It was but a matter of time for Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords to be remastered and released for the Switch, in the same manner Aspyr did with its predecessor about half a year ago. Originally developed by Obsidian, the same folks behind Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds, it was a game plagued by a rushed development cycle, which just showed how capable the studio was with delivering great titles in spite of such harsh developmental conditions. It feels incomplete, sure, but it’s still great. And we can finally play this bad boy on-the-go.

Being a sequel to one of the most important Western RPGs of all time isn’t the easiest of tasks. Everyone loved the original KOTOR, even though, granted, it was flawed beyond belief. It was ugly, janky, and had a really slow start. It overcame its issues thanks to a strong plot, excellent characters, and an amazing, albeit complicated, combat system. Knights of the Old Republic II, for the most part, is the same game, but with a few trinkets here and there.

Moderately improved graphics, with more unique character models and more races being represented in-game, are all that you’re getting over the original KOTOR in terms of visuals. For the most part, Knights of the Old Republic II looks exactly like its predecessor, ugly. Aspyr did improve the game’s framerate and resolution, just like it did with its predecessor, but that’s basically it. It’s an acquired taste, that’s for sure. Make sure to play it in portable mode, since a smaller screen does wonders in hiding Knights of the Old Republic II‘s visual imperfections. The combat system has also received a few minute improvements. They are small, but welcoming nonetheless.

The high point of Knights of the Old Republic II is its story, which was penned by Chris Avellone. Most of what made people love it back in the day was the way it dealt with the Force and the Jedi Order in general, in a very cynical and skeptical manner. The character of Kreia was by far its highlight, being someone attuned with the Force, but not with the Jedi Knights themselves. It’s almost as if it ended up giving birth to how Luke Skywalker’s character would portray his relationship with the Jedi in The Last Jedi. Say what you want about that movie, and boy, do I have a lot to say about it, but Luke ditching the Force was one of my favorite parts about that beautiful mess. Chris Avellone’s take on this sci-fi religion is not unlike what Rian Johnson would explore a few years later.

With that said, Knights of the Old Republic II feels incomplete. That’s because, in a way, it is. You can see holes in its plot progression, as well as its length, all throughout your playthrough. That’s where the “Restored Content” DLC comes in. In theory, this free patch will include content that didn’t make the cut when Knights of the Old Republic II was first released in 2005, including a new ending, more crew interactions, and a few new missions. The quality of said DLC pack remains to be seen, but the fact it will be included in this version of the game makes it already more interesting than the OG Xbox port, for instance.

In short, if you liked the original Knights of the Old Republic, then you’ll certainly want to grab this port of Knights of the Old Republic II. For the most part, it’s more of what you’ve loved since 2003/2005, as well as more of what you’ve loved from Aspyr’s remaster of the original, but with the added benefit of a potentially game-changing free DLC pack meant to fix plot holes and an overall lack of content which plagued the original game ever since it was first released, making it the definitive way to play this underrated gem of an RPG. Not to mention being able to take it on-the-go.

 

Graphics: 5.5 It looks a bit better than its predecessor, but still pretty ugly for an OG Xbox game. Play it in handheld mode.	Gameplay: 8.0 The combat system from the original Knights of the Old Republic received a few new tweaks that make it a bit more streamlined and entertaining. It’s a very modest improvement, but a welcoming one nonetheless.
Sound: 9.0 It retains the same sound design from the first Knights of the Old Republic: an excellent soundtrack, great voice acting, and silly lines of dialogue for alien races.	Fun Factor: 8.0 Plot-wise, Knights of the Old Republic II has a stronger start than its predecessor, but suffers later on due to the nature of its troubled development. It’s still pretty good, with neat themes and strong characters. Not to mention the slightly stronger gameplay.
Final Verdict: 7.5

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is available now on Xbox (the OG one, albeit playable via backwards compatibility on more modern systems), PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch.

A copy of Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords was provided by the publisher.