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. bugbear1
    Jan 15, 2012
    2
    One thing, that completely boggles the mind, is the number of solid 10 scores for this game that have been written by reviewers with singular postings or less than a few, at this observation. While it's true, any number of postings will NOT validate opinion, nor assuage present bias, it MAY, however, raise questions as to motivations of those posters that have chosen ONLY to review thisOne thing, that completely boggles the mind, is the number of solid 10 scores for this game that have been written by reviewers with singular postings or less than a few, at this observation. While it's true, any number of postings will NOT validate opinion, nor assuage present bias, it MAY, however, raise questions as to motivations of those posters that have chosen ONLY to review this game. For comprehension of this line of inquiry, when evaluating any review, please also click "All this user's reviews" at the lower right of the review pane. --In this manner, YOU, the reader, might better evaluate any writer's credibility; or, at the very least, track their opinion-swings through a number of reviews in order to assay the weight of their stated views.
    *STAR WARS:TOR might be better named: STAR WARS: THE TIRED OL' REPUBLIC as the game hews fairly closely to timeworn gaming conventions and staid mechanics; which, under the present condition of the game, might be what retains subscribers, as familiarity often breeds complacency. In other words, with so much rehash going-on in SWTOR; rampant bugs, missing features, incomplete features and broken gameplay concepts such as SWTOR's PvP design, players would, nominally, leave in droves if it were not for the comforting constraints of familiar gameplay design abstracted from nearly every MMO released prior to SWTOR. Simply put, SWTOR attempts to crib nearly every worthwhile idea from practically every other worthwhile MMO that has been released in recent memory. Which, in the singular case of SWTOR is a magnificent conceit!?! SWTOR, in one sentence, might better be described as a "SINGLEPLAYER GAME with limited Coop, chat pane and a monthly sub." While it is true the world of SWTOR is heavily instanced, sharded, loaded with quest-hubs, and only linear, it does embrace the tenets of Lucas' constant micromanagement of the Star Wars universe. With limited player-choice, minimal exploration, linear questing augmented by timesinks and poor implementation of many mmo-style tools such as, practically, nonexistant guild tools, SWTOR raises the bar to enjoyment. Frankly, SWTOR runs poorly on much modern hardware, would NOT run well on an i7 with 8 gigs of DDR3 sys ram and a GT335 vid card with 1 gig of vram, Win7 64 bit. (This machine does run FFXIV on medium, RIFT on medium to high and WOW maxed.) On a tower, a Q6600 with 4 gigs of sys ram, GTX280 with 1 gig of vram, Win7 32 bit, the game ran with FPS in the playable range, although frequent swings were apparent. Screen tearing, artifacts, missing AA, glitchy with hitching, frequent CTDs and massive LAG are readily apparent, as well. Input lag, server lag, EVEN with 30Mbs ISP speeds strongly point to unoptimized netcode and client. Admitted memory leaks also plague the game.
    *The game's not finished, not optimized, feature incomplete and poor feature implementation marrs the fun!    … Expand
  2. lazlo2020
    Jan 15, 2012
    1
    I am not a fan of this game. I wanted to be but it just doesn't deliver. I logged in to create a char, there is absolutely no diversity in the races, blue skinned human, human with tentacles etc, why is it like this ?. Get into the game and OMG, it's mass effect but with lightsabres. i have lvl 30 imperial agent and enjoyed the story for this class but the combat/pvp/gfx and bugs haveI am not a fan of this game. I wanted to be but it just doesn't deliver. I logged in to create a char, there is absolutely no diversity in the races, blue skinned human, human with tentacles etc, why is it like this ?. Get into the game and OMG, it's mass effect but with lightsabres. i have lvl 30 imperial agent and enjoyed the story for this class but the combat/pvp/gfx and bugs have been a gamebreaker for me so uninstalled it is. Worst thing is to be honest is that i feel cheated somewhat by bioware, claiming 'epic' space battles and gameplay trailers that have hi res textures but are not actually in game. I wish i could take this title back and get a refund. you won't ever take me for a mug again bio/ea… Expand
  3. garland_spqr
    Jan 15, 2012
    4
    Up until now I have liked every Bioware game and some of them are my all time favorites. This game however, is a gigantic disappointment.
    I played a Jedi sage to level 30 when I stopped as every second spent felt like a waste of time. I expected a game with a good story and rich lore in a vivid star wars world. Sadly, I found nothing of it.
    In my opinion, Jedi sage until level 30 has no    Up until now I have liked every Bioware game and some of them are my all time favorites. This game however, is a gigantic disappointment.
    I played a Jedi sage to level 30 when I stopped as every second spent felt like a waste of time. I expected a game with a good story and rich lore in a vivid star wars world. Sadly, I found nothing of it.
    In my opinion, Jedi sage until level 30 has no story. The quests consist of: disable an array there, hack a terminal there, loot quest items from dead bodies etc. The quests do not feel connected to each other or embedded in a story, everything feels very random and pointless. There are no memorable characters throughout the journey and the companions are annoyingly flat placeholders with no story.
    I expected living, breathing city worlds full of life. They are nothing more than tunnels filled with lifeless mobs. I expected varied crafting professions that let you explore the world. They are nothing more than a "click and wait" game. I would have liked to see flashpoints connected to the planets you travel through, but they are just random missions on the fleet. A starwars game should be filled with passion, but this game is passionless. The dialogue and codex writing is very mediocre and not anywhere near the quality of Mass Effect or Dragon Age.
    Its possible that things look different with other classes, but from a jedi sage perspective, this is a poor game.
    The only things I liked are the music and the voice-actors, which are both brilliant. The rest is forgettable.    … Expand
  4. Breeti
    Jan 15, 2012
    3
    It's really just a poorly redone version of WoW circa 2005. I'm sure with time it can be developed to something better, but how they ignore the progress of 6 to 7 years in the genre and expect to be a sucess I do not know. I guess they are banking on brand recognition being enough to carry them for the first 2 years.

    I've cancelled my sub after I just could not get into the mindless    It's really just a poorly redone version of WoW circa 2005. I'm sure with time it can be developed to something better, but how they ignore the progress of 6 to 7 years in the genre and expect to be a sucess I do not know. I guess they are banking on brand recognition being enough to carry them for the first 2 years.

    I've cancelled my sub after I just could not get into the mindless running and having constant load screens any time I went back to my ship. Hopefully they will correct some of the glaring flavor of life issues with game in the coming months. I may check it out again if i see some progress there. Otherwise i see it as a massive failure.    … Expand
  5. SmellyMessiah
    Jan 15, 2012
    4
    Star Wars: The Old Republic (ToR) had very high hopes, being the successor to the very successful Knights of the Old republic series, and being the latest work by Bioware, one of the better developers in recent memory. However, instead of creating the next big MMO and a true game-changer, they decided to directly compete with World of Warcraft (WoW) like all other recent, and failed MMOs.Star Wars: The Old Republic (ToR) had very high hopes, being the successor to the very successful Knights of the Old republic series, and being the latest work by Bioware, one of the better developers in recent memory. However, instead of creating the next big MMO and a true game-changer, they decided to directly compete with World of Warcraft (WoW) like all other recent, and failed MMOs. As a long time WoW player, and someone who has played most of the big MMO releases of late, I can say with some authority that the game doesn't put anything new on the table. Sure, the presentation is slick, and the voice acting is nice, but is this what compels someone to pay to play a game month after month? The gameplay feels like a direct clone of WoW, and it simply doesn't work in the Star Wars universe. The fast-paced action of the films and some of the better games does not translate here. A ranged class takes â… Expand
  6. willystyle38
    Jan 15, 2012
    10
    This game is AMAZING! It is NOT a reskinned WoW like all of the trolls and WoW players would have you believe. It is an MMO, and a great one at that. While questing on planets, you're encouraged to group up with other players to complete certain 2-4 player heroic quests, where as in WoW if you group with others you have exp points slashed. The story is amazing, and for the first time everThis game is AMAZING! It is NOT a reskinned WoW like all of the trolls and WoW players would have you believe. It is an MMO, and a great one at that. While questing on planets, you're encouraged to group up with other players to complete certain 2-4 player heroic quests, where as in WoW if you group with others you have exp points slashed. The story is amazing, and for the first time ever I have felt the urge to roll different classes to experienc the full story. The theme of the game is more mature than that of other MMO's and the players themselves are more mature. PvP balancing is something that needs to be looked into, but that is something that can be fixed in a patch. I've encountered very few bugs, and have had no problems with performance playing this game. Overall I 'm rating this game a 10. By far the best launch and fewest problems I have ever experienced from an MMO. If you are a Star Wars fan, or a fan of Knights of the Old Republic, this game is for you!… Expand
  7. Swampy
    Jan 14, 2012
    3
    Revisiting my initial review after a month of play; and not much has changed in my views except it's even worse than I initially feared. While the story is nice, it is basically all this game has to offer and makes it VERY linear. There's no incentive for exploration, actually there's not a lot of incentive to do anything but drive the story forward. Technically the game is shabby, theRevisiting my initial review after a month of play; and not much has changed in my views except it's even worse than I initially feared. While the story is nice, it is basically all this game has to offer and makes it VERY linear. There's no incentive for exploration, actually there's not a lot of incentive to do anything but drive the story forward. Technically the game is shabby, the engine is poorly optimised and there are bugs too numerous to list here. The customer service is also terrible, and don't try and leave an opinion on the official forums; you'll be savaged by the rabid 'Bioware/EA defense force' (aka fanboys).. and if you think that isn't bad enough, write any negative criticism and you'll walk a fine line of getting warnings! Apparently they don't mind criticism.. so long as you're not being critical.. I kid you not.. it's actually in their forums t&c's.… Expand
  8. Fireturnip
    Jan 14, 2012
    7
    Coming from 6 years of WoW (but no other MMO experience) as a moderate PVE player (heroic bosses but not complete heroic raids in WoW, no arena or serious PvP outside of vanilla), I have enjoyed my time in SWTOR so far. Leveling is much better than WoW, the voice work is fantastic and really tells the story well. It's nice to know why I'm killing a bad guy for a change (still have noComing from 6 years of WoW (but no other MMO experience) as a moderate PVE player (heroic bosses but not complete heroic raids in WoW, no arena or serious PvP outside of vanilla), I have enjoyed my time in SWTOR so far. Leveling is much better than WoW, the voice work is fantastic and really tells the story well. It's nice to know why I'm killing a bad guy for a change (still have no idea what Illidan ever did to me....). On hitting 50 (max level), I wanted to see another characters story arc, rather than strengthen my character; when I finished leveling in WoW, I was sick of leveling. The stories and voice work are the really strong points; if these points, or Star Wars itself, aren't particularly interesting to you, you aren't going to enjoy this game. If you love arena in WoW, it doesn't exist in SWTOR.

    There are quite a few comments regarding PvP imbalance. Just like every other game ever with PvP. The warzones are similar to battlegrounds in WoW, and they seem fine to me. One major benefit is that there is a warzone type which accommodates battles against the same faction, which really helps queue times.

    The flashpoints (think instances) are fine, nothing special. Bosses are generally a little simple in mechanics, but nothing terrible. Haven't tried the raids.

    I really feel that this is a good starting point, and it depends where they go with it from here. WoW certainly is more polished, but content has generally been in decline (honestly, we got 2.5 tiers of raiding in the whole of Cata....Firelands was too small to be a whole tier). If content keeps up in SWTOR, and they keep polishing, then it will really be a valid WoW killer. At the end of the day, as long as they are constantly working to make the game better, and they keep content coming out often enough that I'm not bored, I don't see me going back to WoW.

    There are a few things I'm worried about. The game takes surprisingly good hardware to run well (Tom's Hardware did a review in Beta which covered this well); this means for me that I have very long load screens, but nothing I can't accept. However, if this means that people with new computers that don't have at least mid range discrete graphics can't play properly, that could have an impact on subs, which of course effects the whole player base. Also, the crew skills (crafting system) and GTN (AH) are bad. Just bad. Removing the requirement that I sit and watch my toon craft is a plus, but it doesn't make the system fun. Presently, I see no real reason to craft at all (unless you enjoy crafting in and of itself). You can easily do without the small advantages that crafting gives you while leveling, and you aren't going to get rich crafting (you will actually get quite poor). The GTN is a big part of this, but both systems are lacking; having said that, I'm not sure how much most players will mind, I'm looking at this from the perspective of someone who hit the gold cap in both WoTLK and Cata.    … Expand
  9. harold5187
    Jan 14, 2012
    8
    Obviously the 487 bad reviews for this game comes from the new generation of gamers, who are into the frag fest, adrenaline games, that require only bunny hopping skills, and a fast mouse finger, if your not using a gamepad. But to me Star Wars The Old Republic was a great game, minus a few points off for being somewhat of a turn-based game. But it was still fun to play, and made youObviously the 487 bad reviews for this game comes from the new generation of gamers, who are into the frag fest, adrenaline games, that require only bunny hopping skills, and a fast mouse finger, if your not using a gamepad. But to me Star Wars The Old Republic was a great game, minus a few points off for being somewhat of a turn-based game. But it was still fun to play, and made you think using your brain, unlike the brainless games being made nowdays. Between all the adrenaline online FPS games, and the hidden objects games, it's clear to me that gaming companies, just want your money, so they box up cheap buggy software with pretty graphics as fast as they can throw it out on the shelves for someone to get caught up in their advertising web of deceit. That's all they want is our money, and once they have it, they don't care what we get in return. Often times buying a new game requires a hardware updgrade of some sort. For once I wish I had my own gaming company so I could show this world how a good game should be. I would make all you stupid gaming companies pay for all the crappy games I've bought. 3000ad is on the top of that list for lousy gaming companies. As far as Knights of the old Republic, I only wish I had a decent computer to play their newest release, not to mention the Jedi Knight game they came out with, I've owned em all up till the time they got greedy, and started making games that require new computers to play. But I can't say nothing bad about their games, because I love them. My all time favorite was Tie Fighter. Long live Lucas Arts.… Expand
  10. chendala
    Jan 14, 2012
    10
    Star war the old republich is much better than WoW for now, I can say that cazu I have play WoW 7 years, and there is nothing new in WoW just endless raid and quite easy, but SWTOR has push the MMO in a new direction. WoW is a good MMO ever, but it does not means no one can do better than WoW. So do not fight with myself if you can not accept SWTOR.
  11. Doraleous
    Jan 14, 2012
    10
    The best MMORPG out there, end of. The PVP is great fun, especially Illum, couple that with Excellent story telling, great community, and engaging combat, its everything you could want and more from an MMO
  12. cmoyano
    Jan 14, 2012
    4
    my god what is this **** Boring Queuing simulator that should never have been made, where is KOTOR 3 bioware? Huh where the **** is it? gamecube graphics; FF14 UI; and about as much fun as have a spear up the ass. I know these results are going to be skewed by people suffering from denial that bioware could ever make a bad game but this is just as bad as DA2. Buy anything else for a bettermy god what is this **** Boring Queuing simulator that should never have been made, where is KOTOR 3 bioware? Huh where the **** is it? gamecube graphics; FF14 UI; and about as much fun as have a spear up the ass. I know these results are going to be skewed by people suffering from denial that bioware could ever make a bad game but this is just as bad as DA2. Buy anything else for a better gaming experience… Expand
  13. Avner
    Jan 13, 2012
    10
    Most of the reviews are from bitter fans of games that are rapidly losing their subscriptions to this one. This is the most rich and story focused MMO ever made. Play the game, let it speak for itself. If you're looking for a meaningful experience, and not just another MMO grind, you won't be disappointed. And this is just the game at launch!
  14. Killspre
    Jan 13, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Swtor is a fun game to me but I am not gonna pretend it is the perfect mmo. There are plenty of problems with the game I find, graphics that look horrible and the game still doesn't run smoothly, a basic and partly broken combat system, unbalanced pvp, crappy customization and it is way too easy to max your level. I was especially disappointed with the cover mechanic, which they bragged about, for it can send you right into the middle of a crowd of enemies you didn't mean to fight because the green cover icon was off screen. Also in the tough of times it delays and is easy to knock you off which screws you over because all of your good skills are only usable in this mode. These things being said I can't honestly say I have had no fun playing, the companions are well implemented, I find myself enjoying there company much more than any random pet from other mmos. The story also has a great appeal to me and is what definitely keeps me going through the game. Though not all of them gems I do wonder how it will end although the side missions stories eventually become predictable and a bit boring. This being said though I cant help that bioware messed up by making the next Kotor into a mmo, the things I like about it were already mastered in previous kotor games. The few group things that you do need for are ruined by lack of story or even the way to difficult nature of getting a group together. Flashpoints after the first lack any story or any real choice good or evil (in one flashpoint you actually choose to either kill or imprison a group of engineers on a ship you are going to destroy), pvp has come down to whichever side has more lvl 50s, and heroics are even more pointless than the flashpoints to me. Bioware knows how to make great single player games and I can't help but think if the kept it Kotor 3 this game would've been way better.… Expand
  15. BoosterGold
    Jan 13, 2012
    5
    Fun as a single player but once you play through a class quest line or two it loses most of its interest. Very reminiscent of Burning Crusade + Kotor. The worlds are heavily instanced and often feel very empty. It fails in smoothness of game play, obtuse travel, bad static UI, no lfg tool, no combat log, no mod support, no pvp brackets, no hd textures, ect. Once you've seen the storiesFun as a single player but once you play through a class quest line or two it loses most of its interest. Very reminiscent of Burning Crusade + Kotor. The worlds are heavily instanced and often feel very empty. It fails in smoothness of game play, obtuse travel, bad static UI, no lfg tool, no combat log, no mod support, no pvp brackets, no hd textures, ect. Once you've seen the stories it goes downhill fast.… Expand
  16. Pelopidas
    Jan 13, 2012
    10
    A brilliant revolution of the MMO genre. With its story it manages to captivate me where WoW made me fall asleep! Buy buy buy. Don't listen to all the WoW fanboys giving it a 0 without playing it.
  17. Jaden_Frost
    Jan 13, 2012
    2
    Poorly done WoW clone with new paint. Same old grind fest, With the illusion of diolog options that, really do nothing. (unless there one of the uncommon, silly light/dark side ancers). A watse of time at best, an insult at worst.
  18. Grutzy
    Jan 13, 2012
    5
    SW:TOR is an MMO with a heavy dose of single player gaming. To me it feels like a contradiction of the genre both in scope and playability. Somewhere along the line, the development team seems to have forgotten the credo of game development, "Make it FUN." There are heaps of blatant design decisions that either don't make sense, or were just plain not thought about, such as making sure aSW:TOR is an MMO with a heavy dose of single player gaming. To me it feels like a contradiction of the genre both in scope and playability. Somewhere along the line, the development team seems to have forgotten the credo of game development, "Make it FUN." There are heaps of blatant design decisions that either don't make sense, or were just plain not thought about, such as making sure a group of friends stay in their group when entering/exiting a warzone. Despite its many flaws, the game does have some redeeming qualities.
    1) It is chalk full of Star Wars goodness
    2) It has a wide variety of play style options
    3) It caters fairly well to the casual audience

    Ultimately, I feel SW:TOR has a very large uphill battle to fight in order to retain their customer base. I feel it's fair to say that the bar has been raised to a much higher level of expectation for new titles hitting the market these days, and if that bar is not taken into consideration with what gamers expect to see in an MMO, then the battle is half lost before the title ships. There is a sever lack of PvP and End Game content for players who have maxed out their level, and there is next to no reason to replay any of the content that has already been seen.

    For all of the advancements that have been made in the genre through the many titles that have come before it, there really seems to be a lack of "Learning from other peoples mistakes" taken into account for the development of this product.

    My score of 5 I feel is fair, as the nature of the universe and the store for each class have been well done and warrant at least one play through to max level, but beyond that, don't expect too much to hold your attention unless you are a die hard Star Wars fan.    … Expand
  19. Oreus
    Jan 13, 2012
    7
    Where to begin. The game, in concept, is great but there are many problems that Bioware either has not or can not be bothered to address. One of the first is the fact that they blatently lied to us with the Collector's Editon in game items. We were promised a pet, "Training Droid (Virtual Pet)
    A small but advanced training droid to hover at your side for combat assistance." What did we    Where to begin. The game, in concept, is great but there are many problems that Bioware either has not or can not be bothered to address. One of the first is the fact that they blatently lied to us with the Collector's Editon in game items. We were promised a pet, "Training Droid (Virtual Pet)
    A small but advanced training droid to hover at your side for combat assistance." What did we get instead? A useless piece of garbage that IS NOT A PET, it comes out and circles an enemy for a min or two and then disappears. WTF??!! Bioware has not commented on this. They went with the piece of garbage called Hero Engine. This antiquated gaming engine creates games that are competely instanced. Now the game feels dead because, unlike in WOW or Rift, you can see other ppl around you, in this game, you're basically in a deadzone working on a quest with no one around... You want Customer Support (CS) - I hope you know how to pray... it is basically non-existant and when someone does answer - either they have absolutely NO CLUE about the game or can barely but a coherent sentence together in English. If you think I'm exaggerating as to how poor to atrocious the CS really is, please refer to the following threads:

    http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=86614
    http://www.swtor.com/community/showt...27#post1023327
    http://www.swtor.com/community/showt...08#post1022308

    Don't get me wrong, I love the game itself but I think that ever since the "Kiss of Death" (EA [Electronic Arts]) bought Bioware, it's been downhill ever since.    … Expand
  20. Jounar
    Jan 13, 2012
    4
    Sadly after all the hype SWTOR is nothing more than a badly copied WoW clone but missing far to many features to be called a real MMO. Character creation is not only rather basic but seems to share the same graphics with NPC's so expect to see very similar looking throughout the game. The graphics are very dated for a modern MMO and are easily put to shame by the likes of AoC, LOTRO, RiftSadly after all the hype SWTOR is nothing more than a badly copied WoW clone but missing far to many features to be called a real MMO. Character creation is not only rather basic but seems to share the same graphics with NPC's so expect to see very similar looking throughout the game. The graphics are very dated for a modern MMO and are easily put to shame by the likes of AoC, LOTRO, Rift and even WoW. Whats even worse is the promo screenshots and videos Bioware use to advertise the game use a high res texture setting than player can't use no matter how powerful there PC's are. Combat which makes up the majority of a players time in the game is dull, uninspired and fells very unresponsive overall. PvP combat in the PvP arena's is even worse as the game engine just doesn't seem able to handle having lots of players fighting close together.

    The current high graphics setting is just a renamed medium setting due to how awful the Hero engine is and even using low/medium settings the game still performs poorly on high spec PC's. It took Bioware almost a month to admit this on there forums after first claiming it was a UI bug and that the real high res graphics settings are only used in cutscenes with NPCs. For a 2011/2012 AAA MMO with such a huge budget the graphics are a complete disgrace and feel like something that was released in 2006 except game back then had much better visuals.

    The much hyped class story is ok for the most part but nothing that will have single player game developers shaking in their boots and while it makes the normal kill 10 rats type quests all MMOs have less obvious it only makes up about 5-8% of the missions a player needs to do to hit max level. This makes running alts no different than any other MMO and worse than some as you need to do the exact same missions in the exact same order for every character.

    The various planets are very nice and also very instanced so the game world feels very empty for the most part. The planets are not however very open compared to other MMO's and the game through mission hub placement always pushes you in the direction of the next set of missions. There is also no public quest style missions which for a big budget MMO is a huge oversight imho. The dungeons or flashpoints as SWTOR calls them are the exact same deal we have seen in every other MMO since EQ1 with trash mobs to be cleared before reaching a boss. The starter flashpoint for both factions is much more like the standard single player missions due to alot of interaction with NPC's but these are the exception. Crafting is handled well in SWTOR with the players companions doing most of the more boring leg work in gathering crafting materials but to get the best items you still need to raid for recipes and materials and in all cases better items can be gotten from the level 50 daily missions players can run.

    SWTOR is a single player Bioware game with some basic MMO option bolted and I do mean basic. A very poor LFG system, horrid UI, guilds being nothing more than a friends tab, the most basic looting system any MMO has ever had and a class system with less options than those found in EQ1.

    When compared to games like LOTRO, Rift and of course WoW the lack of polish for such a costly to produce game is just shocking with bug that were known about in the July beta of 2011 still being in the released product. What a shame EA didn't allow an extra 6 months worth of development and a more adventurous design team weren't behind the wheel.    … Expand
  21. Ngamok
    Jan 13, 2012
    7
    Great Space Themed MMO with voice overs. I have tried the Smuggler, Trooper, Bounty Hunter and Imperial Agent and love the stories they have associated with them. Game has some flaws and important issues needed with MMOs that are being released today. No guild functionality, dual specs are required, UI customization and moving UI elements around. Graphics and worlds look amazing. So IGreat Space Themed MMO with voice overs. I have tried the Smuggler, Trooper, Bounty Hunter and Imperial Agent and love the stories they have associated with them. Game has some flaws and important issues needed with MMOs that are being released today. No guild functionality, dual specs are required, UI customization and moving UI elements around. Graphics and worlds look amazing. So I give it a 7 because of launching with some basic stuff missing. But the story and voice overs are amazing.… Expand
  22. Fireci
    Jan 13, 2012
    10
    I've been playing MMOs since the days of EQ1. From EQ2, Conan, Anarchy Online, FFXI, FFXIV, WAR, DAoC and WoW, I have to say, no MMO has pulled me into the story quite like SWTOR. Finally, I feel like I'm actually part of the story. The class centric main quests are done so well, I can see why the developers said that SWTOR is really KOTOR x 8. From presentation, combat systems,I've been playing MMOs since the days of EQ1. From EQ2, Conan, Anarchy Online, FFXI, FFXIV, WAR, DAoC and WoW, I have to say, no MMO has pulled me into the story quite like SWTOR. Finally, I feel like I'm actually part of the story. The class centric main quests are done so well, I can see why the developers said that SWTOR is really KOTOR x 8. From presentation, combat systems, crafting systems, great quest system, I have to say that SWTOR has surpassed all of my expectations. I strongly recommend it.… Expand
  23. Laurgos
    Jan 13, 2012
    10
    This game is amazing! The game is extremely well put together.Star Wars the Old Republic is a good MMORPG experience focused on storytelling, plot and involving characters. Voice acting is very good for a MMO game. Gameplay is fun and story is great. Flashpoints are fun. I enjoy having companions as I did with the original Kotor series that swtor spun off from.
  24. Lycanthrope
    Jan 13, 2012
    7
    Best MMO there is at the moment. Immersive, choice-oriented and successfully manages to make you feel important and part of the world. Some minor niggles: no LFG window or dungeon finder equivalent, very limited varieties of armour, cannot sell the exact same armour cross-faction without it changing to something else. But as far as MMOs go, it'll be incredibly hard to upstage this one.
  25. Pendulous
    Jan 13, 2012
    6
    Mediocre is really the best word to describe this game. Its easiest to take things one at a time.

    Sound - This is excellent and truly the best part of the game. Yes, it sounds like Star Wars. The voice acting is also very well done. Story- This section is kind of a conundrum. The class stories are truly interesting. They remind you of great Bioware titles and what you've come to expect.    Mediocre is really the best word to describe this game. Its easiest to take things one at a time.

    Sound - This is excellent and truly the best part of the game. Yes, it sounds like Star Wars. The voice acting is also very well done.

    Story- This section is kind of a conundrum. The class stories are truly interesting. They remind you of great Bioware titles and what you've come to expect. Planet arcs are fairly interesting as well. However, these aspects are only 15-20% of your time. The rest is boils down to "here is why I want you to kill droids". Minor uninteresting characters you never see again distract from the immersion Bioware was attempting to create. Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and other single player titles can do this, but in an MMO its just clunky. Flashpoint stories are cool as well, but again the dialogue parts are so far and few between that they don't create a sense of meaning. Gameplay- Many others reviewers are using uninspired and it really fits. Its not that its bad in any way, its just nothing new. And I mean nothing. Combat is exactly like WoW or most other MMO's. Its not that its bad, but its not good for 2011. 2006 it would have been lauded, now its tiresome. The ranged classes cover mechanics are clunky as well and have needed fix since early beta. PvE- Standard PvE fare. Kill boss, collect loot, wait for new instance, repeat. Fights (including hard mode) are not challenging which will probably turn away most hardcore players. PvP- Very far behind the curve. This game will not be an ESport in the foreseeable future, because of a number of questionable design choices. How a AAA MMO expects to not have to deliver arena combat is mind boggling as well. Guild Mechanics- Guild Chat. Ships may come in the future but on launch is not there. Overall this game needed to be launched with more features or years ago. As for the expectations of the current MMO market it meets them, but doesn't justify a Triple-A rating or the price tag (and subsequent monthly fees) in my opinion. Some will love this game, but most of us and especially PvP junkies will want to skip it. The only caveat is the hope of future updates and whenever BioWare gets to adding stuff from the mysterious "wall of crazy".    … Expand
  26. Moses89
    Jan 12, 2012
    8
    Overall I give this an 8 because it is lacking in some areas, however, the stories for each individual class are what makes this game. I actually have incentive to play EVERY class. Unlike in WoW or Rift or whatever, you are experiencing the same thing but from a slightly different angle. Not just in a I am now a Hunter instead of a Paladin. It feels fresh and new each time you play it.Overall I give this an 8 because it is lacking in some areas, however, the stories for each individual class are what makes this game. I actually have incentive to play EVERY class. Unlike in WoW or Rift or whatever, you are experiencing the same thing but from a slightly different angle. Not just in a I am now a Hunter instead of a Paladin. It feels fresh and new each time you play it. Even if you were to play the same class again you could play completely differently all over again because of the Light/Dark sides. Which leads me to the best part. Once you get about an hour into it you realize hey I am playing a multiplayer KOTOR and you're like heck yeah! Another positive is that when you swing your lightsaber you feel like your actually dueling the person you are attacking instead of just beating him to death. Space battles are an updated 3D version of Galaxian, which is simple, but that is good. It is not over complicated, however, you can buy upgrades for you ship as you yourself level up, the best stuff being at level 50 and as you get better stuff more missions are unlocked and they get harder. It is a very nice Meta-game.

    Now on ward to the "bad" stuff, I say "bad" because its not so BAD as its stuff that will be fixed (I hope as long as it doesn't die in a fire) The graphics are a bit lack luster, somethings appear unfinished, but the art style really shines through, every world is different (for the most part) half the Galaxy being controlled by each side leads to some things looking the same but that is mostly just the cities. I feel like they can do more with PvP. I believe limiting it to your average level range would do wonder but that is my opinion some people really like that PvP is a "balanced" 10-50, you essentially just get a damage, armor, and hp bonus to make you a defacto "50" but you don't have the all the skills yet which leaves you at a disadvantage. Overall, the "bad" will be worked out over a few patches.    … Expand
  27. Superhans1800
    Jan 12, 2012
    0
    I can in good conscience give this game 1/10.

    This game was the direct product of copy and paste. They took World of Warcraft circa 2006, and put it in blender with KOTOR. The result is TOR. To boot: it costed them so much money to create the KOTOR aspects of the game, that the combat responsiveness and other standard MMO mechanics are sloppy at best. This is a poor excuse for a game.    I can in good conscience give this game 1/10.

    This game was the direct product of copy and paste.

    They took World of Warcraft circa 2006, and put it in blender with KOTOR. The result is TOR. To boot: it costed them so much money to create the KOTOR aspects of the game, that the combat responsiveness and other standard MMO mechanics are sloppy at best.

    This is a poor excuse for a game.

    I gave it 1 single point because parts of the story, at times, can be engaging. Then they drone on and on and on and on..............    … Expand
  28. PhillipTheGeek
    Jan 12, 2012
    4
    I was expecting good things from SWTOR, but unfortunately I have been disappointed. Gameplay wise: Graphics crashes (Midget Jedi's, Metallic Huts and Fighting the Scenery - all of which amused rather than annoyed me.), Poor PVP. Missions which while well presented have the depth of Attack of the Clones (though better acting). Lack of duel spec's which make doing anything as a healer or aI was expecting good things from SWTOR, but unfortunately I have been disappointed. Gameplay wise: Graphics crashes (Midget Jedi's, Metallic Huts and Fighting the Scenery - all of which amused rather than annoyed me.), Poor PVP. Missions which while well presented have the depth of Attack of the Clones (though better acting). Lack of duel spec's which make doing anything as a healer or a tank slow without the DPS options. As for healing (I normally play healing classes), thats hard work on a dodgy laptop with a tracker pad, lacking mouse over healing really leaves me quite drained. Space combat which was beaten when I recently had the privilege of playing a 1980's Star Wars Arcade Machine. (I won't even mention the annoyance of lacking a mac client at launch. I suspect this will mean that we will have a badly imported client at a later date.) But worse than Gameplay feels the community. Communications seem poor and only used to complain (Normally about WOW, though I did like the discussion I saw by people still burnt out on RIFT). Guilds seem non-existent at the moment leading to both a lack of community and camaraderie. I had high hopes that guilds would be treated well with the pre-registration of guilds however so far I have not seen it in game. Bioware could have spent another 10 years getting things and I feel it is brave of them to release something so we can see some of what they had in mind. I wanted more but I got quite a shallow single player game with pretentious of being an MMO. I will come back in the future for the occasional month and hope that enough has been provided to make me want to stay, but for now I won't waste my time.… Expand
  29. Malthques
    Jan 12, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. *Spoilers in text will be marked with *SPOILER*

    Gameplay rates at a completely average 5, due to using a tried and tested method of most of it's predecessor MMOs. This is without taking the massive delay into account, praying for those who still keeps playing that it will be fixed one time.

    But one of the games major selling points was it's focus on story, and damn was I disappointed: The writing feels so uninspired, that I simply stopped caring about any and every conversation in the game after approximately 10-15 minutes. Added on to this, the major arc was horrible too: *Spoiler* No matter what side you'll pick, the Empire loses.*end spoiler* Added to this, the terrible distinction between dark side and the light side of the force is even worse than the three prequel films.And playing an MMO where you and 2,999,999 other players are the chosen one, really isn't that entertaining.

    Another selling point was that it is a fully voiced game, and that it is. But badly voiced. When you're not wondering why three guys in the same scene is voiced by the same guy, you're wondering how they tortured the voice actors to make them sound so uninspired.

    In my final comments I will quickly mention the graphics and make a prayer for the BioWare dev team that graphics will never be the main point of a video game. Because if it ever will be, they will probably all end up in a guillotine.    … Expand
  30. Abbeldydoo
    Jan 12, 2012
    1
    I was really looking forward to this game,got it for christmas and couldnt wait to play it.When i finally was able to i was extremely disappointed to find a cookie cutter version of WoW a game which i never liked.Maybe i should have known what i was getting but i really wasnt expecting a WoW copy.

    I still gave it a try and leveled one character to 18 and another to 23 before just putting    I was really looking forward to this game,got it for christmas and couldnt wait to play it.When i finally was able to i was extremely disappointed to find a cookie cutter version of WoW a game which i never liked.Maybe i should have known what i was getting but i really wasnt expecting a WoW copy.

    I still gave it a try and leveled one character to 18 and another to 23 before just putting it down.The voice acting was great and the class stories were well written but that just wasnt enough to hold my interest through many many hours of grinding .    … 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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