Ok, well first off this is a Star Wars game and an epic one at that! Like any MMO you have to choose a class and make a character. The interesting thing about this MMO, however, is the fact you have companions that join you and are different with each class. The other thing is that each class has their own specific storyline like if you are playing KOTOR. Now this game does have a bit of a learning curve like all MMO's do, so don't get frustrated if you don't know everything right off the back. The main complaint I hear from people is the differences between Subscribers and Free-to-Play people. Subscribers get to enjoy everything the game has to offer while F2P is very limited. Now I get you want to do more, but reality has to set in at some point. You cant get everything for nothing, while there is some stupid things about F2P like not being able to trade items and such I honestly think it still gives you enough (such as the storyline and etc.) to play the game happily. Subscribers are not restricted on anything and actually get early access to DLC along with no charge to DLC. So in other words, you get what you pay for. Overall this a good game and has a lot to offer in the SW Universe, but it's not without its flaws. There are still hackers, bots that try to sell things and like everything on the internet there are many trolls/jerks. The game have some issues like in Flashpoints, but with all honesty submitting a ticket or telling them on the site, the company actually is mindful of their players and usually fix's its problems quickly. Because of the amount of Lore from the KOTOR games I highly suggest playing those before you start this game because it is based of those installments. If you aren't accustomed to playing MMO's this might be a good place start as its gameplay is easy to pick up on and is in a universe you probably know.
the old republic is a game to buy, the story is the best i´ve seen in any mmo, the gameplay is also one of the besst i´ve ever seen!
Overall rating
4/ 5
Gameplay
4/ 5
Graphics
4/ 5
Sound
4/ 5
Lasting Appeal
4/ 5
MasterRed01
fromCovington, GA
This game is perfect for:hardcore gamers
Could have been great, but...
PostedAugust 31, 2013
I have always been a big fan of Star Wars, ever since I was a kid, being stuck with no TV and only having the three original Star Wars movies to watch. And... well, come on! It has LIGHTSABERS in it with magical powers! And lightning hands! LIGHTNING HANDS!
Off of the joking bits, Star Wars: The Old Republic (or SWTOR) is an MMO focused on the time before all the movies, but after the Knights of the Old Republic games. Some people consider this the third game of that series, but... that really isn't true.
With the story, you chose your side, between the Republic's soldiers, Jedi, etc, and the Empire's Sith, Spies, things like that, along with various races. The customization is... not very good, to be honest. It has the basic things, and you can buy more looks for your character (kind of bull to me, honestly, giving us so little options to make our characters and making us pay for more). There are also three body builds in the game. One is smallish, somewhat like a kid, one is a normal build, and the other is a thicker build, a little over weight.
Once you have your race and class chosen, you are sent into whatever starting planet that class starts at, and, in total, there are 16 full stories for each class, two in each one, taking a different path depending on what specialization you choose when you reach a certain level.
With the story, you get a group of companions to join you on your party. You get one very early on in the game, of course. You can grow a relationship with each person, and, if you wish, grow a romance with them. This is where it starts to get a little... lazy.
For special scenes, like going out on a date, all that happens is the screen fading to black, and then a follow up dialogue that says how well the date went. That is IT! If they try to make us have a relationship to a partner, they should at least put some effort into it. I don't expect Mass Effect's level of scenes, but still, SOMETHING would have been nice.
For all scenes, on a higher note, is a dialogue wheel, like in the Mass Effect series. However, some lines are reused. For example, when I was talking to a guy who is nice to me for a quest, I will go to ask for more details, where my guy will say, and I quote 'I want details-NOW.' This is repeated quite a few times, along with other lines. It is quite glaring for those who pays attention and have a good memory of these things. This alone takes a little out of the experience on immersing yourself in this rich world. The scenes, while I am on the subject, feels... cheap, poorly done. Like you can tell, for example, when a person dies and is thrown back, that it is just an animation in the game, not real at all. Again, I don't expect Mass Effect level, but... yeah.
To the gameplay. For this... it depends on what you are willing to pay for it. Right now, the game is Free to Play, along with Preferred if you buy anything for the game, and a Subscription for every month. The differences between Sub and the other two is EXTREMELY unfair.
For the other two, you will gain ONLY 75% of the total experience from EVERYTHING you do, meaning Subs will level up A LOT faster. Not only this, but you WILL be under level when you go to the higher level planets, starting about the 30s. As of right now, I am a level 38 Sith Warrior, and I am stuck on a level 42 planet, BECAUSE of this thing alone! I can barely beat any enemies, I am running low on money because I cannot do anymore quests, and I am limited with doing everything else in the game.
Oh yeah, space missions, where you can control your ship and fight against enemies in it, is limited to three times a WEEK. Again... a WEEK. If it was a day, then yeah, that would be fair, but a week? They can give you a fair amount of experience as well, which can help. Along with space missions, Warzones and Dungeons are limited per week as well, further limiting you.
To add to this, you cannot equip an item that is of a purple color, which is one of the best classes of items. You can, only IF you BUY a permit to equip it! With REAL money!
I... I just... why? These alone makes me not only NOT want to subscribe to the game, but also to STOP playing. It is NOT fun to die over and over again, all because it is a 'Pay to Win' game now. This is a fatal FLAW in the game. If they have done what DC Universe has done, they would have been much better off. You do NOT sell power in an MMO. Cosmetic things and special items, like mounts and the like, are all fine, but power? It is beyond unfair.
There is also a limit on how much money you can have, and only one crew skill, where you can send out your group to get special equipment and items to help increase your affection for your party members. The battle system is pretty much what World of Warcraft used to be, before they simplified their system, having skill trees to spend your points in.
The sound quality is... pretty good. Some are hit and misses. You also have an ability called 'Heroic Moment' where a Star Wars theme will start playing, and your character becomes stronger, recovering health every few seconds. This won't make you unstoppable in the one minute it is in affect, but it helps, even with the 20 minute cooldown period.
The graphics are... well, they don't focus on being the bed in the world, but that is find, having its own graphical design. It helps make the game last longer, instead of focusing on realism which will be outdated in about two or three years. (seriously, why do people complain about that?)
I honestly really hate saying all of that, but it had to be said. This is a game made by Bioware, the same company that made the Mass Effect series and the Dragon Age series. They have also made the KOTOR series (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic).
I... will be honest, unless you plan on getting a subscription right off the bat, I wouldn't play the game for that long unless you are a hardcore Star Wars fan. With all of the bull restrictions gone, it is a pretty fun game, but for Free to Play and Preferred players, it will be MUCH harder and unfair, more than it should be.
I know I may sound like I'm ranting, but the restrictions MUST be known to new players, so they won't be shocked by them. If you are thinking about buying a copy somewhere to be automatically Preferred, or download the game from the site to be a Free to Play player, you have to keep all of this is mind. And this is sad. Ever since I saw the trailers, I was excited for it. I love Star Wars, and to see it turn into a full Pay to Win game is... awful. (then Star Wars Kinect came out... gah... dancing Darth Vader... both hilarious and mind horrifying at the same time).
Again, keep of of this in mind. When you're subbed, it's a lot better and easier. For anything else, like with me... I'm actually going to take a break from it once again, after only about a few days. That should tell you a bit about the game.
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