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| From: Lucas Arts Entertainment
List Price: $19.99
Buy Used: $13.08
You Save: $6.91 (35%)
New (8) Used (44) from $13.08
Rating:  207 reviews
Sales Rank: 1694
Platform: Xbox
Genre: Action Games
ESRB: Teen
Media: Video Game
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: No
Age: 12 - 20 years
Operating System: Xbox
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 32675
Model: 23272326753
UPC: 023272326753
EAN: 0023272326753
ASIN: B0002B90SA
Release Date: December 6, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Minimal scratches on disk. Comes with original case. May or may not include manual. 100% guaranteed against defects. Contact us within 7 days if there is any defect, and we will gladly refund your purchase. Our standard shipping method is USPS Media Ma
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 207
 Buggy regurgitation of the first KOTOR December 10, 2004
Xbox Dude (New York, NY USA)
13 out of 22 found this review helpful
I am a huge fan of the first Knights of the Old Republic(KOTOR) for Xbox. This sequel succeeds in certain areas, but in others it leaves a lot to be desired.
I had to take my first copy of the game back. It jammed up so much that it was unplayable. My second copy is functioning much better. I made an earlier review of the game. I was so angry at the time because of the jamming, that I might have been unfair in my harshness. This review is much more accurate as to what the strengths and weaknesses of the game are.
PROS:
-Being able to break down items and build items is an interesting concept.
-The "influence" factor in the game is a great idea. If you treat your fellow characters well, they will start to be more "influenced" by you and they will move towards your alignment more(which can affect their behavior).
CONS:
-There are some really bad framerate problems. Things slow down and get choppy during fights.
-There are some very long load times.
-This game is VERY buggy. There are so many major and minor bugs in this game that it is unbelievable that it is a major release. This game screams "rushed to the shelves".
MAJOR BUGS:
-Some of the copies of the game seem to be prone to jamming up. I had to return my first copy to get another. The second copy functions much better. I read that somebody else experienced this problem. It seems as if a certain percentage of the games are messed up copies.
-There is significant lag when doing some things, such as scrolling in the menu system. It can take several seconds for the game to do what you asked it to do.
-My party members don't obey my orders on a consistent basis.
-The enemy AI is VERY bad and stupid at times.
MINOR BUGS:
-Sometimes characters will do messed up things(typing on non-existent keyboards, talking to non-existent people, etc..).
-There are a fair amount of "clipping" problems(being able to walk through solid objects).
-Sometimes your party members "teleport"(I have seen some members of my party disappear and reappear about ten feet away).
-The game will tell you that your journal is updated, but when you go and look it is not. You have to scroll through your journal listing options in order to get it to update. This is indicative of bad programming(the journal should update without have to scroll through your journal options).
-There are some instances when you can say the same things over and over to a character and thus get your alignment maxed out on the dark side or light side. Although, this cheat might actually be appreciated by a lot of people.
-If a cut scene starts, the second that it ends I get a picture of whatever was going on on my screen right before the cut scene started. A very obvious, cheesy, and annoying bug(as it disrupts the continuity of the story).
-There are countless other cheesy little bugs that any experienced gamer or computer programmer will pick up on and be annoyed by.
This could have been a very good game. But all of the bugs make it just an ok game.
 Good Universe, A Few Flaws December 19, 2004
Lisa Shea
12 out of 18 found this review helpful
Talk about a long title! The full name of this game is Star Wars - Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords. As you might guess, it's a game based on an early Star Wars timeline.
We're about 4 thousand years before the events in the Star Wars movie series, when the sith (bad force users) and jedi (good force users) are battling it out for control. This game is 5 years after the first KOTOR game. You are of course one of these force users, choosing between good and evil. Much as in Fable, your choices affect the way you look - and the way your friends look as well.
You begin by customizing your character. You can be male or female, and choose from being force based, saber based, or a balanced type of character. As you move through the game, you get pieces to build a light saber, increase your skills, build out the plot, and make choices that have sometimes unintended consequences.
I enjoy the KOTOR series because, since it's so far in the past, you don't start with a preconceived notion of what "should" happen. You have the fun universe of Star Wars to enjoy, but without the extremely well defined plotline.
The graphics are quite good - you have translucent objects, sparks and smoke from damaged items, and good detail on robots. The sound plays themes that are fully traditional Star Wars, with matching sounds for doors, robots, and other items.
If you enjoyed the gameplay of KOTOR, you'll enjoy KOTOR II as it's pretty much exactly the same. In fact because of the plot progression I highly recommend playing KOTOR first, before buying and playing this one. That will fill you in on the characters and situations, many of which play a role in this sequel.
That being said, I don't think KOTOR II is nearly as rich as the original. KOTOR gave you a great sense of accomplishment as you moved through the missions, and a sense of completion when you reached the end. If anything, KOTOR II seems more of a 'transition' to rush you along to a spot from which you can buy KOTOR III. I had the exact same issue with Halo II, so maybe it is a common failing. Still, it is very frustrating.
Highly recommended as a member of the KOTOR world, but not necessarily a game to rush out and buy immediately.
 Don't Believe the Un-Hype January 14, 2005
J. Green (Southern California, USA)
12 out of 19 found this review helpful
I've read several of the reviews of this game so far, and they are well thought out and aren't simply trying to bash this game. However, many of the reviewers are doing the game a disservice in their reviews.
Why?
Because they are comparing it to KOTOR I instead of simply judging this game on its own merits. They are letting their own expectations cloud their view of what is undeniably a very intriguing and enjoyable game.
I played KOTOR I as well and it stands as one of my all-time favorite games. However, if KOTOR I had never been released and this game had come out in its place, just about every reviewer here would be rating it 5 stars.
Graphically, the game is fantastic. Character models are smooth, animations in battle are excellent, and the level of detail can be overwhelming at times.
The sound effects are excellent. The clash of light saber on light saber during battle, or the sound of blaster fire, or the chattering of robot treads across metal floors is very immersive.
The plot is great. The end is a bit disappointing, but any good writer will tell you it's the journey that counts. No ending of a video game has ever stood up to the game itself, including KOTOR I, and KOTOR II is no exception. What I found most enjoyable about the journey was that sometimes I had to really sit and think about the responses that I was giving - sometimes it was impossible to tell what was the "light side" response and what was the "dark side" response. To me, those little touches really bring you into the game. After all, in life the line between good and evil can sometimes be very thin, and the game adequately reflects that.
This is not a "twitch" game. If you're looking for a 1st person shooter, buy Halo II. This is a role playing game, and as such, you can sometimes feel a bit detached from the action. That's normal. Someone noted that the game was too easy, and then revealed that they had played it on "Normal" mode. I played on Hard mode and I found it adequately challenging without becoming frustrating or monotonous.
Yes, improvements could be made. Load times are way too slow. The game does occasionally crash. Frame rates in large battles can get very slow. Some of the music is repetitive. And sure, a 45 minute cut scene at the end that wrapped everything up in spectacular fashion, preferably one directed by George Lucas and scored by John Williams, would be great. But for me, this game offers a lot of enjoyment, great replay value (I'm chomping at the bit to go through the game as the bad guy), and solid immersion into the Star Wars universe.
The Pressure to Make a Buck vs. A Quality Product January 16, 2005
S. C. Dominguez (Dallas, TX USA)
11 out of 13 found this review helpful
I would be lying if I said this game was a total waste of time that should be overlooked. It has a few virtues, though I am vastly disappointed with Obsidian's stewardship over this product. And, I think you will be disappointed too when you find out what we all missed out on. If I were the maker of this game, I would be ashamed to have my name attached to it. Why? Because it would mean that my work was rushed to the market before it was completed; I caved into the pressure to make an extra buck for the 2004 holiday season at the expense of making what could have been a classic game. Without dropping any spoilers, I can truthfully, tell you that I was pleased with the first 60% of the game, but after that, the game deteriorates into nothing more than a hack job. The bugs become frequent and obvious, and early plot developments are left unresolved. These faults have been documented in several websites that one can find easily on the internet if one were so inclined. Some affect gameplay, and others don't. Despite that fact, the careless crafting becomes painfully obvious when you can literally see areas of the map you were originally intended to explore, but they were "closed off" ungracefully because there wasn't time to finish them. Entire planets have been left off, and the outworking of the story after the climax is totally unacceptable to me. I for one enjoyed the game but then grew very disappointed when I realized what was happening. So who is to blame? I can only point the finger at myself and the folks who produced the game; not the programmers mind you, but rather the executive producers who take advantage of the obviously large demand for this game. If folks like me had not been so eager to buy it in the first place, perhaps Obsidian would have spent more time actually finishing what they started rather than wrapping it up and regurgitating it into the market. I believe if this game was under development for another 6 months, it would have truly been an experience to treasure, right up there with some of the all-time classics.
As I mentioned out the outset, this game does have a few virtues. Some may view this as a negative, but the d20 system from the first KOTOR has been overhauled and turned into to some kind of hybrid system that works much the same way but allows you to level up your characters all the way up to LEVEL 50. You can do this by taking advantage of some of the bugs in the game. However, this side effect allows you to create a more diversely skilled character. In addition, I really enjoyed the ability to influence others in the game. An added benefit would also be the ability to create new upgrades and modify nearly every weapon and armor you encounter in the game. This adds a serious level of depth to the game, and I also liked some of the numerous cameos in the game. The graphics and frame rate are at least a notch below the original game, but I was amazed at the amount of voice over dialog in this game. The plot makes the most sense if you play the game as a "light-side" Jedi and not so much sense when you play as a "dark-side" Jedi. Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the game are some of the humorous conversation options that appear. Three conversations in particular were absolutely hysterical. In these areas, KOTOR 2 has made a step up from the original.
I closely followed production of this game, and I know several items that were left out because of time constraints. Furthermore, I experienced several flaws in the final product also linked to time constraints. To me the time constraints are unacceptable because they affected the quality of the game. Sure, there are some really terrible games out there right now, but this is an OK game that could had potential to be one of the best games ever. That potential was wasted, and for that I will never trust this studio's products again. I will not buy the sequel (KOTOR 3) to this game unless it is a used copy.
If you have not bought this game yet, my advice is to buy it used. You may still enjoy the game, but at least Obsidian will not have it's apparent greed unsatiated.
 HUGE Disappointment - rushed and incomplete game December 14, 2004
Will Jackman (SE US)
9 out of 12 found this review helpful
WARNING some spoilers discussed possibly as I go on. I have been a game player for many years now. I have always leaned towards the RPG side and KOTOR was a great game. The sequel however is a rushed buggy game that does not improve much upon the first one. I feel fairly good about saying this was a rush job to get out before Xmas..sacrificing game play and storyling testing for the dollar.
First, let's talk about controls. They are much like the first one. Once you are in a battle, you have many selections to choose from and it becomes very cumbersome to do alot of strategy besides whether to pick flurry or power shot. The queue system helps some, but if you move or pick something else your queue gets reset. Also, the new powers added to the game really don't add very much from what the first game had: you will fiund yourself still using heal and stun/horror as in the first game. Also, you will notice players gettting stuck alot and terrible AI. I more than once was able to kill enemies by just standing far away and shooting them without them ever engaging me.
Next, the story itself. The storyline is very average. There are no big surprises and the slight inclusion of the characters from the first game is not very exciting. The Influence feature is just afwul for your party members. You do not influence them. You have to answer the dialauge sections as they would like to hear or you lose influence and you will not find out very much about them. Also several story arcs are never completed and some just make no sense. You will understand what I mean if you decide to play this game...especially one of the worst RPG endings in memory.
Don't buy these reviews from people who think this is the best thing going. It was a rehash of the first game with bugs and unfininshed ideas. Trust me and rent before you buy!!!!
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