Poll: Replaying through KOTOR series - Should I skip the first one? (Also, what mods should I use?)

[Eduku]

EDIT: I've since decided to play through both games, so let's instead discuss which do you prefer, KOTOR 1 or 2?

I'm planning to start replaying through the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic games, and I was wondering whether I should bother going through the first one again. Since I've already finished it before, I already know about the big story twist in the original KOTOR as well as all the endings, but it's been many, many years since I last played a KOTOR game, so I can't really remember the details of the story, just the main storyline.

While I'm on the topic of KOTOR, what mods are recommended? For KOTOR 2 I'm already planning to use the restoration patch and skip Peragus since I remember that part being dreadfully boring. Any other mods (this applies to KOTOR 1 as well)?

 

[shrekfan246]

Did you like the first one when you originally played it? If so, then sure, play it again. It's aged, but it and its sequel are still the only implementation of directly D&D-based rules in video games that I've been able to stomach personally (as I'd say Dragon Age is closer to something like World of Warcraft than D&D as far as the combat rules go).

It meanders slightly less than KotOR II in the beginning parts (Taris is a drag, but at least it starts picking up after that, whereas II continues to meander on the Citadel for a while after you've escaped Peragus), and the characters/story are pretty standard Bioware fare so if you like that then you'll probably not hate them, though I do think the writing in II is still much more meaningful.

As for mods, I've never used any for the first one so I can't recommend any, but definitely use the Restoration mod and Skip Peragus. I believe Skip Peragus gives you the ability of getting a lightsaber right away as well, which is pretty nice considering how long it took for base KotOR II to give you one.

 

[Thebazilly]

Play KOTOR 1 again, too, it's a good game, and knowing the twist beforehand can help you spot a lot of foreshadowing.

I like to get mods for the lightsaber hilts so they don't all look the same. I did my own recolors of the lightsaber blades, too. (It's easy to find and edit the files.)

 

[RJ 17]

You're not really "replaying the series" if you don't play the first (of two) games now are you?

Besides, I'm sure a lot of people would agree that KotOR 1 was the better game. Even with the Restoration Patch, KotOR II just felt kinda hollow. It was fun, don't get me wrong, and I really liked how you could turn literally everyone on your ship into a jedi or a sith by working on your reputation with them. Still though, it's like I said: no point in saying you're going to replay the series if you're going to skip over one of them.

Go Dark Sider so you can pick up Revan's badass armor in the Star Forge.

 

[spartandude]

you wouldn't be doing the series you'd just be doing one game. so no dont skip the first one and in terms of mods i would happily play the first vanilla and the second with a restored content mod

 

[Eduku]

You're not really "replaying the series" if you don't play the first (of two) games now are you?

I suppose you're right

Besides, I'm sure a lot of people would agree that KotOR 1 was the better game. Even with the Restoration Patch, KotOR II just felt kinda hollow. It was fun, don't get me wrong, and I really liked how you could turn literally everyone on your ship into a jedi or a sith by working on your reputation with them. Still though, it's like I said: no point in saying you're going to replay the series if you're going to skip over one of them.

Maybe lack of memory means I'm not giving the first KOTOR enough credit but I thought the second was superior in terms of characters, writing and thematic development. The first had that typical Bioware 'black or white' outlook whereas Obsidian's take was much more ambiguous (although it does annoy me that despite this, you're still shoehorned into being light or dark side, there's no benefit in staying as a 'grey' jedi). Of course don't get me wrong, they're both legendary games in my opinion.

Go Dark Sider so you can pick up Revan's badass armor in the Star Forge.

I'm still deciding which sides to pick in both games. I might go light for 1 and dark for 2. Or maybe the other way around. Who knows.

Also, I'm going to follow everyone's advice and play through the first KOTOR.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

use the restoration patch for sure on 2, otherwise grab the top 10 mods from all categories on this site, it makes the customization/depth go alot further (imo)

http://knightsoftheoldrepublic.filefront.com/

which that applies for both games, not just the first or second.

 

[Godhead]

I'd say play the first one again. But for the love of god make sure that you have the restoration mod and the enhancement project when you do KOTOR 2.

 

[dangoball]

I say play KotOR 1 as well and for mods, well I don't really remember the names but there's one story mod that continues the game after Star Forge (someones revenge or somesuch?) and I really like the mod that add new jedi powers, some levels so you can try out more of those powers and makes the endgame harder because of those extra lvls on your character.

 

[SycoMantis91]

I know you already decided to play the first one. But while I love both, I think the original is one of the best stories ever told. Especially if you've only played it once or twice, there are a lot of elements based on personal choices that you haven't yet experienced. There are also many references to events and characters from the first game in 2.

 

[Glongpre]

Besides, I'm sure a lot of people would agree that KotOR 1 was the better game. Even with the Restoration Patch, KotOR II just felt kinda hollow. It was fun, don't get me wrong, and I really liked how you could turn literally everyone on your ship into a jedi or a sith by working on your reputation with them.

Nope. 2 was way, way better for me. 1 felt too cliche almost, like I had heard that story before. The characters were also amazing in 2 and since the game has you interact a lot with them...
Also, the gameplay was improved a little bit. I even like unmodded 2 better than 1, it just feels kinda boring, idk.

 

[Bolwing]

In my humble opinion, 2 felt a bit rushed in places, and the planet you start on was damn boring. But both games are quite good (even if 1 has a better ending, but that is, again, just my opinion.)

 

[RJ 17]

Besides, I'm sure a lot of people would agree that KotOR 1 was the better game. Even with the Restoration Patch, KotOR II just felt kinda hollow. It was fun, don't get me wrong, and I really liked how you could turn literally everyone on your ship into a jedi or a sith by working on your reputation with them.

Nope. 2 was way, way better for me. 1 felt too cliche almost, like I had heard that story before. The characters were also amazing in 2 and since the game has you interact a lot with them...
Also, the gameplay was improved a little bit. I even like unmodded 2 better than 1, it just feels kinda boring, idk.

Welp, to each their own. Pretty much everyone in my circle of gamer friends would say just the opposite: that 2 felt hollow and boring while 1 was a lot of fun to play through. I don't begrudge you for liking 2 better, though, it had it's moments. But having to seek out the pieces to HK47 rather than being able to get him fairly early in the game was a huge drawback in my opinion.

 

[RJ 17]

You're not really "replaying the series" if you don't play the first (of two) games now are you?

Besides, I'm sure a lot of people would agree that KotOR 1 was the better game. Even with the Restoration Patch, KotOR II just felt kinda hollow. It was fun, don't get me wrong, and I really liked how you could turn literally everyone on your ship into a jedi or a sith by working on your reputation with them. Still though, it's like I said: no point in saying you're going to replay the series if you're going to skip over one of them.

Go Dark Sider so you can pick up Revan's badass armor in the Star Forge.

While I love both and have them firmly in my 'top games of all time', I just feel that KOTOR II surpassed the first in just about every way. The writing was just so much more engaging. Less black and white, more shades of grey. I guess morality is a tricky thing to nail in writing, and Obsidian are the masters of it.

Yeah, as I said in the post right above yours: to each their own. Myself and most of my friends agreed that the first game was better. The plot seems to flow better and the climax is actually enjoyable instead of "Defeat Kreia, fly off into the great unknown in your search for Revan." But then again, we all played it on consoles, so we didn't have a chance to get the patch that finished the HK factory and what-not. I dunno, I definitely do see where people are coming from with 2 dealing more with the grey area between Sith and Jedi, but when the game was over it just left me with a "Huh...well...that just happened..." kinda feeling. And to me, the Sith ending to KotOR 1 was just so deliciously enjoyable...reclaiming your rightful title as Sith Lord by defeating your treacherous apprentice, and hearing him finally admit that you were always greater than him...just so satisfying if you ask me.

Not to mention that one of the side effects of the first game being so black and white was the fact that the dark sider choices in general were hilariously evil.

 

[Vivi22]

Play KOTOR 1 again, too, it's a good game, and knowing the twist beforehand can help you spot a lot of foreshadowing.

Honestly, with how heavy handed Bioware was I'm not sure why anyone would miss the foreshadowing in the first game. The twist was so obvious to me almost immediately that it was painful playing through it with Bioware trying to pretend it's some big secret that I shouldn't know.

That's the biggest reason I like the second game far, far more than the first. Putting aside glitches and what not (which don't bother me too much), the writing in KOTOR2 is just so much better than Biowares. But I've never played a Bioware game with writing I liked to be honest.

 

[Funyahns]

I wish a third game had been made. I really love Kotor. Mainly just like dragging HK47 everywhere with me. If only I could change my inner monologue in my mind.

BTW I was a bigger fan of part 2 in a lot of ways. I loved the echo and ripple effects that were brought into the game. I think it is something the new Star Wars movies could adapt.

 

[RJ 17]

Yeah, as I said in the post right above yours: to each their own. Myself and most of my friends agreed that the first game was better. The plot seems to flow better and the climax is actually enjoyable instead of "Defeat Kreia, fly off into the great unknown in your search for Revan." But then again, we all played it on consoles, so we didn't have a chance to get the patch that finished the HK factory and what-not. I dunno, I definitely do see where people are coming from with 2 dealing more with the grey area between Sith and Jedi, but when the game was over it just left me with a "Huh...well...that just happened..." kinda feeling. And to me, the Sith ending to KotOR 1 was just so deliciously enjoyable...reclaiming your rightful title as Sith Lord by defeating your treacherous apprentice, and hearing him finally admit that you were always greater than him...just so satisfying if you ask me.

Not to mention that one of the side effects of the first game being so black and white was the fact that the dark sider choices in general were hilariously evil.

True, the dark side resolution for the Sandral-Matale feud in KOTOR 1 is by far one of the most memorable and cackling-inducing moments in gaming

Seriously, when you get both families to completely slaughter one another and you're just sitting there with a smile at the end of it? Yeah, the first time I pulled that off I couldn't stop laughing.

 

[AuronFtw]

Everything about Kotor 2 was worse. Worse characters, worse weapons, worse armors, worse settings, worse spaceship, worse dialog, worse story and worse presentation. Every single NPC is so grating and annoying you just want to kick them in the teeth after maybe 5 minutes. There's no depth or character building, it's just the pain of being surrounded by annoying cunts for hours on end.

And that's without getting into how half-finished the game was. Lot of content cut out, and it's pretty buggy even if you force it back in via mods. All in all, kotor 2 was significantly worse than 1, in pretty much every way imaginable. If you were going to skip a game in this 2-game series, I'd definitely recommend skipping 2; or better yet, just playing 1 and pretending 2 never got made (and definitely don't play WoW-in-space).