Is it possible for Bioware, a company that values story above almost anything, to add something new to the MMO genre with 'Star Wars The Old Republic'?
By Nanna Florang Pedersen
I am walking away from an old factory.
I just managed to get some bombs that I had to deliver to a terrorist cell. I am working undercover and with every step I take I need to be careful not to blow my cover. One of the Agents also working undercover calls me on a hologram. He presents me with a dilemma, either risk blowing my cover and save a lot of civilians, or stick with my mission and sacrifice some civilians.
I would usually value to save lives but I am afraid that this might blow my cover so I decide to stick with the mission. A few moments later the other Agents call me and describe the damage the bombs did. I feel sad and angry and this is where the new Star Wars game shines: Epic storytelling.
Before I get carried away I should start at the beginning. As in other MMOs you start in the character creation. The first choice you have to make is to whether or not you are going to ally yourself with the Republic or the Empire. After that you choose which species and class you want to play for example I started with a female human Imperial Agent.
When the creation is done you get the classic scrolling yellow test that Star Wars is so known for and you start to feel the familiar feeling of adventure. The text briefly describes who you are as a person and how your adventure will start.
The start of the game was simple because I had played other MMOs before, however SWTOR has no real structural tutorial. This could make new players feel a little overwhelmed with the information getting thrown their way and with hostile NPCS waiting around the corner, life can be short.
As mentioned in the beginning is it possible to play your character in any way. You could be asshole of the galaxy, the goody two shoes or just a cocky independent I-don’t-give-a-crap kinda guy. The story part is told through the class quest and completing them will progress my story and further shape my character. Sometimes when I have to make a choice in the game a little sign will show whether it is a light side choice or a dark side choice. This also helps define your character because you do not have to be “evil” to play a sith.
The class quests are by far the most interesting quests in the game and regular quest can become a bit trivial. It is still the same MMO stuff with “kill 30 sandpeople”. The fully voiced dialogue however can make it more interesting and if you are playing with friends the game provides a roll when you are interacting with NPCs.
For example I was playing with some friends and as mentioned before I play as a good character, however my teammates were playing as evil characters. I would chose conversation option 1 and one would chose conversation option 3 but whoever rolled the highest would get to speak. This little feature makes the conversation more dynamic and prevented me from just skipping the conversation while questing with others.
This is a Star Wars game and just as Han Solo had Chewbacca, Luke had R2- D2 and Jabba the Hutt had princess Leia you also have a companion in the game. The companion work like most pets in other MMOs but with more personality and abilities. Companions can grow to love or hate you, and you get better items when they like you more. This adds to the storytelling and interacting with your companions will also help shape you as a character.
This is also a Bioware game so there is going to be some romance. The romance can be with random NPCs that you meet shortly or it can be with your companions. Some companions might even propose marriage. There are no explicit scenes and the romance mostly consists of kissing and getting different dialogue. This can add to your overall story of the game. The voice acting in this part is also worth mentioning as this is one of the reasons why you as a player would care about what happens to your companions.
There are several things I haven’t mentioned in this review because the game is so massive but I have covered what SWTOR adds to the MMO genre. The game feels like a really good story driven single player game with the opportunity to play with others. I feel like this is my story even though I see a lot of other Agents running around. My story in SWTOR is not over yet.
I would give 'Star Wars the Old Republic' a 9/10 and suggest it to all players who love great single player games but also want to play with others. The game is amazing and gives the term story telling a whole new depth.
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