We've been hearing about Star Wars: The Old Republic, LucasArts and BioWare's new massively-multiplayer online game, for months and yesterday, finally got our hands on a behind-closed-doors build of the PC game. We took on the role of a Sith who boards a ship and finds himself with a choice: kill the captain and take command of the ship or let him live and help him fend off advancing enemies.
To get into a Sith state of mind, we gave the captain a taste of our lightsaber (meaning: we killed him) and found ourselves in the captain's seat. Choices like these are made by selecting dialogue options using the mouse, similar to those in a game like Mass Effect, and almost anything you say will have consequences, and possibly change the outcome of the game.
Since we were left in charge of the ship, we decided to take care of advancing enemies who boarded via ships that bore into the side of our cruiser. That's when the action begins, and our Sith took on several enemies at once, punching the number buttons to pull off standard hack-and-slash moves, building up a meter that would let us pull off special moves like a Force lightning strike, a more powerful lightsaber strike or force choke enemies into submission -- our favorite power so far.
If you're used to playing PC games with a mouse and keyboard (like me) than using the number buttons during action-packed scenarios can feel like a bit of a chore. Maybe it's the awkward way you have to hover over the number keys, while using the mouse to target different enemies. Or, alternately, using the Tab key to go from enemy to enemy, while then using the same hand to go back and punch the number keys. We'll be sure to remap those buttons once the game ships (and, yes, it will have fully customizable control setups).
After slicing through several waves of Republic scum, we entered our final boss battle with a powerful Jedi. We used a combination of the choke hold and more powerful moves to inch his health downward, but in the end, he won. We learned our lesson: mashing random attack buttons with no real strategy won't get you far in this new Star Wars epic. Be prepared for serious battle in a fun, but challenging game.
As an aside: we were surprised with the cartoony look for the characters, instead of the more hyper-realistic look found in a game like Mass Effect (also made by the game's developer BioWare). We were a little put off by the resulting kid-friendly vibe that look lends to the game, although it's not a deal-breaker, we can't deny the twinge of disappointment we felt during the demo.
After talking more to the game's Lead Writer Daniel Erickson and Studio Creative Director James Ohlen, however, it's hard not to want to love The Old Republic. We're looking forward to spending more time with new Star Wars epic before it arrives in 2010.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
This Star Wars-themed online role-playing lets players choose their own moral patch, joining either the Galactic Empire (the good guys) or the Sith Empire (the bad guys). Travel across dozens of worlds completing missions, fighting in large-scale battles and, ultimately, learn how to live with the consequences of your actions. (Screenshot 1 of 18)
This Star Wars-themed online role-playing lets players choose their own moral patch, joining either the Galactic Empire (the good guys) or the Sith Empire (the bad guys). Travel across dozens of worlds completing missions, fighting in large-scale battles and, ultimately, learn how to live with the consequences of your actions. (Screenshot 2 of 18)
This Star Wars-themed online role-playing lets players choose their own moral patch, joining either the Galactic Empire (the good guys) or the Sith Empire (the bad guys). Travel across dozens of worlds completing missions, fighting in large-scale battles and, ultimately, learn how to live with the consequences of your actions. (Screenshot 3 of 18)
This Star Wars-themed online role-playing lets players choose their own moral patch, joining either the Galactic Empire (the good guys) or the Sith Empire (the bad guys). Travel across dozens of worlds completing missions, fighting in large-scale battles and, ultimately, learn how to live with the consequences of your actions. (Screenshot 4 of 18)
This Star Wars-themed online role-playing lets players choose their own moral patch, joining either the Galactic Empire (the good guys) or the Sith Empire (the bad guys). Travel across dozens of worlds completing missions, fighting in large-scale battles and, ultimately, learn how to live with the consequences of your actions. (Screenshot 5 of 18)
This Star Wars-themed online role-playing lets players choose their own moral patch, joining either the Galactic Empire (the good guys) or the Sith Empire (the bad guys). Travel across dozens of worlds completing missions, fighting in large-scale battles and, ultimately, learn how to live with the consequences of your actions. (Screenshot 6 of 18)
This Star Wars-themed online role-playing lets players choose their own moral patch, joining either the Galactic Empire (the good guys) or the Sith Empire (the bad guys). Travel across dozens of worlds completing missions, fighting in large-scale battles and, ultimately, learn how to live with the consequences of your actions. (Screenshot 7 of 18)
This Star Wars-themed online role-playing lets players choose their own moral patch, joining either the Galactic Empire (the good guys) or the Sith Empire (the bad guys). Travel across dozens of worlds completing missions, fighting in large-scale battles and, ultimately, learn how to live with the consequences of your actions. (Screenshot 8 of 18)
This Star Wars-themed online role-playing lets players choose their own moral patch, joining either the Galactic Empire (the good guys) or the Sith Empire (the bad guys). Travel across dozens of worlds completing missions, fighting in large-scale battles and, ultimately, learn how to live with the consequences of your actions. (Screenshot 9 of 18)
This Star Wars-themed online role-playing lets players choose their own moral patch, joining either the Galactic Empire (the good guys) or the Sith Empire (the bad guys). Travel across dozens of worlds completing missions, fighting in large-scale battles and, ultimately, learn how to live with the consequences of your actions. (Screenshot 10 of 18)
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