If you are unfamiliar with the Old Republic series, the first game Knights of the Old Republic single-handedly established Bioware as a best next-generation role-playing-game developer. They then proceeded to make such well regarded games as Mass Effect and Dragon Age. Although these other games are great, fans demanded another Old Republic game and Bioware finally answered those demands.

One of the perks of the Sith Assassin is the ability to use double-bladed lightsabers.

What’s different about The Old Republic from the previous games is that it is a massively multiplayer online game, which means the game is absolutely huge and can be played simultaneously by millions of people. I currently have a level 26 Sith Assassin who works as a stealth damage-dealing character, much like a Rouge. Assassins are based off the Darth Maul character from Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace and therefore have the special ability to use double-bladed light sabers. I have also created a Republic character who is a Smuggler. However, my playtime with the character has been very limited so most of my experience comes from the Sith Assassin perspective.

This game lives up to and exceeds the hype fans expected of it. It has everything one could want in a role-playing game: morality choices, companions with personality and a deepening of the Star Wars expanded universe. That’s not to mention the addition of a massively multiplayer world where you can do all of this in a group setting. As expected, there are tons of quests, but what makes them different from any other MMO is the fact that each character has full voice-over dialogue and most of their quests end up being interesting short stories that add to the universe.

When you have picked your character and class, you have your own story missions that deal with only your character and the choices he or she makes. This insures that all the quests feel much more meaningful and makes you feel immersed in this giant world Bioware has let you explore. Immersion is something that all MMOs have lost me on, but Old Republic truly is demanding me to give up my normal social life.

I never really understood the MMO addiction problem that apparently comes with games like World of Warcraft until now. The way Old Republic manages to be more addictive is by having these voiced story elements that are interesting whether or not you are playing within a group.

Old Republic also captures the incredible feeling of being in the world of Star Wars. Every time I land my ship on a new planet (most recently Tatooine) I get a tingle running all the way down my spine. I have been in love with the Star Wars movies since I was a child and to now have the ability to explore these planets with friends to such an enormous degree is nothing short of staggering.

A Republic Trooper and Smuggler pose in front of their ship.

The companion system of Old Republic can also allow for interesting new gameplay. You get the companion near the end of the quest line on your beginning planet, and I received the companion Khem Val, who specializes in getting enemies’ attention and taking damage while I quickly kill them using my Assassin’s stealth abilities. This system works very well and adds a new degree of strategy when playing the game solo.

The companion is not just used as an aid in battle though. He or she actually talks to you and will become more attached depending on the decisions you make while he or she is around. This is something that Bioware has always done in their games, but it’s pretty huge for an MMO to have.

If you are familiar with past Old Republic or MMO games, the combat should also feel pretty familiar. It is all based on hot-keys and a recharging “Force” bar. That doesn’t mean it’s a carbon copy of previous games, however. The melee action is much faster than what most MMO players will be accustomed to. In my brief time with a ranged character, the combat felt completely different, definitely influenced by Bioware’s other franchise Mass Effect. With the Smuggler you actually use cover and can jump from spot to spot based an enemies position, which for an MMO feels fresh.

There is a ridiculous amount of content in this game, but the folks at Bioware have already been adding new content. The Old Republic is likely to be a game I will be playing for years to come. I have been so immersed in it that I haven’t even touched Skyrim since its release.

Bioware has done the seemingly impossible by creating a world that feels truly like Star Wars while combining everything that people love about classic MMOs and integrating important aspects from their past games. They have created a truly unbelievable experience that I cannot wait to sink more time into.

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Images: Supplied