feel no motivation to go out and look for adventure and quests where mostly "go here and kill X for Y" with the bonus objective being "kill more of X". I am saddened to say that this bears alarming resemblance World Of Warcraft, only SWTOR is a step in the wrong direction. I can see this game competing with 2nd tier MMORPG's but it is a far cry from the tier 1 giant that is WoW. Which is a shame, because Bioware has been toting to usurp the throne (as all MMORPG's these days seem to do) and falls disgustingly short. To sum up, SWTOR is nothing new, it is a carbon copy of WoW with rigid animations, poor VO, no world PVP, no endgame, and no sense of adventure.… Expand
  78. CyberJedi619
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    This is one of the best MMO out there. Yes it does need work but people are comparing this to wow. This is not wow. This is bioware... They have awesome cutscene. and game play is unbelievable detail. I've been both in beta and now enjoying the finished product. I see a lot of people rating this game low... Aka most are wow players or elistest. Starwars the old republic and otherThis is one of the best MMO out there. Yes it does need work but people are comparing this to wow. This is not wow. This is bioware... They have awesome cutscene. and game play is unbelievable detail. I've been both in beta and now enjoying the finished product. I see a lot of people rating this game low... Aka most are wow players or elistest. Starwars the old republic and other starwars game are all about the community and fan base. Bioware is a developer who has reached the high level. Yes every company has there flaws but I'm giving this game a 10.… Expand
  79. AudaxAnimus
    Dec 20, 2011
    3
    I had high hopes for this game and then it came out, IT HAS THE SAME GAMEPLAY AS EVERY OTHER MMORPG OUT THERE!!!!! seriously i know that hotkeys are probably the only way to play an mmo but still they should have found something new. The graphics, OMG THE GRAPHICS are so terrible, rather than making **** graphics so that even the worst pc can run this they should have made this game soI had high hopes for this game and then it came out, IT HAS THE SAME GAMEPLAY AS EVERY OTHER MMORPG OUT THERE!!!!! seriously i know that hotkeys are probably the only way to play an mmo but still they should have found something new. The graphics, OMG THE GRAPHICS are so terrible, rather than making **** graphics so that even the worst pc can run this they should have made this game so graphically demanding that only the highest end pc's could run this! that way there would be no casuals amiright /v/? In the end what you get is your fairly decent mmo but with a star wars skin slapped over it, and a Bioware sticker.… Expand
  80. BucketsAtUltra
    Dec 20, 2011
    2
    I am not enjoying this game at all as a fan of KotOR 1 and 2. The animations are stiff, the voice acting is mediocre at best, and the combat is nothing original. Having the zones instanced makes it feel empty and devoid of life. And when you do actually see groups of people the game is so horribly optimized the game will completely crap itself. Not to mention that they bent my favoriteI am not enjoying this game at all as a fan of KotOR 1 and 2. The animations are stiff, the voice acting is mediocre at best, and the combat is nothing original. Having the zones instanced makes it feel empty and devoid of life. And when you do actually see groups of people the game is so horribly optimized the game will completely crap itself. Not to mention that they bent my favorite story aspects from KotoR's 1 and 2 and bent them over the table for an un-lubed anal pounding. This game could get better with time but as of right now it is below average at the very best. I really wish KotOR 3 was made instead of...this.… Expand
  81. Disgust
    Dec 20, 2011
    5
    I had high hopes for TOR... I was an avid fan... until I got to play it. The only word worth describing it with is Mediocrity. Nothing new gameplay wise... copy pasted gameplay from World of Warcraft... terrible PvP balance...the absolutely most stagnant world ever created for an MMO and horrible repeatable combat.
    So much money spent on development just to copy what we've already played    I had high hopes for TOR... I was an avid fan... until I got to play it. The only word worth describing it with is Mediocrity. Nothing new gameplay wise... copy pasted gameplay from World of Warcraft... terrible PvP balance...the absolutely most stagnant world ever created for an MMO and horrible repeatable combat.
    So much money spent on development just to copy what we've already played hundreds of times.
    By supporting this product you support the cloning of gameplay. Buy it if you enjoy WoW style MMOs but don't complain when there's no other titles that could provide you with alternate gameplay.

    and No... the voice over does not make up for all it's flaws. It's nice in the beggining but gets tiring very very fast...you have a nice conversation with an NPC only to get the typical "go kill 10 x" quests...    … Expand
  82. Cavkov
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    This game is amazing! The best MMO out there, period. If you love star wars you will love this game. I've had so much fun with the story, companions, pvp, personal ship, spacebattles and so on...

    There is not much negative about this game.. I can't wait for future updates and expansion :)

    May the force be with you!
  83. Thorn14
    Dec 20, 2011
    4
    My experience in this game has been a level 40 something imperial agent and just a myriad of other lower level everything

    Okay, first thing we see in the game and this is a major bleh for me. The Character Creation. It is absolutely dreadful. Obviously its not on the level of suckiness that you see in your average F 2 P Korean Grindfest, but not by alot, especially if you've played any    My experience in this game has been a level 40 something imperial agent and just a myriad of other lower level everything

    Okay, first thing we see in the game and this is a major bleh for me. The Character Creation. It is absolutely dreadful. Obviously its not on the level of suckiness that you see in your average F 2 P Korean Grindfest, but not by alot, especially if you've played any Bioware game in the past. There are only 4 body types for men, and they are each varying degrees of awful to meh. Theres Shape 1, which is Justin Beiber (and what is used for "kids") Shape 2 which is your average Bruce Lee build, theres Shape 3 which is Big Mc Large Huge and Shape 4 which is Lord Lard Ass. Shape 4 is absolutely awful, and for Sith Warriors, is the shape of your Master, which, if you look at his Wiki, is not how he should look at all. It makes no sense.The races are...well...everything is just "Human but" Obviously this was done for cutscenes and voices (No wookie would talk like your character) but there are still races like Togruta or Nautolan that would be fine but are not in. Chiss are pretty sweet however. There is no long hair, at best you have hair that goes down to your chin. I guess this is because it would be too graphics intensive? Complexions and Scars aren't so bad, shame you can't stack them. And yes, no sliders still, you choose predetermined faces. For a game where you spend alot of time looking at your character in cutscenes, the amount of corner cutting in CC is disappointing. It should have been one of the top five priorities. The number of unique models in this game, NPC wise is also staggeringly low.

    The graphics were no doubt simplified to accommodate as many systems as possible, like World of Warcraft, I understand that. But if that is the case, why does the game, for me and so many others run like absolute crap?

    It took me about 10 minutes AT LEAST to go from start up to getting my character in play. All my options are on low too. Yet I can play Skyrim and The Witcher 2 on Medium no problem. I understand its an MMO but this is just inexcusable Okay, gameplay. Know World of Warcraft? Good news! You already know how to play 85% of the game! Played KOTOR only? Bad news! Theres nothing from KOTOR in this! Its your standard MMO affair. Tanks, Heals, DPS, Burst Damage, DOT, Taunts, Rotations, ETC. If you're used to MM Os then you're in luck. It does that pretty well, although tanking as my Jedi Guardian has been a fittingly in character practice in patience. You dont get your first taunt until 15, and it has a long cool down. Your robot companion tanks better than you. The gameplay is the same tired WoW gameplay, and the game suffers big time for it.

    The missions are the biggest flaw in this game. Every quest is a variation of "Go here, kill stuff along the way for bonus maybe, kill boss or interact with object" or "Collect 5 blah blah blah" with varying degrees of logic in their drops,.

    All the flavor in the world, which does help a little, doesn't change the fact that is every quest. But maybe that is nit picking. Your choices in quests rarely matter as well.

    Story is this game's real saving grace, and why it goes from "Mediocre MMO" to "has potential." Imperial Agent's story was a freaking blast. But after you finish all the storylines, if you even do that, what next? Endgame in this game is pretty much non existant. one mediocre raid...

    And yes, Bioware continues the proud tradition of Dark Side = Stupid Evil Jerk Ass . I was hoping DS Jedi Knight would mean "Emotional and prideful" but nope, just "AHAHA LOOK HOW EVIL I AM FOR NO REASON"

    One issue isevery faction goes through the same planet order. Your Bounty Hunter and Sith Warrior's planets after the first one will be the exact same, as will the quests, save for your personal quests. This will make replay value for someone like me who can't stand doing the same thing again very difficult. Also this makes the whole "KOTOR 3-11" claim bull crap. Class storylines are only 20% of the game. Everyone shares about 80%

    And one of the best features I would list was removed.. Your armor could be matched to the color of whatever your chest piece was, avoiding clown armor. They removed that... All in all ,the story of this game is pretty decent, and had me hooked for the first 2 weeks. Sadly, the gameplay made it where it was a chore. I was FORCING MYSELF THROUGH GAMEPLAY for the story. Thats unacceptable for an MMO, where gameplay should always be important.

    Maybe this game will improve in the future, but for now, this game is just another WoW clone, in space, with kinda cool cut scenes, and with less content. Cant search the AH, no dual speccing and respecing is EXPENSIVE. There are just so many features you should expect missing. It attempts to be like WoW, without the things that made WoW popular. It just has neat storylines. But that is all it brings to the table.    … Expand
  84. Finrandojin
    Dec 20, 2011
    10
    Star Wars the old Republic is a good MMORPG experience focused on storytelling, plot and involving characters, Through the use of unprecedented amounts of voice-acting and in-game cut-scenes the player is immersed in the game to degree not found in other MMO-type games. Often when playing I found that I cared more about advancing the plot than the rewards or XP I gained from them, a hugeStar Wars the old Republic is a good MMORPG experience focused on storytelling, plot and involving characters, Through the use of unprecedented amounts of voice-acting and in-game cut-scenes the player is immersed in the game to degree not found in other MMO-type games. Often when playing I found that I cared more about advancing the plot than the rewards or XP I gained from them, a huge improvement over old-style MMO's, where quests and grinding were just the means to reach endgame and left little to no impression on the player. At launch SWTOR is a solid game with some deficiencies in UI customization, hopefully future patches will remedy this.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 73 Critic Reviews

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