Star Wars: The Old Republic

lgnburris

Dec 30, 2011

9

It is probably too early to review, seeing as MMOs evolve so much over their lifetime but so far I think it is excellent, the voice acting greatly improves immersion. I see a lot of people complaining that the quests are just a cutscene followed by the same old "go kill ten of x". Are we not playing the same game? There have been incredibly few quests where the objective is simply to killIt is probably too early to review, seeing as MMOs evolve so much over their lifetime but so far I think it is excellent, the voice acting greatly improves immersion. I see a lot of people complaining that the quests are just a cutscene followed by the same old "go kill ten of x". Are we not playing the same game? There have been incredibly few quests where the objective is simply to kill a certain number of mobs, usually killing a certain number of mobs is a bonus quest alongside the more story driven quests which grants bonus xp. I can't help but think that many of these negative reviewers have not even played the game or that they are simply trolls. I see people complaining "only 4 body types for men", how many do you have in WoW? Oh that's right, one. The rest of the complaints are basically "this game is an mmo and has mmo style gameplay and we hate that." What did you expect?… Expand

CiaranJ

Aug 18, 2016

9

I played this game roughly from 2012-2014 and then again in 2016. I would say the game back in 2012 offered lots for its money in relation to the class stories; they are, of course, the heart of the game. Yet, especially towards the endgame, the MMO features lacked depth. Since it went free-to-play and they released Knights of the Fallen Empire, the game has since seen a revive: you canI played this game roughly from 2012-2014 and then again in 2016. I would say the game back in 2012 offered lots for its money in relation to the class stories; they are, of course, the heart of the game. Yet, especially towards the endgame, the MMO features lacked depth. Since it went free-to-play and they released Knights of the Fallen Empire, the game has since seen a revive: you can play right through to level 50 and experience all the beautiful and exciting class stories for free. They have an OPTIONAL in-game market where players can buy upgrades, cosmetics, etc - yet a free-player can easily enjoy the experience (free-to-play players are somewhat hampered by receiving reduced XP compared to subscribers, however, the game periodically rewards you with XP boots, so you never feel like your playing catch-up. If your'e looking for a hardcore MMO, then this is not the game. If you're looking for a basic MMO with great story-telling then this is the game for you!… Expand

Manmade3

Dec 20, 2011

9

Im going to start by saying iv'e been a WoW player since 2 months after vanilla was released. Lately, WoW has become abysmal. The funny part is, without the cataclysm, I would still be playing, but Blizzard got to greedy and messed up their big franchise beyond the point of no return. My childhood gaming was classic X-Box, to gamecube, to 360. And I LOVED Knights of the old republic 1 andIm going to start by saying iv'e been a WoW player since 2 months after vanilla was released. Lately, WoW has become abysmal. The funny part is, without the cataclysm, I would still be playing, but Blizzard got to greedy and messed up their big franchise beyond the point of no return. My childhood gaming was classic X-Box, to gamecube, to 360. And I LOVED Knights of the old republic 1 and 2. I lost countless hours in them. Jedi Knight: Jedi academy and Force Unleashed I also enjoyed. But nothing really came close to the epicness that was KOTOR. Until mass effect, I thought that was the game for me after WoW got old but now....This is it. This is going to be one of the greatest MMO's of all time. Its getting the same complaints vanilla WoW got. But what the ignorant low scorer's fail to see is this is an MMO and that means one thing. PATCHS. People complain of bugs in console games, yes, they suck and if you dont have online you dont get them fixed, but in a game like this with so much money already invested in it, there will not only be bugfix patches, but content patches the likes of which we haven't seen since ES: Oblivions Shivering isles. I give this game an 8 because yes, on first look, not to amazing, but I have faith that just like vanilla, it will rise out of the low and become the source of entertainment for me for many years to come.… Expand

Fleeim

Jan 6, 2012

9

I really do love this game. There's so much to do and all the worlds seemed unique. If you like Star Wars mythology you can find all kind of great things to read. Story is amazing (playing as Bounty Hunter) and voice acting is also really cool. Combat system is fun also.

agentsvr

Dec 20, 2011

9

I played KotOR and am a huge fun of Bioware games.
Given this, i have been really disappointed at the late games Bioware has been releasing, both story and game play wise. Now i understand why. All the good writers, artists and game developers were working on SWTOR.
I was really skeptic if the kotor style would work as a MMO. The thing is, the MMO is still there, but the kotor game feelI played KotOR and am a huge fun of Bioware games.
Given this, i have been really disappointed at the late games Bioware has been releasing, both story and game play wise. Now i understand why. All the good writers, artists and game developers were working on SWTOR.
I was really skeptic if the kotor style would work as a MMO. The thing is, the MMO is still there, but the kotor game feel really makes all the difference in the world. After playing this jewel it will be very difficult for anyone to go back and play another MMO.
It still has a few flaws, like bounty hunter and smuggler story lines are not as good as the others, the crafting system is under powered, etc... overall it still gets 9, and that's because i am picky!… Expand

renaldowhat2

Dec 28, 2011

9

Awesomeness and then some. Star wars rock my face off. Didn't get into wow but this game hooked me. I'm a freaking Jedi knight for Christ's sake. Blame.

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!
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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 toTL,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!
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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

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

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 likeOne 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

taz08078

Dec 20, 2011

9

Perhaps this game is not the most revolutionary, but it is fun. I am not a hardcore player, but I have played a number of MMO's before. This game is different in that the voiceovers for quests do immerse you in the game, but it may not be for everyone. The core mechanics are designed to simple and easy for non-mmo players to pick-up. If you've never played an MMO before or have neverPerhaps this game is not the most revolutionary, but it is fun. I am not a hardcore player, but I have played a number of MMO's before. This game is different in that the voiceovers for quests do immerse you in the game, but it may not be for everyone. The core mechanics are designed to simple and easy for non-mmo players to pick-up. If you've never played an MMO before or have never felt a "part" of the game...check out The Old Republic...casual players that appreciate a story will have fun.… Expand

OneTimeReview

Dec 20, 2011

9

Great game. There are some very innovative features, such as crafting and multiplayer dialogues, built on top of the proven success of a themepark design. BioWare is masterful in their storytelling and cinematic delivery of content. There's room for improvement, but in their first MMO attempt I think BioWare has done very well. I'm having a lot of fun!

attredies

Dec 20, 2011

9

SWTOR is a very fun MMO, and I truly love bioware's take on it. I am not a fanboy, I have my gripes about it, but all in all, it is extremely well polished for a launch MMO. as a beta tester for many MMOs including WoW, Warhammer, STO, LOTOR, DCUO, and more I can say that it's launch was very smooth. The game is fun and engaging, with the distinctive bioware feel. conversations let youSWTOR is a very fun MMO, and I truly love bioware's take on it. I am not a fanboy, I have my gripes about it, but all in all, it is extremely well polished for a launch MMO. as a beta tester for many MMOs including WoW, Warhammer, STO, LOTOR, DCUO, and more I can say that it's launch was very smooth. The game is fun and engaging, with the distinctive bioware feel. conversations let you customize your character to light or dark, the combat is fun, if a bit drab, but depending on your class that changes. Clothing and gear looks great, once you leave the origin worlds and your starter gear behind you begin to look the epic warrior you are. does this game have some flaws, yes. Do I think this game is worth it? definitely. I had the standard edition preordered, but after playing the beta for a couple months I upgraded to the CE and I'm very happy with it.… Expand

Skrilla

Dec 20, 2011

9

you people are he flat silly. I can't believe the critics..and now i can't believe the users so it's really become just buy it or rent it and try it for myself. everytime a new mmo comes out it's omg a wow clone!! And you people really think WOW pioneered this model? Seriously give me a break!!! You think mmos are somehow going to revolutionize and change everything? I highly doubtyou people are he flat silly. I can't believe the critics..and now i can't believe the users so it's really become just buy it or rent it and try it for myself. everytime a new mmo comes out it's omg a wow clone!! And you people really think WOW pioneered this model? Seriously give me a break!!! You think mmos are somehow going to revolutionize and change everything? I highly doubt it considering todays forms of input so until the tech increases and gets cheaper the model of how our input is taken and translated in game is NOT going to change!!! Also, i played wow from the start and I don't remember it having allll this end game content everyone is fussing about until some expansions came out...and i remember it's graphics were sub par too..but it was fun and it put you in a fantasy world you wanted to be in. That is exactly what swtor does if you are a star wars fan.....and i have yet to see the grind because i'm always doing something new in this game. Tell me this since you wow fanboys are soooo smart. What kinda quests would you have people do in your mmo? LOL!! probably about the same b/c the reality of it is there's only so many varied quest types you can come up with and that coupled with the fact that you must serve up thousands of them for millions of players to enjoy so that things are varied enough they are not fully monotonous is a daunting task in itself. At least a lot of these quests in swtor lend to the story line and the atmosphere which is more than i can say for WOW. MMOs are like wine...they get better with age. The fact that you all are ripping it tells me 1 of 3 things. A: your a hardcore fanboy of WOW and no mmo that comes out within the next 10 years is going to satisfy that itch for something different
OR
B: you don't understand anything about human/computer interaction and the possiblities ther are with certain limitations on computing power across the board
OR
C: you wouldn't know a good, fun, atmospheric, well built, non launch crashing, engaging game if it punched you in the face (and i've played em all and i must say that this has been the best handled release, and most thought out well developed mmo to ever come out to date taking it for what it is now at release date notwithstanding future expansions)

That's my 2 cents on the topic since all i read nowadays is nitpicky garbage on these user review sites.… Expand

re2leons

Dec 20, 2011

9

Really enjoyable game.
I wasn't really interested into swtor till last minute, and after days of playing it, I loved it. The music is fantastic, I love the voice acting. The only thing I don't like that much is huttball.I see alot of buttmad **** trying to make this game look bad.

Thaltom

Dec 20, 2011

9

Star Wars: The Old Republic's biggest features are it's class stories, companion, and alignment systems. A special runner-up prize will go to it's crew skills, but I'll get to that later. Bioware's claim to fame as always been it's writing and story. Characters and stories really seem to flow together and I frequently found myself doing quests because I wanted to keep the Imperials at bay,Star Wars: The Old Republic's biggest features are it's class stories, companion, and alignment systems. A special runner-up prize will go to it's crew skills, but I'll get to that later. Bioware's claim to fame as always been it's writing and story. Characters and stories really seem to flow together and I frequently found myself doing quests because I wanted to keep the Imperials at bay, NOT to get to level 20; as a veteran MMO player this astounded me. Your companions are much more than pets. Though they do help in combat, they are also mini-chapters of the story themselves with priorities and personalities. Of course you cannot have a Star Wars game without the mention of the Light and Dark sides of the Force. Your character will travel down these paths frequently becoming either a bastion of good or an unholy terror on the universe. Whatever gripes I have with this game are very minor. In fact, my biggest concern has been the UI customization and that it being implemented in the next content patch.… Expand

nick_of_time

Dec 20, 2011

9

This game has been divisive since way before release. Anyone following the community knows that there's a lot of hate out there for this game. Whether it's people who still can't get over DA2, players who expected a sandbox, or people with overconfidence in their budgetary analysis skills, plenty have come out against this game.

Bot more importantly, a lot of players really love this gameThis game has been divisive since way before release. Anyone following the community knows that there's a lot of hate out there for this game. Whether it's people who still can't get over DA2, players who expected a sandbox, or people with overconfidence in their budgetary analysis skills, plenty have come out against this game.

Bot more importantly, a lot of players really love this game and rightfully so. As themepark MMOs go, it's really one of the best, better in quality and content than recent contender Rift. I once played WoW pretty heavily, but lost interest in the world and was no longer invested in my characters. I'm happy to say that TOR has rekindled that desire in its own way with its liberal dose of voice acting and a real care given to the world. It's hard to sum up the game as a whole. It's really one of those things that you have to try out to see if you like it. First off, I love sci-fi. That right there is a leg up on the competition. I also love how they handled companions in an MMO setting and I LOVE that I actually have a reason to group again. Haters will try to convince you that this is a "single-player game," but nothing could be further from the truth. The best times are the heroic group quests and there are PLENTY of these scattered about. In comparison, modern WoW (and Rift) feel like solitary confinement. It goes to show you that all you need to encourage grouping is a challenge that asks for it. Yes, you can solo, but you'll miss out on great experience, loot and more importantly, fun times with other players.

Yes there are faults.Even though conversations are way more engaging than boring boxes of text, they aren't as artfully crafted as in Dragon Age or Mass Effect (and even those weren't the best in the biz). Conversation options can feel somewhat limiting at times. The UI, while perfectly serviceable, has few customization options. There are still bugs to work out (but thankfully none that are game-breaking for me yet). You may find faults with the game design that I don't. I know some things I like, others hate. To each their own.

But if you're looking for a solid themepark MMO that's actually worth paying monthly for (not just a cash grab with free-2-play written all over it), then you can't go wrong here. The community seems pretty good so far, there's plenty to do in game and it offers a setting and genre that themeparks have been ignoring for the most part. I'm having a blast and you might too. You just have to decide for yourself.… Expand

Hyrc

Dec 20, 2011

9

Been playing for 5 days now, not counting beta. Overall the game is excellent. Easily the most story driven MMO available, would absolutely rival some of the best RPGs for story and content volume. Being able to experience the stories of party members makes it even better.

Group content so far is excellent, with a decent mix of objectives and difficulty. Exploring is lots of fun, withBeen playing for 5 days now, not counting beta. Overall the game is excellent. Easily the most story driven MMO available, would absolutely rival some of the best RPGs for story and content volume. Being able to experience the stories of party members makes it even better.

Group content so far is excellent, with a decent mix of objectives and difficulty. Exploring is lots of fun, with strong incentives for players to explore thoroughly. Crafting is fun, without being a monotonous time and resources sink. Early items are actually useful as you level.

Companions are useful, with a nice selection of options and abilities for all the various classes. Each has their own interesting story and mechanics.

Basic combat and skill system very similar to WoW, which isn't a bad thing for the most part. A few small oversights in regards to early gaps in characters skills. IE, a Sith Juggernaut doesn't have a taunt ability early on, but the Inquisitors first companion does. Not a game breaker, just a slight irritation.

Leveling curve is just about right, the story keeps things moving, without excessive downtime between major quest groups. All that without even mentioning the deep lore well they get with Star Wars. Solid 9/10, would go 9.5 if possible. Keep it up BioWare!… Expand

dSharpy

Dec 20, 2011

9

Ok for starters Swtor has alot flaws. Bad UI, a little laggy, and it gets pretty confusing at times. However these ARE NOT gamebreaking flaws, these can be fixed with a patch or a addon. It does share many similarities with World of Warcraft but thats not a bad thing. The combat is really fun, , the flashpoints are a blast and the graphics look great on Low. I have no complaints other thanOk for starters Swtor has alot flaws. Bad UI, a little laggy, and it gets pretty confusing at times. However these ARE NOT gamebreaking flaws, these can be fixed with a patch or a addon. It does share many similarities with World of Warcraft but thats not a bad thing. The combat is really fun, , the flashpoints are a blast and the graphics look great on Low. I have no complaints other than the UI. Don't listen to all these butt hurt people expecting the world of a game, the combat is fun, the story is immersive, and its a blast to play. Im gonna stop here because im fixxing to go play some Tor. Peace out and may the force be with you.… Expand

pay4lawschool

Dec 20, 2011

9

Don't get all the hating. I've played LOTRO to level cap...and played WOW to about level 26 but got bored. This is as good of an MMO as any made way way better by the SW content. If you're bored to tears of MMO's this won't rejuvinate that because it's an MMO...it's not MMO 2.0 or anything. But as MMO's go it's a GREAT one and that's at launch. It can only get better. I'm captivated.Don't get all the hating. I've played LOTRO to level cap...and played WOW to about level 26 but got bored. This is as good of an MMO as any made way way better by the SW content. If you're bored to tears of MMO's this won't rejuvinate that because it's an MMO...it's not MMO 2.0 or anything. But as MMO's go it's a GREAT one and that's at launch. It can only get better. I'm captivated. Even the side stories are compelling, crafting options are great...all in all, a win. I dont know how PvP is because I don't particularly care for that anyway but the PvE experience is amazing.… Expand

kdiddy

Dec 20, 2011

9

I don't get the hate. The game is a blast, graphics are really good for an MMO. It's a great BioWare game and on top of that it's a great BioWare game you can play with your friends. What could be better?

Proxeny

Dec 20, 2011

9

Admittedly I was at best sceptical over Bioware's announcement - back in 2008 - that they would henceforth be continuing the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic franchise (which I adore) as an MMO. I don't like MMOs; I find them more often than not to be shallow and the worst representations of video games as a leisure activity. Also, the communities in-game and over the internetAdmittedly I was at best sceptical over Bioware's announcement - back in 2008 - that they would henceforth be continuing the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic franchise (which I adore) as an MMO. I don't like MMOs; I find them more often than not to be shallow and the worst representations of video games as a leisure activity. Also, the communities in-game and over the internet attract the worst examples of gamer.

Yet when I entered the world of SW:TOR, many of my reservations were put aside. The game fits right in with the Star Wars RPG standard set by KOTOR, with extraordinary voice acting and an engaging story from the get go. The dialogue mechanics in particular make grouping up a rather fun experience. This was all to be expected from Bioware and the RPG elements are where this game really shines above the competition (MMO or otherwise). The combat is a definite improvement over KOTOR 2, which could be rather sluggishness and frankly quite boring at times. In SWTOR the hotkey-based combat mechanics add more strategy and depth, yet perfectly accessible. It's not innovative in itself but is a great solution for this particular franchise.

Gameplay outside of the story is of the familiar MMO archetype, and is also for the most part optional. If you don't like PvP, grouping, you can easily avoid these elements and still have a huge game to enjoy. But you can't ignore the fact that SW:TOR is an MMO. Server queues, lag, and less than optimal framerate (with respect the the graphical fidelity) make sure of this. Oh, and yeah a monthly fee. Yet it's worth tolerating this to enjoy the larger game that SW:TOR is, larger perhaps because of the fact that it is an MMO...… Expand

crazysam87

Dec 20, 2011

9

Very good game, launch was smooth for me, the game is very fluid. Content is very refreshing, deeply immersive caracter stories with the fully voiced and video conversation making it even more amazing.
The ability to make other players in your group join you in your "story" and "class" quests is making the grouping part of the game really interesting. Flashpoints and warzones are very goodVery good game, launch was smooth for me, the game is very fluid. Content is very refreshing, deeply immersive caracter stories with the fully voiced and video conversation making it even more amazing.
The ability to make other players in your group join you in your "story" and "class" quests is making the grouping part of the game really interesting. Flashpoints and warzones are very good as well.Some minor issues with being dc'd and some long queue times, but very decent for the first launch day!
Actually one of the smoothest launch i've seen im my gamer life. Bravo to BW and EA who did an awesome job!… Expand

Sherkat

Dec 20, 2011

9

A quality game, good voice over, story and combat. Fun group content, the crafting is very enjoyable and the story keeps questing from feeling like to much of a drag/grind. Does the game have problems? yes but overall a very smooth and entertaining game with a good art style. I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

Kameleonical

Dec 20, 2011

9

First off, important point: This is Star Wars, not that Blizzard game called World of something. People that cannot stop making the comparison are clearly so deep rooted in it that it blinds their opinion of anything else. This game is very much akin to Knights of the Old Republic, but online, and it is very good. You have a variety of playable characters with differing abilities e.g.First off, important point: This is Star Wars, not that Blizzard game called World of something. People that cannot stop making the comparison are clearly so deep rooted in it that it blinds their opinion of anything else. This game is very much akin to Knights of the Old Republic, but online, and it is very good. You have a variety of playable characters with differing abilities e.g. Bounty Hunter or Jedi Knight. You have a huge amount of dialogue, a huge amount of missions to pursue, you have a huge Star Wars universe, companions who interact with you, not simply follow you blindly: you can also have them go off & do their own quests. You also have a very fun PvP element which is pretty mad, nonetheless fun.

If you want story, variety, and fun come here. Unfortunately you also have an endless amount of chat in your chat box re: WoW. These people are literally sad.… Expand

Galius

Dec 20, 2011

9

Fans of Bioware RPGs should play this for sure. Those that are used to grinding or just ignoring content on the way to max level should pass this one by as this is NOT the game for you. The only thing stopping me from rating this a ten is the silly space combat, should have been free flight not a tunnel shooter.

Thorkir

Dec 20, 2011

9

My experience with SWTOR is a Sith Inquisitor Sorcerer up to level 31. The gameplay was enjoyable, I loved the music, and the option to make everything much more difficult by leaving your companion behind. The story for the Inquisitor is exceptional. I did several flashpoints, which were very interesting, and each one a challenge to my ability to heal. I enjoyed my attempts at PvP, despiteMy experience with SWTOR is a Sith Inquisitor Sorcerer up to level 31. The gameplay was enjoyable, I loved the music, and the option to make everything much more difficult by leaving your companion behind. The story for the Inquisitor is exceptional. I did several flashpoints, which were very interesting, and each one a challenge to my ability to heal. I enjoyed my attempts at PvP, despite not winning usually. All in all, it seems a very well put together game. The only thing that keeps it from a 10 in my view is the instancing keeping people separated up. It makes the world feel empty.… Expand

jumajin

Dec 20, 2011

9

Very fun, fast paced game. Great questing, fantastic voice-acting, plenty to do in a game that promised a true Star Wars MMO experience and delivers. Not without minor problems (like any launch month MMO), but most polished game to come along since World of Warcraft in 2004. SWTOR is most definitely worth the box price and subscription investment. Very much recommended.

shalott

Dec 20, 2011

9

I'm rather shocked to see so many negative reviews here. I've been loving the game so far (playing it since Early Access), and all the friends with which I'm playing seem to be having a blast as well. I admit that it started off a bit slow, and the graphics threw me off at first, but the quests became more involving as the game went on, IMO, and by the time I reached Coruscant, I wasI'm rather shocked to see so many negative reviews here. I've been loving the game so far (playing it since Early Access), and all the friends with which I'm playing seem to be having a blast as well. I admit that it started off a bit slow, and the graphics threw me off at first, but the quests became more involving as the game went on, IMO, and by the time I reached Coruscant, I was hooked.

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

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

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

I appreciate that others clearly didn't find what they were looking for in SW:TOR, but I've just been getting so much enjoyment out of the game, it's ridiculous, and that's with the core game as it stands -- the thought of what updates and expansions can do for this world makes my heart go pitter-pat.… Expand

Veimi

Dec 20, 2011

9

This game is the first MMO I have vastly enjoyed since the early days of World of Warcraft. It just feels so new even though most of the basic functions are already similar to other mmos. No it is not complete but yes, it has the content and the design that anyone will enjoy. Do not, I repeat, do not let this game pass by because of the 0 reviewers, they clearly don't have no idea how toThis game is the first MMO I have vastly enjoyed since the early days of World of Warcraft. It just feels so new even though most of the basic functions are already similar to other mmos. No it is not complete but yes, it has the content and the design that anyone will enjoy. Do not, I repeat, do not let this game pass by because of the 0 reviewers, they clearly don't have no idea how to rate a game. I am currently standing @ level 22 with my Jedi Shadow and don't want to shut the game down even though I go to work every morning. Try it, you won't regret it.… Expand

Vega

Dec 22, 2011

9

First off & most important of all is to not listen to the blatant trolling/game bashing by the upset Wow community players out there! I was lucky enough to be involved in the beta last year and have already been involved with game since the early access began on the 13th & I can confidently say without any hesitation that this game is fantastic! Yes of course that are a few minor issuesFirst off & most important of all is to not listen to the blatant trolling/game bashing by the upset Wow community players out there! I was lucky enough to be involved in the beta last year and have already been involved with game since the early access began on the 13th & I can confidently say without any hesitation that this game is fantastic! Yes of course that are a few minor issues here & there but that's to be expected at launch - these will of course be addressed in good time, no doubt along with adjustments following player feedback. But if your looking for a MMO with a deep, rich narrative, some fantastic voice acting & interesting quests then look no further. This game simply oozes class & is everything I had hoped for from a Star Wars game. Leave the Wow players to troll all they like, this game will shine brightly despite some of the **** being written here. Pick it up, you wont be disappointed :)… Expand

Dajon

Dec 21, 2011

9

- Graphics: Ok. not great, but OK. Some zones really are gorgeous, others, not that much.
- Character customization: Below average... We want more!
- Story line, questing: Amazing. This is truly where the game shines. I have NEVER been so immersed, and it really IS hard to disconnect every night, because I really want to see more of the story. Besides, cut scenes and dialogues for EVERY- Graphics: Ok. not great, but OK. Some zones really are gorgeous, others, not that much.
- Character customization: Below average... We want more!
- Story line, questing: Amazing. This is truly where the game shines. I have NEVER been so immersed, and it really IS hard to disconnect every night, because I really want to see more of the story. Besides, cut scenes and dialogues for EVERY quests is just great. The choices you have to make "a la" mass effect / kotor my not change the outcome of the dialogue (except for the dark/like choices) but it just feels much more like a "real" conversation. Dialogues in groups are awesome imo. BUT, if you're not the type of player who likes to listen to an NPC, you might not like it, because it's everywhere. So, as I read below, you will feel like "loosing" some time. Well it's a matter of opinion. I don't feel that way because I LOVE it. But I can understand that some ppl won't. Moreover, it has a feel of epic, right from the start. First time I feel that way in an MMO. "What? Seriously? Come on, where are my ten wolves to kill?"
- Combat PvE: Feels more dynamic than wow (I play a tanking Sith assassin ), even if it is similar: GCD, CDs, ultimate skill every 20/30 minutes... they are all here. But the simple fact that there is no auto attack makes it more dynamic. You have to click on something for your toon to do something. As a sith assassin, there are A LOT of different skills you have to use at the right time, and some fights can be pretty intense (provided you're not 10 lvl over the quest). The fact that there are a lot of packs of mobs gives you a feel of epicness: You're not struggling with a strong mob. You're struggling with a bunch of medium mobs, which feels better.
- Combat PvP: As a tank, I like the "taunt" feature, which makes your target do 30% less damage to everyone except you. Other than that, as for the "battlegrounds", nothing really new (it's nicely done though). The fact that the player's level isn't important in battlegrounds is nice.
- Space combat: Nice rail shooting mini games, with a real star wars feel. Nice thing to do every once in a while. But space combat could be improved I think. I would love group and pvp fights, not in "rail" mode, in addition to what's already there. The fact that you can customize your ship with equipment, like your character or companion is a plus.
- Group stuff: Nice. Bonus when grouped, social points earned which gives you access to specific stuff (mostly cosmetic, but not only)
- Navigation: The map is really great, and clear. Even when grouped. Objectives are easy to find (that may be a downside for some of you ;)). - Auction house aka Galactic market: Could be improved. The UI does its job, but it's rough, and a few additions could be usefull. - UI: While good, it should be less "rigid". Checking for procs and CDs is a bit painfull as it draws your attention out of the action, for example. - Client and bugs: quite stable. Some players reported a few crashes in some specific zones that (should) have been fixed with the last patch. I'm level 30 and didn't see any game breaking bug (once, I had to restart a quest I could not validate, that's all)

Overall, while being a little disappointed at first with the graphics/customization, the more I play, the more I feel attracted to it. A lot of nice ideas make a lot of little improvements, which make the game better than others imo. The fully voiced over quests are THE improvement (if you are into that, obviously). There is room for a LOT of great stuff (space combat!!) to come. Re-rolling is eased since the class story line are really nicely done. If you're in to star wars, ans liked kotor/ME games and stories (i.e. you actually enjoy listening to them) then it's your game. If you're more into rushing max level and then grind some stuff for your toon, it might not be the best option for you. For me? I have a BLAST and I'm enjoying every minute of it :)… Expand

darth_karnus

Dec 21, 2011

9

As can be seen from the spectrum of scores for this game, it's one of those things you either love or hate. Personally, I fall into the first category and believe this to be the embodiment of everything that I could have ever wished for from a Star Wars MMO. Yes, comparisons can be made to WoW...as well as many other MMOs...but the same goes for almost any new MMORPG on the market. JustAs can be seen from the spectrum of scores for this game, it's one of those things you either love or hate. Personally, I fall into the first category and believe this to be the embodiment of everything that I could have ever wished for from a Star Wars MMO. Yes, comparisons can be made to WoW...as well as many other MMOs...but the same goes for almost any new MMORPG on the market. Just because the game reminds of you another one, doesn't necessarily mean that it's bad, in fact it can mean the complete opposite, as with SWTOR, which takes elements from other games and upon combining them surpasses them. As is said, the student has now become the master. The fact that the game is fully voiced greatly adds to its appeal and makes it much more playable and enjoyable. The companion system is perfect and the character progression is well paced. Even during the common 'kill this' or 'fetch this' quests, the game remains interesting as one is always given multiple options during dialogue sequences. All in all, SWTOR is my favorite RPG to date and does so many things right that all of its minor flaws can be overlooked. I know which game I'll be playing several years from now.… Expand

mikal768

Dec 21, 2011

9

A very good MMORPG in my opinion. Storyline's are excellent and bring a nice change.
Character creation options are sometimes lacking, and it seems that leveling might be a tad fast for my experience, keeping this from a perfect score, but beyond that very good indeed.

Zhiroc

Dec 21, 2011

9

From the beginning, it was clear to me that all of BW's hype was directed towards one goal: producing an MMO that would be more like Knights of the Old Republic in gameplay and style than the traditional MMO. In that, I think they have come closer than any other MMOG. If you like the single-player RPG, you'll appreciate SW:TOR. The questing is actually more like Mass Effect, with fullFrom the beginning, it was clear to me that all of BW's hype was directed towards one goal: producing an MMO that would be more like Knights of the Old Republic in gameplay and style than the traditional MMO. In that, I think they have come closer than any other MMOG. If you like the single-player RPG, you'll appreciate SW:TOR. The questing is actually more like Mass Effect, with full voiceover and a somewhat limited 2-3 response system. I find I miss the more extended conversations you could have in KotOR, and even ME (using the "left side" of the dialog wheel that could give you more info rather than make character decisions on the right).

So, if you are looking for the "traditional MMOG experience"--focused on raiding, endgame, and PvP, you might find it lacking. It has those, but it certainly isn't a distinguishing element of the game. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a KotOR/ME kind of game, you will likely find it engaging.

So far, I find the questing fun and engaging, with some character's stories a bit better than the others (have only played two main classes so far). There are 4 main classes in each faction (Republic/Empire), with unique stories for all. However, the side quests are shared among all classes.

So far, I've noted the lack of what feels like "grinding" (I've gone into the early 20s with one character), and I've seen very little need to "farm" mobs (though I did a little at times to get that little extra XP to level). If this keeps up (and I was told it does pretty much up through the 40s), this is in itself unique in MMOGs--having fun while leveling? Incredible :)

And a final note for the hardcore gamer: I am seeing a lot of subtle complexity in the ability system that one needs to master to maximize your character. It's not conducive to having a strict rotation, and you are constantly having to manage your resource pool and activate abilities based on the special effects that sometimes get triggered from other abilities. So here's a place for you to show off your l33t performance :)… Expand

drakinor

Dec 21, 2011

9

While the game does include some minor issues expected of any MMO during its infancy, many of those expected are minor or completely absent. The story, from what I have seen, is excellently written, the sound is very well done, and the graphics (while an issue of some debate) are beautiful. The game can run even on lower end machines (I run an AMD dual core 3Ghz with 4Gb RAM and SapphireWhile the game does include some minor issues expected of any MMO during its infancy, many of those expected are minor or completely absent. The story, from what I have seen, is excellently written, the sound is very well done, and the graphics (while an issue of some debate) are beautiful. The game can run even on lower end machines (I run an AMD dual core 3Ghz with 4Gb RAM and Sapphire Radeon HD 4650 512Mb low profile) And even on my settings if shadows are turned off, I can run the game on high settings. While the game is very similar to many MMOs with features like hotbars, quests, instanced dungeons and PvP, and also has a way of making these features feel new and fresh. The voice overs making the quests feel meaning full rather than yet another pointless slaughter of some creature. NPCs feel more alive than other MMO's as they have a personality and story, and PvP matches, while currently limited, have interesting twists like "Huttball" with an announcer that makes comments about the match. The character customization is somewhat lacking compared to some newer MMO's but is superior to its major competitor, World of Warcraft. Unless you are absolutely set on having very immense customization options to alter every last freckle on your characters face, this should not bother you. Phasing is heavily used, but in my personal opinion, it is used well. Unlike World of Warcraft that require lockstep questing in order to maintain phase with friends, The Old Republic will have multiple identical instances of a zone to prevent excessive overcrowding (although sometimes quest areas are still busy) Your characters story quests are also instanced so that you are not waiting in line for ever other character of your class to complete it. The Old Republic seems to have found a good balance between maintaining a high population, area crowding, and quest completion ability by players. Flashpoints (or dungeons) are very entertaining with entire stories that can play out in multiple ways depending on how the group chooses to go about it. Whenever there is a conversation each party member gets to chose a response and whoever wins the roll says their choice. Some of these lead to different outcomes but your choice is the only one that affects dark or light side points. So you do not have to worry about being the only guy with a heart who doesnt want to flush innocent people into space and losing alignment for it.

Items are highly customizable stat wise allowing you to level your items up with modifications. So you can use the same armor for a long time if its high quality by adding new modifications to it. The weapon customization also affects the color of your blaster bolts or lightsaber blade. If you use a yellow color crystal your bolts or blade is also yellow, and there are various colors to chose from. All in all this is an extremely well done MMO that many will love. The one thing that may turn some people away is the fact that the journey to endgame is designed to be just as fun and important as endgame so you are really cheating yourself if you rush past it. If you want to hit endgame ASAP and could care less about story and the RPG aspects then this may not be your game. If you want to play and MMORPG that actually is an RPG and not a shadow of that title, or are interested in the Star Wars Universe, you will be very pleased with this.… Expand

RumDood

Dec 21, 2011

9

Incredibly fun with engaging story that drives you to play additional characters, the game also include mechanics that make it actually enjoyable to play as a casual player rather than someone who plays several hours a day on a rigid schedule. Playing in groups is a great dynamic, and the social options for conversations make the groups even more engaging. There is a distinct lack ofIncredibly fun with engaging story that drives you to play additional characters, the game also include mechanics that make it actually enjoyable to play as a casual player rather than someone who plays several hours a day on a rigid schedule. Playing in groups is a great dynamic, and the social options for conversations make the groups even more engaging. There is a distinct lack of sandboxing, but considering that before the NGE the chief complaint among SWG players was the lack of content, it takes a conscious effort to not understand why BioWare chose to go the complete opposite direction. This game is ALL content. Storylines and conversations are fun and the voice acting is fantastic.

As someone who never enjoyed WOW or EVE or AOC, this game has me completely addicted.… Expand

RammiXp

Dec 21, 2011

9

I'm a level 40 and I can't understand some of the reviews on this site but each to there own. This game in my mind is fantastic. The story is so impressive, the combat is so much fun to watch even after 40 levels as well as engaging. I feel engrossed in the world and love playing warzones and can't wait to see what Ilum has in store. Are there things I would like to see in game like a moreI'm a level 40 and I can't understand some of the reviews on this site but each to there own. This game in my mind is fantastic. The story is so impressive, the combat is so much fun to watch even after 40 levels as well as engaging. I feel engrossed in the world and love playing warzones and can't wait to see what Ilum has in store. Are there things I would like to see in game like a more PVP focused Space system, Guild Functionality and much more character customization, YES. However Bioware have clearly stated they are working on this right now and some of those things will be coming very soon. They need to deliver but the game is 3 days old and it has a ton of content out of the gate.

For an MMO launch its been exceptional beyond some queue issues which are common at every MMO launch as people rush to the same servers that are over populated rather than spread out as well as a small issue on one planet causing a memory leak. there has been hardly any systemic issues if any that i have seen.

I can't wait for this game to evolve and what the future brings.… Expand

Cabrien

Dec 21, 2011

9

SW: TOR is a very formidable adventure/theme park MMORPG, with a lot of polish and a great sense of atmosphere. If you enjoy games like Lord of the Rings Online, World of Warcraft, or Rift, and you love Star Wars, then TOR is a no-brainer. Bioware has taken elements of their best-selling single-player games and brought them into the MMORPG landscape, with great success. Gone are theSW: TOR is a very formidable adventure/theme park MMORPG, with a lot of polish and a great sense of atmosphere. If you enjoy games like Lord of the Rings Online, World of Warcraft, or Rift, and you love Star Wars, then TOR is a no-brainer. Bioware has taken elements of their best-selling single-player games and brought them into the MMORPG landscape, with great success. Gone are the days of reading walls of text, and now there are interactive discussions that help shape your character and tell a complete story, on par with most singleplayer games. There hasn't been a benchmark in the industry like this since the WoW juggernaut and if the smooth Early Access Launch is any indication, Bioware is going to be a top MMORPG developer for years to come.… Expand

Khas

Dec 21, 2011

9

After having played a variety of MMO's since Everquest II, I have to say that Bioware has indeed achieved something unique. The Old Republic gives the immersion of a single player game, while allowing more traditional social options, such as PVP and grouping for PVE content. Currently, the social options are pretty limited, the biggest issue being no guild banks. Emotes typically found inAfter having played a variety of MMO's since Everquest II, I have to say that Bioware has indeed achieved something unique. The Old Republic gives the immersion of a single player game, while allowing more traditional social options, such as PVP and grouping for PVE content. Currently, the social options are pretty limited, the biggest issue being no guild banks. Emotes typically found in most MMO's are sadly lacking here, and the lack of armor customization found even in free-to-play MMO's is surprising, though they promise this in a future update. The combat system is fairly fluid and easy to learn, though there are sometimes too many options. There is no auto-attack feature, so it feels very interactive. The launch was smoother than any game I've ever seen or been a part of. Even during the evening hours of launch day, there was no wait time to get on most servers, and this was not apparently from lack of players. I highly recommend SWTOR to anyone looking for a good MMO experience. There are a few rough edges, but a surprisingly small amount considering the state most games ship these days.… Expand

unbound

Dec 22, 2011

9

Well, this game seems to have drawn some polarity. Let me add some reality to the mix here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overall, the game is lively and fun. The classes are interesting approaches to a sci-fi MMORPG that makes for a very capable MMO. If you don't enjoy the RPG aspect, you probably won't find anything more compelling than other MMO games, but it is still a first rate game worth a try.… Expand

Kiroshi

Dec 21, 2011

9

I have beta tested this game, and others. Been a fan of the Star Wars genre since the mid 80's. This game captures the essence of the franchise and gives each class a different and unique story with brilliant voice acting. The looks for everyone are unique as levels progress and they can choose different outfits/armors that really fit their particular 'flavor' more without sacrificing theI have beta tested this game, and others. Been a fan of the Star Wars genre since the mid 80's. This game captures the essence of the franchise and gives each class a different and unique story with brilliant voice acting. The looks for everyone are unique as levels progress and they can choose different outfits/armors that really fit their particular 'flavor' more without sacrificing the protection and buffs. My only complaint is the rail-driven space combat, but if you liked the Star Fox games, you'll like this. the actual MMO is compelling. Ignore the ranting of everyone saying it's a WoW-clone, yes you use a keyboard and mouse to move and there are quests, but every MMO has the characteristics they say is WoW-only, and they were there before that game. My recommendation... give the game a try, join us with the Dark Side. We have cookies.… Expand

Wyldemage

Dec 25, 2011

9

I honestly don't know where all the negativity is coming from. is the game perfect right out of the gate? No, but how often does that happen? I've played MMOs from several designers over the course of the last 10 years, and while TOR doesn't completely rewrite the genre, it surely sets itself above every other game out there. The story lines alone are worth the price of the game.some ofI honestly don't know where all the negativity is coming from. is the game perfect right out of the gate? No, but how often does that happen? I've played MMOs from several designers over the course of the last 10 years, and while TOR doesn't completely rewrite the genre, it surely sets itself above every other game out there. The story lines alone are worth the price of the game.some of the folks complaining about no end game content couldn't have possibly made it to end game when they started slinging mud. The game has incredibly few bugs, the servers are incredibly stable, the group quests are well done(the fact that your decisions, even within a group, [a roll is taken to determine whose response is used], affect the course of the story is unique), the instanced Flashpoints are incredible, even the crew skills(crafting) system is very interesting and refreshingly new. I've not participated in the PvP, and even thought the space combat isn't totally 3D, it is very fun and entertaining. In my view, SW:TOR is a game that will draw me in every day, and hold my attention for months, if not years, to come.… Expand

jkerley17

Dec 21, 2011

9

I played WoW for 6 years. I've played a lot of MMOs in between as well (AoC, Aion, Rift, STO, etc...). This is the first MMO I have played since WoW that I am actually excited to go home and play. Everyone is entitled to their opinion... but really??!! Of the absolute crap that is out there you guys rate this game less than average (a 5)?!?! I think this game will change MMOs much likeI played WoW for 6 years. I've played a lot of MMOs in between as well (AoC, Aion, Rift, STO, etc...). This is the first MMO I have played since WoW that I am actually excited to go home and play. Everyone is entitled to their opinion... but really??!! Of the absolute crap that is out there you guys rate this game less than average (a 5)?!?! I think this game will change MMOs much like WoW did.

If you liked WoW but want something a little different with heavy emphasis on story this game is it. Companions are great, group dialog is cool (need more of it), solo story is great. Needs better character creation/options, fully fleshed out space combat/quests, and no queues. The real test will be if BW can continue to dole out content that keeps the end game going for PVE players (same with any other MMO, I don't PVP so I don't know what the state of that is).… Expand

Valorous

Dec 21, 2011

9

Given that reviewing TOR is a fuel for debate between diehard haters and vehement fanboys, I decided to chime in and give my review. But before I give it, I'll just say: for what it is, it's a 9. Here's why: The Old Republic's 6 year development has been fraught with rumors, accusations, defenses, and insults flung from all sides of the room, which included things like there being noGiven that reviewing TOR is a fuel for debate between diehard haters and vehement fanboys, I decided to chime in and give my review. But before I give it, I'll just say: for what it is, it's a 9. Here's why: The Old Republic's 6 year development has been fraught with rumors, accusations, defenses, and insults flung from all sides of the room, which included things like there being no endgame in this game back in 2010, to it being heavily phased like the original Guild Wars. In all honesty, The Old Republic is a solid, well polished, and incredibly fun entry into the MMO market. It's hardly revolutionary mechanically speaking, but the only reason people clamor for revolution is because seven years of World of Warcraft has made them bitter. That said, just because YOU played World of Warcraft for years and are now tired of hotkey MMO's doesn't mean the world is, else FPS's and RTS's would have been dead a decade ago. To begin with the PvE, The Old Republic's is leaps and bounds ahead of the competition both in presentation and in content. Class quests are filled with tremendous setpieces that set the tone for your character's growth and serves as magnificent eye candy for the story being told. World Arcs are just as cinematic, offering strong story from a third party point, and makes the game's planets fun and enjoyable to play through. The final tier of quests, the regular quests, are basic quests with some interesting diversions here and there. Whether it's calling in an air strike to decimate a reisstance base on Balmorra, or collecting tusks and animal hides (much to the chagrin of a disgusted Imperial Official) as a satire on World of Warcraft's primary quest model, the game's quests are all fun, enjoyable, and incredibly immersive since almost all of them are fully voiced (high quality, as well, not the dribble that is RIFT or WoW's voice acting). Flashpoints, The Old Republic's dungeons, are no less cinematic, and fall into two categories themselves: story flashpoints, and world flashpoints. Story flashpoints, such as Black Talon or White Nova, are heavily tied into the game's overall plot of an imminent war. They are tremendous eye candy, and a thrill to play, without much challenge so everyone can do them. World Flashpoints are general flashpoints that are tied to the plot, but much more loosely. There is no V/O in these, only certain potmarks in which you can choose to be evil or good for a certain action (such as decimating a Republic Fleet with missiles while on Cademimu, or diverting them to a lifeless moon instead). They're still well-crafted and good to look at, but are there more for the dungeon and loot purposes and less for the story. Finally, the Operations in The Old Republic are, for one, actual RAIDS (which has lost it's meaning right around the time I rode on a dragon's back), and currently involve raiding an ancient prison housing the galaxy's most powerful villains, and raiding a powerful Hutt's palace. They are hugely cinematic, frantic, and an absolute blast to play. With three difficulties to choose from, there is little to be afraid of. If you want the content, play it on Normal. If you want challenge, play it on Hard. If you want heavy coordination and extreme precision to be a part of your take down, set it on Nightmare Additionally, if you want OPEN WORLD PvE raiding, almost every planet has a challenging world boss to take down and conquer. The game is packed with group content.. If one even just skims through the (Currently) 249 red reviews, and see how many claim there's "little PvE", "no endgame", "it's just a single player game with a monthly fee" or "kill X and collect Y", they're what we call, for lack of a better word, mouthbreathers. Now, on the PvP end, the game has three forms of it: open world PvP, instanced PvP, and, taking a cue from Warhammer, objective-based open world PvP. Warzone PvP is frantic and a blast to play, but is a tad disappointing because you can't choose which map you want to play. However, given that group queueing was patched in remarkably quickly, Bioware's on top of this. Open world PvP is your typical gank-fest. What really shines is Ilum, the objective-based open world PvP planet, which is packed with frenetic PvP glory, as you blast down walkers with heavy rocket launchers, capture enemy fortifications, and try to stem the tide in this never-ending warzone. There is no "safety period" on Ilum, ala Wintergrasp. It's all war all the time, and it's a damn good one to be a part of. In the end, to say this game is a generic WoW clone with nothing new to offer is asanine. It is undisputedly the most polished, smoothest launch today, is brimming with content, and has more on the horizons. Given that 90% of the negative reviews are talking out of their ass, I trust you to use their judgment, but I'm here to say: TOR is fantastic… Expand

jimmy1101

Dec 21, 2011

9

Very exciting MMO with the level of polish and storytelling you expect from Bioware. The voice acting is amaziiinngg. I've been playing a female trooper and Jennifer Hale is incredible as always. You've got every MMO feature you'd expect plus quests that you actually care for since it's not the average "read a few poorly written lines" and accept concept you get from other games. HighlyVery exciting MMO with the level of polish and storytelling you expect from Bioware. The voice acting is amaziiinngg. I've been playing a female trooper and Jennifer Hale is incredible as always. You've got every MMO feature you'd expect plus quests that you actually care for since it's not the average "read a few poorly written lines" and accept concept you get from other games. Highly recommended!… Expand

GreenCheetah

Dec 23, 2011

9

The game can be described as WoW with a Star Wars skin with Mass Effect style storytelling. I love it. The game play will be familiar with anyone who has played that other MMO. The Story is on par with BioWare's games. The game is just fun to play. I've already put in a around three days worth of game time and it has been a blast. Ignore all the trolls and give it a spin if you likedThe game can be described as WoW with a Star Wars skin with Mass Effect style storytelling. I love it. The game play will be familiar with anyone who has played that other MMO. The Story is on par with BioWare's games. The game is just fun to play. I've already put in a around three days worth of game time and it has been a blast. Ignore all the trolls and give it a spin if you liked WoW, Star Wars, or Mass Effect. If isn't broken why fix it?… Expand

rockitman

Dec 22, 2011

9

This is a great game, hands down. Many people are bashing this game while comparing it too heavily to WoW. Don't forget WoW, along with every other MMORPG has taken queues from their predecessor over the years. This is no different, and this is how games improve.
Yes, there is a bunch of running, which improves after you get to level 25 and get a mount.
Otherwise the voice acting isThis is a great game, hands down. Many people are bashing this game while comparing it too heavily to WoW. Don't forget WoW, along with every other MMORPG has taken queues from their predecessor over the years. This is no different, and this is how games improve.
Yes, there is a bunch of running, which improves after you get to level 25 and get a mount.
Otherwise the voice acting is incredible, the class variety is vast, the PvP is fun, the space missions are great, the graphics at max are wonderful.
It has just been released, and I suspect it will be releasing many patches throughout the months to drastically improve upon current issues.
I told myself I wouldnt get glued and here I am defending it in a review - It's a great game.… Expand

MrGrimord

Dec 22, 2011

9

This game deserve a solid 9/10 despite all haters. If you enjoy WoW and Mass Effect, this is the perfect game for you. Of course this isn't a revolution in the gender, but this is the best improvement for the mmo market since WoW. A never ending KotoR game = win.

Bithammer

Dec 22, 2011

9

Having played both WoW and WAR, I feel SWTOR is superior to both. WoW feels like a cartoon compared to SW's rich textures and lighting. PVE gameplay has been engaging and I like the fact that you can duel your own side. Other than that, I haven't had the chance to get into PvP, so we'll see how that pans out. I've encountered a few terrain (stuck) and graphic glitches, but all in all aHaving played both WoW and WAR, I feel SWTOR is superior to both. WoW feels like a cartoon compared to SW's rich textures and lighting. PVE gameplay has been engaging and I like the fact that you can duel your own side. Other than that, I haven't had the chance to get into PvP, so we'll see how that pans out. I've encountered a few terrain (stuck) and graphic glitches, but all in all a great launch for a complex game.… Expand

Jillie_Beene

Dec 22, 2011

9

So far, I really enjoy this game. Yes, it has aspects of WoW, as well as other MMO game. No, it isn't perfect. However, it is fun, and allows me to play my own way, whether evil or good, which hasn't really been done in an MMO to any reasonable degree. Space combat is enjoyable thus far, although pure flight-sim, skill-based players will be disappointed by the sense of the spaceSo far, I really enjoy this game. Yes, it has aspects of WoW, as well as other MMO game. No, it isn't perfect. However, it is fun, and allows me to play my own way, whether evil or good, which hasn't really been done in an MMO to any reasonable degree. Space combat is enjoyable thus far, although pure flight-sim, skill-based players will be disappointed by the sense of the space combat being on rails. However, for the rest of us, it makes space combat approachable and not excessively frustrating. What strikes me about SW: TOR is that the game would be enjoyable even if I were playing single player. It doesn't use the crutch of "the only reason this is fun is because I'm playing with my friends" although to progress through certain parts, you really should group up with others. I personally like the "public areas" and "private" areas, which allows me to have my own story without 20 other people interfering. What is interesting is that I actually care about the story, which has not been the case in any of the other MMOs that I have played. I actually want to know what happens next, not the "push next until quest is in log" I have not reached the end game yet, so I can't comment on that yet. Perfect? No. Fun? Yes. Well worth the money and time spent so far.… Expand

kremeovsumgai

Dec 22, 2011

9

The world is immersive, and the quest system is setup great. I really like the spoken dialogue with the Mass Effect dialogue wheel. Weapons crafting is really addicting. I spent an hour just modifying my lightsaber. The queue for servers was annoying at first, but that's bound to happen when you're trying to play a really popular game at release. I'd be worried about the game's futureThe world is immersive, and the quest system is setup great. I really like the spoken dialogue with the Mass Effect dialogue wheel. Weapons crafting is really addicting. I spent an hour just modifying my lightsaber. The queue for servers was annoying at first, but that's bound to happen when you're trying to play a really popular game at release. I'd be worried about the game's future if there wasn't a wait. Star Wars fans will be satisfied. Comparisons to WOW and bashing are going to be there, but no one really cares about whining weekend beta testers that played the game for 5 mins. This site should have proof of purchase for all user game reviews. I haven't heard one paying customer that I know have anything bad to say about this game.… Expand

BradleyBondage

Dec 23, 2011

9

Excellent game been playing it non stop with my friend ever since it came out. Easy to get used to really enjoyable experience cannot comment on the end game experience yet but so far its one of the best mmorpg's I've ever played.

VorpalCheese

Dec 23, 2011

9

There are a lot of trolls and shills for other games piling on TOR here, which is expected. TOR is one of the most polished and most well-realized games I've seen at a launch and BW has really hit it out of the park with this one.

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you like MMOs, BW, Star Wars, or any combination of the above, I urge you to try this game. If not now, then sometime in the future. If a sandbox lover like me can come to love a themepark game (and this might well become the pinnacle of that sub-genre), well...I think a lot of people will be surprised going in.… Expand

Loosestool

Dec 23, 2011

9

I played WoW off and (mostly) on for seven years. WoW was successful because the gameplay struck the right balance between complex and fun, while the content struck the right balance between casual and dedicated. As the Blizz people often said, they strove to make the game easy to learn but difficult to master. Similarly, there was a ton to do whether you wanted to level every alt or focusI played WoW off and (mostly) on for seven years. WoW was successful because the gameplay struck the right balance between complex and fun, while the content struck the right balance between casual and dedicated. As the Blizz people often said, they strove to make the game easy to learn but difficult to master. Similarly, there was a ton to do whether you wanted to level every alt or focus one or two toons in endgame. Or for the unemployed, all of the above. So far, SWTOR is the clearest heir to WoW's throne and actually improves on the general concept by the enhanced story aspect. But as many reviewers have mentioned, whether people will still be playing SWTOR in seven years from today depends on how well and how quickly (like w/in six months max) Bioware rolls out enough new casual and endgame content. While I am thoroughly enjoying the game now, and will probably play at least one or two alts with the status quo, I can see getting tired of the game faster than I did WoW. Some of this is not SWTOR's fault. Frankly, I'm older now and have less disposable time. But standing on the shoulders of giants in the MMO world comes with the price of diminishing returns. We may not have seen this precise movie before, but the genre is familiar. Bioware adopted and in some ways improved on the right formula, but SWTOR's ultimate longevity will require additional substance with innovation beyond greater than average story elements/voice acting.… Expand

JeanKeebler

Dec 23, 2011

9

SWTOR blows WoW out of the water. WoW has become to easy of a game to play and noobs can get epiced out in a week. Gamers want a challenge and this is it. The graphics are better, the music is better, the combat is much more exciting(force jumping into mobs while a bounty hunter jet-packs into the air and fires down missiles), the storyline is awesome including group conversation which atSWTOR blows WoW out of the water. WoW has become to easy of a game to play and noobs can get epiced out in a week. Gamers want a challenge and this is it. The graphics are better, the music is better, the combat is much more exciting(force jumping into mobs while a bounty hunter jet-packs into the air and fires down missiles), the storyline is awesome including group conversation which at sometimes can be hilarious , the landscapes are amazing and the lore may be the best on the market. These 300+ negative reviews come from people with a their panties in a bunch or a WoW forever fanboy. Open your eyes to a great start to hopefully a amazing MMORPG experience for everyone.… Expand

yumdumpster

Dec 23, 2011

9

I really don't understand what all the negative user reviews are fro this game. it really makes think of any of these WOW fan-boys actually payed the buggy awful flowing yet oh so glorious Vanilla wow at release.

I for one did, and remember the sometimes painful and hair pulling experience that i had getting my first Orc rogue to 60. SWTOR is bringing back those old feelings for me, theI really don't understand what all the negative user reviews are fro this game. it really makes think of any of these WOW fan-boys actually payed the buggy awful flowing yet oh so glorious Vanilla wow at release.

I for one did, and remember the sometimes painful and hair pulling experience that i had getting my first Orc rogue to 60. SWTOR is bringing back those old feelings for me, the game requires A bit more skill and finesse than WOW does currently. In fact one of the Biggest reasons i quit wow was because the game had become to easy, too predictable and was nearing the end of its life cycle. Dont think of SWTOR as a wow killer, think of it as breathing new life in the Genre, it is the first game that can truly challenge WOW in the mmo scene, and we all know that competition if anything will just make the two games better. I am giving the game a 9 for the level of polish that this game has at release, the amount of features it incorporates, the level of detail the developers put into the game among a number of other things. So far I am having a great experience, and at the end of the day that is all you should really want from an MMO.… Expand

Kortirion

Dec 23, 2011

9

After months of watching this pitiful downvoting of good games for pathetic fanboy reasons, I've decided it's time to contribute.

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

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

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

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

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

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

It is definitely the newest gem of the MMO market, and one I see myself playing for much longer than most. Highly recommended.… Expand

Aporis

Dec 24, 2011

9

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

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

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

Giving full 10 points!… Expand

Davil

Dec 24, 2011

9

It's not a WoW Clone. The only things that are similar is the talent and skill system. But really that's been an MMO standard since before WoW anyway. Anyway it's a fun game. Combat feels more organic, you actually care about your character and companions, and it's not a grind fest. On top of that the star fox like space combat missions are a nice diversion. Where it fails is it's lack ofIt's not a WoW Clone. The only things that are similar is the talent and skill system. But really that's been an MMO standard since before WoW anyway. Anyway it's a fun game. Combat feels more organic, you actually care about your character and companions, and it's not a grind fest. On top of that the star fox like space combat missions are a nice diversion. Where it fails is it's lack of explanation and execution of some of the finer game mechanics. Crafting is somewhat confusing and not particularly deep.… Expand

runefromoslo

Dec 24, 2011

9

Ignore the negative reviews, as they are almost exclusively written by fanboys of competing MMORPG games. Many of whom have not even actually played the game to any extent. It is also sadly ironic that many of their "reviews" feature comparisons to their MMORPG of choice, and an admission than SWTOR is a newer and superior MMORPG of the same genre, only to then dismiss it as a copy. I canIgnore the negative reviews, as they are almost exclusively written by fanboys of competing MMORPG games. Many of whom have not even actually played the game to any extent. It is also sadly ironic that many of their "reviews" feature comparisons to their MMORPG of choice, and an admission than SWTOR is a newer and superior MMORPG of the same genre, only to then dismiss it as a copy. I can see how someone who doesn't like MMOs or RPGs giving this game a mixed review, but a negative one? Hogwash!

The Old Republic is the MMORPG that puts the Role Playing Game back in the Massively Multiplayer Online. It's graphics are the best of any on the market today - as MMORPGs have unique challenges, having to tackle huge worlds with limited computing power. Something The Old Republic does beautifully, with it's stylized art direction. Sound Effects and Music are as we have come to expect from BioWare, top of the line.

As of launch, the gameplay itself, and the interface, is still a tad sluggish at times, and the game also lacks a much needed LFG (looking for group) function - which means you have to find groups manually by flagging yourself or going to the mission hangar. This is really the only drawback I have found to the game so far, as someone who has played MMORPGs since Sierra's The Realm, back in the mid 90s, and a 6 year veteran of WoW, and many others.

There are 10 million WoW players, 3 million Aion players, and more than a million RIFT players, who do not want you to play this game - and it is reflected in the user score versus the critic score. Accusations that critic scores are bought and paid for are merely a reflection on these users' opinions that theirs is the only one that matters.

Don't buy into it. Try The Old Republic for yourself. Chances are you won't be disappointed.… Expand

hearsman

Dec 25, 2011

9

As a gaming veteran, and having played many types of rpg, both single player and MMO, I approached SWTOR with cautious optimism. I am pleased to say that, with some limited caveats, the game is a success.

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

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

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

If you would like to play a game that allows you to create your own story, full of intrigue, then this game will certainly be worth a try. It will not be for everyone, but in my opinion will be enjoyable for both MMO and Star Wars fans!… Expand

Jeanp

Dec 25, 2011

9

It is a great MMO, Like all of them it has it flaws. But as an MMO Gamer I can tell you it is well made. Graphics and animation are great. Quests are never boring, and you class quest is a well made out story. PVP is fun, I have never PVP'ed so much in an MMO since this game. Crafting is fun and easy to learn. It does require a little bit of streamlining though. Combat is fast and adds aIt is a great MMO, Like all of them it has it flaws. But as an MMO Gamer I can tell you it is well made. Graphics and animation are great. Quests are never boring, and you class quest is a well made out story. PVP is fun, I have never PVP'ed so much in an MMO since this game. Crafting is fun and easy to learn. It does require a little bit of streamlining though. Combat is fast and adds a few new mechanics especially in the healing area. If you are a Star Wars fans go get the game and enjoy it. If you don't like Star Wars you might not like it since it follows the traditional MMO gameplay. In the end I am Enjoying it and can not wait to see what the have in store for the future of the game.… Expand

Jessrond

Dec 26, 2011

9

This game is excellent, and it would be nearly as good as a single-player game than it is as an MMO. The single-player content is more developed, the stories are richer, and the characters seem to have more personality with excellent voice-acting. Yet that is also a bit of a problem, as multiplayer content sometimes seems like an afterthought, with pointless "social points" tacked on toThis game is excellent, and it would be nearly as good as a single-player game than it is as an MMO. The single-player content is more developed, the stories are richer, and the characters seem to have more personality with excellent voice-acting. Yet that is also a bit of a problem, as multiplayer content sometimes seems like an afterthought, with pointless "social points" tacked on to reward players for doing soloable content in groups.

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

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

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

I haven't done any end-game content as I am level 24 as I write this interview, but so far this game looks promising. It probably won't be the WoW killer, but I think it can appeal to enough people to compete with WoW and not fade into "free to play" status.… Expand

ztilleto

Dec 27, 2011

9

SWTOR, maybe not the best game ever, but still one of the smoothest games to be launched in the MMO sphere and one of the best balanced class vice. Even though the customization isn't RIFT, there is still good diversity in the different classes and talent trees, but still kept simple in what stats to use. I would say that this is easy the best success of MMO in a long time, giving both theSWTOR, maybe not the best game ever, but still one of the smoothest games to be launched in the MMO sphere and one of the best balanced class vice. Even though the customization isn't RIFT, there is still good diversity in the different classes and talent trees, but still kept simple in what stats to use. I would say that this is easy the best success of MMO in a long time, giving both the casual player the ability to play a singleplayer game with friends or have the MMO style play where you group up with PUG or friends from guilds. Given the long story lines and really nice scripted quests and scenes, this game will last for a singleplayer perspective a long time, and with the added bonus of such as legacy system, this will be giving players many hours of different gameplay to come.… Expand

WellAardvark

Dec 27, 2011

9

I simply do not understand the bad reviews here?!?!? I am a former WOW and Rift player. SWTOR has everything, and more, that these two MMOs offer. I simply cannot wait to get back online to continue my main's quest story (smuggler). Loving every minute and ca't wait for end-game. Also loving the fact that I don't need to roam the countryside to scavenge.

panderson1988

Dec 27, 2011

9

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm going to be fair about this game with some things I really enjoyed, and describe some areas in which that could use improvement. First this is a solid and fun game. I've played WoW off and on for the last few years, and the aspects of the MMO I enjoyed such as instances, exploration, and teaming up with other players to complete tasks are here. Personally I enjoyed the art direction of the game as the environments are well done and feel lively. I like how you'll see groups of NPCs talking to each other in the Senate Tower, and it makes it feel more lively than WoW's NPCs just standing there by themselves shrugging their shoulders. But what has kept me interested in the game is the story for your character. The downside is that it takes away that mentality of creating your own story and life, but when it comes to most MMOs, you really just end up feeling like a regular soldier doing simple quests. While those quests are back, but since your class has it's own storyline makes it more interesting and addicting to see where your character ends up in the TOR story. The story adaptation to TOR makes the game feel fresh, and keeps me engage as I feel my character has an impact on my surroundings unlike most other MMOs. The other positives of the game are: the voices are well done, the sound effects are really good, the combat feels mostly smooth, but there are times it may get clunky when you are a tight corridor or lag, and the music is amazing. I'm not just talking about the John Williams music, but their own music is really good. The downsides to the game. So far PVP is limited. I enjoy the 3 maps they provided, but for an MMO there needs to be a little more than that. Especially since there is supposed to be a war going on, and since only one map is a true warzone (Alderann), it is lacking in that area. Hopefully they'll add more PVP options as the game moves along. Second thing that could use improvement is character and outfit textures. I know the engine isn't the most powerful, but I would like to see more detail with the characters armor and faces. If anything, I prefer to see the armor in more detail instead of being a bit blurry. Finally the only other thing that needs improvement is area stability. The bugs in the MMO hasn't been a big deal, but there are times the game lags when there are more than a few players in the area, and there have been some memory leaks on certain planets along with some quests being bugged. Fortunately they haven't been too prevalent, but they need to be patch as soon as possible. In conclusion, this is a fun MMO with possibilities of expanding the game further over time. One word of caution, watch out for the negative and positive reviews on here. First most negative reviews from the 20th are from users on **** Their comments are obvious as they'll say "graphics from (insert year)", it's a single player game, WoW clone, $300 million on advertising and voice acting, and etc... A lot of their comments are narrow-minded, and it shows they haven't played the game, or barely touched it during the beta weekends. Those people hate this game mostly because it's Bioware, and the fact it isn't KOTOR 3. These negative reviews are easy to spot as just about every one of them uses the same rhetoric, and they posted their review on the the first day of release. Seriously, do you think they have had time to make a fair judgement on the game within hours of release, no. That said, watch out for the perfect score reviews as they claim it's the best ever. It's not the best game ever. It's a good game, but there are rooms for improvement, and it does copy parts of the WoW formula.… Expand

LuigiTMW

Dec 27, 2011

9

This game is nearly the experience that all of us were looking for. BioWare fans and Star Wars fan alike all speak in chat about the wonderful things this game has done for them. Good job BioWare. I only give it a 9 because of the sub-par servers and minor bugs.

TheManKnownAsX

Dec 27, 2011

9

I notice there seems to be a lot of haters on here making the same cookie-cutter comments about the game. There's a thing called Stockholm Syndrome. My guess is that the haters here are likely suffering from Blizzard/WoW Stockholm Syndrome. They've come to identify with their captors, and the idea of another company coming along and creating something better than the company they'reI notice there seems to be a lot of haters on here making the same cookie-cutter comments about the game. There's a thing called Stockholm Syndrome. My guess is that the haters here are likely suffering from Blizzard/WoW Stockholm Syndrome. They've come to identify with their captors, and the idea of another company coming along and creating something better than the company they're currently attached to is just downright frightening.

Star Wars Galaxies was run by SOE; the same disaster of a group that handled DCUO and a number of other fail-sauce MMO's. SWG was a solid first shot, but fell apart as soon as they introduced the Jedi without any proper counter-balanced class.

Now, does this game take a lot of what's right with WoW and do it? Sure it does. Name a single MMO that has come out in the past 7 years that hasn't borrowed from WoW in some form or fashion.

Then you get the whiners that are complaining about the instancing of zones. Instanced zones means more stable servers, less crashing, less disconnects. As Martha Stewart would say, "It's a good thing!"

The truth about SWTOR is that this game is wicked good. The graphics on a good video card look fantastic. If you're playing on some crap rig with less than a GTX 4xx then you're missing out. The game is far beyond what WoW is, by a long shot. If you can't find something to like about this game, you're going in with a bias. Period.… Expand

v90k

Dec 29, 2011

9

In the tough market of MMO games, this game actually shines. I'm not saying this because it has "Star Wars" in its name or because of Bioware's achievements in the RPG area, but because its refreshing and different from your typical MMO. A lot of people will say it's a "WOW cone" but BW did state that they used World of Warcraft as a stepping stone. Also, in the beginning, BW announcedIn the tough market of MMO games, this game actually shines. I'm not saying this because it has "Star Wars" in its name or because of Bioware's achievements in the RPG area, but because its refreshing and different from your typical MMO. A lot of people will say it's a "WOW cone" but BW did state that they used World of Warcraft as a stepping stone. Also, in the beginning, BW announced that this game was going to be more of a theme park than a sandbox type. The worlds are as lively as an MMO can get without adding to the lag factor. The social aspect is basic like how it was back in the days without all the automated stuff. The story line is awesome in respects to your typical MMO storytelling. And best of all its Star Wars. At the end you either hate it or like it. I love it and I'm glad this game came out.… Expand

Tdeppe1966

Dec 30, 2011

9

Do not listen to the trolls, they are not telling the truth. This game is refreshing and most of all FUN! Most people giving it a bad review are wow committed and just want people not to try it. I love the fact that you can listen to people talk and not have to read boring quest text. It has a nice built in quest tracker which is helpful. I am only level 11 but right away the powersDo not listen to the trolls, they are not telling the truth. This game is refreshing and most of all FUN! Most people giving it a bad review are wow committed and just want people not to try it. I love the fact that you can listen to people talk and not have to read boring quest text. It has a nice built in quest tracker which is helpful. I am only level 11 but right away the powers you have make you feel powerful.… Expand

Quind

Dec 30, 2011

9

While it isn't revolutionary, once you have played an MMO with full voiceovers, it would be difficult to go back to text based games.

The crafting system is addicting, and there are very few bugs for a launch title. Not to mention the story is pretty amazing for an MMO. If you're a Star Wars fan, you'll want to pick this one up, for sure.

HumbleGamer

Dec 31, 2011

9

This game is amazing. The worlds feel real. Everywhere you go it is obvious that immense amounts of detail and thought were put in. Obviously the game does revolutionize mmo mechanics. Thats not what it set out to do. What it does do is create a Star Wars galaxy with a great story, immersive worlds, and streamlined combat and features. I have not stopped playing this game since I got itThis game is amazing. The worlds feel real. Everywhere you go it is obvious that immense amounts of detail and thought were put in. Obviously the game does revolutionize mmo mechanics. Thats not what it set out to do. What it does do is create a Star Wars galaxy with a great story, immersive worlds, and streamlined combat and features. I have not stopped playing this game since I got it and thats how it will stay.… Expand

Durahl

Jan 1, 2012

9

SW:TOR is a great game, period. I think many of the people who are knocking it because of the similarities to WoW need some perspective. WoW was not the first MMORPG. What made it great is that it "copied" all of the good things from earlier MMOs (Everquest, Asheron's Call, DAoC, etc) and made them better. In the same way, SW:TOR has taken/copied what was good about WoW and improvedSW:TOR is a great game, period. I think many of the people who are knocking it because of the similarities to WoW need some perspective. WoW was not the first MMORPG. What made it great is that it "copied" all of the good things from earlier MMOs (Everquest, Asheron's Call, DAoC, etc) and made them better. In the same way, SW:TOR has taken/copied what was good about WoW and improved upon it. People buy and play new games because they are better versions of what came before. Millions of people bought COD:MW3 because it was BETTER than Black Ops and MW2, not because it revolutionized the FPS genre. SW:TOR will not change the basic format of MMOs, but it is simply a better overall experience than what you find in WoW. The number one and most noticeable improvement is the addition of an actual story. You really care about your character in SW:TOR in a way you never do in WoW. Your character feels like an actual person with a real personality, and it makes the entire world that much more engaging. Sure, there are many improvements that they can and will make to polish the game even further, but this must be the most complete experience ever delivered by a brand new MMO. If you enjoy MMOs or Star Wars or both, it is in your best interest to give this game a shot.… Expand

klinestife

Jan 2, 2012

9

I don't quite understand all the hate for this game. I have experienced very minor bugs, such as the abilities looking like they are not cooling down, but those are easily bypassed. It baffles me that the negative reviews are complaining about lag, crashes, and server issues. I have only crashed a single time, and disconnected maybe 2 times in the 3 weeks I've played. This is significantlyI don't quite understand all the hate for this game. I have experienced very minor bugs, such as the abilities looking like they are not cooling down, but those are easily bypassed. It baffles me that the negative reviews are complaining about lag, crashes, and server issues. I have only crashed a single time, and disconnected maybe 2 times in the 3 weeks I've played. This is significantly more stable than most, if not all other MMOs at launch.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bioware has promised many features unavailable in most other MMOs, one of them being the fabled "Guild Capital Ship". They have also promised more planets, more flashpoints, more warzones, and most importantly, more raids. I look forward to watching this game grow and develop as time passes.… Expand

Sools

Jan 2, 2012

9

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

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

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

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

May the force be with you… Expand

Chester_Koenig

Jan 2, 2012

9

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

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

I have a feeling that much of the negativity on this review board stems from people who have played and got bored with WoW and don't find this to be as big of a step that they were expecting or are still playing religiously and are afraid that this game may steal some of it's thunder. As a new player of the new generation of MMOs, I can honestly say that I couldn't have asked for much more. I am in love!… Expand

Meringue

Jan 4, 2012

9

Most fun I've had in an MMO since the ol' Ultima Online days.

Combat is weighty, crisp, filled with elaborate animation and aesthetics. Questing content is highly interactive and personal, also filled to the brim with good co-op mechanics missing in most modern MMOs. Meaty dungeons and elite areas. PvP is so-so, it has the potential to be really fun but there's some balance issues andMost fun I've had in an MMO since the ol' Ultima Online days.

Combat is weighty, crisp, filled with elaborate animation and aesthetics. Questing content is highly interactive and personal, also filled to the brim with good co-op mechanics missing in most modern MMOs. Meaty dungeons and elite areas.

PvP is so-so, it has the potential to be really fun but there's some balance issues and queue issues holding it back for me. Hopefully fixed over time.

WONDERFUL visuals and aesthetics again, let me stress that. It's so nice to have detail and cloth physics and elaborate armor in an MMO after so long. Very easy to make attractive characters, for those who only want to make fat people and space boogey men: Oh well, boohoo for you.

In the end, I actually think it's a fairly so-so MMO (but there are aprox ZERO good true MMOs on the market currently), but as a good co-op KOTOR like, it's very engaging, very detailed, very fun.… Expand

Adadgultm

Jan 7, 2012

9

I can't believe some of these people on here are able to function in normal society...
This game is fantastic and if you haven't picked it up yet you owe it to yourself to do so. Yes, it is an mmorpg and has many of the staples that every other mmorpg has. If you don't like mmorpg's, don't play them. Does the game have similarites to WoW? Of course it does. However, it is much betterI can't believe some of these people on here are able to function in normal society...
This game is fantastic and if you haven't picked it up yet you owe it to yourself to do so. Yes, it is an mmorpg and has many of the staples that every other mmorpg has. If you don't like mmorpg's, don't play them. Does the game have similarites to WoW? Of course it does. However, it is much better in every way. The story elements are fantastic, no longer do you right click an exclamtion point and hit accept. The gameplay is smooth and polished, and visually exciting. Never have I played an mmo at launch with as FEW bugs and problems as SWTOR. I say few because there are some minor ones, which will no doubt be ironed out with patches.

You people on metacritic are ridiculous, I made an account just to make that point. It's like every game that comes out now that is "too similar" to another game you just give a 0. This game is wonderful and will only get better, you'd be doing yourself a favor by picking it up and not listening to these trolls.… Expand

foodforthought

Jan 8, 2012

9

SWTOR comes with a big caveat: if you're one of those people who drools over sandbox MMO's and can only enjoy those MMO's or MMO's of 10 years ago or if you're one those gamers who have grown jaded and burnt themselves out on themepark MMO's after playing them for many years and many thousands of hours, then look elsewhere: SWTOR is not the MMO you're looking for. It should be obvious toSWTOR comes with a big caveat: if you're one of those people who drools over sandbox MMO's and can only enjoy those MMO's or MMO's of 10 years ago or if you're one those gamers who have grown jaded and burnt themselves out on themepark MMO's after playing them for many years and many thousands of hours, then look elsewhere: SWTOR is not the MMO you're looking for. It should be obvious to everyone who has an inkling of knowledge about MMORPG's: SWTOR is a themepark MMORPG in the style of WoW, LotrO, Rift and others in that MMO subgenre. Those people who have lost the ability to enjoy themselves in themepark MMO's or lacked that ability from the start, I'd advice to steer away from SWTOR, unless you enjoyed former BW games or can appreciate a more story focused questing experience. However, those people who up till now had a great time with themepark MMO's like WoW, LotrO, Aion, and/or Rift, SWTOR has a wealth to offer. All the usual MMO features like open world PvP, dungeons, battlegrounds (warzones), large planets to explore and crafting are fused with BW's brand of story crafting and level of quality. Does BW's own twist makes a difference? Hell yes! I can honestly say that BW's approach to adding more immersive story to the gameplay makes questing the most interesting, immersive experience I have had so far in any MMO in 10 years of playing MMO's. I tried Rift a year ago, and I found the questing boring as hell, making leveling a lot more tedious. I got a glimpse of how story can make questing and leveling more fun in MMO's like LotrO book quests and AoC's Tortage and destiny quests. But SWTOR upgrades it to another level and fully immerses you in that kind of questing experience. And it's great. Add to that huge planets to explore (those that enjoyed exploring in vast worlds like Asheron's Call and Everquest will certainly love this aspect in SWTOR), crafting that's more varied and fun than in as good as all other MMO's, and PvP fun to be had in objective based open world PvP, Free-For-All PvP and SWTOR's battlegrounds with a fun gladiator sports style arena like Huttball, and there's a lot to keep busy and entertained with, at least for gamers who're still able to enjoy themepark MMO's :-) I'm looking forward to what more BW has planned with SWTOR.… Expand

Larnot

Jan 8, 2012

9

Having played tons of mmo's, mudd's, digital and pen/paper rpg's I am going to rate this in the top 15% of my gaming experiences. It still has some minor yet annoying bugs so it doesn't get a top 10%, but I think it has the potential to end up there. It is likely that many of the nay-say'ers don't remember the bugs and shortcomings that UO, EQ or WoW had when they were new, let alone howHaving played tons of mmo's, mudd's, digital and pen/paper rpg's I am going to rate this in the top 15% of my gaming experiences. It still has some minor yet annoying bugs so it doesn't get a top 10%, but I think it has the potential to end up there. It is likely that many of the nay-say'ers don't remember the bugs and shortcomings that UO, EQ or WoW had when they were new, let alone how far this kind of gaming has come from it's roots; games like Zork, Adventure Construction Set, the many mudd's and bbs games to appreciate the potential of this game. I think we have all become a little spoiled and look for what to pick apart instead of appreciating the magnitude and beauty of what we have.… Expand

rps

Jan 10, 2012

9

Attention trolls, your orcs and trolls have had their heads cut off by a light saber, and jealousy is not healthy. This game is the new king of MMO's, and will be for the forseeable future. You can't beat the force, you can only join it.

Ergonomic_Cat

Jan 9, 2012

9

SW:TOR is firmly at the top of my MMO list at this point. It's been called WoW with Lightsabers - while that's not entirely inaccurate, it's also entirely missing the point. It does what WoW did 7 years ago - takes the tropes, and makes them fun again.

Bioware stresses the story a lot, and with good reason. People saying it's just a voiced MMO are, again, missing out. The voicedSW:TOR is firmly at the top of my MMO list at this point. It's been called WoW with Lightsabers - while that's not entirely inaccurate, it's also entirely missing the point. It does what WoW did 7 years ago - takes the tropes, and makes them fun again.

Bioware stresses the story a lot, and with good reason. People saying it's just a voiced MMO are, again, missing out. The voiced storylines mean that, for the majority of the quests, you're actually paying attention to what's going on. Your class story is involved and interesting, with a few truly awesome moments. And, more than any other game, the characters are *characters.* The moral choices, and just general dialogue options (which should be more than familiar to anyone that's played a Bioware game) mean that people are actually developing an attachment to their character. Rather than "fire focused mage" a player is a "smuggler who does it for the money, but won't hurt women or children" or "a jedi knight who does what has to be done, regardless of light side/dark side." Even casual players end up considering key choices when they might simply have hit "complete" in another game.

To me, this is precisely what I imagined when someone said "KOTOR + MMO", with all that entails. It's not MMO 2.0, but it may well be the first mainstream MMO*RPG*.… Expand

Saint_Anthony

Jan 11, 2012

9

With the exception of Space Combat being so generic, this is a fantastic game! Though similar in its core to World of Warcraft, I actually care about the storyline. In WoW I was gone after 1 month of play from boredom which I don't foresee here. Hopefully, Space will be expanded upon so that it's closer to Star Wars Galaxies. Unless there is a game for this in particular I'm unaware of?

mav1234

Jan 17, 2012

9

As themeparks go, this game is a great one. It doesn't redefine the genera, but it didn't try to. What it did add is fun and worthwhile.
Character creation is more than WoW but less than, say, Aion... and though at first I didn't like it, I quickly noticed there is a great deal of variety in male characters, anyway, in the game. The UI is really barely adequate and if not for some ofAs themeparks go, this game is a great one. It doesn't redefine the genera, but it didn't try to. What it did add is fun and worthwhile.
Character creation is more than WoW but less than, say, Aion... and though at first I didn't like it, I quickly noticed there is a great deal of variety in male characters, anyway, in the game. The UI is really barely adequate and if not for some of the other features, it would have dragged this rating lower. No macros, no addons, no ability to move anything.
PvE combat is rather satisfying to me because instead of taking on one mob at a time, you routinely fight 3-5 mobs, including packs with tougher mobs in them. This lends to the feeling of a more "epic" experience, especially with the companion.
PvP is good and getting better every patch. Skill really does matter (I did a premade of level 20-40s, max level or 43 and only 1 50 pug on our side and we took out one of the 'better" 50 Empire premades on our server). The Warfronts are very well designed, but Ilum (World Objective PvP Area) is not and needs a total redesign (which it is getting tomorrow)
Questing really is fun, but don't skip the dialogue. Get into the story. If you don't find your class quest interesting, switch characters. Leveling is easy and relatively painless. The actual quest types are the same as in most every MMO before it, but the fact that most areas you travel to have special "bonus" kill quests which you can do if you want to is nice (or skip them like I did sometimes). The instances are well done and enjoyable.
Endgame is sparse right now as far as PvE goes, with very little raiding. That isn't an issue for me as I'm still enjoying leveling etc.
To cut to the chase:
Innovative(Not necessarily unique though): Crafting, Companions, Space Combat Minigame, Questing System
Good: Warfront design, class design, general combat.
Average: Most everything else other than...
Bad: UI… Expand

Zicious

Jan 19, 2012

9

Don't listen to the "Experienced" "Critics" giving their low-ball ratings. This is the best MMO I have ever played. I really enjoy the story driven aspect. The game has a lot of potential for growth and a nice smooth launch. Is it perfect? Not at all, but when I played it I constantly think cool, awesome, or fun. Seems like that is the point of a video game after all. So far they haveDon't listen to the "Experienced" "Critics" giving their low-ball ratings. This is the best MMO I have ever played. I really enjoy the story driven aspect. The game has a lot of potential for growth and a nice smooth launch. Is it perfect? Not at all, but when I played it I constantly think cool, awesome, or fun. Seems like that is the point of a video game after all. So far they have already released patch 1.1 and I am confident the game will continue to improve.… Expand

Kazlowe

Jan 19, 2012

9

TOR has definitely reignited my passion for MMO games. And it did so by taking a story world that I remember fondly as a single player game (minus the mess they made of KOTOR2). It took that single player game and added to it everything I wished the single player games before it had. A great crafting system that is entirely too addictive, multiplayer interaction, space combat (whichTOR has definitely reignited my passion for MMO games. And it did so by taking a story world that I remember fondly as a single player game (minus the mess they made of KOTOR2). It took that single player game and added to it everything I wished the single player games before it had. A great crafting system that is entirely too addictive, multiplayer interaction, space combat (which hopefully grows in the future) and the option to play out a story as 8 different characters that each give unique insight to the story world overall.

Having experienced a half dozen MMOs over the past 10 years, I can honestly say that TOR has innovated. Yes, the combat system is quite similar to other recent releases, but only insofar as it replicates what constitutes a successful system. In other words, it goes with what works. The graphics are beautiful, while not being too photorealistic. I won't sit here and write 5 pages because most people aren't going to read my horrible prose anyway. So I'll just say that I, personally, am blown away by the game. If that makes me a fanboy, then I guess I'll have to buy a t-shirt that says so.

Good hunting.… Expand

Comperio

Jan 22, 2012

9

Every MMO borrows from it's predecessors, including WOW. What needs to be looked at is what makes it different. The fact the SWTOR has a specific storyline for each class, and that the game is completely fully voiced with dialog options makes SWTOR a good cross between the traditional MMO and other bioware games such as Dragon Age and Mass Effect. Bioware has raised the MMO standard forEvery MMO borrows from it's predecessors, including WOW. What needs to be looked at is what makes it different. The fact the SWTOR has a specific storyline for each class, and that the game is completely fully voiced with dialog options makes SWTOR a good cross between the traditional MMO and other bioware games such as Dragon Age and Mass Effect. Bioware has raised the MMO standard for excellence and has made the foundation for a game that after a few years will contain the same content and potentially exceed the quality of WOW.… Expand

rebelyankee

Jan 23, 2012

9

Reactions to this game seem to vary wildly, but BioWare has crafted a very enjoyable game. The storylines are engaging, space battles are fun (despite the complaints about being on rails), and the flashpoints are more engaging than nearly any other game with group instances I have played.
As a single-player rpg, this game is very reminescent of Knights of the Old Republic I and II. It isReactions to this game seem to vary wildly, but BioWare has crafted a very enjoyable game. The storylines are engaging, space battles are fun (despite the complaints about being on rails), and the flashpoints are more engaging than nearly any other game with group instances I have played.
As a single-player rpg, this game is very reminescent of Knights of the Old Republic I and II. It is easy to play this game solo from 1-50. However, if you enjoy grouping up, there are plenty of opportunities to do so; aside from flashpoints and operations (Raids), many planets have daily, repeatable heroics for groups of 2-4, providing upgraded item rewards and harder groups of enemies.
Crafting is the most enjoyable of any mmo I have played. Rather than make you spend hours and hours in a capital city, dragging out mats and crafting items one by one, you are able to send companions (as you level, the number you can send off to craft grows) on various missions which provide crafting rewards as well as have a companion craft the actual tradeskill items for use.
People decrying the heavy instancing of this game must be forgetting a very common complaint among mmos: camping specialty mobs. In this game, the instancing (planets are instanced to thin out the number of people with whom you compete for quest objectives) is heavy, but the only negative that results here is that you see far fewer people as you are out in the world than you might in another MMO. However, it's easy to review how many people are on your planet and find players with whom to cooperate if you need (and switching planet instances is as easy as two clicks). Instancing many of the quest objective areas also has the added effect of making YOU the hero of your story. If you're going after the Imperial General, whose defeat will ensure the Republic's victory on a planet, it makes you feel like the actual champion if you don't have to wait in line for 6 others to kill him first.

This game is definitely not for everyone. Many people enjoy an open world, with a rather unrestricted ability to do what you want. Other people might enjoy a game that guides you a bit, provides some intriguing storylines (indeed, I've played many an MMO I eventually dropped because, aside from trying to roleplay my own story, there was nothing inherent in the game to grab on), and definitely makes that "kill 10 womp rats" questline more enjoyable than your run-of-the-mill MMO.… Expand

faf

Jan 26, 2012

9

The Old Republic achieved exactly what the developers set out to do from the get-go: Create an online RPG experience with depth of story. In this regard the game succeeds beautifully. The current problems with the PvP side of the game can be put down to the fact that it is only a month after release and these types of games need some time to mature and come into their own.

J_Jones

Jan 31, 2012

9

I have always been a fan of star wars and have made it a point to try (almost) every star wars game that's come out. Some are great, like KOTOR some much less so. While I was worried that this wouldn't work as an MMO, just look what happened to SWG even before they were forced to shut it down (shame really since a lot of people actually loved that game), I was preasently surprised by TOR.I have always been a fan of star wars and have made it a point to try (almost) every star wars game that's come out. Some are great, like KOTOR some much less so. While I was worried that this wouldn't work as an MMO, just look what happened to SWG even before they were forced to shut it down (shame really since a lot of people actually loved that game), I was preasently surprised by TOR. Good points:
Story is a major part of this game and it gets hold of you right from the word go, I actually care about my character a lot more than I usually do while playing and mmo. The feeling I get is very similar to the one I get when I play other bioware games. I feel immersed and invested in my character and his/her fate.

Companions in this game go far beyond pets, both in terms of their usefullness and the entertainment they provide. As long as you keep them properly geared they are quite handy in fights and their personalities make me chuckle.

Crafting in this game is more easy going than in some other mmo's I've played. The hunt for resources which with to craft is not as borring and time consuming here and it doesnt' take an insane amount of time to get your crafting up to a level where it surpasses the gear you get from quest rewards. If you have a group of friends with different crafting skills or if you're an alta-holic like me you can easily provide your character(s) with gear that far surpasses the quest reward items.

Graphics: this is a sensetive point for people I've noticed, it's seems you can either love it or hate it. I'm putting this in the good points section since I myself love it but if any of you feel different then that's fine. Again, personally I love the graphics, the style that bioware has chosen to run with. The sceneries on the different planets are great. You have the wide sweeping sand dunes of Tatooine, the overgrown ruins of Taris, the mountain ranges of Alderaan etc etc all are just beautiful.

Things that are standard:
Combat is pretty standard I think, noting really revolutionsingly new but not bad either. You shot/slash your way trhough mobs, proving once again that they were fools to get in your way. Fun, but nothing really head turning.

Space combat can be entertaining from time to time in a way but it's just a small mini game. The graphics of it are great though, there is a real sense of depth in the star specled blackness of space. bottom line is that it may not be for everyone but I find it fun to do from time to time.

Mounts; well, nothing new here really, sure you ride a speeder instead of a horse or whatever but it's still only a way to get from A to B faster.

Bad points:
Character appearance customisation (I'm not talking about character creation, even though that could use a little work too but is still far better than some other games) needs work. Right now there isn't all that much you can do to affect the way your character looks ingame. What you wear is what you get rules, something I've never liked since you too often end up looking stupid (although that doesn't happen that much in this game, at no point have I looked at my character in TOR and thought "oh goodie, a rainbow-power ranger-carebear-paladin, just what I always wanted") I know some people hate the word but I want to see an A-tab or the like in this game, the moddable gear system they have right now, while very cool, isn't enough in this respect.

Grouping is a bit of a pain, I've played City of Heroes so I'm a bit spoiled when it comes to this. There you could use the sidekick/exemplar system which enabled you to team with higher/lower leveled players and do their missions near/at their level (sidekick would bring your level up to one below that of your mentor, exemplar would lower your level to that of the player you were bound to) the system worked great and made teaming viable over great level differences. In TOR you can't be that many levels apart before the quests become pointless.

That's it then

There you have it, my take on this game. All in all I love it, it needs work and it has bugs but show me the mmo that doesn't. Personally I've only experienced a few minor bugs and no one I know, irl or ingame has had any of the major bugs that some people on forums keep claiming make the game unplayable. I'm not calling them liars, I just think its a bit suspect.… Expand

2clueless

Feb 1, 2012

9

Such a polarizing game. Seems people either love it or hate it. Guess it all depends what sort of research you did on the game as it was going through development, where you set your expectations, and how it all panned out in the end.

Personally, I am having a blast. Bioware is doing what it does best: telling a story. Doing it's best to inject flavour and character in everySuch a polarizing game. Seems people either love it or hate it. Guess it all depends what sort of research you did on the game as it was going through development, where you set your expectations, and how it all panned out in the end.

Personally, I am having a blast. Bioware is doing what it does best: telling a story. Doing it's best to inject flavour and character in every interaction, every character, every choice. And most often, it succeeds. It's a bonus that I can bring my friends along for the ride, and interact with other like minded people. It uses a solid bedrock of tried and true MMO mechanics and uses this base to launch you into an immersion factor unparalleled by any other game in the genre.. if you let it.

I have delighted with friends going through flashpoints, and seeing the conflicting choices happen between light and dark side choices. I have laughed and cried and different situations and dialogue choices that have arisen through my own story experiences. Even though I have been mainly a Republic Lightside player, I have chosen dark side because I could NOT let the evil do'er live, he/she was so despicable. Heck, I have hated myself for being good, as well: during one particular mission, I was forced to choose between saving a character I had really grown to like, or save 300 other innocent lives. It was torture, and I loved it.

Everything else seems to offer you choices to let you take a break and breath from the story. PvP, Flashpoints, Space Combat, Crafting, all of it is good, none of it is exceptional, there is plenty of improvement needed.. and it will be done.

And the game isn't flawless, bug-wise, but Bioware is listening, things are being fixed, one just has to be patient.

If you are looking for story, if you are looking for an awesome game to play with or chatting to a few friends about your experiences, and if you've enjoyed past Bioware games, then this for you. If you are expecting something ground breaking in other ways, if you are looking for the next Major League Gaming competitive PvP game, if you power level without stopping to appreciate the moment.. then this game probably isn't for you.

Awesome game, 9/10 simply because nothing is ever perfect, there are improvements to be made.… Expand

IrishStPatrick

Feb 6, 2012

9

SWTOR puts the RPG back in MMORPG. To start, this MMO has had such a smooth start up compared to others out there who have tried and failed and are now F2P (Free to Play). I will compare it to WoW for a second, because I know everyone is, in saying that the sense of community is not as strong as in WoW. However, unlike WoW, you don't ever really feel like you're "grinding" for levelsSWTOR puts the RPG back in MMORPG. To start, this MMO has had such a smooth start up compared to others out there who have tried and failed and are now F2P (Free to Play). I will compare it to WoW for a second, because I know everyone is, in saying that the sense of community is not as strong as in WoW. However, unlike WoW, you don't ever really feel like you're "grinding" for levels because the story has players so immersed. I think the level of immersion is actually part of the cause for why there isn't such a strong community feeling. This isn't to say that people don't communicate or help each other out, it's more in the "feeling" of community. Everyone is pretty friendly, but you do get the occasional troll. PvP needs to be fixed; the only division between levels for warzones is that level 50s can't queue with those level 49 and below...but a level 10 is still going to have to face level 49s. That's a problem. Companions are an awesome addition which make going out to complete missions a little easier. Deciding which companion to summon can really change the strategy involved when soloing a rare spawn elite you come across. You can "court" your companion, as long as they're a courtable apecies and you're the opposite sex. That adds just a little more to the RPG feel. If you really like immersing stories which are guided by your decisions sort of like Skyrim, but are on the MMO scale, then this game is for you. Plus, if you decide to become dark side, you can really be a pr*ck to everyone you meet. Light and dark sides aren't restricted to faction; you can be a dark side Jedi and a light side Sith if you want.… Expand

teaiewold

Feb 11, 2012

9

This game has all the issues of every MMO that has ever been released. There's bugs, balance issues and some features that are missing that people want. The one great thing about MMO's are that the game grows and matures and hopefully turns into something better then when it's first released. Unfortunately in this day and age people want instant gratification and don't have the patience toThis game has all the issues of every MMO that has ever been released. There's bugs, balance issues and some features that are missing that people want. The one great thing about MMO's are that the game grows and matures and hopefully turns into something better then when it's first released. Unfortunately in this day and age people want instant gratification and don't have the patience to allow a developer to make a game better. They expect everything to be the way they want it right this second.

1. The voice over work is as awesome as any Bioware product. 2. The class story lines are amazing (granted I've only seen half of the class story lines but the 4/8 have been great).
3. I find the combat to be done well. I like it better than WoW.
4. I love having my personal spaceship as a base of operations.
5. I like the crafting system quite a bit to include the reverse engineering portion (eventhough that can be very frustrating at times).
6. I think the appearance of the locations are great. Often I find myself stopping to look at the area and I'm quite taken aback.
7. I think the companion system adds another layer to game because I find myself getting invested with my companions.

Some bad points are as follows:
1. The customer service at launch was atrocious. I don't know how it is right now but I hear it's not much better.
2. Reverse engineering being tied to the RNG can be extremely frustrating. They need to implement some kind of guaranteed % in the background. Currently it's possible to never learn a new recipe because of the RE process being random.
3. The UI is crapola. You can't move anything around or change the scale. (Supposedly this is changing in the big content update in March)
4. There's still quite a few skills that are broken within various AC's that have been broken since beta which make certain trees of AC's useless to play.
5. The pvp on Ilum is still crappy. They have this massive open world for pvp and they shard the zone because of performance issues. There's really no point in going there to be honest. When you get there you get the sense that there should be a massive battle going on of 100+ vs. 100+ but you'll be lucky to find 8 people from the opposite faction.
6. Faction imbalance is pretty bad as well which makes it another reason no one wants to open world pvp. The Empire outnumbers the Republic on most servers so the Repubs hardly come out to play in open world pvp because they will get steamrolled.

Those are the things that I think are hurting the game the most right now.

The reason I gave the game a 9 was because the game as it stands right now is an awesome game. If Bioware is diligent in addressing the communities concern then this game is going to be a big deal. Most people forget what WoW started out with when it launched. It might have had 25% of what it currently has. It just takes time for MMO's to come into their own.… Expand

DarthZedd

Feb 15, 2012

9

Pretty satisfied with this game. Definitely a few "young game" hiccups, but BioWare has been johnny on the spot getting things adjusted. They're also great at implementing user-driven changes, such as the UI cooldown visualization options. There's already been a content update and there's more on the horizon.

The game works well for both new MMORPG players and veterans, with plenty of PvEPretty satisfied with this game. Definitely a few "young game" hiccups, but BioWare has been johnny on the spot getting things adjusted. They're also great at implementing user-driven changes, such as the UI cooldown visualization options. There's already been a content update and there's more on the horizon.

The game works well for both new MMORPG players and veterans, with plenty of PvE and PvP content. Players will find their experience enriched if they have Guild membership, but the game offers plenty to those who wish to have fewer ingame associations.… Expand

TheVindelator

Nov 25, 2012

9

It's WoW with Jedi's. Does that sound like something you'll enjoy? For me it is. I had my doubts about this game from the beginning, but the more I play it the more I like it. Also, F2P is a nice feature. Sure they nickel and dime you for little things but you actually do it a lot for a little money. (Better than Everquest 2, Lotro and many others.)

Kharador

Mar 14, 2012

9

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!

Riddlefang

Mar 20, 2012

9

Star Wars: The Old Republic manages to bring good storytelling and decisions in to the mmo genre, but at the same as you want to experience the great story you also want to level up as fast as you can to get to level 50. The quests are good because you get all the voice acting, but I would have liked to see more quests with different ways to go like in the kotor games. The instances areStar Wars: The Old Republic manages to bring good storytelling and decisions in to the mmo genre, but at the same as you want to experience the great story you also want to level up as fast as you can to get to level 50. The quests are good because you get all the voice acting, but I would have liked to see more quests with different ways to go like in the kotor games. The instances are good and offers some challenges. The combat and progression is much like any other mmo out there, and I would've liked to see a new combat system that is more based on skills. Having some flaws it's still the best looking mmo out there and offers a lot of content to the players.… Expand

FormicSapien

Apr 6, 2012

9

There are people coming to this game from WoW, and there's people coming to this game as BIOWARE fans. To the Wow people: this game is awesome, there's no looking back. To the BIOWARE fans: expect a true Bioware experience, just be prepared to spend a lot more time than usual to get to the meat of the story, and who knows, you might make some friends along the way.

Jlk874

Apr 6, 2012

9

It does nothing new, but it also does nothing wrong. Like most new triple A MMOs this is a hodgepodge of all the best MMO features but with the added benefits of being based in the wildly popular Star Wars universe and having a truly compelling story thanks to bioware and full voice acting. This is the first MMO ive ever played where I paid attention to the plot and understood what wasIt does nothing new, but it also does nothing wrong. Like most new triple A MMOs this is a hodgepodge of all the best MMO features but with the added benefits of being based in the wildly popular Star Wars universe and having a truly compelling story thanks to bioware and full voice acting. This is the first MMO ive ever played where I paid attention to the plot and understood what was going on, i usually skip all the texts and just rush to max level, but with swtor i find myself taking my time and listening to every word spoken. The games combat system is the standard MMO formula but with Auto-attack removed and smooth animations for all your abilities making fights visually beautiful and very intense. The crafting system is a joy to level up, you dont actually have to do ANY gathering or crafting to max out your crafting profession, that is all handled by your crew of companions, and not only is it mindlessly simple to level up but you get items that are genuinely useful ( you WILL use the items you make, and NOT just max level items like WOW). For example my Synthweaver (Makes Force user armor) has provided about 70% of the armor for myself and a friend i am leveling with, i can honestly say ive never used a single item from crafting in wow other than engineering bombs and trinkets. This game is great to play with friends but its totally playable start to finish solo, the game provides you with several companions throughout the game that range from Tanks to healers and even Ranged or melee dps so even healers can efficiently level up, In fact this is the first games that healers have an upper hand when leveling, With my healer im able to solo around 2 or 3 elites of equal level at a time with my tank companion, while my DPS (/w healer comp) can only take one at a time (two with CC). It should also be noted almost every class has a spec for tanking and/or healing as well as a DPS spec. I could go on and on about all the small details that have made me fall in love but i feel im already rambling on so ill end it here.… Expand

Ghaiana

Apr 17, 2012

9

I like MMO's and I've always been a big fan of Bioware games, so the combination of both worlds suits me just fine. I am certainly one of those players who wants to play all the 8 stories in the game and maybe some variations (dark/lightside) on them. I don't care much for endgame raids, but I do care for groupplay, since I always play with my rl partner. By now after 4 months playing, weI like MMO's and I've always been a big fan of Bioware games, so the combination of both worlds suits me just fine. I am certainly one of those players who wants to play all the 8 stories in the game and maybe some variations (dark/lightside) on them. I don't care much for endgame raids, but I do care for groupplay, since I always play with my rl partner. By now after 4 months playing, we still eagerly log in every day to continue our stories. Patch 1.2 also brought quite a lot new features like legacy. I love the familytree, it's maybe fluff to some people, but for a roleplayer this is a really nice addition. I think Bioware is doing a great job with the updates and patches. They solved so many bugs already and in 4 months they also gave us a lot of new features and content. Oh..and I love the surprise event they gave us this week. No one knew about it, but suddenly a rakghoul plague started in Tatooine. I think this is the best way I've seen an event worked out in any MMO I have played until now. Bioware real spends attention to details (not only in this event but overall).… Expand

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