KOTOR Remake Will Be A PS5 Exclusive At Launch
Are you still on the fence about buying the PS5? Perhaps you are currently on the hunt for one, constantly stalking retail sites for when the restock happens. The news that came out during Sony’s Playstation Showcase will probably renew your effort. We already know that Aspyr, the company responsible for bringing past Star Wars titles like Republic Commando, Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, and Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy to modern consoles, will be in charge of remaking the immensely popular Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR). Along with releasing the trailer featuring Darth Revan in high definition, Playstation also announced that Knights of the Old Republic Remake will be a Playstation 5 console exclusive at launch alongside a PC release. The game may be released to other consoles at a later date. This is a little ironic given that the original Knights of the Old Republic was an Xbox exclusive back when it was first released in 2003.
Star Wars fans and gamers alike have been excited about a KOTOR remake ever since it was announced back in April 2021. Aspyr lead producer Ryan Treadwell explains that this will not just be a simple remaster. The team would be rebuilding the game “from the ground up.” There have also been rumors that the remake will be adopting an action combat system as opposed to the turn-based combat like in the original.
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When I was a high school senior, I remember playing KOTOR when it first came out on PC. While I was impressed with the graphics of Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, I was not as invested in the story as I was with KOTOR, which is an important element in a role-playing game. I remember thinking “If only I could have the KOTOR story with The Sith Lords graphics. With the graphic capability of a PS5, we may be getting just that.
With little information from developers, and much uncertainty abound, fans may be nervous and apprehensive. After all, a lot of remakes and sequels do not turn out as good as the original. Treadwell tries to alleviate this fear:
“Our big goals on this are to bring the story to a modern audience and have it be just as impactful today as it was for players when it originally launched.”
Kellogg agrees:
“We’ve been working really, really closely with Aspyr for a long time now to deconstruct what made KOTOR so great and bring that back to new audiences, because we want this game to be an incredible RPG. We want this game to be just as beloved as it was before. Some of my favorite meetings to have in my week right now are to get into the nitty gritty with Aspyr and talk about, ‘Why did we make that choice in the original game and how does that play today? How do we expand that choice and make it even more meaningful and impactful?’ We think about, literally, every word of dialogue and [other choices] down to the clothes that the character is wearing.”
It looks like the project is in good hands. Both Kellog and Treadwell cite the original KOTOR as having a big influence on them. To them, this is not just a nostalgia trip, but rather “a love letter to what is widely considered a Star Wars masterpiece.”
Jennifer Hale will be returning to voice Bastila. Developers who worked on the Demon’s Souls and Ghost of Tsushima remakes, and lead gameplay designer Matt Berner, who worked on Dragon Age: Inquisition will be joining many developers from the original KOTOR team in this project.
Knights of the Old Republic was the first Star Wars role-playing video game. Previous titles like Star Wars: Dark Forces and X-Wing Alliance were considered a first-person shooter, and a space simulation game, respectively.
There is no release date as of yet for Knights of the Old Republic Remake.
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Source(s): IGN, StarWars.com, Screen Rant