Released in the summer of 2003, Bioware’s Knights of the Old Republic didn't just buck the trend for shoddy Star Wars titles; it opened up a whole new universe of possibility. Unblemished by the sins of the prequel saga, this seminal RPG attracted scores of Skywalker-wannabes, eventually shifting over 2 and a quarter million copies on the Xbox and PC. With the game’s 10-year anniversary fast approaching, Mac developer Aspyr has unveiled its latest take on the title — an iPad port that’s already receiving plenty of positive buzz online.
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What won’t, and needn't, ever be updated for this mobile port is the game’s stellar approach to storytelling. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic features a space opera so enthralling it rivals the scope and intrigue of the old school saga itself. Wading through reams of pre-existing lore, ‘KotOR’ transplanted players back to an age of galactic antiquity, a time of ‘Old Republics’ and endless conflict.
An even longer time ago in a galaxy far, far away, you might say. Cast in the role of an unknown force-sensitive, players are surrounded by a cast of colourful characters, ranging from the Han Solo-lite antics of Carth Onassi to the murderous musings of breakout star HK-47. With galactic turmoil in the offing and an arguably better-than-the-Death-Star super weapon falling into Sith hands, gamers undertook a perilous mission to stop the villainous Darth Malak and uncover their own secret identities.
From following your destiny, to training as a Jedi, piloting your own ‘bucket of bolts’ to raising a ragtag bunch of heroes, Knights of the Old Republic nailed everything about the Star Wars experience to a tee. Its 2004 sequel The Sith Lords sold well but failed to inspire quite the same fervour as its predecessor, a fact that owes as much to the games’ rushed development cycle as it does to the titles new home at Obsidian Entertainment. The series eventually re-emerged as the solid, if unspectacular 2011 MMO The Old Republic (read our review here).
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is sure to find a whole new generation of fans with its iOS port, which has only just recently dropped out of Hyperspace. Fans can pick it up from the App Store now for $9.99 — baring in mind that it's a 1.98GB download.
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Sources: Eurogamer