As fans eagerly await any news surrounding Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, many are wondering how the game will play compared to Knights of the Old Republic classics. Some speculate that the turn-based action of the original titles will shift into real-time combat, similar to how the first version of Final Fantasy 7 changed with Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth. However, one system from the older games is often overlooked, but would be perfect in a narrative set in arguably the most interesting time period of the Star Wars universe.
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Some of the excitement with Fate of the Old Republic is how it could connect to Knights of the Old Republic games, in story, characters, or events from any title. Speculation and rumors wonder if the original KotR will serve as the basis for the events of the newest game, or if KotR 2: The Sith Lords or The Old Republic MMO will play any significance to the series’ narrative future. Both follow-ups to the original classic are different in many ways, with some having to alter traditional RPG systems to deal with unique restrictions in their development.
Fate Of The Old Republic Needs To Bring Back Verbal Boss Battles From KoTR 2: The Sith Lords
The unique limitations of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords included the game’s rushed development, which caused the title to release unfinished in 2004. However, the obstacles that came with the game’s production created some of the most unique RPG systems imaginable, courtesy of Obsidian Entertainment’s ingenuity and intense work. The sequel to BioWare’s foray into the ancient past of the Star Wars mythos was an RPG like the first game, but had tonally different approaches to several concepts.
One limitation manifesting in the game’s boss battles, which were few and far between compared to the major enemies from the first Knights of the Old Republic. While there were still high intensity combat situations, some scenarios had to be scrapped, replaced instead with cutting bits of verbal dialogue rather than balanced brawls. There are several exchanges between important characters that never come to blows, instead becoming intense debates and philosophical arguments that can lead to moments of “victory.”
Although players still needed to fight figures like Darth Nihilus, other characters like the Jedi Master Atris, Darth Sion, and even the final boss Darth Traya have a heavier focus on dialogue rather than just reducing their health to zero. The first interaction with Atris is the prime example of this, as you can peel back layers of her motivations if you have high enough stats in certain categories. Similar to other great RPGs of recent years, some battles are won by simply finding the fatal flaw in another character’s thinking.
Limitations In Knights Of The Old Republic 2’s Development Created Unique Confrontations
Cut content and lack of proper funding forced KotR 2: The Sith Lords to have repetitive scenes, even in its most dramatic moments. That being said, the writing that Obsidian created managed to turn these sections of the game into incredibly impactful scenes of reflection, hammering home the themes of detachment and reliance on The Force. This extended to boss fights like the one against Darth Sion, where the Sith Lord’s invincible body is being held together through The Force, making him impossible to kill through battle.
Instead of defeating him with a swing of a lightsaber, the only way to beat Darth Sion is to talk him down, passing dialogue checks through your character’s stats. By picking the right options and paying attention to the story to realize Darth Sion’s desire to die, you can help the character let go of his crumbling body. This moment has multiple paths depending on whether your character follows the Light Side or Dark Side, but the end result is a testament to how this game turns a limitation into a strength.
Unlocking Cutting Dialogue To Dress Down Bosses With Words Is An Underrated Mechanic
The ending of KotR 2: The Sith Lords is another example of how good writing can be just as interesting as a big boss fight, as Kreia’s insight into the Force allows her to “see” the outcomes of all characters in your party. She even has greater insight into the future of Star Wars, with references to later events. Having her tell you the endings of the game instead of showing them to you may have been due to budget restraints, but it emphasizes how boss battles in Old Republic games can be allowed to have greater weight through dialogue.
Whether it is a Sith-focused story again in Fate of the Old Republic or another standard Jedi adventure, having more intense dialogue encounters could be a great addition to the game. Regardless of how the title’s combat is handled, part of the fun from Knights of the Old Republic 2 came from how detailed conversations could be, with some lines even cutting off the person you’re speaking to in moments of tense emotional back and forth. This makes interactions feel “real,” giving characters layered personalities, including the protagonist based on which options you choose.
Despite how verbal boss battles were unintentional at first, they remain a unique feature to Knights of the Old Republic‘s sequel that lets dialogue shine just as much as any fights. In many cases, it was more fun to look forward to speaking with a character than it was to attack them. If Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic is going to bring back any mechanics from past titles, it might be worth investing time to write boss battles that are more interesting than a clash of lightsabers, but rather a verbal clash of ideals.
What mechanics or systems from past games do you think need to be in Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
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