Star Wars fans, rejoice! The over $200 million creation is now at the palm of your hands. You’re in the hands of Bioware. There’s nothing safer than that, especially in dealing with bounty hunters, but that’s a different story. Bioware, the creators of the great RPG series of Mass Effect and Dragon Age, have made their first entry into the MMORPG market with ‘Star Wars: The Old Republic’. Here, we feel that same George Lucas magic and glow, with the same RPG elements seen in a Bioware game. After choosing whether you want to join the Republic or Sith Empire, you come across parts of the game where you must make decisions, which will in turn determine your destiny and playing environment around you (like, for example, Dragon Age). The decisions are pretty much black and white, or shall I say, light or dark.
The gameplay follows the prototypical model that each MMORPG that I’ve come across (World of Warcraft) has been accustomed too: keeping fighting and leveling up. Console Bioware fans will probably find this more repetitive than their PC counterparts, whom have been playing MMORPGs for years. That being said, Bioware is solid with its game mechanics, although it misses on not taking enough chances to separate itself from the norm. ‘Star Wars’: ‘The Old Republic’ pretty much takes a safe entry into the genre.
The graphics in ‘The Old Republic’ aren’t going to woo eye enthusiasts, but are good enough. There aren’t any great graphical innovations by HeroEngine, but the environment and atmosphere of the game feels great and may quench your thirst with a little adventure and excitement. Fans will feel great joy in trekking (oops) through the arid deserts and snowy terrains of ‘Star Wars’ past. Again, hopefully Bioware fans aren’t too spoiled from the graphics seen in Mass Effect 2 and what will be seen in the release in March.
With all this being said, ‘The Old Republic’ is an outstanding first MMORPG for Bioware. Anyone picking up this game is guaranteed to get nothing productive done for the next year or until the next prequel or sequel makes its debut. As a reminder, the game is available only for Windows XP, Vista, and 7. Also, players will have to sign up for monthly subscriptions in order to experience with the world the greatness of Bioware and ‘Star Wars’ together. “May the Force be with you” and me on this journey.