Star Wars: The Old Republic

 PC
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 2879 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,378 out of 2879
  2. Mixed: 545 out of 2879
  3. Negative: 956 out of 2879
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  1. Avadon
    Dec 22, 2011
    5
    A few key points from my experience in the beta and at launch: THE GOOD: - Cool voiceovers - Class stories are great for MMO standards (mediocre for single player standards but anyway) - The game is pretty stable and ping times are ok - Some of the planets are very well designed and put a smile on your face. THE BAD: - Terrible engine is as heavy as Witcher 2 but looks like WoW withoutA few key points from my experience in the beta and at launch: THE GOOD: - Cool voiceovers - Class stories are great for MMO standards (mediocre for single player standards but anyway) - The game is pretty stable and ping times are ok - Some of the planets are very well designed and put a smile on your face. THE BAD: - Terrible engine is as heavy as Witcher 2 but looks like WoW without antialiasing. It also dislikes more than a couple players on screen at the same time, which is not great for an MMO - Long queues to play - Heavily instanced and phased, which hurts the MMO part - Laughable "space combat" - Refuses to break the mold that WoW set, instead follows it to the letter - Combat system is disappointing, one would expect action-style combat in a game with lightsabers and rifles, but no, they might as well be shadowbolts - PvP needs a few years of class tweaking before it can be taken even remotely seriously - No endgame content. As Warhammer and AoC showed pretty clearly, any MMO that ships without lots of endgame content under the mentality of "we'll just focus on the leveling for now and add that later" will simply bomb regardless of launch sales, because noone will sub after their month is over. Catastrophic mistake by Bioware. In general, if you have a month with lots of free time, this is a game worth buying, you will get your money's worth, but it is certainly not worth suscribing to. Play your month and check back in a year or two, if it still exists, for some endgame. Shame.… Expand
  2. Wireded21
    Dec 22, 2011
    4
    I had 8 days of free early access due ot cancelling my pre-order but EA forgot to remove my early access code so thanks EA. I'm glad I did, had a good 8 days but it's not worth £45 + a monthly sub. It should be F2P as it doesn't offer anything innovating to make a subscription worthwhile. It really is WoW with a StarWars skin. It's a good game in it's own right but not goodI had 8 days of free early access due ot cancelling my pre-order but EA forgot to remove my early access code so thanks EA. I'm glad I did, had a good 8 days but it's not worth £45 + a monthly sub. It should be F2P as it doesn't offer anything innovating to make a subscription worthwhile. It really is WoW with a StarWars skin. It's a good game in it's own right but not good enough to justify a subscription.… Expand
  3. silentcore01
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    I made an account specifically to write a review on TOR. I don't write reviews or participate in online game forums. (other than guilds)

    I spent 5 years playing Everquest. I promised myself I'd never play MMOs again. I somehow got around the era of Warcraft without getting highly addicted to the game. After spending 5 days and blowing through about 30% of the Empire worlds I can honestly    I made an account specifically to write a review on TOR. I don't write reviews or participate in online game forums. (other than guilds)

    I spent 5 years playing Everquest. I promised myself I'd never play MMOs again. I somehow got around the era of Warcraft without getting highly addicted to the game. After spending 5 days and blowing through about 30% of the Empire worlds I can honestly say this is one of the best games of the year and one of the most polished MMO releases I've ever seen. TOR isn't perfect. It lacks many common social and market features of modern MMOs. Soup to nuts it just doesn't stack up with the breadth of features games like Rift offer. What it does offer, is a highly focused polished experience. The things Bioware set out to make amazing turned out amazing. (Story line, character development, RPG mechanics, etc.) This is the game I've been waiting 10 years to play.    … Expand
  4. warruse
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    I read a lot of these bad reviews and can tell you more then half of what i have read are completely false..stuff they are complaining about isnt even in the game and stuff they have said they have done like "got to 50 and hated every second of it" can you really take someone like that serious thats over 200 hours of game play..IT IS NOT A WOW CLONE..i have played wow for 6 years andI read a lot of these bad reviews and can tell you more then half of what i have read are completely false..stuff they are complaining about isnt even in the game and stuff they have said they have done like "got to 50 and hated every second of it" can you really take someone like that serious thats over 200 hours of game play..IT IS NOT A WOW CLONE..i have played wow for 6 years and dozens of other mmos and this is my most enjoyable experience ( Advice for people who dont like voice overs..dont get it) the story is where this game shines everything else is really well done too but i dont have add and take my time.… Expand
  5. Raygun
    Dec 22, 2011
    5
    Guess most of 0 point reviews are just really big disappointment "venting". My thoughts are they made mistake of using Hero Engine. Google it and check wikipedia, watch youtube videos too (Faxion Online, Hero's Journey) and see similarities. You cannot do major mmorgp with "Game maker XIV". Of course you can, but certain game engines have a limitations and those limitations are well seenGuess most of 0 point reviews are just really big disappointment "venting". My thoughts are they made mistake of using Hero Engine. Google it and check wikipedia, watch youtube videos too (Faxion Online, Hero's Journey) and see similarities. You cannot do major mmorgp with "Game maker XIV". Of course you can, but certain game engines have a limitations and those limitations are well seen in swotor. Although Bioware has it's usual strong points. Storyline, Music and Dialog voices, but it really falls short of game play. Try it...you yet maybe get kick out of it, but don't except too much. You will be disappointed.
    I predict this game will be a subscription free or f2p sometime end of the next year or two.    … Expand
  6. 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
  7. CaptainRAVE
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    Ignore the low ratings, this deserves nothing less than a 7 or 8 out of 10. I am having an absolute blast! Even if people call it a WoW clone with lightsabers, what is wrong with that? I see that as a compliment. The story is the best of any MMO I have played, the light/dark decisions actually fun to make, companions add an extra social element, the graphics excellent for an MMO, and theIgnore the low ratings, this deserves nothing less than a 7 or 8 out of 10. I am having an absolute blast! Even if people call it a WoW clone with lightsabers, what is wrong with that? I see that as a compliment. The story is the best of any MMO I have played, the light/dark decisions actually fun to make, companions add an extra social element, the graphics excellent for an MMO, and the flashpoints positively exciting! This is by far the best MMO out there, play this now, you won't be disappointed!… Expand
  8. lalaland4
    Dec 22, 2011
    5
    This game is mediocre at best. The first turn off was the horrible character creation and how little you can customize appearance. Next was the horrible graphics. My PC can run most of the latest games on high settings and I can barely run this game on low without shadows. And it's not like state of the art graphics by any means, just a bad engine. The interface is pretty good but isThis game is mediocre at best. The first turn off was the horrible character creation and how little you can customize appearance. Next was the horrible graphics. My PC can run most of the latest games on high settings and I can barely run this game on low without shadows. And it's not like state of the art graphics by any means, just a bad engine. The interface is pretty good but is pretty much like WoW with a star wars skin. Also there is nothing innovative for an MMO in this game at all besides the addition of voice acting which isnt that great its just like a quest giver reading off the objectives to you and gets annoying very fast. For the "most expensive game ever made" it is pretty average and I don't see it having a lasting community or following. It is definitely not a "WoW killer" and is absolutely not worth paying $15 bucks a month. Needs major improvements.… Expand
  9. JewishAllah
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    This is a very solid game at the moment, for the people who say it is very buggy, all i have to say is we can not possibly be playing the same game. Yes in all honesty there are bugs, but wasn't that expected, it is a mmo. On to the game, yes it is the standard kill this do that quest system, but the difference is that i enjoy this time. To those of you who don't like the combat, well WoWThis is a very solid game at the moment, for the people who say it is very buggy, all i have to say is we can not possibly be playing the same game. Yes in all honesty there are bugs, but wasn't that expected, it is a mmo. On to the game, yes it is the standard kill this do that quest system, but the difference is that i enjoy this time. To those of you who don't like the combat, well WoW has tons of subscribers and you know what, I actually like this combat style. The story is also awesome, I've experienced 3 of the different classes and all of them have been awesome. Flashpoints are also very well done, the stories in them are on par with the questing and everything in them flows and feels right. At first I thought warzones were just ok, but then i played Huttball and a close Alderaan game, and let me tell you they were better than any other mmo's pvp for me. On people worried that queue for warzones will be too long, because it is not cross server, well set your worries aside. Thanks to the boosts you get when entering into warzones, anybody can compete with anyone no matter what level. Also space combat is a fun diversion to the standard questing if you don't feel like questing. Overall I love this game, it is very fun and the story really does bring you into the world. There definitely are a few things missing from the game, what would benefit it greatly, but the main thing is that they are nothing huge and they aren't anything that can't be fixed in a patch. A few things I forgot to say, I have not experienced any large imbalance in pvp. Also some people may not think the game has very good replayability, well after leveling through coruscant 4 times, I can honestly say that the interesting quests are still interesting, and i found it still very fun to level. Also the graphics are what i feel they should be, but where they start to show their strength is when you get to the wide open planets, where some of the views are just gorgeous. I would strongly recommend this game to anyone.… Expand
  10. irishman505
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    A fantastic game if u are into star wars or mmo get this there a bunch of naysayers but truly it is great experience. Get this game ignore wow obsessed haters
  11. ClassHero1
    Dec 22, 2011
    1
    Can't believe I wasted money on this game, it was so overhyped.

    I have spent so many hours on it already but I am definitely not coming back.

    The combat system is the most broken thing I've ever seen not to mention the phasing.

    Completely disappointed.
  12. robbiengall
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    Speaking of Bioware... I loved BG 1 and 2, I loved KOTOR, I loved both ME games, I liked DA:O very much, I was bored to death with DA2. And I'm in love again with TOR. Thank you Bioware :)
  13. ImmoralAtheist
    Dec 22, 2011
    5
    Very Lifeless world. Bad graphics. Linear/boxed enviroments. "holy trinity". Cliche bioware stories (the witcher has better storytelling). Uninteresting crafting. No interesting (real) open world pvp. Mob's still follow the aggro ring principle.
  14. daftshadow
    Dec 22, 2011
    10
    Fun mmo game. Even for a casual gamer. If you're into star wars lore and rpgs, this game is for you. sure it has some flaws, it's expected for any new mmo game. the learning curve isn't hard so any one with half a brain can pick up this game and quickly master it. the graphics are not exactly the best but for an mmo game it is pretty good. presently, swtor is probably the best thing rightFun mmo game. Even for a casual gamer. If you're into star wars lore and rpgs, this game is for you. sure it has some flaws, it's expected for any new mmo game. the learning curve isn't hard so any one with half a brain can pick up this game and quickly master it. the graphics are not exactly the best but for an mmo game it is pretty good. presently, swtor is probably the best thing right now to play an mmo. if you want something new and refreshing.… Expand
  15. thormart
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    Bioware has created something amazing with this game that no developer will be able to match or even attempt in the next 10 years.

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

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

    This is a game for those who really want to see the scope of storytelling in ANY medium taken to a whole new level.    … Expand
  16. TrissM
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    Official reviews so far:

    Venturebeat - 89%, G4TV - 5/5, Digitaltrend - 9/10, Eurogamer Italy 8/10, AusGamers - 9.5/10, Gameblog.fr - 8/10 Who are you gonna believe? Legit reviews with pages worth of info and opinion or trolls who have only reviewed this game making BS comments that aren't true at all. You decide.
  17. ReviewerX103
    Dec 21, 2011
    4
    This game is not all bad but overall not good. The soloplayer content is good for a mmo in my opinion. The content is story driven and keeps you moving. The group content... well saying just lacking would be an understatement. This is easily the most solo player focused mmo game in the genre. It is very obvious little went into designing content for anything above small group, and evenThis game is not all bad but overall not good. The soloplayer content is good for a mmo in my opinion. The content is story driven and keeps you moving. The group content... well saying just lacking would be an understatement. This is easily the most solo player focused mmo game in the genre. It is very obvious little went into designing content for anything above small group, and even that is limited. Really it is a mmo only in respect to alot of people being online at once... all other aspects of what you expect from a mmo are missing.

    Graphics wise the game is honestly really poor, it appears very little of the massive budget went into building a large world with unique and detailed elements. Even if realistic is not the goal ascetic wise the graphic related things such as texture detail and polygon counts are horrific for a late 2011 release. Animations are in the same boat. The graphics and animations might of been acceptable in 2006, but every other AAA mmo released since WoW easily outclasses ToR in the areas of Graphics and Animation.

    Voice overs are decent, better then any other mmo and most offline games I have played this is a plus. The storytelling lacks compared to the rest of the Knights of the old republic games. And the use of cut-scenes are overused for mundane events and just drags out the "Kill X mobs" quest. The whole lightside/darkside with quest gives a false sense of choice since the outcomes are the same no matter what you choose.

    Combat is a near perfect WoW clone same with the UI. While this is not a bad thing, It is not revolutionary or even remotely different. If you are tired of the WoW playstyle well this is more of the same in that respect.

    Instances are way overused for things that honestly have no reason to be instanced, and exploration is limited in the zones.

    In conclusion:

    If you are a Starwars and a big WoW fan you can probably get some enjoyment out of this game. If you are a Starwars Old Republic fan but not a mmo fan you will be applauded by what you see. If you are a mmo fan but not a Starwars fan you will probably play for awhile but leave once the new mmo feeling goes away.

    Those tired of group focused mmos should give this a try it might be up your ally. But for those wanting the group/guild focused mmo you should play another title and stay far away from this one.

    This game is still an infant atm, and no mmo should be counted out especially at this early stage, but this is currently a very unimpressive mmo, if it can even be called a mmo, compared to what else is out there. This game does not even close to live up to the rest of the Knights of the Old Republic series. BioWare has a lot of work to do and very little time if they do not want to lose the big population they started with.    … Expand
  18. Qwibs
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    A perfect game for a Star Wars, RPG, MMO fan. This game does have some issues, but I am giving it a 10 because frankly the current user score of 5.7 is not TRUE! If you happen to stumble upon this review and are planning on using it to purchase the game DON'T. Go to a different website and find a trusted reviewer (NO not IGN). Ok rant over, this game is great.
  19. RPaul12
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    I have contacted metacritic about what's going on with the user scores here and hopefully they will be cleared out. 4 chan is scum and if the one good thing SOPA can do is shut those boards down for good than that is fine with me.
  20. VAIsag-
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    Bah, here we go again. Another big name game is released and the trolls are out in full force raiting the game with 0's the minute it is released. Anywho, I am really enjoying the game and it's definitely the best MMO I have played. You wouldn't believe how much of a difference story, dialogue, choices makes in an MMO until you have actually played it.

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

    The game has everything that an MMO is supposed to have and more, that more is the story, writing, and voice work of a high quality single player MMO. You'll be hooked!    … Expand
  21. Harlen11
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    Gameplay - Very slick, fast, fun with some top quality animations. The blocking and reversals of the lightsaber classes are a joy to look at. Visuals - A really nice, stylized look that will be revelant for years to come. I especially looove the character models and sky boxes.

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

    Sound - Great weapon sounds, lightsabers sound great, voice acting is tremendous, and the music is Star Wars what more could you want? =)    … Expand
  22. obviousguy
    Dec 21, 2011
    0
    I'm giving it a 2. It gets 2 points for the story and voice over. The audio work is fairly well done. Even though the stories themselves (went to level 35 and 22 on another) are really hokey. It is I suppose better than what mmos have offered in terms of story advancement before. And all of their resources appear to have gone into this. If that's your thing, this game is for you. HoweverI'm giving it a 2. It gets 2 points for the story and voice over. The audio work is fairly well done. Even though the stories themselves (went to level 35 and 22 on another) are really hokey. It is I suppose better than what mmos have offered in terms of story advancement before. And all of their resources appear to have gone into this. If that's your thing, this game is for you. However If you are looking for a next gen mmo, this game is probably not for you. It really is the most blatant wow ripoff to date in a star wars skin. I got up to 35 before calling it quits. I really wanted the game to be great, but it just falls flat. The worlds are very, very small. There is literally no free exploration, it is so linear you are always on a very narrow path. For an mmo this is a game breaker. This is a world I want to live in for years. If there is nothing off the beaten path from leveling, what am I supposed to do after I reach max level? I need places to explore and this game does not deliver that. It feels like a single player game aside from seeing a person running around here and there. But the way they have instanced the city areas, as well as pve areas, it seems no more than 50 people can be in an entire zone together. So the world feels pretty lifeless and empty. The UI functions and that's about it. You cannot customize it at all. Not even scale it. No macros, no mods, not even a target's target. Character customization is terrible. I can not believe how limited it is. Galaxies, a game that came out 7 years ago was so far beyond what came out yesterday. Bioware should be embarrassed. And I wasn't even a galaxies fan. The combat is same old wow combat. Animations are ok, but I wouldn't call them good. Lightning looks cool, not much else seemed worth writing about. The pvp is terrible, so much crowd control it's silly. Clearly an afterthought and nothing to offer for a player looking for good pvp. From what I've heard from the max level guys, there is no endgame content. One raid (8 people) with a couple bosses. That's it. Enjoy farming that one raid for 6 months or so until they release something else. This game innovates on nothing. It took wows model and added mass effect type story. They combined 2 games and came out with a terrible mutant of an offspring. It's clunky, predictable, and stale. It's now two days old and I have never seen a game that is about to bomb as fast as this one. Congrats Bioware. I think you are going to set a record with this game. Biggest disappointment in video game history. I know it is for me. Believe it or not I was a fanboy until I started playing it 3 days ago. Now I'm an ex player, who will never be purchasing a Bioware product ever again. Also I decided after writing this review, the game is getting a 0. It was a 2 for story, but after realizing how bad it is as a whole writing this, it doesn't even deserve that. What a mess of a game.… Expand
  23. ImprovV
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    This is just unbelievable...the same people are bombarding this game with 0's over and over again. This needs to stop. It has happened with every big named game to come out and enough is enough. You are all a bunch of no life trolls. God PC Gamers are the whiniest group of people I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with.
  24. Yuze
    Dec 21, 2011
    0
    This is an awful game. Completely void of the Star wars franchise and of KotOR, everything has been retconned removing any form of consistency with bland, lifeless performances, yes, the voice acting may be good but in this day and age the lack of facial movement, limb movement, any movement at all outside of the 3 pre-created 'talk' animations - there is no emotion at all. This isThis is an awful game. Completely void of the Star wars franchise and of KotOR, everything has been retconned removing any form of consistency with bland, lifeless performances, yes, the voice acting may be good but in this day and age the lack of facial movement, limb movement, any movement at all outside of the 3 pre-created 'talk' animations - there is no emotion at all. This is essentially WoW 2.0. There is nothing new, nothing has changed. The art style is simplistic and clearly rushed for economic reasons with generic textures and bland colour palates. The raids/fights are dull and laborious and the atmosphere of an mmo is not there. The worry is that in a months time once everyone has managed to complete the joke of a story, the 'economy' i.e. auction house will collapse and it'll be barren. Good riddance I say - If you really must buy this, play the pathetic story which even a 5 year old could foresee then cancel your subscription. Sad excuse for an MMO in 2011, absolutely atrocious.… Expand
  25. Fyn56
    Dec 21, 2011
    0
    It works, but you will not find anything new in this game. It's a silly clone with VO and light sabers. World seems very dead, not much to explore. Very poor char creation, almost no choices, I. The end you get everyone looking the same. Pop is very dull same type of combat and maps same scenarios nothing new and impressive.
  26. Jabrony
    Dec 21, 2011
    4
    Heavily instanced and linear like old single player RPGs. Basically a combat lobby like WoW but nowhere near as deep when it comes to group combat, fight dynamics, or even exploration. Gamers looking for deep gameplay should look elsewhere. The game's main selling point is story and VO. Story itself gives only the illusion of choice as there is never lasting consequence (save forHeavily instanced and linear like old single player RPGs. Basically a combat lobby like WoW but nowhere near as deep when it comes to group combat, fight dynamics, or even exploration. Gamers looking for deep gameplay should look elsewhere. The game's main selling point is story and VO. Story itself gives only the illusion of choice as there is never lasting consequence (save for aesthetics) to your decisions. This means that there isn't much room for game-play inside of the story, unlike previous Bioware titles. VO quickly becomes annoying after watching an NPC glorify a "kill ten rats"quest via 2 minutes of b-grade acting for the hundredth time. This game is a shallow copy/paste job of WoW but severely lacking in nearly every feature we would expect to see in an MMO released in 2011/2012. The list of missing features is loooooooong (and frankly shocking)... I would normally hold out hope for improvements via patches but many of the game's issues seem impossible to fix due to decisions made early-on in the design process (the heavy instancing, linearity, gear treadmill, etc...)

    Lastly, if the game were not a subscription title I would rank it higher. But as it stands now, it appears folks saw the success of WOW, made a SP game with MP elements, and called it an MMO to hopefully get more cash.    … Expand
  27. GreenVMan
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    *pretends to be shocked* Another popular game out and another smear campaign from trolls in the user section. This bombardment of 0's needs to be dealt with, this is getting ridiculous and abusive. ToR is a wonderful MMO that any Bioware and Star Wars fan is going to love. You can play this as your standard MMO or as a single player game even. JUST because this game has a personal story*pretends to be shocked* Another popular game out and another smear campaign from trolls in the user section. This bombardment of 0's needs to be dealt with, this is getting ridiculous and abusive. ToR is a wonderful MMO that any Bioware and Star Wars fan is going to love. You can play this as your standard MMO or as a single player game even. JUST because this game has a personal story doesn't mean it's a "lobby game" as one user puts it. Tell me...what standard MMO feature is ToR missing that these non lobby games have? Dungeons check, Raids check, PvP check, World PvP check, World PvP objectives check, group quests check. Enough with the trolling already.… Expand
  28. 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
  29. giventofly330
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    One of the most fully featured, polished MMO games to ever release. Incredibly smooth launch and just what you would expect from a KotoR game as an MMO. One of the best written games hands down and the combat is sooo incredibly smooth. I particularly love my Smuggler and the awesome cover system they use which changes up your skills and ads a whole new layer of strategic elements. TheOne of the most fully featured, polished MMO games to ever release. Incredibly smooth launch and just what you would expect from a KotoR game as an MMO. One of the best written games hands down and the combat is sooo incredibly smooth. I particularly love my Smuggler and the awesome cover system they use which changes up your skills and ads a whole new layer of strategic elements. The group dialogue is fantastic as well and reminds me of the old paper and pen games where you're just sitting around your buddies. If you are a MMO fan, Bioware fan, or Star Wars fan do yourself a favor and pick this game up.… Expand
  30. 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
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 73 Critic Reviews

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