With news of a Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake in development, this port of the original for the Nintendo Switch couldn't have arrived at a better time. It is still considered by many Star Wars fans as being the best game in the franchise and has an excellent story that surpasses the prequel and sequel trilogies.
Even though its influence can still be seen in BioWare's later titles like the Mass Effect series, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a complex game that follows a ruleset inspired by the Dungeons & Dragons format. As a result, diplomacy, strategy, and skill are just as important as combat prowess in KOTOR. Starting the game prepared for the long adventure ahead will lead to a better experience overall.
Updated May 21, 2022, by Michael Llewellyn: Thanks to getting released on the Nintendo Switch, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is being played by a younger audience than ever before. It is still considered by many Star Wars fans to be the best video game in the Star Wars franchise. Thanks to the game's depth and wealth of options to choose from, It's easy to see why KOTOR is so beloved by fans today. It gives its players total freedom to choose whether they want to walk the path of a faithful Jedi, a Sith, or even a character that falls somewhere between the light and dark sides of the Force. This list has been updated to include more tips for beginners before embarking on this epic Star Wars RPG adventure.
11 Talk To Every Character
Star Wars: KOTOR is a dialogue-heavy RPG and much of its world is built through conversing with the many NPCs that occupy it. It's a great way to familiarize oneself with the KOTOR universe as well as find out what actions need to be performed to progress the story.
However, it's advisable to take one's time and enjoy the game's atmosphere and speak to every character. It's also important to build relationships with the party too. There will be bonds created and betrayals initiated based on the decisions one makes in their playthrough. With that in mind, getting to know the team is a must in KOTOR.
10 The Scout Is A Good Starting Starting Class
The Scout is the most balanced build for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The Scout class is the best way to diversify the player character's skills efficiently and effectively in ways that will stay in place for the long term.
Even though the Scout class isn't as strong as the Soldier class and doesn't have the skill range of a Scoundrel, this can be improved as the player progresses, allowing fans to create a build that is effective in combat and in situations where proficiency in technology and computers is useful.
9 The Scoundrel Has The Persuade Skill
The Scoundrel is a character class inspired by none other than Han Solo. The class doesn't have good starting stats with computer use, repair and healing. However, the class makes up for this with expertise in persuasion, stealth, demolitions, and security.
It's a great class for players that enjoy taking a more stealthy route. However, the most fun comes from the extra dialogue options on display thanks to the skills in Persuade. Having this skill is like an early look into the Jedi's ability to use mind tricks on weak-minded characters.
8 Focus On Charisma And Wisdom
When it comes to setting a build's attribute points it can be very tempting to put all of the focus on the Strength stat. While this is an effective strategy for players that are more than comfortable with fighting their way through Knights of the Old Republic, it's less so for players that want to utilize the game's diplomatic side.
Putting more emphasis on the Charisma attribute will mean that the player's character is more persuasive, leading to more interesting scenarios than simply fighting it out all the time. In addition, putting some time into the Wisdom attribute will pay dividends for the player's character later in the game. A high Wisdom attribute will mean that the protagonist will get more effective Force powers in the late game.
7 Pick The Heavy Armor Feat
With the Scout class selected, one needs to be aware that it can make the game more challenging without the correct Feats in place. The Scout class has the weakest defense in the game, making them vulnerable in combat.
The Heavy Armor feat will mean that the player's created character can now equip heavy armor early in the game. It will make the character far more effective in combat, swaying the odds in their favor for a few turns while keeping them alive longer.
6 Increase The Persuade Skill
As the character levels up, the player will be able to put some points into various skills. One of the most effective skills for any class is the Persuade skill.
The Persuade skill along with Charisma will mean that the player character can effectively lie in important conversation scenarios. It's also effective when interrogating certain enemies and gaining confessions later in the game.
5 Balance The Party
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic follows a similar ruleset to the Dungeons & Dragons franchise in that having a balanced party will often lead to more success in combat. The protagonist is better suited for melee combat, so making sure that the party has a ranged fighter like HK-47 or Canderous Ordo included is beneficial.
Additionally, having another melee fighter like Bastila, who can switch between melee and ranged with ease, is also a good idea. Staying prepared when exploring leads to many more successful combat situations in an otherwise challenging game.
4 Ignore All Gun Feats For The Protagonist
Even though the player's starting character can be a Soldier or a Scoundrel there's no point in getting any aspirations of becoming an elite Republic Commando or a Han Solo type for too long.
Players should put all of their focus on melee combat. Not only does melee do more damage in combat situations but it will pay off later in the game when the player character gets a lightsaber.
3 Save Combat Modifiers For Boss Battles
Using combat modifiers like Stimulants in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic will save the player from deaths in battle. These Stimulants can add a +1 in combat and prove useful when the player character has one-on-one duels later in the game.
As a result, it's a good idea to retain these combat modifiers for some of the more difficult fights that will inevitably occur later in the game. In particular, the planet Korribanar will put the player's protagonist in several tricky situations.
2 The Jedi Sentinel Is The Best Choice
It wouldn't be a Star Wars RPG if it didn't let players become a Jedi and possibly a Sith depending on their actions throughout the game. There are various classes of Jedi to choose from, but the most balanced is the Jedi Sentinel.
The Sentinel is lacking some expertise in armor and weaponry but the class comes with Persuasion and Awareness skills. There are also extra points in Fortitude and Reflexes. The class is adept in lightsaber battles and has a good balance between vitality and Force powers.
1 Stick To One Alignment
In Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the player will encounter many situations where they have to make difficult decisions. Many of these decisions will be aligned with the light side of the Force or the dark side of the Force. With a game such as this, it's very easy to stray from the path and flit in and out of dark or light actions. However, sticking to one or the other will be far more rewarding in the long run.
There are bonuses for fully maxing out either the light or the dark in the game with incredible benefits. In addition, choosing a side will provide the player with more replay value as the two experiences can be vastly different from each other, with betrayals and alliances differing depending on the player's actions. This is probably the best way to play KOTOR but keep in mind it's an RPG designed around the choices that the player makes. So just have fun and do what feels right.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is available now for the Android, iOS, Mac OS, PC, Switch, and Xbox