When Bioware announced in 2008 that they were developing Star Wars: The Old Republic, the not-so-secret geek in me unleashed a Wookie battle cry that would have put Chewbacca to shame. However, my excitement at the prospect of playing a role in a living, breathing Star Wars universe was quickly tempered by more than a few subconscious worries. Bioware had long been a respected developer of single player games, but could they really develop a successful MMO title?
Story – The Essential Element of Star Wars
The story-based design style of SWTOR is what truly sets it apart from other major MMO titles on the market today. Immediately following the first loading screen, the player is thrust directly into the story with a conversation cut-scene, complete with varied and often humorous dialogue options. The scripts for various quest-givers are remarkably well written, and each quest tells a new story that rarely leaves the player feeling like they’re retreading old turf.
Players of either faction can make choices during the game that will push them closer to the Light side of the Force, or drive them deeper into the sinister depths of the Dark side. While such choices have no significant impact on gameplay, they do provide additional opportunities for immersion.
Companions – Don’t Worry, No Gungans
As your character progresses through the story arc, gains levels, and visits many of the classic worlds of Star Wars, he will earn the respect of several NPC companions that will join his cause and fight alongside him. Each companion you encounter will become a permanent member of your ship’s crew. They can be be selected to join you in battle based on their varied roles; one companion may serve as your tank, another as your healer, but never both at the same time.
In a refreshing approach to MMO tradeskills, your companion characters can be queued on various resource gathering or production tasks while you concentrate on more enjoyable aspects of the game.
Graphics and Audio – A Mixed Bag
Because MMORPGs are designed to be playable on a broad range of hardware, the graphics they feature are typically several years behind the cutting-edge, and SWTOR is no exception. Character models are well-done and some of the combat effects are outstanding, but world environments tend to fall a little flat. Buildings, starports, and geologic features are repeated all too often, leaving some worlds feeling tiled and lacking in awe factor. Indoor environments, such as the entire planet of Coruscant, left me feeling like I was moving from one massive airplane hanger to the next, with little to break up the visual monotony.
The game’s audio, on the other hand, is exactly what I’d expect from Bioware’s collaboration with Lucas Arts . From the unmistakable swoosh of lightsabers to the cinematic-quality musical score, the myriad sounds of Star Wars are implemented to perfection. The voice acting is strong and varied, and alien dialogue from the likes of Hutts and Jawas (in their native languages with subtitles) absolutely blew me away.
Replayability – The Force is Strong in This One
No self-respecting geek has seen the Star Wars movies only a single time. The same sense of galactic adventure and powerful storytelling that makes the films perennial favorites can also be found in the game. With two separate factions, and each base class having its own intriguing story arc and cast of companion characters, the potential for replayability is virtually endless. As players level their assorted alternate characters, there are the typical MMORPG roles of healer, tank, and DPS to experiment with. PVP battlegrounds and spaceflight missions also provide a welcome change of pace for those weary of levelling or end-game raiding.
The Final Tally – Not Even the Sith can Unseat the King
Star Wars: The Old Republic is a brilliantly conceptualized and well-implemented MMORPG, and has had the most seamless and trouble-free release I’ve ever seen for a game of its scale. While I don’t believe this will be the game to topple World of Warcraft from its throne on the mountaintop, I think the two can peacefully coexist. I expect to see SWTOR with a large and happy player-base for years to come.