The remake of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic may be stuck in limbo, but this has not stopped fans from speculating as to what form it could take. Regardless of who ends up making the game, it is likely that players will see big updates in gameplay, design, voice acting, and story. There is one Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic character, however, could end up suffering from these updates.
The Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic games are full of wonderful characters who were sadly erased when Disney took over LucasFilm. One such character was HK-47. One of the game's biggest breakout characters, HK-47 could be found on Tatooine and obtained from a local merchant. The character quickly turned out to be utterly psychotic and bloodthirsty with hilariously demented dialog that remains some of the game's most memorable. Oddly enough, an update of the character with cinematics and better production values could end up working against the character.
The Troubled Production of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake
Since its announcement, the game has had something of a troubled production. Recently, the CEO of Embracer Group refused to comment on KOTOR's production and many fans are wondering what is going on with the game. It isn't entirely clear why the game is having such a difficult time, and official news on the matter is hard to come by. One shift in the development, though, seems to be a cause of this.
Last year, it was revealed that a new developer had taken over the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake. While there are no clear specifics for why it was taken away from original developer Aspyr, rumors have circulated that the publisher wants to make the game more cinematic in nature. This could mean that the publisher wants better voice acting and more scripted cutscenes during character interactions. While this sounds good in theory, it runs the risk of taking away from some of HK-47's charm.
How a Cinematic Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake Could Work Against HK-47
One thing that is clear about the remake is that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic needs to get HK-47 right. A more polished and cinematic version of that character, rather, may end up being detrimental. Part of the character's charm is that he's a droid with an unquenchable bloodlust.
His voice is very monotone and his movements are stiff, while his dialog is unconventional and comes off as a psychotic version of C-3PO. BioWare still made it clear that his character was a droid, which in turn adds to the humor of the character as it further removes him from a sense of humanity.
That said, a remake with an emphasis on fluid cinematics could lose some of the charm that a lower-budgeted predecessor may have, and HK-47 could be a victim of this. Something would just seem off about the character walking around fluidly with body language from a motion-capture actor and a vocal performance full of emotions. It could very well be a double-edged sword for the character if skewed even a little bit.
It's too soon to say what will and won't work for the upcoming game. It has also been argued that Bastila Shan will need to change in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and if the game is to work for modern audiences many other elements will have to be updated. Likewise, it is very possible that HK-47 is a character that could easily end up suffering as a result of modernization, but only time will tell.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is in development for PC and PS5.