Let's Play: Knights of the Old Republic II: Update 23: The Dark Side of the Force

[Anti-American Eagle]

I hated how much that game showed off the Exile's ass. It was ridiculous, you had to stare at it for the whole prologue.

Now that you've pointed it out I can't stop noticing... GET IT OUT!

 

[gamptrak]

Aw yeah, T3 action and our the surprise droid character in the next update, some excellent droid loving in the first parts. Obsidian really made the droids in this game one of the best parts.

I think the whole fixation on the ass is a Kotor thing. Varen's ass was heavily displayed in any armor she wore.

 

[AD-Stu]

DUN DUN DUNNNNN!!!!!

Kung-fuing robots to death continues to deliver the hilarity too

 

[woodaba]

Asses really are a KotOR thing. Pretty much all the non-Jedi armors are skintight solely around the ass area. I guess the designers of the Infinity Engine really had a thing for asses.

 

[C F]

It's okay though. Running around the galaxy really tones the buttocks.

I wish you could jack the maintenance guy's dorky goggles. I would have loved having those.
Maybe give them to the Handmaiden 4 teh laffs. It's a shame it's part of the head model though.
Anyway, great update.

 

[woodaba]

Maybe give them to the Handmaiden 4 teh laffs.

Combine these with the dancer outfit from Nar Shaddaa to create endless silliness that makes even the most serious of business look like a bad porno.

 

[Evolutionary High]

Finally got Atton's backstory, wow was that rewarding.

Totally didn't expect him to be what the was, that was outta left-field. The man is cold-blooded. He's easily better than Carth.

 

[woodaba]

Finally got Atton's backstory, wow was that rewarding.

Totally didn't expect him to be what the was, that was outta left-field. The man is cold-blooded. He's easily better than Carth.

Yeah, it's one of the great surprises of the game.

Spoiler

The fact that the game does everything in it's power to convince you he's nothing more than a Han Solo stand in, then hits you with THAT curveball, is really something else.

 

[sage42]

Finally got Atton's backstory, wow was that rewarding.

Totally didn't expect him to be what the was, that was outta left-field. The man is cold-blooded. He's easily better than Carth.

Yeah, it's one of the great surprises of the game.

Spoiler

The fact that the game does everything in it's power to convince you he's nothing more than a Han Solo stand in, then hits you with THAT curveball, is really something else.

You think that was a surprise, wait until we get the Handmaiden's back story. That one may make heads pop.

 

[Supertegwyn]

Yo, Chapter 3 dawg.

We be waiting.

 

[woodaba]

[HEADING=2]Update 3: Are you dead yet?[/HEADING]

So, between the triple threat of the disappointing Assassin's Creed 3, the much-better-than-expected Halo 4, and a massive workload dropping out of nowhere, this update has been a long time coming. However, I hope to get the updates out a lot more regularly from now on. Anyway, I hope at least a few of you haven't quit in disgust, and let's get on with the show.

Spoiler: Seriously, what was up with AC3s ending? Worse than ME3s, IMO

Last time, we came across the corpse of the man we believed killed everyone in the facility we woke up in, only to be presented with this chap.

Gotta love HK's pimp walk.

"Tell me what you're doing here before I turn you into slag. With my bear hands."

"Query: Don't you mean "bare" hands, master?"

"No."

"How did you get here from the Harbinger...and how did I?"

"For a droid, you don't take orders to well. Now, tell me what happened."

"How come I don't remember any of this?"

The million pound question.

"Incapacitated?"

"Drugged? What the hell do you mean, drugged?"

"Locked?"

"Fine - what happened next?"

Freighter? Could that be...

"Any idea what had happened to the small freighter?"

"What was this freighter that the Harbinger brought aboard?"

The two million pound question.

"Bounty?"

"And the Ebon Hawk came here?"

"How so?"

Protocol droid? Yeah, because most protocol droids refer to humans as meatbags, and talk about murder in the same way humans talk about coitus.

That line just unnerves for some reason, I have no idea why.

"How did they find out I was a Jedi?"

Woah, woah, woah. Back up a little. Bob was exiled? The plot has most certainly thickened...

"That information wouldn't have been in Coreward databases...only in Jedi Archives, and that's the most secure data bank in the galaxy."

"Even if that means hacking into the most encrypted and secure database in the Republic?"

"Hesitant confirmation: ...yes?"

"Fine. But what's this about 'potential hostiles'?"

"I see...go on."

"Then what happened?"

Somehow, I imagine that doesn't make them a particularly easy to sell product.

It's the new Metal Gear Ray! The perfect final boss for your incredibly pretentious incomprehensible stealth-action game! Contains memory room to hold as many as two insane AIs! Warning: vulnerability of Metal Gear Ray contains, but is not limited to: small arms fire, effeminate ninjas, and a tendency to go insane and murder everyone if you don't mindwipe them every so often. Order now!

"So, what happened to the rest of the miners?"

"Sadly enough? What do you mean?"

"Are there any left alive?"

"Then I need to get in there and rescue them."

"If I crawled through mining tunnels to get there, then there must be other tunnels."

"Those miners could be hurt or in danger: we need to make sure they're all right."

"I'm going to find those miners, and you're going to help me, or I'm going to shove your vocabulator up your waste disposal chute."

"This just keeps getting better and better. Who's got the damn code?"

"Oh, this should be good."

"But...you do know the code."

"Leave 'condescending' out of your speech conditionals from now on, or else."

"So, how can I bypass the voice print?"

Ok, so, in case you haven't played the last game, or saw the last LP, in KotOR 1, there was a robot called HK-47 who joined your party. He was a psychotic assassin droid who took great pleasure in massacring countless innocents. This guy seems to be either him him in a black paint job, or another model of the same robot. Given the disposition of HK-47, and the arrogant pride he seems to take in the havoc caused in the facility, it's a safe bet that this guy is our new prime suspect. We need to find some way to get the code off him...and in the maintenance officer's voice. Let's keep talking to him.

"So...what exactly are you?"

"What's a translation droid doing on Peragus?"

"What have you determined?"

"...what was that?"

"Clarification: Oh, that. That just happens when I say something ominous."

"Well, I never said you were coming with me."

"What's that body on the floor there?"

He seems exceptionally proud of that...maybe there's some way to use his pride against him...

"Did he say anything at the end?"

We can't do anything more with that right now, but we'll be back.

Ooh, a workbench.

Unlike in the last game, which limited weapon and armor customization to upgrades, this game added a relatively simple crafting system. Provided you have high enough skills, and the correct amount of scrap (which you can gain from breaking down items), you can create anything from weapons and armor to medpacs and shields.

In a nearby bin, we find just the thing we need.

Oh yeah.

"If you can play back the maintenance officer's voice narrating his own death for expository purposes, can't you speak the voice code?"

"Oh, I understand if your limited fuctionality prevents you from mimicking the maintenance officer's voice correctly."

"Yes, I think that's satisfactory."

Ladies and gentlemen, that is how you do a puzzle. It's not particularly challenging, but damn, the writing makes it so enjoyable and memorable.

We leave HK, and continue exploring the maintenance bay.

...and are faced with more robots. Well, time to open up a can of whup-ass.

Dunno about you, but this looks more like a dance off than a fist fight.

After we deal with the robots in the hallway, we think we're about to get a rest, when...

Goddammit.

Chuck Norris, eat your heart out.

Do not adjust your sets, people. Bob is so badass, he has not become the Human Torch.

"Flame on!"

Our path to the maintenance console is clear, but we still have some business to finish on the administration level.

You know where this is going.

That would apply to the Maintenance Officer...or anyone who could mimic his voice.

Anyway, back to exposition theater!

Chris Avellone: (wink wink, nudge nudge)

Yes, Chris, I think we've figured it out.

"How rude. Just for that, I'm going to impale all the love interests from Project Eternity on pikes."

Well, Revan/Varen sort of exuded insanity, so that probably leaked into all her follower's brains.

Geez. There couldn't more ominous foreshadowing there if we heard a robotic voice in the background telling some berk called Dave that he can't do something.

Finally done with the console, we proceed on through the facility.

These mines may pose a threat to any normal player character, but, remember. This is Bob Bindo we're talking about.

Destroying floating mines with his mind like he don't give a shit.

After we destroy the remaining mines, we suit up...

...and head out.

Those who experienced KotOR 1 will remember two sequences where the player was trapped in a suit that allowed them to move at literally a snail's pace. They were horrendously boring, and one of the most bafflibng design decisions in any RPG, up there along with Mass Effect 1 and 2's "let's force the player to metagame morality" bull. KotOR 2 fixes this in the most beautiful way.

Play both videos at the same time, and mute the first one, for the full effect.


You are now happy. I don't care how grumpy you were, after witnessing the glory of that, you are now happy.

"Really? Maybe you should look up."

"I'm just taking a relaxing walk."

Look at the third line there. I'm guessing that was written before Obsidian knew they were speeding up the run cycle. Guess they were as pissed about it as we were.

"Something wrong?"

"Why are the vents so close to the exterior scaffolding? That seems like an OSHA violation."

"You and me both."

Oh, shit. This isn't...

0_0 0_0 0_0 0_0 0_0 0_0

help

 

[woodaba]

Spoiler: Part 2

Even now, we see how tragic it is that this game was rushed. Kreia's line there, as well as the docking sequence for this spaceship, is brilliant for creating tension, but the entire sequence was cut from the game.

At any rate, a chap who looks like the Nameless One has arrived, and Kreia doesn't appear too happy about it. Or maybe she's jubilant. It's hard to tell with her.

At any rate, we can't deal with that now, so let's focusing on rescuing the miners.

But, as par for the course, we're gonna have to hack our way through a metric fuck-ton of droids, first.

Dealing with the first bunch of robots, we find a corpse just ahead. This doesn't bode well. Maybe some Miners are still kicking further in? Ah well, let's loot his corpse.

This datapad is in an unusual state. It is covered with blood, however, the blood is frozen onto the pad, and the screen itself is frosted. However, you still manage to make out the text on it, with some effort.

"...now the fire suppression systems have gone active, and I can't even make it to the dormitory section - I watched the turrets turn their carbonite freeze rays on Maban before he even got halfway across the room. Fortunatly, their range doesn't seem to go beyond the room itself, so I was able to remain safe in the corridor... but I didn't have any ranged weapons to take them out from a distance, or a stealth field generator to sneak past them.

I tried to unlock the storage room door to see if there were any cold-resistant items or grenades I could use, but the door was sealed from the lockdown. I don't know enough about security systems to open it, and I don't have a sonic charge to blow it open.

Still, as long as the droids don't make it into this section, everything should be all right."

Let's add that one to the Big Book of Famous Last Words, eh?

After looting the storage locker using the security skill our deceased friend lacked, we proceed onwards.

These things are a pain in the ass. They freeze you with ease, which lasts for a good couple of turns, so you need to get in quick and finish them off before they get a lucky string of rounds. Luckily, they aren't too tough, so Bob can sprint up to them and smash them up without too much difficulty.

Once we finish the turrets off, we have to deal with their legged buddies.

That done, we find and access a nearby console.

Aha, let's use the comm controls to call out to the miners.

Or not. This does not bode well.

After unlocking the door to the dormitories, we find this interesting little tidbit.

Keep that in mind for later.

OH GOD HE STARES INTO THE SOULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

One by one, we see the miners fall. Well...that was dark. And that's just the start of this game's steady march into the pits of despair.

Thoroughly depressed, we proceed to the dorms, and loot the bodies of the rotting dead. This is such a cheery game, isn't it?

We return to the console, and plug in the datapads we find.

Oh yes, the whole galaxy. Sullustrans are not prone to hyperbole, apparently.

Woah, woah, woah. What? Was it the maintenance officer all along?...

...or was it someone who could mimic the Maintenance Officer's voice perfectly?

Coorta gives the Sullustran a big whack on the head, presumably killing him.

Well, I guess this is when Coorta pulled his little coup. But, where is he now?

Oh god, he's turning into a Sith!

...and then he dies horribly. The end. Add another Famous Last Word to the list.

After fighting our way through a metric fuck-load of robots, we find another datapad.

No info on Coorta yet. Maybe once we get to the lift, we'll find out more...

...oh. Well...I guess that answers our question.

We access the camera logs on the nearby computer, to find out what exactly went down here.

That's the maintenance officer's voice.

That moment when you realize you're going to die horribly.

Yeah, we all knew. But still, pretty awesome reveal.

Cue the sound of lazers and people screaming and dying. Alas, Coorta. We hardly knew ye.

Alright, so, now we gotta open the turbolift door. We see the code in it's raw form in our journal, like this:

...
-X..
-...
X
X..

If the administrator is correct, then the first three numbers are 3, 17, and 13. That would mean that a dot means 1, the X means 5, and the dash means 10. That way, we can surmise that the code is 3, 17, 13, 5, and 7. But wait! HK said he reversed the code. So, we key in 7, 5, 13, 17 and 3.

...and the door slides open. Please though, no more maths, game. It makes me brain all hurty.

We take the turbolift up to the administration level, where Kreia is waiting for us.

"Enemy? You mean the psychotic robot who killed everyone here?"

"Wait - who is this enemy?"

"All right. Let's go. But I want to hear the whole story later."

Kreia has officially joined our party! She's a Jedi Consular, and she gives an experience boost to everyone in your party as long as she's there. She's probably going to become a mainstay in our party for a large portion of the game.

We make our way to the airlock, and Atton.

You just know he's been looking up Twi'lek porn this entire time.

"Atton, there's no time to explain. Grab a weapon, and follow me."

"Apparently not."

"I think we're all going to get along swimmingly."

Atton has joined our party! He's a Scoundrel, specced to Dual-Wielding, and has the unique ability of being unable to fall in battle unless he's the last one standing. It's bugged like hell though, even in the Restored Content, so it's inadvisable to rely on it, or try to abuse it.

"See, HK, it's not a veiled threat if you just say "Threat:" at the start of the sentence. It is an unveiled threat. A revealed threat, one might say. Besides, you were clear, but I don't make a habit of listening to Assassin droids."

"You were the one who mimicked the maintenance officer's voice to take control of the droids and kill all the miners in med bay, then?"

"Guess you didn't account for high level on the badassery chart. Why did you want to capture me?"

"What could a droid possibly need with money?"

"Hesitant Explanation: Oil is not cheap."

"Well, you found me. Obviously, I didn't do a very good job."

"Who is this client of yours?"

"Oh, you son of a *****."

"So, what now? Are you going to kill me?"

"I'm tired of listening to you anyway - prepare to be scrapped."

The three musketeers V an assassin droid. Who will win? Find out...right now.

HK himself is not particularly hard, the hard thing is trying to keep Bob and Kreia away from the mines long enough for Atton to shoot them.

Kreia, you're not a tank. Stop trying to be one.

Once you wear down his defenses, HK-50 (so it's not HK-47, hmm) isn't too hard. He can deal quite a lot of damage with his blaster, so the best thing to do is get in close and personal. He's highly resistant to the Stun Droid power, which might make things a tad more difficult for Consulars.

Dammit, Bob, now is not the time for breakdancing!

Oh, shit.

"Oh, shit."

"Oh, shit."

"Oh, excrement."

Thankfully, however, we manage to escape the blast, and look damn good doing it.

"Looks like the Hunted as become the Hunter, HK-50."

"Really? That was the best line you could come up with?"

"Shut up, Atton."

We loot what remains of HK-50, and make a run for the airlock.

Next time, we leave Peragus. Forever.

A little question time to finish off the update. The recent big news in the Star Wars world is that Disney has bought Lucasfilm, and is starting production on Star Wars: Episode VII. What do you think of this development. Personally, I think it may be the best thing to happen to Star Wars in a long time, after all, Lucasfilm haven't made a generally well-recieved film in almost 20 years. It think it's high time someone slapped some sense into them. Still, I wish they didn't just go right for the new trilogy. I hoped they would finally do this Live-action series that's been talked about for years, but I guess that isn't quite as headline making as "New Star Wars trilogy". There's every chance Disney will fuck it up, but seeing as they were responsible for the Avengers, I think it's in safer hands than at Skywalker Ranch.

 

[C F]

I think...
I'm just going to have to wait and see.

It's about time you updated; how 'bout that Halo 4, eh?

Rest in piece, HK-50. Your genre-savviness shall not be forgotten.
Seriously, that's the most methodical and efficient way of subjugating the entire station before your target even wakes up. He would've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for Kreia.
All these entities playing chess-for-keeps, and Bob Bindo is both the pot and the King it seems.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Finally got Atton's backstory, wow was that rewarding.

Totally didn't expect him to be what the was, that was outta left-field. The man is cold-blooded. He's easily better than Carth.

Yeah, it's one of the great surprises of the game.

Spoiler

The fact that the game does everything in it's power to convince you he's nothing more than a Han Solo stand in, then hits you with THAT curveball, is really something else.

You think that was a surprise, wait until we get the Handmaiden's back story. That one may make heads pop.

The best part? When Avellone was confronted with that, all he had to say was "Can't comment... but nice catch."

Damn they love to tease us.

Scorchy's Let's Play is pretty much required reading for anyone wanting to analyze this game.

 

[AD-Stu]

Aaahhh - see, Peragus is much more enjoyable in this format, where I don't have to sit through all the combat grind and endless running about. Instead we just get to enjoy the writing

As for Disney, I'm cautiously optimistic about what they'll produce.

 

[SantoUno]

This is awesome! I especially loved the line that included "WHY DO PEOPLE HATE THIS GAME?"

I sure hope I can get an Xbox sometime this year in time for Winter break. What better game to enjoy than this !?

Subscribed!

 

[gamptrak]

HK-50 isn't very good at keeping things hidden is he? Everything he said was almost him revealing what he did. You would think an assassin droid of his caliber would be able to keep a secret.

Was it ever explained how HK-47's schematics got out to produce the HK-50s. I thought that Revan was the only one that ever had an HK droid.

As for the Disney thing. Like everyone else just waiting with careful optimism. Not much information to decide yet. Not sure how I feel about them getting Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, or Carrie Fisher. If they play a small role, that would be cool. Would like to see a new story with new characters.

 

[woodaba]

This is awesome! I especially loved the line that included "WHY DO PEOPLE HATE THIS GAME?"

I sure hope I can get an Xbox sometime this year in time for Winter break. What better game to enjoy than this !?

Subscribed!

I actually wouldn't advise getting the Xbox version, if at all possible. It's still a great game, but the combat is just unplayable. The framerate tanks hard if you get into any kind of fight more taxing than a couple of mooks, the music and sound assets will fade in and out when they feel like it, and, of course, you can't use the Restored Content Mod to bring back a lot of the missing content, such as quests, plotlines, character arcs, and an actual ending. The PC version is much more stable, but both are still great.

 

[Evolutionary High]

Finally got Atton's backstory, wow was that rewarding.

You think that was a surprise, wait until we get the Handmaiden's back story. That one may make heads pop.

Ughh...too late....it seems I've been hanging out with hottie Visas for too long (actually it was only 2 missions or so). And now Handmaiden won't talk to me anymore. Oh well...I'll get it on the next playthrough. Handmaiden is still my favorite character in the game though.

I've just completed the Nar Shadaar portion (I think), I got Go-To in my party.

Now that's an interesting guy. He captures your you, tries to kill your party, and offers to help you AND threatens to kill you at the same time. Wow, I think he just might be my favorite behind Handmaiden.

 

[SantoUno]

I actually wouldn't advise getting the Xbox version, if at all possible. It's still a great game, but the combat is just unplayable. The framerate tanks hard if you get into any kind of fight more taxing than a couple of mooks, the music and sound assets will fade in and out when they feel like it, and, of course, you can't use the Restored Content Mod to bring back a lot of the missing content, such as quests, plotlines, character arcs, and an actual ending. The PC version is much more stable, but both are still great.

Well seeing as how I played KOTOR 2 and still enjoyed every second of it (seriously), I didn't find the combat unplayable. I am aware of all the technical problems, but funnily enough I've gotten so used to them I actually expect them now with little to no problem. Ironically they became "ingrained" into the fond memories I had of that game haha.

And OF COURSE I would get the PC version if I could! I WANT to play the RC mod sooo badly, but alas, this mortal does not have a computer fit for gaming. Hell I was barely able to run KOTOR 1 on this old laptop when I got it off Steam, and even then the onscreen graphics went haywire around the time I got to Dantooine so I was forced to stop playing.