Poll: KOTOR II: To Restored Content or not to Restored Content?

[Neverhoodian]

So in honor of Star Wars Day (May 4th) I'm thinking of doing something that I've been meaning to get around to for a long time: play KOTOR II from start to finish. The first game is one of my all-time favorite Star Wars games. I've beaten it several times, but I've only gotten as far as the second or third planet in KOTOR II (I can't quite remember, it's been a while). I'm not sure why, because I do remember enjoying the writing and gameplay tweaks they made. I have the game installed and primed, but I'd like some input on whether I should install the Restored Content Mod for my first full playthrough.

I know all about KOTOR II's rushed development and how Obsidian was forced to scrap most of the endgame content. I also know about the Restored Content Mod, and how it's generally considered a "must-install" to get the most complete version of the game. Frankly, I'd rather experience the "proper" game, as it was originally intended to be. However, the history buff in me feels like I should play through the game at least once unmodified, so I can better appreciate what players initially experienced. It would also provide some frame of context so I knew which content was in the initial game and what's been restored.

 

[dyre]

I'm a history buff myself - earning my Bachelor's in History this month! - but as someone who's played the unmodified game (before playing the modified version years later), let's just say that it's better to read about atrocities than experience them firsthand.

Just play the modified version, and read an article about the original later to see what was cut out. Trust me, it's not that exciting, just terribly disappointing.

 

[woodaba]

As someone who loved the unmodded version to death, get the modded version. It fixes so many problems and makes the experience so much more rewarding.

 

[DoPo]

I've only played the modded version. It's easy to see where there are just big gaping holes in places. The patch certainly helps but a bandage over a gunshot wound cannot cover it up.

KOTOR 2 is one of those games where you certainly could play with no restored content but the question would be "why?" as it really does not make much sense - it is certainly better to get the modded experience than force yourself to go through without it.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

I've only played the modded version. It's easy to see where there are just big gaping holes in places. The patch certainly helps but a bandage over a gunshot wound cannot cover it up.

KOTOR 2 is one of those games where you certainly could play with no restored content but the question would be "why?" as it really does not make much sense - it is certainly better to get the modded experience than force yourself to go through without it.

yepp this, for anyone who likes to do the "pure" developers intention run, by all means, this mod/restoration patch is exactly what the dev initially intended (not EVERYTHING mind you, but a damn huge chunk of it that makes it much smoother of a ride)

I played it unmodded on the xbox years ago when it first came out, and after getting it on pc and installing the patch, i didn't go back.

 

[The Madman]

There is really no reason whatsoever to play the game at this point without the restored content mod installed short perhaps of idle curiosity towards just how much the mod improves things. That's pretty much the only reason I can think of why someone would bother to play without if they have the option of playing with, and frankly that's not a good enough reason to be worth it in my mind.

Why go for an inferior experience when there's an improved one available at no added cost and with minimal effort?

 

[TheIceQueen]

I'll throw my hat into the ring and say that you should play it with the restored content mod. There's no reason to not do it. Without the mod, I hate KOTOR II. With the mod, it's one of my favorites and it's even better than the first game.

 

[Neverhoodian]

Hmm, I don't really see any historical significance or interest in playing Kotor 2 without the restored content mod. Unless you're interested in how it, like many other games, was released buggy and unfinished, but later came to be considered excellent games after content was restored and bugs were ironed out. If that is something that interests you, then go ahead and play it without the restored content.

 

[Doom972]

I played through this game four times - the latter two playthroughs were done using the mod. There's no reason to play it without the mod, since it doesn't take away anything from the game. If you are worried about bugs, then know that it's buggier without it.

Those modders did such a fantastic job with this game, that I think that the Steam version should come with the mod already installed.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

I've only played the game without the mod (on original Xbox)

That was a horrible experience. It's not like you'd be missing anything - having quest givers glitch so they no longer have the proper conversation options, or having teammates glitch out and not respond is not some sort of 'missed experience' - It's just playing a crap game, and who would want to play that?

Modding it isn't just going to add more content, but also sort out glitches and bugs that are potentially progress ruining: You are better off not having that crap first playthrough where you are too annoyed at the gamebreaking bugs to pay attention to the characters.

Modding it could only be a good thing.

 

[Neverhoodian]

Thanks for the feeback, everyone. Sounds like playing it with the mod right away is the way to go after all.

It's probably for the best. I don't have as much time to play games nowadays compared to my teenage days when I was introduced to the series, so it would take me much longer to get to the "proper" experience if I went vanilla the first time around.

 

[AD-Stu]

Yeah, play it with the mod from the outset - especially if you've only really got time to play it once. It's just... better in every way, really.

 

[BrotherRool]

So I fell in love with this game years before decent mods existed for it (I remember the days of Team Gizka =D). If Obsidian had made a game not worth playing then there wouldn't have been so many people willing to work for years to restore it. There's nobody whose ever going to see if they can uncover some lost content for Ride to Hell: Retribution.

...but I would still advise you to play with the restored content patch. The bugs it fixes are just annoying, replaying an unstable game doesn't give you any sense of history. Otherwise the thing is, the restored content patch doesn't get rid of any massive plotholes, it doesn't rewrite the story. Most of the time it's just adding scenes and events that were meant to help the story flow along but were cut for time. It's less like reading the original Hobbit and finding out about how Tolkien totally rewrote the idea of the Ring and more like reading a book which is generally entertaining and makes sense but leaves you feeling like a couple of pages might have been torn out at some point.


If you want to feed the history buff in you. Play the game with the restored content patch and then replay it vanilla.