I picked up KotOR after hearing a great number of accolades about it originality and unmatched storyline. I was curious, GameStop was selling it for 25 bucks used and I decided to see what all the hub-bub was about.

I went home, put it in my XBOX and played it for about 30 minutes before I had to leave and go to work. That night a friend let me borrow his brand new copy of DOOM 3. Needless to say, KotOR didnt get much play time over the next 2 or 3 weeks.

After I had beaten DOOM, I was watching GPhoria and was suprised to see that KotOR had won the game of the year award (A rather dubious honor, I thought, remembering the absolute crap-tastic games that are usually shined-upon in their review shows).

Remembering I still had KotOR in my XBOX, I fired it up and ended up playing for 5 hours that night. To date, I've put in over 20 hours- about halfway through (completing a side mission now and then).

I have only reviewed three topics, mainly because these three are the only three that make a good game in my opinion, anything else is filler. Without further ado:

Graphics:
Cut-scenes look amazing- especially docking sequences when you're first introduced to new planets. Without giving too much away, there is an assualt on a planet early in the game that looks absolutely fantastic.

In-game graphics are nice, beyond the typical RPG fare. Clicking the right thumb-stick gets a first-person view of your surroundings, which are typically lush and full of eye candy.

Characters:
Some characters are brilliantly created, especially the droids that join your party early in the game. They're endearing in the sense that you actually care what's happening to them. They have incredible depth and you hang on every word they say.

Then there are flat, listless, boring characters. These are the characters that serve a utility purpose (meet this person, give him this, take him here) and later become integrated into your party. I really dont care what happens to these characters, they get no armor, no cool weapons and if they croak in battle- I usually wont waste a medpac on them.

Gameplay:
The coolest aspect of the game is the Light/Dark meter in your character development screen. When you do something noble (help a helpless person, fend off attackers, feed the hungry, save a whale, etc.) you get Light Side points; the inverse is true if you threaten or extort people. However, this is a double edged sword:

I am currently playing the game as a Light Jedi. This means if I so much as learn a Dark Force power or frown at a child, I take a huge plunge into the Dark on my Force meter. It also means that I have to talk my issues out with people before lopping their heads off with my lightsaber (which makes me die a little inside every time I have to step away from an easy victory).

Mini-games are a huge gripe of mine in this game. All three (Swoop Racing, Pazaak, and manning the gun turrets) feel incredibly half-assed and poorly put-together.

Swoop Racing is similar to the drag racing game in Need for Speed: Underground. You start out in your Swoop Bike, hit the gas and you're shot down a section of straight track. You must time your shifts and boost pad trails to beat a certain time.

This game would be a lot of fun if they refined it and eliminated the huge difficulty dispairity between the times that you race. The first time you race is laughably easy, the next time you want to hack your XBOX with a lightsaber (a lightsaber of frustration).

Pazaak is uselessly complicated and not anything close to fun. Honestly, I would rather work out a Finite math equation than play a game of Pazaak.

Manning the gun turrets would be fun if it wasnt so incredibly easy and repetitive. I mean, the fighters fly right at you and there's usually 25 of 'em. I also find the conrols to be a bit sluggish in this aspect of the game.

Overall:
By and large, this game play and feels unlike anything else I have ever played. The originality and superior combat engine make this game a must have for any RPG'er- and if not, you should take a serious look, this could be the beginning of a new interest in video gaming.