Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Review

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is nearly 10 years old, and this dense, thematically fulfilling RPG finally finds a home on the iPad. Tablet users hungering for hours to kill will have a field day with this title, and newbies will discover a dark, uncompromising tale that brings added depth to the George Lucas created universe.

The adventure begins with a Republic ship on its last legs after an attack by Sith troops. Darth Malak, the Dark Lord of the Sith, is determined to ruin the Jedi Order, killing Jedi Knights who don't turn over to the dark side of the Force. Players have the ability to choose a male or female character for the adventure, and the first order of business is to exit the ship immediately. Your ultimate goal is to stop Malak and his path of destruction, but having amnesia is not helping the cause.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is strictly for gamers who crave an immersive experience. Although you will be able to use the Force and wield light sabers, a healthy chunk of the adventure deals in dialogue. Many of these exchanges lead to the shaping of your character's personality and temperament. If you want to join the light side of The Force, being a Good Samaritan helps you achieve that goal. Insulting patrons at the local cantina, instigating fights, or basically doing the wrong thing will lead you towards the path of the Sith. Along with the tons of dialogue, you're also inundated with customization choices on your fighter's skills. As you move further into the game, make sure you devote a few points to computer use and repair!

Moving your hero around requires directionally swiping your screen to your intended destination, and to engage the enemy just tap away and let the action commence. The adversaries are noted by the red marks on the upper right hand of the screen, and the boxes featured contain the type of weapons at your disposal. In the photo below, I'm dressed as a Sith soldier and am ready to kill this Black Vullkar with my blaster rifle. I also have a frag grenade handy on one of the boxes for good measure.

The ability to play as any member of following party is one of the many facets that keeps the game interesting. There are moments when you'll need to play certain characters to achieve a certain task, as their skill set may give them a better chance to fix a droid or even break into a security system. One of your first team members, Carth, continues to distrust your allegiance even though you saved his hide back on the ship, while another partner has joined up the cause to find her Wookie best friend. It's these little touches that made this game popular a decade ago, and thankfully the graphics hold up as well.

There are many twists and turns in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and if this is your first time taking on the title, try not to seek out any spoilers. The true gratification behind finishing this dense and absorbing experience is to come to the final stages, when you are directly faced with every single consequence of your deeds. Will you end up a hero or follow the path of evil? Now with a seamless and successful iPad port, tablet users can weigh those decisions with the simple tap and touch of the screen.

App Store Link: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for iPad | By Aspyr Media | Price: $9.99 | Version: 1.0 | 1.98 GB | Rating 12+