KOTOR2: The Sith Lords: First Screens!

First ever screens, along with the latest details, of the sequel to the best Star Wars game ever made.

There's little doubt that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is probably the finest role playing game on Xbox to date, not to mention the title most adored by Star Was fans. As our reviewer Tony Scinta put it, "There really is no reason why an Xbox owner should pass up this game, unless his only remaining fifty notes are for a life-saving kidney operation."

With development duties handed from BioWare over to Obsidian Entertainment for the sequel, and a massive showing expected at E3 in a couple of week's time, information is finally starting to filter through. Although it only came to light that Obsidian would be handling the sequel late last year, it's generally though to be a good thing...

At the time, BioWare's Greg Zeschuk explained, "We're in the fortunate position of having more attractive looking opportunities on the table than we're capable of implementing while staying true to our fans' expectations of a quality gaming experience." Obsidian's Feargus Urquhart confirmed: "This is an excellent opportunity for a new studio looking to make an immediate impact in the market." He's not wrong.

Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords kicks off five years after the end of the first game, offering seven different worlds including a hugely transformed Dantooine and mythical Telos. You take up the role of the last Jedi standing, the only warrior to emerge from the Mandalorian-tattered Republic.

You'll have to make swift progress from the start of the game, right down to picking up your first lightsabre - but from this point, anything can happen, as the many possible storyline variations begin to unfold. Important decision need to be made at key points in the game, that will affect the way in which things pan out. The non-linear, unique experience aspect of plot development will again be key to KOTOR2 - and there will also be more emphasis on upgrading weapons dynamically, right down to component level.

The sequel is powered by the same engine behind the original, although a great deal will be added to beef up the visual appeal of the game - animation, lighting and weather effects will all be upgraded, to create an even more immersive experience.

The scale and importance of this sequel cannot be overstated. With such a giant game universe, intrinsically linked to the most powerful movie franchise in the world, and the promise of serious Xbox Live compatibility with downloadable content on a timely basis, Knights of the Old Republic 2 is definitely one to watch.

Stay tuned for more until the anticipated release in February next year, and in the meantime enjoy these first ever screens.

Adam Doree
Director, Kikizo.com