Red Dead Redemption

And another game has been cast down from my Hall of Shame. Goodbye Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: the Sith Lords!

Original image located here. Accessed 22nd September 2017

This is a difficult game to assess: largely because so much has already been said about it: The dramas this game had during development, the cut content that were eventually restored via the Steam release, the gamers who have given this game a frosty reputation gamers and have since warmed up to, the challenges this game has put to the Star Wars universe, the philosophizing present within a series not known for its subtlety.

I however played this game off of Steam and it’s through the lens of seeing a broken game restored that I have viewed this game.
And I saw a complete game. Okay, sure the ending may have been a bit abrupt but seeing how much effort has gone into restoring the lost content and how it has been applied into the original game, it is difficult to imagine how the originally released game went without it.
The game I played certainly looked complete. It had a clear beginning, middle and end. There were interesting characters, solid writing and depth that was unusual for Star Wars. It may seem like a re-tread of the first game in some ways but there was enough new content and the provision of a much different perspective that this game succeeds as a sequel.

Other than that, there isn’t a lot else I can say about this game: The characters are all well-written and memorable (favourites being Visas and HK-47), the writing is top-notch, and it’s a lot fun to play. Funny how games can be seen in a much different light given the passage of time and the meddling of modders. A fresh perspective on Star Wars that is lost following Disney’s ditching of the Expanded Universe? Sadly yes. Better than the sequel? You know I think it may well be.
It’s just a shame that the series ended here and sequel hasn’t been seen beyond the MMORPG.

One question though: Considering that I completed the game on the Light Side path, does that mean that The Exile can now be Force buddies with Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Anakin Skywalker? (sure they will all come much later but still….)