Read User Reviews and Submit your own for Star Wars: The Old Republic on PC

Vatolicious

Mar 16, 2012

4

This is not a bad game. It is a good basic MMO. The updates they are talking about will make it better, but the updates are all things that should have been in at launch. Questing it boring, leveling is slow, pvp is pretty fun, ship fighting is fun however repetitive. The end game is VERY dull and offers nothing other MMOs havent been doing for a decade.

josephene

Jan 16, 2012

5

SWTOR delivers both a watered down MMO experience and single player RPG experience. It seems that where they have stumbled is tying their story content to the world in which it takes place. It is as if your story line takes place in a cocoon rather than in the huge universe that is the Old Republic. Bioware made a nice attempt at the story content ( it can be fun ) however some of the verySWTOR delivers both a watered down MMO experience and single player RPG experience. It seems that where they have stumbled is tying their story content to the world in which it takes place. It is as if your story line takes place in a cocoon rather than in the huge universe that is the Old Republic. Bioware made a nice attempt at the story content ( it can be fun ) however some of the very cool features of the typical Bioware Single player RPGs are not there:
1. Companions - you can never lose a companion and everyone will end up with the same ones which makes the companion "story-ing" and interactions meaningless.
2. Your choices have zero impact on the world.

Now as far as the MMO goes:
1. there is really ZERO to do outside of questing / battlefronts 2. crafting is not a game within itself, its all done by your companions
3. Linear questing - swtor gives you no choice of leveling areas it is linear and you have no choice but to follow the line at the theme-park.

Personally the linear questing did it in for me as I could not get past level 30.… Expand

Valladria

Feb 14, 2012

4

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ordinarily, I also advise patience with new MMOs but the poor implementation of new content and the often flawed, or non-functional, nature of technical remedies does not give me faith for the future. I would also like to praise the game for utilising such immersive class quests and for successfully evoking the simplistic fun of arcade games via space combat missions. Whilst some reviews praise the lower reliance on co-operation in The Old Republic, I find the emphasis on single player content tedious and counter to the essence of an MMORPG. My complaint in this domain is derived from the fact that the game has limited repeatability value despite claims to the contrary by Bioware. In truth, only a small proportion of the levelling experience is related to class-specific content thus you must either tolerate conversations with generic quest NPCs whilst levelling new characters or must skip them, thereby rendering the experience rather hollow. Moreover, any sense of choice in conservations is limited by the need to make choices that boost your companionsâ… Expand

Shadius

Jan 17, 2012

4

I really don't understand why there is no "jk2:jo" combat system, such a perfect action style pvp could be.
I don't understand why "planets" are so small and 80% of them are built with narrow corridors. I want to kick those guys who did all this stupid 5 min runs "fleet-ship-star port-land". >40% of playtime i just run from 1 npc/location to another. What for?
Lack of classes. MirrorI really don't understand why there is no "jk2:jo" combat system, such a perfect action style pvp could be.
I don't understand why "planets" are so small and 80% of them are built with narrow corridors. I want to kick those guys who did all this stupid 5 min runs "fleet-ship-star port-land". >40% of playtime i just run from 1 npc/location to another. What for?
Lack of classes. Mirror classes. And still unbalanced?! How they could fail with that?
Instances, mirror worlds, flashpoints, battle grounds, awkward auction. MMO? Really? What's wrong with people nowadays? They didn't see what true mmo is?

It should be simply b2p game. And called coop rpg, not a mmo rpg. Then i would give it may be 8 or even 9/10.… Expand

moorejs99

Feb 8, 2012

3

Where to begin? If this was a single player game released in 2007, it might get a 7. But as an "MMORPG" released in late 2011? What a mess. A brief rundown:

Graphics/presentation: The voiceovers are well done. But they get BORING and insipid after a while...you spend as much time in cutscenes as you do in the game. The graphics are, in a word, abhorrent. The terrain/object models are OK,Where to begin? If this was a single player game released in 2007, it might get a 7. But as an "MMORPG" released in late 2011? What a mess. A brief rundown:

Graphics/presentation: The voiceovers are well done. But they get BORING and insipid after a while...you spend as much time in cutscenes as you do in the game. The graphics are, in a word, abhorrent. The terrain/object models are OK, but the textures are awful, making the entire game look equally bad. There is no excuse for something this ugly in 2012.

Gameplay: Nothing special. Not good, not bad- it's just like every other game in the genre, only much, much easier. Rolling an alt is all there is to do if you hit the level cap, and once you're made 1 for each faction, it's just painful to play through the same garbage all over again. Good thing they made it about a casual 2 week stroll to max level, huh? I won't even talk about space combat- it's so insanely silly and poorly done it's not worth it. You're basically playing the 80s arcade came Tempest. Awful. Questing is an on-rails experience. You have no choices. There are light and dark side options, but none of it makes a shred of difference. Skills are typical, boring, cookie-cutter. Nothing to see here that hasn't been done far better a dozen times.

Performance: The Hero engine is, in a word, trash. It's ugly and lor resolution, yet it chugs like a pig. Everything you do is delayed while the engine thinks about it. Just dreadful.

User Interface: No mods. You can't move elements or change colors. It's hideous. Enough said.

Customization/Roleplay: There is an "RP" in "MMORPG", but you won't find it here. This is 1012, and get this: There are ZERO ways to make a unique looking avatar. There are 4 body types: Bobblehead, linebacker, hulk, and fat sloppy git. No sliders for height, weight, muscle tone, nothing. Not a single facial feature can be adjusted- you pick one of the pre-made looks, choose on of the 20 ish terrible hairstyles, layer on some low-res terrible scars or tattoos, and there you are. INEXCUSABLE. Period. Beyond that...the world is completely static. Nothing can be interacted with. You can't sit in a chair or on a bench. The emotes look like they were animated in freeware by a blind teen. Housing? None, unless you count your starship..that is identical to every other starship for players of your class, and can't be customised in any way. It's useless other than a single storage cabinet. Other players can't come on board, either, because your entire hangar is a solo instance. It sucks.

That's enough, I guess. There is a LOT more wrong with this train wreck, but it's been covered ad nauseum. This is by leaps and bounds the most disappointing, shoddy, half hearted and tossed together attempt at a game I've seen in years.… Expand

Avadon

Dec 22, 2011

5

A few key points from my experience in the beta and at launch: THE GOOD: - Cool voiceovers - Class stories are great for MMO standards (mediocre for single player standards but anyway) - The game is pretty stable and ping times are ok - Some of the planets are very well designed and put a smile on your face. THE BAD: - Terrible engine is as heavy as Witcher 2 but looks like WoW withoutA few key points from my experience in the beta and at launch: THE GOOD: - Cool voiceovers - Class stories are great for MMO standards (mediocre for single player standards but anyway) - The game is pretty stable and ping times are ok - Some of the planets are very well designed and put a smile on your face. THE BAD: - Terrible engine is as heavy as Witcher 2 but looks like WoW without antialiasing. It also dislikes more than a couple players on screen at the same time, which is not great for an MMO - Long queues to play - Heavily instanced and phased, which hurts the MMO part - Laughable "space combat" - Refuses to break the mold that WoW set, instead follows it to the letter - Combat system is disappointing, one would expect action-style combat in a game with lightsabers and rifles, but no, they might as well be shadowbolts - PvP needs a few years of class tweaking before it can be taken even remotely seriously - No endgame content. As Warhammer and AoC showed pretty clearly, any MMO that ships without lots of endgame content under the mentality of "we'll just focus on the leveling for now and add that later" will simply bomb regardless of launch sales, because noone will sub after their month is over. Catastrophic mistake by Bioware. In general, if you have a month with lots of free time, this is a game worth buying, you will get your money's worth, but it is certainly not worth suscribing to. Play your month and check back in a year or two, if it still exists, for some endgame. Shame.… Expand

Setebos

Jan 17, 2012

4

Unfortunately I can't recommend this game.

The game is a closed box game very similar to many BioWare titles. Taking a BioWare game and turning it into an MMO doesn't make a good MMO or a good single player game. If comparisons are used, it's a WoW gameplay duplicate in a Guild Wars I setting. Graphically there's a lot of amazing settings. Unfortunately, as you move through the game,Unfortunately I can't recommend this game.

The game is a closed box game very similar to many BioWare titles. Taking a BioWare game and turning it into an MMO doesn't make a good MMO or a good single player game. If comparisons are used, it's a WoW gameplay duplicate in a Guild Wars I setting.

Graphically there's a lot of amazing settings. Unfortunately, as you move through the game, you never have reason to visit any of these settings again. Once you're done with an area, you'll never have to go back. It almost seems all wasted effort.

The game itself is fairly polished. I didn't experience too many glitches or bugs while playing. They did a good job with QA and beta testing to ensure that the start game experience is tight.

Unfortunately, there's just nothing new here. I think BioWare is stuck in the "what works" mode. They released a well received game years ago, Knights of the Old Republic. Then *every* game released by them since has had the exact same gameplay as Kotor, and very similar storylines. The only thing changing is the graphics. (play Mass Effect 2 & Kotor side by side and you'll feel like Mass Effect 2 is an updated Kotor).

Argh, a game with limited fast travel. Too much walking. Why do I need to walk five minutes to get to my ship, to fly to another planet, then walk five minutes to get out of the star port? If the world was open, then walking would have a secondary impetus of exploring. However the world is simply a corridor where you walk to the next mission objective. There's simply isn't anything to explore.

Enough bashing, I'm simply disappointed. I've played the game nearly 40 hours, so I've gotten my money's worth in time compared to a single player game. I simply didn't get my money's worth in enjoyment.… Expand

zenzu

Feb 23, 2012

4

Character creation is a let down. Graphics and overall art direction is a complete let down, I was hoping for gritty shadows of the empire and got bright and colorful jar jar. The stories are wonderful... if I wasn't always distracted by how silly and cartoonish the NPC's are. I'm a huge star wars fun, and I think this game has tonnes of potential... almost exactly how age of conan hadCharacter creation is a let down. Graphics and overall art direction is a complete let down, I was hoping for gritty shadows of the empire and got bright and colorful jar jar. The stories are wonderful... if I wasn't always distracted by how silly and cartoonish the NPC's are. I'm a huge star wars fun, and I think this game has tonnes of potential... almost exactly how age of conan had tonnes of potential. Age of Conan failed due to horrendous bugs, swtor might because it was made like a carebears episode.… Expand

Stumblebee

Dec 30, 2011

4

I believe that I've played enough of the game to now form a solid opinion of how I feel about it. The reason that I'm doing this review is because I feel that while the user reviews are fairly accurate (if some are a little bit harsh. I wouldn't give the game a 0 just because you're disappointed in it) it seems the majority of the critic reviews are a little biased, only pointing out theI believe that I've played enough of the game to now form a solid opinion of how I feel about it. The reason that I'm doing this review is because I feel that while the user reviews are fairly accurate (if some are a little bit harsh. I wouldn't give the game a 0 just because you're disappointed in it) it seems the majority of the critic reviews are a little biased, only pointing out the positive features rather than the negatives, which in my opinion need to be made aware of at the same time.

Graphics: "With the graphics settings cranked to full the game is arguably the best looking MMO to date. From the fine details like the equipment players can wear and the expressions on the faces of NPCs during conversations, right up to the brilliant looking environments." is a quote from an Australian review which I find bizarre, as even with the settings cranked up the full the graphics just look... odd. While they are better than the majority of western MMOs and better than alot of older MMOs, if you compare the graphics of TOR to the graphics of MMOs released from last year to MMOs about to be released next year, they are by far not the "best looking mmo" If anything, the graphics look like Dragon Age's except, even more cartoony and low quality. The animations are stagnant and stiff, the running animations especially look like they've been done by a bad actor who doesn't know when to run on cue.

Sound: Your typical Star Wars music, everything sounds right and fits the theme, the score is great also. However, some lines are reused when it comes to voice acting, but I'll let it slide.

Gameplay: While the gameplay is like World of Warcraft (the endgame especially, when it's around ten people slashing on one enemy. You'd think that only one lightsaber slash would kill a human, it did with Qui-Gon Jinn!) I feel like there was no escape from that style of gameplay for TOR and what's so bad about it being similar to WoW's? it's still fun and to be honest, they make the gameplay more exciting than WoW's anyway. The most unique thing about the game is the dialog choices, but it just feels... slapped on. If anything, it makes it feel like the multiplayer aspect is slapped on more than the dialog. It really does feel like a single player game with a chat room. There's no need to find a party at all. The fact that this is more important than the multiplayer aspect is disappointing. Oh, and don't get me started on PvP. It's nonexistent. The gameplay is fine for a single player game and is still fun at times, but for an MMO, it's just not good enough.

Story: My favorite story by far is the Bounty Hunter's, it's a ton of fun. I like how each class gets their own unique story.. but, why can you have sex with everybody? It seems like everyone wants to get in bed with you from the second that they meet you. There are SO MANY people you can have one night stands with, it's weird.

Server performance: I've experienced no lag, but there's something even worse than that concerning the servers. There are too many for a game just launching. It seems that every server is either full or empty. That's your choice. You either wait in huge queues or you go on a barren land of a server, maybe that's why nobody wanted to party with me. Extend the server capacity, Bioware. OH! And there's even queues for the website and forums. No point.

Random niggles I found on my journey: There are a few graphical glitches in the game, some are quite funny because of it, but every MMO has glitches on launch, so I'll let it pass.
Why am I stuck in a building most of the time? I'd like to see some outside.
I'd also like to go more than knee deep in water.
Why is every playable race humanoid? Is it because they're not pretty enough for the oh so important sex scenes? They're just different colored humans. The most alien looking are Twi'leks, but they're humans with tentacles on their head! I'd like some actual alien looking playable races
I'd avoid the forums, it seems to be a war between die hard haters who have a vendetta against the game and people who bow at Bioware's feet. You'll get caught in the crossfire even if you create a topic featuring constructive criticism or a simple question. I fear for the game once some of the community lose interest and go back to their regular MMOs. What are we left with?… Expand

Sptiz257

Dec 28, 2011

5

Just wasn't the game I was expecting. I was expecting something to totally blow me away and instead it just reminded me of other MMO's and video games of the past. Very overpriced game Character creation is almost as basic as World of Warcraft. Quests where the same boring stuff we have done in most MMO's for the past 8 years. If your new to games then this will be a hit, but if yourJust wasn't the game I was expecting. I was expecting something to totally blow me away and instead it just reminded me of other MMO's and video games of the past. Very overpriced game Character creation is almost as basic as World of Warcraft. Quests where the same boring stuff we have done in most MMO's for the past 8 years. If your new to games then this will be a hit, but if your a seasoned gamer then you will probably find this game some what boring. Of course this is my own opinion and I would atleast give the game a shot when theres a free trial to see if you like it.… Expand

ArcticF0X

Jan 26, 2012

4

Level 50 Scoundrel - Valor rank 33 - Completed most Hard Modes.

With all the money & development put into this game, one has to wonder where on earth it all went. To put it bluntly, the game looks & feels outdated. The combat is not very fluid. Ability delay which should have be fixed in BETA is still present.The HeroEngine is terrible. Why is it that i can play BF3 on max settings withLevel 50 Scoundrel - Valor rank 33 - Completed most Hard Modes.

With all the money & development put into this game, one has to wonder where on earth it all went.
To put it bluntly, the game looks & feels outdated. The combat is not very fluid. Ability delay which should have be fixed in BETA is still present.The HeroEngine is terrible. Why is it that i can play BF3 on max settings with 64 players with an enviroment that is destructible & get 60+ frames but in SWTOR, anything with 30+ people on screen it becomes a slide show? Shoddy.

The planets are a major let down. Maybe because they don't actually feel likes planets. Most of them are lifeless & dull. Coruscant is a big living, breathing city. In SWTOR, Coruscant feels like a set of corridors with hardly anyone around. This goes for most of the planets, they feel lifeless. Mobs stand in one place waiting to be killed. There is hardly any ambient music whilst you're exploring the planets. Environmental sound is severely lacking. When i can hear my own footsteps in the middle of 'big city' you know something is wrong. Add all of that together with alot of 'loading screens' & you have a game world that feels bland & dull.

No customizable UI.
Unable to choose warzone maps.
RNG end game PvP gear grind.
The abomination that is Ilum.
One of the worst character creation screens. A human with an earpiece = cyborg? Really?

It seems to me that they wasted all their money on voiceovers & cutscenes that they forgot about the things that really matter.… Expand

frank12

Jan 24, 2012

4

I had high hopes for this game, but unfortunately it only led to more disappointment. The game is transparently a WoW clone, but Bioware fell short in almost every aspect. It should have been released 6mo-1yr after it was. Poor optimization causing low fps on high-end rigs, massive ability delay (which destroys any semblance of competitive PvP), and a lack of basic MMO features such asI had high hopes for this game, but unfortunately it only led to more disappointment. The game is transparently a WoW clone, but Bioware fell short in almost every aspect. It should have been released 6mo-1yr after it was. Poor optimization causing low fps on high-end rigs, massive ability delay (which destroys any semblance of competitive PvP), and a lack of basic MMO features such as combat log, customizable UI, and LFG. Customer service is non-existent. This game received decent scores from critics because they only level to 30 or 40 and then rush a review out. After that, the lack of endgame content and functionality becomes apparent. Pve is a joke (cleared on nightmare mode in less than a month, despite raid-wiping bugs, by a PvP guild), and pvp even worse due to faction imbalance, complete lack of world pvp, and the aforementioned fps and ability delay issues. Bioware/EA had a potential bonanza with a Star Wars licensed MMO, but unfortunately rushed out a game that was poorly developed and conceptualized.… Expand

Shinywalrus

Jan 4, 2012

5

Star Wars: The Old Republic is a bit bi-polar. As with many long-in-development games, it has a terrific amount of polish and plays quite smoothly, but it also feels very specifically engineered to be marketable to a certain market segment: players of World of Warcraft. That is a bit unfair, of course. The truth is that it is two games in one, which is why I don't completely understand theStar Wars: The Old Republic is a bit bi-polar. As with many long-in-development games, it has a terrific amount of polish and plays quite smoothly, but it also feels very specifically engineered to be marketable to a certain market segment: players of World of Warcraft. That is a bit unfair, of course. The truth is that it is two games in one, which is why I don't completely understand the reviews that insist upon giving TOR a "0." One of these games is a slightly slimmed down but generally entertaining third part to the generally well-received Knights of the Old Republic single player games. There are eight reasonably well developed, interesting and thoughtful single player plotlines in TOR to follow with a good bit of foresight, occasional difficulty and all too rare instances of player choice. These alone make this game worthwhile for a good group of Star Wars fans, if not the miracle that everyone was hoping for. The MMO components feel, rather unfortunately, tacked on to the single player component in an unwieldy way. Combat gameplay is simplistic and lacks any inventive mechanics. Player skill as a deciding factor in either difficult PvE or PvP interaction is minimal. Numbers and equipment are back to being the absolute dominating factor. The cartoony graphics, the repackaged magic skills and the marginal class differences between factions make the MMO component of this game feel like little more than World of Warcraft with Lightsabers. Your character will likely not feel different from anyone else's like it would have in EQ. You will likely not become attached to a particular part of the world, a particular city like in SWG. You will not likely feel any faction pride like you would have in DAOC. The strong opinions here give testament to that. Those who enjoy the simple, waypoints-for-everything, slick presentation, easy to step into game with very little differentiation like WoW will likely love this as a bit of change of pace. Those who were hoping for a genre-changer, a game that would take Star Wars Galaxies and expand it, fix its broken mechanics but keep the open feel, the control over the world and the broad fear of exploration that was what made MMOs popular in the first place (EQ)...well, those people are very disappointed indeed. It is average, but that's just the midpoint. If you love WoW and lightsabers, you will adore this game. If you liked KOTOR and aren't expecting anything grandiose here, you'll find it an adequate use of a couple weekends and a worthy purchase. If you were expecting the Next Great Game, you will abhor everything about it.… Expand

rucknrun

Jan 2, 2012

5

I just can't get into this game. I put 30 hours or so into it. I am almost lvl 20 and there is very little to explore. Where is the next area? The space combat feels like an after thought. I really wanted this game to be great. I don't mind that is feels like WoW a little bit. I love WoW. It just isn't good enough to pay 15 a month for, 60 for the client is way too much too. TheyI just can't get into this game. I put 30 hours or so into it. I am almost lvl 20 and there is very little to explore. Where is the next area? The space combat feels like an after thought. I really wanted this game to be great. I don't mind that is feels like WoW a little bit. I love WoW. It just isn't good enough to pay 15 a month for, 60 for the client is way too much too. They need to start giving us the clients if they are going to charge a monthly fee.… Expand

Dominii

Dec 26, 2011

7

In many respects The Old Republic is identical to WoW: its static battle mechanics, the levelling system, uninteresting skill trees, equipment durability, crafting without player customization. In some respects, improved: character alignment, companions, crew skills. Its triumph is the story. Unlike any other MMO, The Old Rebublic, gives players a reason to listen to and follow everyIn many respects The Old Republic is identical to WoW: its static battle mechanics, the levelling system, uninteresting skill trees, equipment durability, crafting without player customization. In some respects, improved: character alignment, companions, crew skills. Its triumph is the story. Unlike any other MMO, The Old Rebublic, gives players a reason to listen to and follow every quest, even the minor quests. The main arcs take you across each world. They branch into other stories, create relationships with NPCs who update you from time to time with their goings on reminding you that had you not done or said something that they'd be in jail, in the dumps, or in a ditch. The dialogue options, albeit a feature familiar to BioWare and its players, force you to choose between being true to yourself, or sucking up for favors. Every choice has the possibility to impact your companions' favor of you and the reward outcome. Suck up and garner favor and fortune. Answer genuinely, and watch all of the other Jedi wave their enhanced sabers at you and your basic training blade. The story is why I play and will continue to play. This game could be great, it could rival WoW in popularity, players, and South Park parodies, but it needs to be the next step in MMOs, and not what WoW should have been when it launched. What could make this game great?

The battle system is likely too large and too complex in code to receive an overhaul. Instead, we should hope and ask for skills that require thinking and tactics; no one likes every battle following the same sequence, no matter who you're fighting, of 3-5-4-1-2. The crafting system needs to allow real player customization. Not recipes, but the ability to take raw ingredients to make whatever you want, with the stats you want in the colors that you want (granted you meet the level requirements). It could also do with more interactive, though please not mindless WoW gathering, crafting missions where player input during a companion's crew mission affects the outcome, your alignment, their affection, and possibly the availability of quests. "Hey, Dominii, I found the treasure, but it's guarded by a local tribe. Should I destroy the village if they get in my way, or should we abandon this one?"… Expand

ThomasVII

Dec 31, 2011

4

I'm enjoying the voice acting and the graphics are great (except for the lack of AA?). I'm finding it very difficult to get immersed and thats very important to me in an mmorpg. Seeing 'my' companion everywhere I go, running along side another 'chosen one' really ruins the personal aspect of them and the story line.

I'm playing a Jedi Consular, master of the force. Except I'm pressing oneI'm enjoying the voice acting and the graphics are great (except for the lack of AA?). I'm finding it very difficult to get immersed and thats very important to me in an mmorpg. Seeing 'my' companion everywhere I go, running along side another 'chosen one' really ruins the personal aspect of them and the story line.

I'm playing a Jedi Consular, master of the force. Except I'm pressing one of the three buttons to strike with my lightsaber or throwing dirt in my opponents eyes coupled with a ming vase to the face, that happens to be buried under the hull of a spaceship? That, to me, doesn't feel very 'Jedi like'. I expected to be throwing NPC's and other players around the room, jumping ridiculous heights or at least feeling like I have some degree influence over the physics around my character. I will try out other races and classes during the 20 days I have remaining of my sub but I shouldn't have to work at enjoying a game.

The story is single player orientated and it shouldn't be. An mmorpg for me should feel like you are part of something bigger than you are, like every player around you is important and not for the most part background/ tools to be used. Being surrounded by the 'chosen one' ruins it for me. The story doesn't suit the genre. If I wanted a great single player adventure with a social aspect, I could play Final Fantasy 7 with Skype running indefinitely, with no subscription costs. I'm really disappointed. I wanted SWTOR to really shine.… Expand

screenjab

Dec 31, 2011

3

After much hype, finally the reality of this bland game becomes apparent. Disappointing in almost every conceivable way, I not only would never recommend it to anybody else, but would go further and yell...
RUN!!

garland_spqr

Jan 15, 2012

4

Up until now I have liked every Bioware game and some of them are my all time favorites. This game however, is a gigantic disappointment.
I played a Jedi sage to level 30 when I stopped as every second spent felt like a waste of time. I expected a game with a good story and rich lore in a vivid star wars world. Sadly, I found nothing of it.
In my opinion, Jedi sage until level 30 has noUp until now I have liked every Bioware game and some of them are my all time favorites. This game however, is a gigantic disappointment.
I played a Jedi sage to level 30 when I stopped as every second spent felt like a waste of time. I expected a game with a good story and rich lore in a vivid star wars world. Sadly, I found nothing of it.
In my opinion, Jedi sage until level 30 has no story. The quests consist of: disable an array there, hack a terminal there, loot quest items from dead bodies etc. The quests do not feel connected to each other or embedded in a story, everything feels very random and pointless. There are no memorable characters throughout the journey and the companions are annoyingly flat placeholders with no story.
I expected living, breathing city worlds full of life. They are nothing more than tunnels filled with lifeless mobs. I expected varied crafting professions that let you explore the world. They are nothing more than a "click and wait" game. I would have liked to see flashpoints connected to the planets you travel through, but they are just random missions on the fleet. A starwars game should be filled with passion, but this game is passionless. The dialogue and codex writing is very mediocre and not anywhere near the quality of Mass Effect or Dragon Age.
Its possible that things look different with other classes, but from a jedi sage perspective, this is a poor game.
The only things I liked are the music and the voice-actors, which are both brilliant. The rest is forgettable.… Expand

Poopypants

Dec 30, 2011

3

During my first several hours with the game, I agreed with most of the critics' very high scores due to the combination of voice-acted story elements with MMORPG gameplay. Playing beyond that, however, it becomes clear that the game truly succeeds neither as an MMO nor a high-quality roleplaying game. What initially seem to be high-quality, voice-acted cutscenes with moral choices becomeDuring my first several hours with the game, I agreed with most of the critics' very high scores due to the combination of voice-acted story elements with MMORPG gameplay. Playing beyond that, however, it becomes clear that the game truly succeeds neither as an MMO nor a high-quality roleplaying game. What initially seem to be high-quality, voice-acted cutscenes with moral choices become repetitive variations on a theme with the same rehashing of stock animations (look especially at the hand gestures). The moral choices become somewhat inconsequential because they only affect your singleplayer experience, with no real way to impact the broader game.

As the other comments have hit on, this is a linear singleplayer hub game where every zone is instanced, mobs are stationary, character creation leaves much to be desired especially with the Star Wars IP, and gear diversity is nonexistent to the point of leaving the game's economy -- a hallmark of many successful MMOs -- irrelevant.

As the "massively multiplayer" features are minimal, SWTOR should honestly be evaluated on its merit as a singleplayer roleplayer game. Taken in that light it is far inferior to leading titles. The game's sole innovation of fully voiced cutscenes for every quest could be the future of MMOs, and this will likely be seen as an early, flawed attempt. 4/10… Expand

Zankiesko

Jan 15, 2012

3

Welcome to the World of Warc--Err, Star Wars: The Old Republic. Star Wars is clearly pandering to the World of Warcraft crowd. Instead of trying to innovate anything or add interesting features to the game, Bioware simply made a World of Warcraft clone. Unlike Rift, though, that at least brought a little bit of innovation (in terms of the soul swapping), Star Wars brings nothing. StarWelcome to the World of Warc--Err, Star Wars: The Old Republic. Star Wars is clearly pandering to the World of Warcraft crowd. Instead of trying to innovate anything or add interesting features to the game, Bioware simply made a World of Warcraft clone. Unlike Rift, though, that at least brought a little bit of innovation (in terms of the soul swapping), Star Wars brings nothing. Star Wars' combat system feels like Bioware fell into the problem that amateur developers often do. That issue is that you become fond of a bad system because you've been exposed to it internally so frequently. The combat somehow took WOW's formula and simplified it. Star Wars removed auto-attacks; But then they added it as a button you have to press. That's right, the game that talked about how boring auto attacks are has you hit auto attack instead. I do not believe Bioware understands why people didn't like auto attacks.

The class system lacks any sort of "heart" and just feels like Bioware sat down and copy-pasted the talent trees from World of Warcraft. People will be up in arms about this, but the reality of it is that you can pick many trees from Star Wars and find an exact version over in World of Warcraft. Sith Sorcerer, for example, has the "Lightning" tree, which is almost copied talent-for-talent from the "Elemental" tree in the shaman class in World of Warcraft.

To make things worse, you will run into things such as vendors, which have drop down menus for options like "Sort By..." Great addition; Except they don't do anything. If you select "Only Show Usable" as a Level 17 Bounty Hunter, Level 50 Lightsabers will still show up on the vendor. You're not able to use level 50 lightsabers at level 17, and you aren't able to use lightsabers as a bounty hunter. The auction house is a nightmare to deal with, and makes EverQuest 1's original instantiation of the Bazaar system seem like the crowning achievement of MMO auction houses. Somehow, Bioware managed to do so little R&D into a comfortable user interface for an MMO that it feels like this may be the first MMO with an auction house.

You will frequently run into mouse problems that require you to reload the UI every time. You'll find yourself being permanently stuck in cover as a sniper, but you can't use any of the abilities that require cover while doing so. You're now unable to do anything except stand there and die.

The UI is fine for a single player game. Sadly, this is not a single player game. It is nightmarish healing with such an egregious UI. Aion's UI was bad, but it was 10/10 material compared to Star Wars' UI.

Now, everything isn't negative. Star Wars made it possible to send your pets to gather resources for you. You're also able to gather resources yourself. So, you'll be able to level your gathering professions while doing something else or even being offline. This is a feature that seems like it was added purely for convenience and, in the current age of MMOs where "difficulty" means "tedious", a change for convenience is a change for the better.

Sadly, this then draws attention to the crafting system. The crafting system takes the boring nature of WOW's crafting and mixes it with the RNG rage-inducing system from Aion. There are a ton of patterns out there. The problem, though, is that you either need to train them from the NPC or learn them from reverse engineering. Reverse engineering is akin to WOW's disenchanting, but your profession determines what you can do this to. An armstech can only reverse engineer guns of the types that they can create. An armortech can only reverse engineer armor of the types that they can create. You'll have crafting patterns that are green. When you craft it, you have a chance to get a critical (superior) version of it. You can then reverse engineer these items in hopes of getting a new pattern. This is how you'll learn most of your patterns. By the way, it is mind numbing. As bad as other MMO crafting systems were, Star Wars takes it to the next level. Star Wars makes Eve Online's crafting system feel immediate and closer to "instant gratification". With guns sometimes taking over 40 minutes to craft and gathering missions taking your companions well over an hour, the game's crafting system somehow manages to take more time than Eve Online's.

"This is not the game you're looking for. Move along."… Expand

DeNovo

Jan 7, 2012

2

TOR is less than mediocre. The group encounters are a boring rehash of every MMO you have played before. The boss mechanics are lame and easy. There is no sense of achievement beating any of the heroic instances.

The pvp boils down to 3 small warzones. 3 is not enough, and if you play on the Imperial side, you may as well call this game The Huttball Republic, since you are forced toTOR is less than mediocre. The group encounters are a boring rehash of every MMO you have played before. The boss mechanics are lame and easy. There is no sense of achievement beating any of the heroic instances.

The pvp boils down to 3 small warzones. 3 is not enough, and if you play on the Imperial side, you may as well call this game The Huttball Republic, since you are forced to play on that map more than half the time. The warzones are a sloppy mess that have no level brackets to seperate low levels from the well geared high levels. Players constantly hide in a corner and go afk to farm commendations, and there is no system to report them or remove them. The actual pvp combat is also a mess, complete with high levels of server lag that is death for melee characters that can never seem to hit moving targets. The "resolve" system to prevent being chain stunned / cc'd to death is present in the game, but is completely broken and has no effect.

As for the world pvp I was excited for? What world pvp? I'm on one of the most popular servers with a faction balance closer to 1:1 than any other pvp server and three weeks after release, the questing zones are empty of players when I go out looking for action.

The game is still rather unstable, lots of crashes, missing textures, and game breaking bugs both big and small, even after the first major patch. The customer service is poor and didn't respond to my request for help for 3 days when my character was stuck in the wall, by that time another player had helped me escape.

Character creation was an afterthought, there is very little you can do to make your character look good or unique. But that's ok since the gear in this game looks so terrible, no one will want to look at your guy anyway. You will either be dressed up in your sci-fi clown suit, or you will be in the exact same pvp set that everyone else in your class is wearing.

The only strength of this game is its solo questing with full voice acted cut scenes. In an mmo setting, who gives a **** about single player cutscenes? Its a side detail at best, and yet that was their main focus. You can tell Bioware doesn't have their priorities straight about what makes a great MMO game. I made it to level 50 with a pvp valor rank of 52 in my three weeks here, and I wish I had not bought the game. But at least they won't even get one month of subscription fees out of me. Star Wars fans will enjoy this game I'm sure, but gamers looking for a solid MMO, with intense competitive pvp gameplay should look elsewhere. If they were going to copy WoW, they should have copied all of it, because this game isn't much fun, especially at the level cap.

For $300 million dollars, Bioware has created a turd that hasn't even been polished yet.… Expand

Jounar

Jan 13, 2012

4

Sadly after all the hype SWTOR is nothing more than a badly copied WoW clone but missing far to many features to be called a real MMO. Character creation is not only rather basic but seems to share the same graphics with NPC's so expect to see very similar looking throughout the game. The graphics are very dated for a modern MMO and are easily put to shame by the likes of AoC, LOTRO, RiftSadly after all the hype SWTOR is nothing more than a badly copied WoW clone but missing far to many features to be called a real MMO. Character creation is not only rather basic but seems to share the same graphics with NPC's so expect to see very similar looking throughout the game. The graphics are very dated for a modern MMO and are easily put to shame by the likes of AoC, LOTRO, Rift and even WoW. Whats even worse is the promo screenshots and videos Bioware use to advertise the game use a high res texture setting than player can't use no matter how powerful there PC's are. Combat which makes up the majority of a players time in the game is dull, uninspired and fells very unresponsive overall. PvP combat in the PvP arena's is even worse as the game engine just doesn't seem able to handle having lots of players fighting close together.

The current high graphics setting is just a renamed medium setting due to how awful the Hero engine is and even using low/medium settings the game still performs poorly on high spec PC's. It took Bioware almost a month to admit this on there forums after first claiming it was a UI bug and that the real high res graphics settings are only used in cutscenes with NPCs. For a 2011/2012 AAA MMO with such a huge budget the graphics are a complete disgrace and feel like something that was released in 2006 except game back then had much better visuals.

The much hyped class story is ok for the most part but nothing that will have single player game developers shaking in their boots and while it makes the normal kill 10 rats type quests all MMOs have less obvious it only makes up about 5-8% of the missions a player needs to do to hit max level. This makes running alts no different than any other MMO and worse than some as you need to do the exact same missions in the exact same order for every character.

The various planets are very nice and also very instanced so the game world feels very empty for the most part. The planets are not however very open compared to other MMO's and the game through mission hub placement always pushes you in the direction of the next set of missions. There is also no public quest style missions which for a big budget MMO is a huge oversight imho. The dungeons or flashpoints as SWTOR calls them are the exact same deal we have seen in every other MMO since EQ1 with trash mobs to be cleared before reaching a boss. The starter flashpoint for both factions is much more like the standard single player missions due to alot of interaction with NPC's but these are the exception. Crafting is handled well in SWTOR with the players companions doing most of the more boring leg work in gathering crafting materials but to get the best items you still need to raid for recipes and materials and in all cases better items can be gotten from the level 50 daily missions players can run.

SWTOR is a single player Bioware game with some basic MMO option bolted and I do mean basic. A very poor LFG system, horrid UI, guilds being nothing more than a friends tab, the most basic looting system any MMO has ever had and a class system with less options than those found in EQ1.

When compared to games like LOTRO, Rift and of course WoW the lack of polish for such a costly to produce game is just shocking with bug that were known about in the July beta of 2011 still being in the released product. What a shame EA didn't allow an extra 6 months worth of development and a more adventurous design team weren't behind the wheel.… Expand

Thicky

Jan 2, 2012

3

I'm going to try and keep this short because when it comes to great companies like Bioware and great IP's like Star Wars it's difficult for people to read negative reviews and not take the things they love most personally.

The game is nearly as good as WoW. Well when WoW was released 7 years ago. There's zero excuse for a AAA title with this much time and money dedicated to developmentI'm going to try and keep this short because when it comes to great companies like Bioware and great IP's like Star Wars it's difficult for people to read negative reviews and not take the things they love most personally.

The game is nearly as good as WoW. Well when WoW was released 7 years ago. There's zero excuse for a AAA title with this much time and money dedicated to development to be lacking such basic features as an Auction House or a /roll command for looting. There are so many things left out of the game you have to wonder what the beta tests were for.

- Battlegrounds are a disaster. There are no level brackets so if you're not max lvl then you are getting pummeled into the ground.

- There are no diminishing returns so stunlocks are the norm.

- Everything is instanced. You're going to meet your buddy in town? Make sure you're in the same instance.

- Zero need to group up, you have a team of NPC's to command.

- Crafting requires no gathering or even leaving the town, your NPC's will do everything for you.

- Don't fall in the water, there's no swimming physics so you drown in a puddle.

Dammit I wanted to keep this short but there are so many problems. I won't even get into balance because honestly that wouldn't be fair. But let's just say that some classes have skills that still don't work or they do things like make you fall through the earth.

I played Rift and I was one of those people telling others to stop complaining about things because I thought by complaining they were making the game look bad and as such the game would fail. I silently agreed with their complaints but I stayed silent.

Well this game isn't as good as Rift was and I won't be clucthing to the railing as this ship sinks. Maybe Blizzard can get the rights to Star Wars...

TLDR: Save your money, F2P games are better.… Expand

Navyseal

Feb 7, 2012

0

I would Rather Play SWG then this dreadful thing they call an MMO. All Biware can do is story tell not make an mmo Galaxies was way better then this . Really need to stick to RPG's not doing big game like this what a disappointment and a waste of money

Larux18

Jan 26, 2012

3

I am so pissed right now with Bioware, I generally don't give games this low of a score but they screwed it all up! Everything that is story related is now completely screwed up! Every story element related to KOTOR here is awful, how they decide to show Revan in this game is also extremely disappointing! The gameplay here is good but now that the story has screwed up everything there isI am so pissed right now with Bioware, I generally don't give games this low of a score but they screwed it all up! Everything that is story related is now completely screwed up! Every story element related to KOTOR here is awful, how they decide to show Revan in this game is also extremely disappointing! The gameplay here is good but now that the story has screwed up everything there is not a purpose to play this game, this game is no more for me. Thanks to this game KOTOR 3 will probably never be made! Thanks for nothing Bioware!… Expand

LemonFinder

Dec 30, 2011

1

Poor character creation, left me seeing a whole lot of "ME" running around. Character appearance also left me thinking this was more of a kids game. No real tactics involved, just activate ability=win. Static opponents add to the lack tactics needed. PvP is very unbalanced and rather one sided. Now what should Star Wars really be GREAT at? "Space Combat"!... No, it left me again, as withPoor character creation, left me seeing a whole lot of "ME" running around. Character appearance also left me thinking this was more of a kids game. No real tactics involved, just activate ability=win. Static opponents add to the lack tactics needed. PvP is very unbalanced and rather one sided. Now what should Star Wars really be GREAT at? "Space Combat"!... No, it left me again, as with the "Tactics" and "Character" creator, that I needed to be taken by the hand and directed where to go because "I MUST be a child" and certainly couldn't know now how to fly a ship in a 3D in environment, just point and click, point and click... Very uninspiring. I regret having paid money to play this, for at the quality it is it should be a F2P. Which I suspect it will become soon. Most disappointing of all is in fact the Space combat system. This is STAR WARS!! It should have epic space battles!!... but it doesn't. You know who has better space fighting? Star Trek Online... Why in the hell is Star TREK beating Star WARS in Space Combat?!? Bioware, your fired!… Expand

checktheemails

Jan 3, 2012

6

I'm the type of person that has never played an MMO except one month of WoW the first month it came out then I dropped it for fear of addiction. First of all, Star Wars is way too expensive for what it is; it is worth 50 bucks max considering how buggy and unfinished the game is. I am currently a level 40 imperial agent, and I have to say that the game has a problem when the best way toI'm the type of person that has never played an MMO except one month of WoW the first month it came out then I dropped it for fear of addiction. First of all, Star Wars is way too expensive for what it is; it is worth 50 bucks max considering how buggy and unfinished the game is. I am currently a level 40 imperial agent, and I have to say that the game has a problem when the best way to level up and gain gold is to PvP yet the PvP is terribly constructed. There are three maps that you play in PvP warzones and matchmaking is a joke. You get matched with level 50s and level 14s all in the same queues, so basically you have gods running around the maps while other ppl just get owned and are incapable of any combat. Also, the map designs are buggy and in some cases assanine. For some reason they decided to include two air vents in the center of the Huttball map that randomly decide which way to throw you into the air. This means that your enemy can grab the ball, run into the vent and then get magically placed onto a much greater field advantage while you jump onto the vent chasing them and are launched basically into an acid pool. Maps are not supposed to decide winners and losers they are supposed to be the blank canvas that the game is played on. That is one thing they need to remove. Secondly, sometimes you get thrown into a PvP that is already losing just because the team had a few leavers, (ppl leave because their teammates are level 14s, etc.) It isn't a huge deal considering you still get some xp for doing basically nothing but joining the match, but it makes you realize how much the PvP is just a joke. They really need to make PvP cross-server matchmaking such as in League of Legends (hate to say it) where you have a huge pool of players that can be mixed and matched to the best balance instead of just choosing from what they have on ONE server.

I have to say that when people bring up the character creation, I didn't even realize how much better it could be but having only humanoid characters is a **** disaster. ITS STAR WARS. WHY CANT YOU BE A TRUE ALIEN? FAIL BIG TIME THERE BUDDIES.

Also traveling around the planets is a pain in the **** ass you have to go through so many air locks and lobbies and lifts before you get there. Cant you just fly your spaceship onto the planet? I mean WTF? DIDN'T THE MILLENNIUM FALCON DO THAT?

I wish I could give this game a 6.5, but a 7 is too high for something so buggy. Definitely not renewing for another 15 bucks a month I already got jipped paying 60.… Expand

Sethendal

Dec 30, 2011

0

As a long time Bioware fan, this game couldn't be more disappointing. While the tell-tale storytelling is there as you would expect from a Bioware game, there's strong evidence that the game itself was rushed and is a cash-in on the hopes the rabid Star Wars fanbase would clamor for any chance to have a Star Wars MMO that wasn't Galaxies.

1.) Gameplay and Graphics. The game immediatelyAs a long time Bioware fan, this game couldn't be more disappointing. While the tell-tale storytelling is there as you would expect from a Bioware game, there's strong evidence that the game itself was rushed and is a cash-in on the hopes the rabid Star Wars fanbase would clamor for any chance to have a Star Wars MMO that wasn't Galaxies.

1.) Gameplay and Graphics. The game immediately feels dated in terms of gameplay and graphics. While Bioware definitely focused on storytelling, what is lacking horribly is innovations in gameplay which is what you spend the other 95% of your time interacting with inbetween voice-acting and storytelling. Whether they ported in a base-line foundation for the gameplay under-carriage or that they simply forgot to focus on it, the mechanics are boring, second-rate and repetitive. If you're looking for a game that looks and feels like it was made in 2011, this isn't it. The game is a 2005 MMO with a Bioware story and Star Wars IP shoved into it forcibly.

2. Instanced Co-op vs MMO. This game isn't an MMO. It's an instanced Co-op game. I could write a novel on why but the simple fact is that the world is missing from this game as a character. You move about the world in transitions / instances and never really get the feeling you're in a massive world but a simulator of sorts. It's highly jarring given the setting that you end up feeling as though you're playing a a co-op RPG that decided to throw in some MMO features. Many of the innovations and foundations built as standards for MMO's are missing making the game feel like it's missing something at all angles based on the MMO expectation it sets.

3. Repetitive. If you're here for the story, that will last you for a while but as MMO's goes, it's a distraction from what is missing which is an innovative mechanism for end-game, combat and the like. The quests while strengthened by voice acting and writing, lets you down as you realize you're still a fed-ex / errand boy to every NPC in the universe. The voice acting eventually becomes an annoyance as you realize you're paying for the games voice-talent and that once the glint of this innovation wears away, your left with a boring and repetitive standard mechanic of quests. I actually found myself annoyed quite quickly, and unfairly, as my new friends to the game wanted to hear the same damn quest dialogue. This early in the life-span of the game, SWTOR shows its true weakness in that once Alts become more and more common (since there's no end game), the repetition will become more and more annoying as the splinter-archs of stories based on your choices become less and less meaningful.

4. New content. While the promise of expansions are already floating around, the fact that they're built on the same foundation makes me wary, as well as if Bioware will be able to keep the only innovation in their game (voice acting/storytelling) at the same level as expansions roll out. Overall, the game feels like a flash in the pan for me that I spent far too much on due to hype. As my friends already begin to consider returning to WoW (ack), the true teller for SWTOR will be if they can keep people interested enough that they don't run back to what they know is working for them. MMO players are fickle given investments made in other games like WoW and EVE that are always there waiting for their return and I'm already seeing my group of friends second guess the game for similar reasons as I've laid out.… Expand

Fourdee

Dec 28, 2011

3

After reading all the mixed feedback regarding this title, i finally purchased the game to decide for myself. In short, i have now received a refund for the game. Hopefully the following information will save further players like myself Â£44.99 for probably the worst MMO (Lobby game, this isnt massive) game ever. The gameplay (what really matters!) = Extremely Poor, i've playedAfter reading all the mixed feedback regarding this title, i finally purchased the game to decide for myself. In short, i have now received a refund for the game. Hopefully the following information will save further players like myself Â£44.99 for probably the worst MMO (Lobby game, this isnt massive) game ever. The gameplay (what really matters!) = Extremely Poor, i've played over 3 years of WoW, 3 years of Planetside, various other MMO's, even the free ones. Swtor's gameplay is extremely linear and basic, its an insult to anyone who has played WoW. There is no "skill" or sense of achievement from the gameplay mechanics what-so-ever and it quickly becomes boring. You have to stand still, wait for the game animations to catch up, then you are able to start attacking/casting. Once in combat, you are simply pressing the same buttons which all seem to do the same thing and stand there and take any damage which is simply thrown at you. There is no reward for experienced players in this game. The voice-overs are great on the other hand, however, you will spend 90% of your playtime in the actual gameplay, and, as above, this really does get boring quick.

Champions online, was more enjoyable for gameplay mechanics than this game, and that is now free!

As others have said, "AAA" titles with 150-300million budgets should never be able to release a game like SWTOR and simply rely on the Star Wars franchise and marketing to satisfy its customers.

Speaking as an experienced gamer, i beg anyone with sense, do not waste your money on this game. Try World of Warcraft, that game is worth you time and dedications to which you will spend hours upon hours of your time enjoying the gameplay, you wont with SWTOR.

A major letdown, a insult to PC gamers, a good idea of where the gaming market has gone in releasing poor gameplay titles with hugh budgets and storylines.… Expand

me2et

Dec 31, 2011

4

Alright i'm not gonna mindlessly bash this game il give you a reasons why i hated this game,the first thing that you notice that immersion in this game is great you even forget it's an MMO is that a good reason,no it is not as you play your first 10 hours you will have many fun hours playing it and then it hit ya : this is an MMO....this game feels like KOTOR with online option this byAlright i'm not gonna mindlessly bash this game il give you a reasons why i hated this game,the first thing that you notice that immersion in this game is great you even forget it's an MMO is that a good reason,no it is not as you play your first 10 hours you will have many fun hours playing it and then it hit ya : this is an MMO....this game feels like KOTOR with online option this by no mean's an MMO,that's why i'm giving it a low score as an MMO game if it were a single player it would give it at least 8 but the game combat feels like wow A LOT no new stuff and do no't tell me voice acting and stuff most people care about the gameplay don't get me wrong story graphics play some part but why do you think people play dota or minecraft no story just pure great gameplay so yeah the game feels cheap and the graphics is like KOTOR do not give in to the hype it's REALLY like DCUO fun but short fun but not a great mmo so yeah wait some month....and all those 1 million player's are gonna be at most 600 and about BioWare pushing new content it's gonna happen but it's gonna take a lot of time reminder : voice acting as Trion's Rift is the fastest content pusher i really think this game is JUST HYPED… Expand

Chickensalad

Dec 31, 2011

5

Another mediocre MMORPG. The only thing innovative about this one is the voice acting, which, personally, I don't care about at all. Hearing someone tell me I need to "kill 10 of x" isn't anymore immersive to me than reading it. SWTOR is basically WoW with lightsabers, except with less features. No LFG tool, bad UI (Even FFXIV lets you move around and resize the things on your screen),Another mediocre MMORPG. The only thing innovative about this one is the voice acting, which, personally, I don't care about at all. Hearing someone tell me I need to "kill 10 of x" isn't anymore immersive to me than reading it. SWTOR is basically WoW with lightsabers, except with less features. No LFG tool, bad UI (Even FFXIV lets you move around and resize the things on your screen), no combat log, etc. The planets are sharded so even on a high population server you may see only a handful of people around you at once. As MMOs continue to steadily evolve into glorified lobby games, I have to question why we are still being charged $15 a month for them.

BioWare played it too safe with this game, choosing stick with the generic WoW-ish formula instead of trying new things. While not a terrible, it is incredibly average and simply feels outdated, as if it should have been released 4-5 years ago. If you have a hard on for Star Wars or Bioware you might like it, but otherwise it's probably best to pass on it until they release a free trial.… Expand

northwoods21

Jan 5, 2012

6

Graphics 8/10
Gameplay 6-7/10
Creative/Original 2/10 PvP 3/10 PvE 7/10 replay value: 5/10 Continued... (accidentally pressed submit on previous one sorry! lol...) Ok here are some very important gripes I think at least some players or ex players can agree with. Since publications like PC gamer and other "non user" reviews are writing nothing but pure gold about this game untarnished inGraphics 8/10
Gameplay 6-7/10
Creative/Original 2/10
PvP 3/10
PvE 7/10
replay value: 5/10

Continued... (accidentally pressed submit on previous one sorry! lol...)
Ok here are some very important gripes I think at least some players or ex players can agree with.

Since publications like PC gamer and other "non user" reviews are writing nothing but pure gold about this game untarnished in any way... I'm just going to focus on the Cons or reasons this game really didn't meet any expectations I had for it.

1.) character creation does not really let you create a unique character. You set your appearance, pick your race comprised pretty much of human looking people and aliens, pick your class and enter the game. For me, this is the opposite of what any player wants.I want to be able to spend hours thinking how to set up my character template before I even go in the game... and when I enter the game I don't want to be like every other player of my same class/lvl with just a different skin and face appearance. That's what us players call cookie cutter.

2.) This game does not have a suggestion forums. I'm sorry but I think that's a pretty straightforward sign of how game development is going to go on this game. If your dev team is interested in what the players have to suggest or what their million base community wants from the game, they should have suggestion forums, no excuses.

3.) The factions empire and republic only vary in storyline and character appearance. Republic fleet/ Empire fleet, the central hub of the game (think stormwind.) look almost exactly identical to eachother. The classes on both the empire and republic are practically mirrored, just like wow's classes.

4.) There is like 8 sets of endgame pvp gear for any class and its 2 subclasses, aside from some color changes all these endgame pvp sets look the same... So out of 4 classes, and out of 32 endgame PvP armor sets, there is 4 seperate armor models! pure laziness. Endgame pvp'ers should at least have 2 choices of style on their endgame armors... come on.

5.) the PvP Balancing is laughable. huttball a new pvp gametype for mmos and a lot of fun. the other two consist of a 3 point capture and hold map, and an attack/defend map that plays 2 rounds with teams alternating sides because it is not balanced enough to have attackers/defenders w/ the same advantage play only 1 round without swtiching sides. First off they will put lvl 10's with max level players in PvP matches and boost the lvl 10's stats by a lot... I've noticed leveling characters and playing a lot of PvP that sometimes as you gain levels your character will actually become weaker in a PvP match because you wont get as much as a boost.

6.) getting your spaceship is exciting, but other than lookin around, exiting ship, and use you nav display/space combat... its kind of like just another zone. Never being able to fully control your spaceship and leisurely fly around and explore is a big letdown. I have very high hopes for space MMO's and they are never met.

7.) server imbalance on every server. across the board there is about 7-8 empire characters for every 2-3 republic players. So we can throw any decent attempt at world PvP out the window.

8.) the warzones are limited to 8 vs 8 matches. Truly nobody can call that "Massive Multiplayer"...

9.) the lightside/darkside character choices do little other than display an imediate cutscene based on your choice. there are only a few items that require darkside/lightside levels and they mirror eachther, so it doesnt really matter which way you go.

10.) chracter creation, zones, quests, pvp, warzones, flashpoints.... all these things copy wow completely in every way but A lot of the nice features that WoW has developed over the years, such as being able to refund an item you accidentally bought with hours worth of PvP marks, have been questionably left behind.… Expand

Breeti

Jan 15, 2012

3

It's really just a poorly redone version of WoW circa 2005. I'm sure with time it can be developed to something better, but how they ignore the progress of 6 to 7 years in the genre and expect to be a sucess I do not know. I guess they are banking on brand recognition being enough to carry them for the first 2 years.

I've cancelled my sub after I just could not get into the mindlessIt's really just a poorly redone version of WoW circa 2005. I'm sure with time it can be developed to something better, but how they ignore the progress of 6 to 7 years in the genre and expect to be a sucess I do not know. I guess they are banking on brand recognition being enough to carry them for the first 2 years.

I've cancelled my sub after I just could not get into the mindless running and having constant load screens any time I went back to my ship. Hopefully they will correct some of the glaring flavor of life issues with game in the coming months. I may check it out again if i see some progress there. Otherwise i see it as a massive failure.… Expand

chukchuk

Jan 26, 2012

0

SWTOR is by far the worst MMO release by any AAA development outfit in the past several years. I'll just list the game's major flaws that should have been addressed a long time before it ever came to market.

1) HERO Engine, Bioware choose to go the cheap route instead of developing their own game engine (IE- Blizzard, CCP) when developing the game. The result is that end users are nowSWTOR is by far the worst MMO release by any AAA development outfit in the past several years. I'll just list the game's major flaws that should have been addressed a long time before it ever came to market.

1) HERO Engine, Bioware choose to go the cheap route instead of developing their own game engine (IE- Blizzard, CCP) when developing the game. The result is that end users are now plauged with terrible lag, unresponsive user interface, delayed abilities, etc, etc. Unfortunately there is no quick fix or simple patch to resolve this without rehauling the entire game which is never going to happen.

2) PvP is a joke and horrifically unbalanced. Again, Bioware dropped the ball by hiring failed developers from Mythic to handle this aspect of their game. Warzones are totally lag infested, world PvP is non-existant and Bioware made the situation worse by deciding to implement a PvP stat/gear bonus system that has failed in every game that has implemented it before.

3) PvE is another boring, ill thought out grind fest consisting of killing 10 of this, 20 of that and so on. The difficulty settings are nothing short of a joke as the entire game is easily soloable from 1-50. Bioware included raid content that is nothing more than a joke (difficulty wise) in comparison to other titles out there; within the first month multiple guilds had already beaten every nightmare scenario in the game.

4) Game Economy/Crafting- Again Bioware completely messed up with their crafting & economic system. To date they have had to implement several knee jerk nerfs to professions because of poor game testing before release. On top of that, there are crafting professions that have absolutely no value in game what-so-ever. I could go on endlessly about how badly Bioware screwed up this aspect of the game, suffice it to say it is the worst system out of any game on the market.

5) Customer Service, EA/Bioware's customer service is horrifically bad. In fact, it is safe to say that their recent performance in association with the release of SWTOR clearly marks them as the worst in the industry. There is plenty more, however I don't need to keep listing it out here. All one has to do is look at SWTOR's user forums to see how disgruntled the player base is with the product to get an idea.

I give SWTOR a score of zero and honestly hope the product fails within the next several months. It is time for game developers to stop copying products from several years past, start taking risks and show some innovation.

My prediction for SWTOR? Free to play by the end of 2011, the game simply does not have enough going for it to keep anybody but the most diehard Star Wars fans subscribed long term.… Expand

jkerley17

Dec 21, 2011

9

I played WoW for 6 years. I've played a lot of MMOs in between as well (AoC, Aion, Rift, STO, etc...). This is the first MMO I have played since WoW that I am actually excited to go home and play. Everyone is entitled to their opinion... but really??!! Of the absolute crap that is out there you guys rate this game less than average (a 5)?!?! I think this game will change MMOs much likeI played WoW for 6 years. I've played a lot of MMOs in between as well (AoC, Aion, Rift, STO, etc...). This is the first MMO I have played since WoW that I am actually excited to go home and play. Everyone is entitled to their opinion... but really??!! Of the absolute crap that is out there you guys rate this game less than average (a 5)?!?! I think this game will change MMOs much like WoW did.

If you liked WoW but want something a little different with heavy emphasis on story this game is it. Companions are great, group dialog is cool (need more of it), solo story is great. Needs better character creation/options, fully fleshed out space combat/quests, and no queues. The real test will be if BW can continue to dole out content that keeps the end game going for PVE players (same with any other MMO, I don't PVP so I don't know what the state of that is).… Expand

TheangryOne

Dec 26, 2011

5

Well, after more than a year of waiting and all the hype Bioware put behind it, here it is, WOW:TOR. This game has truly become a shining example of Bioware's stagnation and ineptitude. To summarize: This game takes all the classic mistakes all gaming companies love to make and thrusts them into one giant $15/mo flop. The most obvious shortcoming is that gameplay is literally the EXACTWell, after more than a year of waiting and all the hype Bioware put behind it, here it is, WOW:TOR. This game has truly become a shining example of Bioware's stagnation and ineptitude. To summarize: This game takes all the classic mistakes all gaming companies love to make and thrusts them into one giant $15/mo flop. The most obvious shortcoming is that gameplay is literally the EXACT same thing as WOW was; it even has the same problems (extreme lack of customization, massive grindfest, limited character creation, specialization issues, bad endgame). Considering how much was spent on this game, there is absolutely no excuse for this kind of laziness; it's 2011, Bioware. WAKE THE F*** UP! Next, is the stories which Bioware was basing all their success on. These stories are hit-and-miss, as are the companions (Some are epic, some just fall flat.). I've been saying for years that Bioware shows extreme favoritism in their character and story design, and if this doesnt prove it, nothing does. The only true saving grace here is that, despite everyone's whining about the voice acting, I actually thought it was pretty good. Still, would it've killed Bioware to make a few selectable voices for your character? They spent 300 million (yes, million) dollars on this. However, all of these things can be ignored, since it is a reliable system, even if it is outdated. I'll probably get alot of flak for that but it's the truth. I won't bother talking about the graphics for the same reason; ultimately, they make little difference in an MMO as long as they work. The one thing, however, that cannot be overlooked, and the one thing that kills this game (and killed WOW) is the monthly subscription. Not cool, Bioware, not cool. There are plenty of free MMOs out there that can more than match this, so close your wallets and open your eyes. Learn from SWG, learn from GW. You are not the powerhouse you once were, and Warhammer 40k's lore more than beats Star Wars'. Learn.… Expand

SmellyMessiah

Jan 15, 2012

4

Star Wars: The Old Republic (ToR) had very high hopes, being the successor to the very successful Knights of the Old republic series, and being the latest work by Bioware, one of the better developers in recent memory. However, instead of creating the next big MMO and a true game-changer, they decided to directly compete with World of Warcraft (WoW) like all other recent, and failed MMOs.Star Wars: The Old Republic (ToR) had very high hopes, being the successor to the very successful Knights of the Old republic series, and being the latest work by Bioware, one of the better developers in recent memory. However, instead of creating the next big MMO and a true game-changer, they decided to directly compete with World of Warcraft (WoW) like all other recent, and failed MMOs. As a long time WoW player, and someone who has played most of the big MMO releases of late, I can say with some authority that the game doesn't put anything new on the table. Sure, the presentation is slick, and the voice acting is nice, but is this what compels someone to pay to play a game month after month? The gameplay feels like a direct clone of WoW, and it simply doesn't work in the Star Wars universe. The fast-paced action of the films and some of the better games does not translate here. A ranged class takes â… Expand

DoctorBarber

Dec 20, 2011

8

An entertaining way to spend a few months while waiting for other, distant MMOs. While it's true it doesn't innovate as much as it could have, it provides a nice diversion for fans of Star Wars and Bioware RPGs. The storytelling and dialogue system is an interesting alternative to your typical MMO questing, but too often the quests themselves amount to the kill X of Y we've come to expect.An entertaining way to spend a few months while waiting for other, distant MMOs. While it's true it doesn't innovate as much as it could have, it provides a nice diversion for fans of Star Wars and Bioware RPGs. The storytelling and dialogue system is an interesting alternative to your typical MMO questing, but too often the quests themselves amount to the kill X of Y we've come to expect. In all honesty this game is no better or worse than WoW. If you're tired of WoW's world and want a change of scenery but fairly familiar gameplay, consider giving this a try. This is a game you are either going to love or hate.… Expand

HugAttack

Dec 20, 2011

8

And metacritic proves once again, a swarm of trolls can utterly destroy the so called "user score" with a bunch of 0 reviews.

Frankly put, anyone who rates this game below a 3 should be kicked off of this site. People seem to not quite grasp the idea that 0 to 2 is for terrible terrible TERRIBLE games. If you think Old Republic is among the worst games ever, or even among the worst MMO'sAnd metacritic proves once again, a swarm of trolls can utterly destroy the so called "user score" with a bunch of 0 reviews.

Frankly put, anyone who rates this game below a 3 should be kicked off of this site. People seem to not quite grasp the idea that 0 to 2 is for terrible terrible TERRIBLE games. If you think Old Republic is among the worst games ever, or even among the worst MMO's ever, you should NEVER be allowed to review a game again. EVER. Yes reviews are subjective, but it's a fact that Old Republic has better graphics, a better story, better gameplay, and better replayabilty than many games. Even if you hate it, those things are true, and thus this game should not be rated alongside the worst games. Give it a 5, 4, or EVEN a 3 can be justified with a good explination... but a 1 or 0... NO WAY you can justify that. Even if you can't play right now because of technical reasons, that's expected in this genre and you should wait a few weeks before reviewing to see if things change.

Ok, rant aside, time to actually review this game!

It's a damn good MMO. However, it is not a FANTASTIC game. The story blows all MMO stories out of the water. I've had a blast with the three class stories I've played (all very different and all very fun). Only problem is the class stories just can't compare to other bioware greats like Baldur's Gate 2 or Old Republic. The stories are fun and enthralling, but not typical bioware quality. That's fully expected due to the fact ALL classes have their own HUGE storyline... which offers a huge amount of replayibilty. If you consider replayibilty is a fair tradeoff for depth, then you'll be a fan of the story, no doubt.

Tying into the story are sidequests. And though they are fully voice acted, most are pretty bland. Ya, the NPC talks and gives you some paper thin reason to go kill X or go fetch Y, but very few managed to grab my attention. Side quests are a low point of this game. Luckily you can avoid many of them and focus on the main story, flashpoints, and PvP.

For an MMO though, the story in this game is borderline revolutionary. Unless I'm doing sidequests in mass, this game never feels like a grind. That's saying something, and as an experienced MMO player, I feel this is truly a huge step forward in the genre.

Sadly, that is the only huge step forward in the genre. The game tries a few new things here and there (like the almost cool companion crafting system), but for the most part, gameplay feels and plays like the average MMO. It's like they put all their effort into the story, and just decided to copy and paste the gameplay. The game doesn't play BAD, it actually feels pretty tight and can be just as fun (if not more so) than WoW. However, you can't help but wish they would have made combat a little more exciting.

The Graphics are *just* good. Some areas are actually quite boring, while others can be pretty nice to look at. However, there are no trippy or jaw dropping locations... and I've found the majority of "dungeons" to be fairly boring to look at. I'm not a huge fan of the character models. However, I must give props to the devs for the death animations. The death animations actually look really smooth and satisfying, sometimes syncing with the final attack. This is surprisingly important when you find yourself needing to kill 25 angry and armed slaves.

Finally I have to give bioware credit for the massive amount of end game credit. I have never seen an MMO launch with such a robust end game. It isn't perfect, and the endgame needs a good amount of tweaking, but there is allot more to do than I would have guessed.

It's hard to explain, but I feel as though this game COULD develop into something fantastic. This is a game that's screaming for an expansion. It's like the devs had so much else to focus on, they had to resort to making certain aspects (like sidequests) subpar. Now that they have it down, and a reasonably stable product to work on, I forsee great things on the horizon.

All in all... I give this a 9/10 for MMO and/or Star Wars fan

BUT

All in all... I give it a 8/10 for the average gamer.… Expand

Esoteric

Dec 31, 2011

4

This is bugged just like Warhammer Online was [same devs] at launch. Apart from completely broken animations and combat responsivity this is just another generic online game with awful graphics. Character customization is even more primitive than in WOW [which is quite an achievement]. Also, this game have very high pc requirements, so if you don't have top RIG then stay away.

5/10

Scritty

Feb 19, 2012

6

I love it when others tell me why I don't like a game. "You are a hater" - "You know nothing about MMO's" and the best one "Go back to WoW". I don't hate this game at all. It's ok. It has a very solid combat mechanic and decent graphics. I have no problem with lag (and BTW the word "lag" should be reserved for talking about your internet connection not your GFX hardware's inability toI love it when others tell me why I don't like a game. "You are a hater" - "You know nothing about MMO's" and the best one "Go back to WoW". I don't hate this game at all. It's ok. It has a very solid combat mechanic and decent graphics. I have no problem with lag (and BTW the word "lag" should be reserved for talking about your internet connection not your GFX hardware's inability to render at an appropriate speed..that's just "underpowered" hardware).

Anywho - I had a pleasant gaming experience for the most part. But the issues are rather big when you've played for 100+ hours. Firstly, while accepting it's a theme park MMO (like WoW and many others) it is very "light" in terms of things to do outside combat. Crafting and harvesting has no real depth. YOu don't even need to risk your own neck to harvest "above your level" just press "N" and send your companion out "Bye - see ya later" He or she will pop back (while you are in the middle of combat normally) and without looking up from what you are doing you will likely press "N" then a number from 1-3 then hear said companion mutter something about "Back later" and that's it. Crafting is exactly the same as harvesting "Off you go companion"....."Oh you're back with........ nothing of any value what-so-ever" Yes you can reverse engineer everything you make (and you should do this) but I am still yet to find a single item or mod worth using ( I craft appropriate to my level - if not a little beyond - I always have any spare companions out gathering or crafting, yet still have found nothing worth using) I've read that maybe I picked the wrong profession..Oh well.

I LOVE MMO trading. I DO NOT MEAN I indulge in RMT, never had, never will. But to get any fun out of a trade network it needs to be developed a little. SWTOR's is so basic you'd be better off selling anything of value over the trade channel. Even the filters seem not to work very well, All in all, pretty dull and not much extra. Add to this, no secondary professions, no "side goal" quests to get stuff (like a X faction mount or something decorative) and you have a game that relies far to much on combat and combat alone. And after killing your 4000th group of mobs, going through the same rotation over and over and over again gets VERY dull. I would like to just stop and feel obliged to go somewhere to gather materials to make an item I actually need, or to go "asteroid fishing" or see what the items I have in my pack are fetchin X faction..noe of this (and any of the other things that add a little depth to a theme park MMO) are available.

Perhaps wore than this is rolling Republic on just about any server. Forget multiplay. You're on your own. Well of course you're not totally on your own, but watching guilds evaporate as even the true blue republicans decide to leave to look for a better served server for th republic (which is guesswork) or give up and roll an Imperial (just so they can do the multiplayer content) or in many places, just give up and do something else instead

The much vaunted story for my class (Jedi Counsellor) is terrible. Planet one. Rescue (ahem - I won't spoil it) protect (ahem)...then what? Go to planet 2 and do the exact same thing...then what..Oh I know, why not go to planet 3 and do the exact same thing..then what ...... It's more like an episode of "Dora the Explorer" than an epic space quest. Again I'm told other quest lines are better - guess I just picked wrong again. SWTOR is a theme park with one ride...Combat..it's a good one, but it's the only one in town.
I don't hate the game - I give it a 6, if it was a single player game (which while I'm playing it seems to be) iwould probably give it an 8. It probably does have a future, it needs more "stuff to do" and maybe free character migration for those with Republic characters sitting on their own waiting for a groujp that's never going to come. Please Bio give us more than combat. 6 is fair, it's higher than the average score this game has on this site at time of posting, and that probably sums up my feelings. Could be a great game, but needs a lot more content, not just "depth" (i.e more end game content added) but content width as well. More than just combat ...PERLEAAASE… Expand

RumDood

Dec 21, 2011

9

Incredibly fun with engaging story that drives you to play additional characters, the game also include mechanics that make it actually enjoyable to play as a casual player rather than someone who plays several hours a day on a rigid schedule. Playing in groups is a great dynamic, and the social options for conversations make the groups even more engaging. There is a distinct lack ofIncredibly fun with engaging story that drives you to play additional characters, the game also include mechanics that make it actually enjoyable to play as a casual player rather than someone who plays several hours a day on a rigid schedule. Playing in groups is a great dynamic, and the social options for conversations make the groups even more engaging. There is a distinct lack of sandboxing, but considering that before the NGE the chief complaint among SWG players was the lack of content, it takes a conscious effort to not understand why BioWare chose to go the complete opposite direction. This game is ALL content. Storylines and conversations are fun and the voice acting is fantastic.

As someone who never enjoyed WOW or EVE or AOC, this game has me completely addicted.… Expand

manahound

Dec 29, 2011

3

In a nutshell: I'd had high hopes for this game. I got into early access (though apparently not early enough to realize what a vapid waste of time/space the game is:/). I even went so far as to purchase the collector's edition, thinking the game would be fantastic. I was regretfully wrong. Like others have said, this is not an MMO - nearly everything is instanced (making the world feelIn a nutshell: I'd had high hopes for this game. I got into early access (though apparently not early enough to realize what a vapid waste of time/space the game is:/). I even went so far as to purchase the collector's edition, thinking the game would be fantastic. I was regretfully wrong. Like others have said, this is not an MMO - nearly everything is instanced (making the world feel oddly empty, save for the "lobby" areas). This wouldn't bother me, but later on, you'll be unable to progress some story lines unless you can find a group (which seems to be harder than it should be). The character creation is boring and outdated; 4 main body types and more or less a handful's selection of faces, hair styles/colors, etc. The gameplay is the same rehashed skill-less clickfest that every MMO released within the last 10 years have been (just Star Wars flavored). The graphics are greatly disappointing. I started playing RIFT while waiting for this game, and guess I was greatly spoiled with the large, beautiful, lush, open environments. The graphics in SW:TOR are lackluster, even with all the settings maxxed out. The players are the same rude **** you may have gotten used to in WoW; people getting in your face if they're questing in the same area and you kill a mob that aggroed on you becauase they feel they have a right to every mob in that area. The game also has some billing issues; many credit cards will not work due to the way things are setup. That forces you to buy game cards (definitely not the cheapest option). So here I am with a $150.00 statue and $30/60 extra days worth of game time. I'd rather have my $180 back. Please don't think I'm just whining; I made a mistake and will deal with it. I am suffering buyer's/subscriber's remorse and if I can save someone else the same, I would like to. This game is not worth the time and money, even at $50 dollars plus subscription. If you want to play a great MMO with fantastic graphics, play RIFT. If you love WoW, but would like to play a Star Wars-themed game, keep playing WoW and play KOTOR on the side. Thanks for reading; have a nice day everyone.… Expand

intruder313

Dec 21, 2011

7

They really have played it safe with this one, largely cloning WoW but adding a few nice touches that make things even easier and allows you to focus on the fun rather than the grind (so far it seems). Highlights include Space Combat events, Companions and Crafting by proxy.

Very much marring the experience though are the horrendous PvP Instances, the blatant dominance of the "Mage" ClassThey really have played it safe with this one, largely cloning WoW but adding a few nice touches that make things even easier and allows you to focus on the fun rather than the grind (so far it seems). Highlights include Space Combat events, Companions and Crafting by proxy.

Very much marring the experience though are the horrendous PvP Instances, the blatant dominance of the "Mage" Class (this was abundantly clear in Beta so no excuses for going live like this) and the gigantic queues (which will subside).

Treat it as a solo Bioware game and it's great, the MMO aspects needs a bit more work though to escape the WoW-clone badge.… Expand

Kiroshi

Dec 21, 2011

9

I have beta tested this game, and others. Been a fan of the Star Wars genre since the mid 80's. This game captures the essence of the franchise and gives each class a different and unique story with brilliant voice acting. The looks for everyone are unique as levels progress and they can choose different outfits/armors that really fit their particular 'flavor' more without sacrificing theI have beta tested this game, and others. Been a fan of the Star Wars genre since the mid 80's. This game captures the essence of the franchise and gives each class a different and unique story with brilliant voice acting. The looks for everyone are unique as levels progress and they can choose different outfits/armors that really fit their particular 'flavor' more without sacrificing the protection and buffs. My only complaint is the rail-driven space combat, but if you liked the Star Fox games, you'll like this. the actual MMO is compelling. Ignore the ranting of everyone saying it's a WoW-clone, yes you use a keyboard and mouse to move and there are quests, but every MMO has the characteristics they say is WoW-only, and they were there before that game. My recommendation... give the game a try, join us with the Dark Side. We have cookies.… Expand

Stormie

Dec 22, 2011

5

Competently executed, but completely lacking in innovation, this is really a 2005 MMORPG launched six years too late. Mechanics are largely copied from WoW, which is not uncommon, but really doesn't work to well in a sci-fi/space opera style of game. The unique selling point is the voice-acted storyline, but I didn't find the story to be significantly above other MMOs in quality, and feltCompetently executed, but completely lacking in innovation, this is really a 2005 MMORPG launched six years too late. Mechanics are largely copied from WoW, which is not uncommon, but really doesn't work to well in a sci-fi/space opera style of game. The unique selling point is the voice-acted storyline, but I didn't find the story to be significantly above other MMOs in quality, and felt that the voice acting was rather poor - half of the voice work was stilted and wooden, the other half was "zany" and over the top. And none of the conversations felt anything like conversations, they just felt like two voice actors reading from a script. Hugely disappointing, especially when the game really has nothing else going for it that isn't already provided by WoW, LOTRO, EQ2, Rift, and other such games of this style.… Expand

Codester

Dec 21, 2011

8

Single-player friendly with interesting story lines. Typical MMO (WoW) style combat. Some bugs and performance issues typical of an initial launch. Story driven group content. Companion system. Haven't done the PVP, as that isn't my thing.

Publicius

Dec 20, 2011

7

There's been a mixed bag of reviews here. Plenty of WoW comparisons, however I've never played WoW, but have played other MMO's such as Swg, Lotro, and Sto. As such I find this game somewhat difficult to judge. The VO is a nice addition to MMO playing, but you also have your typical kill that, kill this quest (which every MMO does). The class story lines are decent, some predictable,There's been a mixed bag of reviews here. Plenty of WoW comparisons, however I've never played WoW, but have played other MMO's such as Swg, Lotro, and Sto. As such I find this game somewhat difficult to judge. The VO is a nice addition to MMO playing, but you also have your typical kill that, kill this quest (which every MMO does). The class story lines are decent, some predictable, others not. The zone design and planetary design is very linear..however there is room for expansion. Having played in beta I've paid attention to the various progressions of the game. There is certainly room for improvement, in many areas of the game. However, if you like the star wars genre, you'll most certainly appreciate the game. The game has a decent ground to build off of, provided it's handled in thecorrect manner, which remains to be seen. For the most part it is your typical MMO, theres nothing surprising or jaw dropping from any other MMO (except maybe the VO), however it can be quite fun if you look past some little flaws. I would encourage to make your own conclusions based on your play, but would recommend the standard edition only, as the game is not worth spending the cash on the collectors edition.… Expand

Triggerhappy

Dec 21, 2011

8

An old-school mmo rpg with largely unappealing graphics, many traditional features and several great twists that create a genuinely new experience. The role-playing storyline allows for a solid level of immersion; the accent has clearly been on the levelling aspect rather than a rush to endgame raiding. For mmo newcomers it may be a bit rough; for veteran mmo grinders and achievers it willAn old-school mmo rpg with largely unappealing graphics, many traditional features and several great twists that create a genuinely new experience. The role-playing storyline allows for a solid level of immersion; the accent has clearly been on the levelling aspect rather than a rush to endgame raiding. For mmo newcomers it may be a bit rough; for veteran mmo grinders and achievers it will be mind-numbingly easy; for someone whoÂ´s had a few short brushes with the genre like me, it is thoroughly enjoyable.

For people who were expecting this to replace wow, this will be a sore disappointment; there is not even a fraction of the endgame content that Wow has to offer, and there certainly is nothing of the reputation farming, honor points farming, achievement hunting, Arena muscle-flexing etc. This game will never become an "e-sport" and for a large majority of wow fan base who need "competition" it wonÂ´t deliver. Yet it is worth the money; I expect to comfortably play it for three to four months, enjoy a few storylines, revel in the grouped instances with group conversation choices (awesome!) and, well, sign off.

ItÂ´s a game for a few months, well worth the money in my opinion. ItÂ´s not a wow replacement at all.

On a side note, when comparing to Wow, consider how much Blizzard is earning every month for its 10 mio+ subscriptions: three months worth of Wow subscriptions would fully cover the SWTOR development costs. The gap between Wow and TOR is huge, and this game will NEVER come even close to that budget. Bioware are still essentially a basement developer squad compared to the behemoth that is Blizzard. Modify your expectations accordingly.… Expand

ravenblade

Feb 28, 2012

6

This is my 2nd review of this game, in my first one I barely touched the game. A second review should be common thing these for MMO reviewers anyways. I will start with what keeps me playing this game for now: Story. Story is the strong point of this game although when talking about story I have to emphasize on class storylines because alot sidequests get lost in the same stereotypical "beThis is my 2nd review of this game, in my first one I barely touched the game. A second review should be common thing these for MMO reviewers anyways. I will start with what keeps me playing this game for now: Story. Story is the strong point of this game although when talking about story I have to emphasize on class storylines because alot sidequests get lost in the same stereotypical "be a hero and save the world." theme not being shy of being hyperbolic in many cases. It is quite common to spend more time listening to the voiceover quest dialogue than for the quest itself. #
As hinted sidequest content qualities are not exactly an evolution and often backwards, bonus objectives in 99 out of 100 cases start with a kill x of y and if there are stages involved they are often followed up by a x of 5*y type of kill quest. Alot sidequests simply don't go beyond kill x, catch y, click z to destroy/interact. There is no timed challenge, no mini-game which could spice it up and certainly no alternate paths involved which would hint the same level of evolution they offered via their dialogue/voiceover introduction.#
Speaking of alternate paths it needs to be mentioned that all quest progression follows the same road for every class, the game is heavily guiding you through content while also limiting you in your abilities to explore. Random invisible walls and entire area potential wasted for instancing, some even class-specific are common and a step backwards. If that didn't wreck your immersion already then the fact that despite all the instancing the game does it knows little to nothing of story persistence aka phasing. At least, you could say, you can have world PVP, but unfortunately there is little of that.#
World PVP is again very limited to a few planets and even then it is better to go your way because on the occasion you have met - which is very difficult with the few Republic players out there - you have almost no incentive to do anything than classical ganking. It is in fact easier to group for instanced PVP.#
Instanced PVP as well as the only exclusive world PVP zone in this game suffers from the same thing as other games within the genre: It is too much of a treadmill and hindered by mechanical as well as technical limitations. Especially the latter deserves some mentioning.#
The biggest issue of this game is its lack of fidelity. The reason for that is a blatant neglect of technological standards and a very unpolished client design. It is very common for some players to deal with the lack in case of many players being in the same area. Even then if you can enjoy higher framerates it becomes quite clear that beyond the poor optimization, animation, texture resolution and shadow qualities are one of the worst I have seen in a long time. Adding to that world design qualities are greatly lacking, the amount of sterility and lifelessness, the impression of a paint brush effect, the lack of small details and variations are putting quite a dent into the immersion and cannot be fixed by the sheer existence of voiceover alone anymore.#
With this said I want to add that I have left out alot of other things especially spoiling ones and things like companions, travelling nightmares and crafting imbalances but these are what I see as biggest outstanding issues. Bioware emphasized too much on voiceover and hoped that it will be the strings that tie the game together. Unfortunately their new pillar of gameplay may break under the burden if they are not beginning to be a little bit more critical of their own design and design choices and start improving. As of now the only saving grace is it being in the Star Wars universe but it will have a hard time to stand up against contenders in this genre who in fact are making and already have made a leap of faith forward.… Expand

Chezwick838

Dec 21, 2011

10

This game is great. The combat system is fun and the story driven game play is entertaining. This game is what I have been waiting for.

Great job Bioware.

MercuryQR

Dec 21, 2011

8

TOR has proven to be an enjoyable game. Regardless of the quips of it being a single-player game played alongside other players, it is still an MMORPG. With more emphasis on the RPG aspect of the gaming industry, I find it to be a fantastic change from the general grindfests that many MMOs feel is necessary in a profitable business model. Yes, it draws on many common features of the bigTOR has proven to be an enjoyable game. Regardless of the quips of it being a single-player game played alongside other players, it is still an MMORPG. With more emphasis on the RPG aspect of the gaming industry, I find it to be a fantastic change from the general grindfests that many MMOs feel is necessary in a profitable business model. Yes, it draws on many common features of the big name MMOs but it still has enough difference to make it a distinctive and enjoyable. People need to remember that at no point did BioWare declare SWTOR to be the WoW-killer. It seems to me that good number of people have one set idea of what an MMO should be like and no company may ever deviate from that perception.

However, I will agree that it is not the perfect game. Primarily, the dearth of inter-faction contact in the world on most planets is disappointing. The options for character design could be a bit beefier but they do offer enough to create a near-unique appearance.… Expand

scabbycakes

Dec 30, 2011

3

I don't have enough space to write any good things, which there are a few, but:

The ugly:
-Biggest one: There is very little in the way of avoiding crap quests you donâ

requiamer

Dec 21, 2011

5

Medium quality game. The Bioware touch is nice, but not to the point they could avoid a better work on the gameplay. The polish is nice, but only because usually mmo are buggy mess, some people praise the polish of this game, but i found it pretty medium. Finally i never felt as playing a star war game, but as playing a mmo with a star war skin, this alone deserve a negative review, butMedium quality game. The Bioware touch is nice, but not to the point they could avoid a better work on the gameplay. The polish is nice, but only because usually mmo are buggy mess, some people praise the polish of this game, but i found it pretty medium. Finally i never felt as playing a star war game, but as playing a mmo with a star war skin, this alone deserve a negative review, but i'll keep my rating at 5.… Expand

prof

Dec 22, 2011

8

I haven't played that much since the early access, I got a level 15 character now and I must say unlike most other blockbuster releases over the last couple of months this game really got me into it - and i don't have any strong feelings towards star wars or any science-fiction universe.
of course its core is nothing new, but the all the people playing are really trying to get a niceI haven't played that much since the early access, I got a level 15 character now and I must say unlike most other blockbuster releases over the last couple of months this game really got me into it - and i don't have any strong feelings towards star wars or any science-fiction universe.
of course its core is nothing new, but the all the people playing are really trying to get a nice experience out of it.
the graphic's are likeable, though the engine isn't always as smooth as it could be. i guess i'm gonna spend a lot more hours on the several planets and the space between...… Expand

cmoyano

Jan 14, 2012

4

my god what is this **** Boring Queuing simulator that should never have been made, where is KOTOR 3 bioware? Huh where the **** is it? gamecube graphics; FF14 UI; and about as much fun as have a spear up the ass. I know these results are going to be skewed by people suffering from denial that bioware could ever make a bad game but this is just as bad as DA2. Buy anything else for a bettermy god what is this **** Boring Queuing simulator that should never have been made, where is KOTOR 3 bioware? Huh where the **** is it? gamecube graphics; FF14 UI; and about as much fun as have a spear up the ass. I know these results are going to be skewed by people suffering from denial that bioware could ever make a bad game but this is just as bad as DA2. Buy anything else for a better gaming experience… Expand

WWWYYZERDD

Dec 21, 2011

8

I am having a blast with this game! This is the first MMO where I actually feel like I'm playing a character instead of just an assembly of numbers. The dialog and story choices really add a lot to the game in that aspect. I love that they have no auto attack as that will remove a lot of balance issues between pvp and pve. The companions and crafting system are really nice. It's great toI am having a blast with this game! This is the first MMO where I actually feel like I'm playing a character instead of just an assembly of numbers. The dialog and story choices really add a lot to the game in that aspect. I love that they have no auto attack as that will remove a lot of balance issues between pvp and pve. The companions and crafting system are really nice. It's great to be able to level your crafts while you are running around doing other things. The space combat, while it could have been more, is a fun mini game that is a nice break between questing.

All that said, there are some issues, and it is not a game for everyone. Anyone who wants to just grind through to endgame as quickly as possible will probably not enjoy the game and will see the cutscenes as an annoyance rather than a benefit. The race and character customization options could be better. (Cyborgs as a race? Come on.) Because every zone is instanced, even a full server can feel empty at times. The UI should be more customizable and some way to analyze your performace (a meter or at least a combat log) would be nice.

Overall I am enjoying the game immensely and expect most of my gripes to be taken care of relatively shortly.… Expand

Cabrien

Dec 21, 2011

9

SW: TOR is a very formidable adventure/theme park MMORPG, with a lot of polish and a great sense of atmosphere. If you enjoy games like Lord of the Rings Online, World of Warcraft, or Rift, and you love Star Wars, then TOR is a no-brainer. Bioware has taken elements of their best-selling single-player games and brought them into the MMORPG landscape, with great success. Gone are theSW: TOR is a very formidable adventure/theme park MMORPG, with a lot of polish and a great sense of atmosphere. If you enjoy games like Lord of the Rings Online, World of Warcraft, or Rift, and you love Star Wars, then TOR is a no-brainer. Bioware has taken elements of their best-selling single-player games and brought them into the MMORPG landscape, with great success. Gone are the days of reading walls of text, and now there are interactive discussions that help shape your character and tell a complete story, on par with most singleplayer games. There hasn't been a benchmark in the industry like this since the WoW juggernaut and if the smooth Early Access Launch is any indication, Bioware is going to be a top MMORPG developer for years to come.… Expand

MrGrimord

Dec 22, 2011

9

This game deserve a solid 9/10 despite all haters. If you enjoy WoW and Mass Effect, this is the perfect game for you. Of course this isn't a revolution in the gender, but this is the best improvement for the mmo market since WoW. A never ending KotoR game = win.

Crimsonking58

Dec 26, 2011

6

It seems impossible for this game to stand on it's own. Angry hardcore players comparing it to WoW, rabid Bioware fans assuming its absolute perfection, the treatment this game is receiving is simply unfair. On it's own, without any comparisons to WoW or the existing MMO genre, this is pretty much a mediocre Bioware game with multiplayer capabilities. Which, in thee end, isn't too shabby,It seems impossible for this game to stand on it's own. Angry hardcore players comparing it to WoW, rabid Bioware fans assuming its absolute perfection, the treatment this game is receiving is simply unfair. On it's own, without any comparisons to WoW or the existing MMO genre, this is pretty much a mediocre Bioware game with multiplayer capabilities. Which, in thee end, isn't too shabby, but nothing that will go down in gaming history.

You can easily get to max level in this game without interacting with a single other player, if that's your sort of thing. After dealing with the typical MMO role-shortages (no heals, no tank, no DPS), I gave up on group quests and flashpoints (dungeons) around level 20, and never interacted with anyone until I got to max level. Did it hinder my experience? Not really. However, upon playing the game solo, I couldn't help but think that the game could've been so much better if they had simply made it a single player game and released it as KOTOR 3. I believe that result could've been the best game of the decade so far. The problem that I faced around level 35 was a lack of memorable characters or situations. I thought hard one night of everything that had happened in the game so far, what characters I had met, the situations I had been in, the plot twists, the character development, all standard Bioware fare. I was disappointed to find that I couldn't remember anything spectacular. Memories of all the fantastic scenarios from Mass Effect 2 and KOTOR came back to me then, and all I could feel was disappointment. Thankfully, the plot picks up quite nicely again around level 40, but never gets fully up to speed. As far as a single player experience goes, it feels long and not that spectacular, but much more entertaining and cinematic than a faceless kill-em-all MMO.

But what separates an MMO from a standard RPG is one thing: The endgame. I have yet to experience operations (raids) or any heroic flashpoints, but from what I can see they seem cinematic yet standard, like the rest of the game. I don't see where people are coming up with the statement that "there is no endgame", for there are 15 heroic flashpoints, 2 operations, an entire PvP planet, a higher replay value than standard MMOs, crafting, and more. There is certainly plenty to do, but an MMO veteran might not get the same rush as a new player would. It certainly brings back feelings of Burning Crusade WoW if I have to compare it to anything else.

In conclusion, I believe Bioware has created their most mediocre single player experience to date. But given Bioware's standard of quality, that doesn't mean it's bad. The hours of voice acting and thousands of quests to complete will either bore or immerse you, depending on your Star Wars enjoyment and previous MMO experience. For new players trying to decide between this or WoW, I would go with this, for it will feel much more like the plot-driven games that many are used to as opposed to a faceless trek through 85 levels that WoW feels like nowadays. For veterans, I would steer clear for now. If plot doesn't interest you, and you've already gone through the raiding motions in other MMOs, this will just feel like an elongated single player game with nothing at the end. For now, a 6 for slightly above average. If the end game proves to be as engaging as Burning Crusade was, and Bioware manages to keep content flowing nicely with patches on a regular basis, I'll bump it up to an 8 or a 9. Here's to hoping.… Expand

lockedigitalus

Dec 21, 2011

8

I've played a lot of MMOs (starting with the original EQ, and including every AAA and AA MMO every released), and I really like what SWTOR brings to the table.

Your class story is the central feature -- and most of them are at least interesting. A few are quite good. Related to this is the companion system, which is like having a really shy person in your group at all times that mightI've played a lot of MMOs (starting with the original EQ, and including every AAA and AA MMO every released), and I really like what SWTOR brings to the table.

Your class story is the central feature -- and most of them are at least interesting. A few are quite good. Related to this is the companion system, which is like having a really shy person in your group at all times that might have quests from time to time.

If you like a game experience similar to Mass Effect and Knight of the Old Republic, but with added cooperative and PvP features, you should give SWTOR a try. It isn't for everyone, certainly, but for me it has been a fresh, story-focused take on the typical MMO grind. A slightly different flavor, if you will, one that will please some and irritate others.… Expand

flimda

Jan 1, 2012

2

If you defined the word "blunder", you would get a dictionary definition which stated "Lucasart's decision to let Bioware handle this game". The game feels souless and just comes across as an incomplete product which has been rushed. Star wars is a global cash cow and it really is being milked for all it's worth with such a terribly over priced game. The game is supposed to run on theIf you defined the word "blunder", you would get a dictionary definition which stated "Lucasart's decision to let Bioware handle this game". The game feels souless and just comes across as an incomplete product which has been rushed. Star wars is a global cash cow and it really is being milked for all it's worth with such a terribly over priced game. The game is supposed to run on the majority of systems, however many players (myself included) have experienced severe lag which basically makes any decent PvP redundant. For a game with a supposed $300m budget a problem which hinders the primary selling point of the MMO market is unforgivable in every sense. How can a game which brings computers to their knees have such poor graphics? It really is just WoW in space with terribly cringeworthy writing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7pgk7TZO_c& as an example of one of the horrible cut scenes - and no that wasn't even filmed during the beta, that's something Bioware want you to pay monthly to sit through) and regurgitated MMO game play which could be swapped with the game play of any of the last 10 or so major MMOs and would seem pretty samey. This game was intended for two sets of people: MMO players who wanted something different, and Star Wars fans - most notably those who were fans of the KotOR series. This game others NOTHING for either of them. During the prerelease interviews with Bioware employees they promised this game would innovate a dying game genre whilst appeasing Star wars fans by sticking to lore and basically being a continuation of the KotOR series. Without offering any spoilers I can suggest that this game has basically forgotten that KotOR 2 ever existed. In terms of end game so far there is only one raid which features a couple of tank and spank bosses and a brief extension of the PvP battlegrounds that players could choose to join from level 10. One of the key points of the star wars series is that it captures people's imaginations; Being evil villains in space! Being a hero of the republic! It is such a diverse series with thousands of unique characters it really is disgusting that every single player characters looks exactly the same. There are basically four body choices for everyone which is the only unique aspect of your character (everyone is a humanoid and exactly the same height - sounds really FUN). The four body types include - Child body (a mini version of the adult body - yes 10 year old children in this game have massive racks - gotta reach out to EVERY market haven't we Bioware? ) Japanese anime style body, steroid packed weight lifer body and of course morbidly obese fat man. The hairstyles are nothing like the star wars series and seem to have come straight out of the latest FF game. Another unique feature which TOR promised us was space combat. Although this is the favourite part of the game for myself... that isn't because it is good, just that every single other aspect of this game is horrible in every way, shape and form. It is fun for the first 30 minutes but considering the amount of time people put into MMOs the repetition of this particular aspect of the game would kill me. They even managed to make you grind mobs whilst you are supposed to be flying the ship! Another brilliant USP for TOR was the companions. Their two major benefits are supposed to be helping during combat and also skills. The skills in this game are a complete waste of time and any items you get out of them are dwarfed by those you find elsewhere. It is a complete waste of time in game to spend any time whatsoever crafting / picking / looking for herbs. subscir
For the majority of time in game I have played a Jedi Knight Guardian. This is a primarily a tank class so what BIoware did was give them a companion whose main function is... to tank. This makes PvE and grinding mobs (Which are ALWAYS in groups of three no matter what) pretty boring (I can only say this is from a Jedi Knight Guardian's point of view - apparently Bounty Hunter is a blast). To summarise I simply cannot see how I could justify throwing more money at EA with a subscription fee for this game. It is so repetitive in every sense of the word - A bland copy of every past MMO with a script loosely resembling the tortured remains of one which was partially based on small aspects of the KotOR series.… Expand

Ludna

Jan 2, 2012

3

The game is not bad, but only due to the story questline and voice over. The rest is hugely disappointing.
The largest issue what drives me off is basicially no freedom in character development. The attribute mechanics is a joke, only one attribute determining everything. Force Power depends on Willpower ? Not for a Warrior, then your Strength determines Force Power. Silly. And theThe game is not bad, but only due to the story questline and voice over. The rest is hugely disappointing.
The largest issue what drives me off is basicially no freedom in character development. The attribute mechanics is a joke, only one attribute determining everything. Force Power depends on Willpower ? Not for a Warrior, then your Strength determines Force Power. Silly. And the attribute is based on the class, no choice. All other attributes are worthless for a given class. I need to stick to a certain weapon type (single, double, or two-wiedled) again based on class. No free selectable weapon and armour feats, boring. The combat mechanics is to clicky, but that is maybe a matter of personal taste. In general the entire gameplay mechanics is to simple for me. I guess, Bioware wanted WoW players tp play SWTOR and I think that is what's going to happen. Straigtforward mechanics, no thinking required, clear roles. I have got some experience in Ultima Online, Lotro, DDO, EVE and 2 weeks trial in WoW. I like system in DDO most. Still tehre are classes and races, but a lot of options to shape a character. Also all quest run in the instances, so there is no kill x of y. Every attribute (Str, Dex etc.) has actually an impact on the Character. So, it's my Charackter after all. The dungeons are well designed. So, I would opt for more instances in SWTOR and more teamplay required. The graphics works for me, nevertheless the design feels steril. One don't need top nothc graphic to transmit the right impression.… Expand

kamryu

Dec 23, 2011

7

2 out of 3 story (at times generic and predictable but the addition of voice acting makes you care unless your one of those people looking for a grind fest where you can just pick up a quest go do it level up and get your gear soon as possible,plenty of choice quest wise also)
1 out of 3 game play (yes its a wow clone)
2 out of 3 Social/Multiplayer (people calling it a solo game full of2 out of 3 story (at times generic and predictable but the addition of voice acting makes you care unless your one of those people looking for a grind fest where you can just pick up a quest go do it level up and get your gear soon as possible,plenty of choice quest wise also)
1 out of 3 game play (yes its a wow clone)
2 out of 3 Social/Multiplayer (people calling it a solo game full of **** they are not gonna do a flashpoint solo or a heroic unless they are over leveled for them same as any other MMO also the addition of social conversation choices adds a good little mix to it never know if your party member wins the role you might be about to kill a ton of innocents or end up having to go the long way round).
1 out of 2 for graphics (cartoony one or two bugs)
1 out of 2 customization very limited character image choice races seem to similar only 4 body types user interface not very customizable, on the plus the advance class system means not all consular are going to be the same you ll become a sage or a shadow knight becomes guardian or sentinel and this is before you start deciding on a talent tree to advance through.
total 7 out of 10.

Now into some nitty gritty. As I said sometimes the quests can be predictable for instance training a militia you know is going to be a case of go out kill some things and return (boring and predictable) but at the same time you ll get some quests which will make you have to decide for instance recover some medical supplies for the army only to find out refugees are the ones who stole it and they need them you ll be presented with a social choice leave them with the refugees or take them back for the army this in turn has an effect on whether your light side or dark side points go up (some grey would be nice like splitting the supplies between the two). The voice acting is good and if your someone who actually CARES about story and reasons why your doing things you ll enjoy it if however your one of those people who plays games like wow and never even reads the quest because all that matters to you is what is the reward for doing it then it will be nothing more than annoying to you.
Gameplay is such a clone of all other previous MMO's its almost an insult the few features such as cover (limited to smuggler and imperial agent) add some interest but otherwise be prepared to be playing as you always have (oh yeah no auto attack which personally I feel is actually a good thing) I would have gave 0 out of 3 for this but truth is the system does work it might be boring but reality is the click buttons feature works (just as point and click works for fps I are not going to give an fps review 0 because its point and click why should I give tor 0 because its the same as the others).
Social would be 3 if not for the simple fact planets are instanced so you don't see lots of people sure you can chat with them and if you want you can chance the instance your on to another version of it very easily just bring up world map and click the pull down menu for it down the bottom right. Flashpoints are pretty good again the addition of rolling on decisions within them adds a nice element never forget how annoyed my first group was when I passed on the free money at the end of our first instance and won the roll meaning no one got the money to you this may seem annoying the point is it adds a new layer of social interaction your going to care about who you group with and such. Heroics also add to social interaction since your not going to solo these quests yourself they are designed for group each planet has around a minimum 3 or 4 of these and they each tell a story its not just a case of go kill this elite mob because well its an elite mob sure your going to be killing an elite mob but before your killing it your going to run around sabotaging his ship because he is using it to smuggle slaves.
Graphics are cartoony and have a few glitches I would not say it doe snot work the thing is its an MMO it needs a wide audience so of course its not going to be the best graphically and people who expect it are the same people who have blown thousands on their PC not everyone can afford to graphics score for me is out of 2 cause I don't prioritize them.

People saying not a WoW killer and scoring 0 saying just a WoW clone your not reviewing the game your comparing it to WoW there thats not a review.… Expand

Sov

Dec 26, 2011

5

If it wasn't for the IP or developer name attached to it this would have garnered very little attention. It is incredibly stale and formulaic while missing out on many opportunities to do something fresh. In many ways it feels like a lobby with many tacked on mini-games and instances to try and keep you riding the theme park or "break things up" as they say. It really offers nothing to aIf it wasn't for the IP or developer name attached to it this would have garnered very little attention. It is incredibly stale and formulaic while missing out on many opportunities to do something fresh. In many ways it feels like a lobby with many tacked on mini-games and instances to try and keep you riding the theme park or "break things up" as they say. It really offers nothing to a seasoned MMO gamer and while playing you might find yourself asking, "Where did all the money go?"… Expand

dkeppens

Jan 18, 2012

0

Since there is a huge character limit here and TOR deserves all the negative feedback that can possibly be attributed to it, i blogged the review. Here's the link : http://www.bloggen.be/dkeppens/

septusmortis

Jan 17, 2012

2

This game has some nice touchesd and yes the VO does add something but later on gets in the way.

Don't listen to the rubbish on the internet about the graphics issue. the issue itself is minor but the way it was handled appaling. It still loooks good and some of the animations are terrific. Also if teh opening movie does not grab you, you simply are not human its excellent filler. ThereThis game has some nice touchesd and yes the VO does add something but later on gets in the way.

Don't listen to the rubbish on the internet about the graphics issue. the issue itself is minor but the way it was handled appaling. It still loooks good and some of the animations are terrific. Also if teh opening movie does not grab you, you simply are not human its excellent filler. There is no getting away from it quests are tedious, and in the main the "kill x of y" variety (or lack of it).
The character story line is ok but again I found myself wanting to edit some of teh longer wafflle out. Crafting is like marmite you will either love it or hate it... based on my experience at later levels it becomes redundant to a large degree. Space Combat.... GRRRRRR. Appalling on rails garbage, should of, could of been so much more but nope they totally bodged it up... A feel let down.

I find the samey nature of the armour, equipment and enhancements a little boring but that may just be early issues that will resolve over time.

The biggest issues with the game is the terrible ability delay (it is mind bendingly frustrating in PVP and especially if you have some skill in pvp combat you will feel like you are wading through treacle), bugs aplenty (some are so obvious and should really have been picked up with testing) and way more than acceptable at any MMO launch and finally the intrusive amounts of sharding and instancing (why does my game world have to be split in two when I have only seen about 5 other people in the two hours I have been questing. Also there is very little humour and self deprecation on display. The game seems to take itself just a little bit too seriously sometimes and this I think in teh long term with come across as pomposity. The whole game feels baggy and very unpolished once you look under the hood. Yes I know these are going to be patched at some point and I know its naive to complain about bugs in an MMO but there is an odd thing going on and it is something I can' quite put my finger on. And this is teh real killer punch from my perspective The game just does not "feel right". Its like something fundemental is holding back or not working as it should. Its almost as if the fun has been watered down. I knwo I should be enjoying it but it just feels a bit sterile. I know these statements are not objective and for that I apologise. I just don't know how to say it but the game feels somehow a bit souless.

On the whole an unsatisfying game for me...… Expand

Littlebomb

Dec 20, 2011

5

The best word to describe this game is mediocre. They straight copied WOW and spent way too much money on boring Voice Overs. I wasn't interested in why Timmy the NPC needed 6 bundles of wood and I most certainly don't want to listen to 5 minutes of why he needs bundles of wood.

Also the corridor's are crazy. I spend so much time running. The game is mostly empty space. Even the mobsThe best word to describe this game is mediocre. They straight copied WOW and spent way too much money on boring Voice Overs. I wasn't interested in why Timmy the NPC needed 6 bundles of wood and I most certainly don't want to listen to 5 minutes of why he needs bundles of wood.

Also the corridor's are crazy. I spend so much time running. The game is mostly empty space. Even the mobs hardly move at all. The wolrd feels very dead. The cities are even phased so you don't have the feeling of a mmo.

Really it bums me out because I want ot like this game.

I do enjoy the pvp though and the class design though they need duel spec ASAP. (tons of features missing that are very basic like chat bubbles)… Expand

nickiscool

Jan 21, 2012

0

A WoW clone that failed in execution and that forgot to clone the things that made WoW good. Worlds are linear and sharded. This game feels like a single player game when you play it, not an MMO. And the end-game is a joke. You will finish all the raids in about a week or two, they're painfully easy.

Bloodtau

Dec 28, 2011

1

After playing this game for days I have come to the conclusion that it should NOT have been released in the state that it did. The game feels out dated and old (even though it is new), with sub par graphics, major bugs, horrible pvp system, bad responsive keys, terrible UI, the list goes on. This game was suppose to be one of the "new ages" in MMO, but has ended up taking the genreAfter playing this game for days I have come to the conclusion that it should NOT have been released in the state that it did. The game feels out dated and old (even though it is new), with sub par graphics, major bugs, horrible pvp system, bad responsive keys, terrible UI, the list goes on. This game was suppose to be one of the "new ages" in MMO, but has ended up taking the genre backwards into some horrible single player cutscene spam fest / "mmo" hybrid that should not have even been thought up.… Expand

lazlo2020

Jan 15, 2012

1

I am not a fan of this game. I wanted to be but it just doesn't deliver. I logged in to create a char, there is absolutely no diversity in the races, blue skinned human, human with tentacles etc, why is it like this ?. Get into the game and OMG, it's mass effect but with lightsabres. i have lvl 30 imperial agent and enjoyed the story for this class but the combat/pvp/gfx and bugs haveI am not a fan of this game. I wanted to be but it just doesn't deliver. I logged in to create a char, there is absolutely no diversity in the races, blue skinned human, human with tentacles etc, why is it like this ?. Get into the game and OMG, it's mass effect but with lightsabres. i have lvl 30 imperial agent and enjoyed the story for this class but the combat/pvp/gfx and bugs have been a gamebreaker for me so uninstalled it is. Worst thing is to be honest is that i feel cheated somewhat by bioware, claiming 'epic' space battles and gameplay trailers that have hi res textures but are not actually in game. I wish i could take this title back and get a refund. you won't ever take me for a mug again bio/ea… Expand

Winterwolf

Jan 2, 2012

2

The main question I ask myself when judging a game is: Am I having fun? The longer I played this game, the more I had to admit to myself that I wasn't.

The game certainly isn't all bad. However the good bits and pieces it does have, have to be seen in context of the game as a whole and how much they add to the fun because there seem to be plenty of bad design decisions that break theThe main question I ask myself when judging a game is: Am I having fun? The longer I played this game, the more I had to admit to myself that I wasn't.

The game certainly isn't all bad. However the good bits and pieces it does have, have to be seen in context of the game as a whole and how much they add to the fun because there seem to be plenty of bad design decisions that break the immersion or are just annoying. For example, like any MMORPG, you will spend a lot of time running around, doing quests. For something so central to the gameplay, it is incredible how boring it was made. The quest design seems archaic. I wanted to experience the story but in the end the quest design stopped me playing. People mention the fully voiced NPCs. I found that this novelty grows old really quickly and wanted to skip the dialog. It also seems that this will make adding new content slow and costly - no criticism, just an observation. If you are going to buy this game, see it as something to tie you over until the next big game comes out, not as a long term MMO investment. You may enjoy this for a few weeks but probably get bored. I can only see the most die-hard KotOR or SW fans play this long-term. The bad gameplay design makes it hard to recommend it to anyone.… Expand

MelonPan

Jan 16, 2012

0

This isn't an mmo, it's a series of short single player games artificially lengthened with kill/fetch/deliver quests which have no relevance to the story. I see this as Bioware's excuse to make a series of short single player games that people must pay a monthly subscription to keep their save data. Planets you visit are usually long corridors with a start and a finish, great for a singleThis isn't an mmo, it's a series of short single player games artificially lengthened with kill/fetch/deliver quests which have no relevance to the story. I see this as Bioware's excuse to make a series of short single player games that people must pay a monthly subscription to keep their save data. Planets you visit are usually long corridors with a start and a finish, great for a single player game, terrible for an mmo. Also, no day and night cycles. Seriously? MMOs have had day and night since 2000, and a game with a budget in the hundreds of millions of dollars can't manage it?

Bioware also strongly advertises itself as an MMO of unprecedented story and immersion, and its fans are usually of the opinion that if you don't like the game, it's because you can't handle playing an MMO for the story and don't enjoy lore. Yeah? Well I just bought a lightsaber from a vendor for 350 points I earned playing huttball. You're telling me I'm going to be immersed and then you throw mass produced lightsaber vendors into the game? And then there are other things, like how suddenly it's acceptable for jedi counselors to use double bladed lightsabers, when at this point in history THEY were the ones condemning their use and calling them "sith sabers". In fact, most of the established jedi lore was completely re-written in order to forcibly fit jedi into certain MMO stereotypes. And sith that specialize in healing other people? Come the **** on, seriously? And who the **** invented huttball. I mean, sure it's a neat minigame, but who decided that this would be what we get for pvp? I was really hoping this game would be the next big thing, and after all these years of waiting I can't help but be a little emotionally invested in its success. I want it to be good so bad, and I was ready to overlook a few things, but it's hard to overlook an entire game.

I'm giving this game a zero. If you want to play an MMO, this is not an MMO, and there are better MMOs out there. If you want to play a star wars game, there are much better star wars game out there. If you want to see outdated mechanics and technology, there are games that were made TWELVE YEARS AGO that have more features than this one.… Expand

laldmanx23

Dec 20, 2011

10

Probably my favorite MMO (not a knee-jerk reaction I played the beta for months) and I've played quite a few from DAoC to WoW. At this point I my ideal game has an intriguing story and SWTOR easily delivers. You're essentially getting 8 good-great single player games in one. I look at this as my middle-class mans mass effect that never ends.
The common legitimate complaints generallyProbably my favorite MMO (not a knee-jerk reaction I played the beta for months) and I've played quite a few from DAoC to WoW. At this point I my ideal game has an intriguing story and SWTOR easily delivers. You're essentially getting 8 good-great single player games in one. I look at this as my middle-class mans mass effect that never ends.
The common legitimate complaints generally stem from sandbox players and they're completely valid, if you're not a fan of a more linear style of game or class constraints this may not be for you. However if you enjoy an excellent story (for an MMO) and highly polished game play you may be able to overlook the fact that you can't make a jedi with blasters who has to run fly 3 days in real time to reach the second planet. The graphics are fine (people who say they are comparable to wow are blind or playing on a toaster) and have been improved upon quite a bit from the early beta builds (they're definitely not great or revolutionary, but I'd say they are "good"). The game is focused on its many storyline which are, for the most part, quite good. At this point in time, technology limits the amount choices in a game can affect the world, it's simply not practical for bioware to allow choices to noticeably change the galaxy. I can actually think of a few instances of sparing a person and have him actually turn up later in the game, I'd say that's fairly impressive. Overall I'd say the game sits in the 9-10 range. Metacritic should really do some pruning on these reviews it's pretty obvious when 90% of the negative comments are made from accounts with 1 post who proceeded to thumbs up every negative comment and thumbs down the positives. I mean there's no way a post that says "Bioware sold their soul to the EA devil... **** GAME!!!" is in anyway helpful the reader. I don't mean to say that all negative reviews should be discounted, there are legitimate complaints to be maid and ultimately SWTOR may not be your style of game. Still the polished game play and story make this a must buy.… Expand

RazvanDad

Jan 7, 2012

0

Im very disapointed with this game. I cant bealive a company can pull something like this wich such huge budget. Behind the story/voice acting which i agree is very catchy (at least at begining) hides a lazy developed game, with little to none inovation, boring, dead, full of bugs, way too linear. It has so many wrong things im just puzzled it been launched like this. Ofc it have hugeIm very disapointed with this game. I cant bealive a company can pull something like this wich such huge budget. Behind the story/voice acting which i agree is very catchy (at least at begining) hides a lazy developed game, with little to none inovation, boring, dead, full of bugs, way too linear. It has so many wrong things im just puzzled it been launched like this. Ofc it have huge success at launch because of the big fanbase, but the real question, how long it will take until this game will collapse? Not long, because D3 /GW2 are coming.… Expand

DARKWORLD

Jan 18, 2012

0

Seriously? Innovative combat, new battle mechanics stunning graphics... Where all those things? They promised much and did nothing, literally - nothing.
What we got - new WOW/LN/RF/etc. clone in SW universe, nothing new.
Same boring-to-death combat mechanics, ugly graphics (of course to oblige all those low-end PC owners), nothing-new story/quests and all those things will cost youSeriously? Innovative combat, new battle mechanics stunning graphics... Where all those things? They promised much and did nothing, literally - nothing.
What we got - new WOW/LN/RF/etc. clone in SW universe, nothing new.
Same boring-to-death combat mechanics, ugly graphics (of course to oblige all those low-end PC owners), nothing-new story/quests and all those things will cost you monthly fees, its just ridiculous.
This game is not worth a single penny from you wallet, believe me. I feel bad for those guys, spending millions on such low-end product, just to make profit out of it, unfortunately for them this is not how it done.… Expand

Grazl

Dec 29, 2011

2

This game lack of everything that make a game fun, it lacks of creativity, fun and diversity. The character customisation is nearly nonexistent, so everybody look nearly like everybody ... the game takes what worked for other big MMOs and doesn't change it at all, so if your MMO just get you bored, you'll get bored as well if you play this. the only thing that interests people is that:This game lack of everything that make a game fun, it lacks of creativity, fun and diversity. The character customisation is nearly nonexistent, so everybody look nearly like everybody ... the game takes what worked for other big MMOs and doesn't change it at all, so if your MMO just get you bored, you'll get bored as well if you play this. the only thing that interests people is that: this is a star wars game.… Expand

Vigil

Jan 2, 2012

1

With no exageration, Star Wars: The Old Republic is literally the biggest disappointment I have ever experienced in a video game. I expected better from a studio like Bioware and I thought they would have pulled their socks up after the debarcle which was Dragon Age 2.

I stand corrected. Bioware isn't what it used to be and after EA cannibalised Mythic to work on this garbage I only haveWith no exageration, Star Wars: The Old Republic is literally the biggest disappointment I have ever experienced in a video game. I expected better from a studio like Bioware and I thought they would have pulled their socks up after the debarcle which was Dragon Age 2.

I stand corrected. Bioware isn't what it used to be and after EA cannibalised Mythic to work on this garbage I only have myself to blame for not seeing this coming.

I'm not going to write a long review; it doesn't deserve the time or effort. There are two points for anyone reading this which you need to consider before going anywhere near this steaming pile of trash; 1) This game suffers from everything Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning suffered from; and 2) This is a single player game which you pay and ongoing subscription for.

Avoid at all costs.… Expand

Necrotaur

Dec 20, 2011

5

Don't think of Star Wars: The Old Republic as an MMO. It's closer to a single-player game where you have the option of playing alongside others, sort of a Knights of the Old Republic with co-op and pvp. It's very story and dialogue driven, which is refreshing, but also somewhat amusing when you spend a couple minutes talking to someone only to get a quest to kill 10 droids. In that respectDon't think of Star Wars: The Old Republic as an MMO. It's closer to a single-player game where you have the option of playing alongside others, sort of a Knights of the Old Republic with co-op and pvp. It's very story and dialogue driven, which is refreshing, but also somewhat amusing when you spend a couple minutes talking to someone only to get a quest to kill 10 droids. In that respect TOR is like most every other MMO out there - kill quests, fetch quests, 'go here, activate terminal' quests etc. etc. It's been done to death so badly even WoW is trying to avoid it, so why isn't Bioware? Graphics are bland, particularly the character models/equipment - it feels like they were pulled straight from 2003. Animations and character faces are awkward and wooden, and there is a distinct lack of racial choices. Who seriously thought 8 flavors of near-humans were a good idea? The voice acting is decent enough, but nothing particularly stellar. Gameplay is heavily instanced and jarring at times when you run into a huge red barrier that says you can't enter because you're not the appropriate class .Combat is the typical MMO button mashing affair, with a couple added twists such as actual companions with interaction (good) and the occasional starship piloting sequence (on rails - could have been better). I can't really speak about PvP in any serious depth, so perhaps that might interest you. In conclusion, SW:TOR *might* be worth a try solely for the story, but it's very doubtful it will have anything to draw you back once you finish it, which is absolutely essential for an MMO.… Expand

EndOfRine

Dec 22, 2011

5

I miss the days when reviews weren't paid for by the publisher of the game being reviewed. This game has some good points, to be sure, but any knucklehead giving it an 8-10 is deluding themselves, or flat out trolling. Personally, I didn't enjoy the game, as it was way, way, way too similar to WoW, but if that's your thing, more power to ya, but PLEASE don't try and obfuscate the factI miss the days when reviews weren't paid for by the publisher of the game being reviewed. This game has some good points, to be sure, but any knucklehead giving it an 8-10 is deluding themselves, or flat out trolling. Personally, I didn't enjoy the game, as it was way, way, way too similar to WoW, but if that's your thing, more power to ya, but PLEASE don't try and obfuscate the fact that it IS a WoW clone, and they STATED that straying from the WoW formula was bad business.… Expand

IronLily

Dec 21, 2011

10

TOR = Kotor 3 Multiplayer Edition and it's wonderful for it. It has the usual trappings of MMOs, crafting, PvP instances, entire battle grounds, etc.
It does not deviate far from the distilled western MMO formula. But what it does is make this formula extremely enjoyable to play.
The voice acted cut scenes replacing the standard paragraphs of npc quest dialogue, and Mass Effect styleTOR = Kotor 3 Multiplayer Edition and it's wonderful for it. It has the usual trappings of MMOs, crafting, PvP instances, entire battle grounds, etc.
It does not deviate far from the distilled western MMO formula. But what it does is make this formula extremely enjoyable to play.

The voice acted cut scenes replacing the standard paragraphs of npc quest dialogue, and Mass Effect style conversations serve to not only break up the flow of the game, giving the player a brief break before jumping back into the action, it serves to make you truly attached to your character. There are decisions to make, and no matter the angle of your character, some will be very hard.
It's not just good/bad choices, it's getting the job done but with different consequences.

Playing a Bounty Hunter to lvl 26 so far, I love my character. Every fight I feel like a complete bada**. I don't have a cycle of skills I used in the same order every fight, rather it feels like I have a tool kit that I can choose from based on the situation and what I feel like doing. Nothing compares to running up and rocket punching a giant boss in the nose and then bombing the hell out of his buddies.

TOR isn't for everyone. If you're looking to speed through to the end of the game, this may not be for you. What it is, is an extremely enjoyable journey through the Star Wars universe that can be shared with your friends.… Expand

TheGhostAgent

Dec 21, 2011

8

There is still a lot of work that can be done to turn this game from an 8 into a 10. Unfortunately like all MMOs, they are currently being plagued by the initial rush or a release and just because they're "BioWare", does not make them immune. If you can overlook the "drama" on the forums and naysayers, and really get into the game, you can appreciate how they've tried to put the RPG backThere is still a lot of work that can be done to turn this game from an 8 into a 10. Unfortunately like all MMOs, they are currently being plagued by the initial rush or a release and just because they're "BioWare", does not make them immune. If you can overlook the "drama" on the forums and naysayers, and really get into the game, you can appreciate how they've tried to put the RPG back into MMORPG. MMOs nowadays are stuck on a gerbil wheel of grind, grind, raid, grind, grind, raid, etc. Worse, some lack any coherent story or consistency, completely taking out the immersion factor. This is a game for RPGers, not someone that wants to blast off 1-50 in 1 day and blow through content on day 2. They are able to weave choices into your quests/instances that determines the outcome/reward at the end. They even tie up your quest and story lines with follow up in game mail messages, helping you feel that you've accomplished something and an additional reward. And people need to realize their customer service is being bomarded daily and yet, they're still able to deliver. For example, the Taris bug. Myself and many other players experienced it, reported it, and was fixed and patched in 2-3 days. The community manger responds promptly to twitter questions and the forums without speaking down to their players. Where can you get this kind of response time and level of civility and service? Sure as hell not from WoW, and I loved Blizz and WoW. Unfortunately, their hubris got the better of them, shunned the community, and almost all of their communication as of late reeks of arrogance. SWTOR still has a long way to go to become a top dog MMO, but I have confidence in them so long as they:
A) Do not turn their backs on creating intricate story and lore
B) Do not shun the community and let pride get to their heads
C) Continue the level of communication with the community in the going future
D) Provide more customization
E) Provide robust end game content and not half-assed like some other MMO...… Expand

Gamerplays

Dec 20, 2011

8

It was to be expected: many people raging all over metacritic cause BioWare *** this and BioWare **** that. Really, since DA2 they suddenly can't do any good anymore. It would be safe to ignore all that biased hate cause The Old Republic is a very interesting and addicting game. It has a lot of content and plays quite like you know from the KotOR games. Does it feel like an MMO? Yes itIt was to be expected: many people raging all over metacritic cause BioWare *** this and BioWare **** that. Really, since DA2 they suddenly can't do any good anymore. It would be safe to ignore all that biased hate cause The Old Republic is a very interesting and addicting game. It has a lot of content and plays quite like you know from the KotOR games. Does it feel like an MMO? Yes it does, you are hardly ever alone except when you go advance in your personal story and even then you can take someone along. Planets are quite big and there is much to see and to do. Classes seem to be balanced so no problem there. PvP is a bit like WoW. You're playing in battlegrounds but there is also open world pvp for big battles. Only thing I miss right now is anti-aliasing but BioWare said they would throw that in shortly after launch just as more content so there will be plenty of things to do. This one's a winner and could overthrow WoW I'm sure. Having a great time in a Galaxy far, far away...… Expand

Pataties

Dec 20, 2011

8

TOR is a game that is going to split people down the middle. If you enjoy story, taking your time and exploring a wide universe then this game is for you. If, on the other hand, you want a perfect wow clone and instant gratification then you'll probably leave this game after a few weeks.

Like ay game there are currrently some teething issues, in an effort to keep server population BWTOR is a game that is going to split people down the middle. If you enjoy story, taking your time and exploring a wide universe then this game is for you. If, on the other hand, you want a perfect wow clone and instant gratification then you'll probably leave this game after a few weeks.

Like ay game there are currrently some teething issues, in an effort to keep server population BW has implemented a vey unpopular queue system with some servers having a wait time of hours to log oto. Coupled to this are some pretty serious optimisation issues with lots of users reporting low to medium fps on some killer rigs.

In addition to those there are still some minor gameplay bugs, the two biggest at the moment are a buged companion (Kira) and some pretty bad lag in Tarris. Despite this the game still manages to be fun, epic and makes you truly feel that you are the hero. For me it is definitely worth my monthly money and I expect to play this game for many years, after all it can only get better, especially with some of the hinted features still to come!… Expand

Bates

Dec 21, 2011

10

It's funny how critics are praising this game and sore WoW faithfuls are mocking it because they fear the power of the Dark Side. This game is not a WoW clone. It's an entirely different entity in itself. Naturally it has aspects of WoW but EVERY MMO will. The fact is: WoW fans are scared that their reign at the top of the MMO world may soon be coming to an end.

How can WoW competeIt's funny how critics are praising this game and sore WoW faithfuls are mocking it because they fear the power of the Dark Side. This game is not a WoW clone. It's an entirely different entity in itself. Naturally it has aspects of WoW but EVERY MMO will. The fact is: WoW fans are scared that their reign at the top of the MMO world may soon be coming to an end.

How can WoW compete with the vast lore and rich story telling that can only come from the Star Wars Universe? How can it compete with Space missions and space battles, planet hopping, brave and cunning Jedi Masters, ruthless and powerful Sith Lords, and quirky droid companions? How can it compete with a fanbase that has existed for over 30 years! It can't, so naturally, the WoW faithful are scared. Their is a new player in town and these gamers have to get over it and accept that they had a run like no other game in history, but it is time to pass the torch. Better game play, graphics, an epic soundtrack, and great mechanics.… Expand

Sanguinous

Dec 21, 2011

10

The amount of negativity I see is staggering and honestly very unsettling. Many of the reviews are not only unfair, they seem written by people who have either never played a MMORPG before or actively find reasons to complain and give low scores.

A lot of people come off a previous Star Wars game, Star Wars Galaxies which was a totally different monster - it was a "sandbox game" whichThe amount of negativity I see is staggering and honestly very unsettling. Many of the reviews are not only unfair, they seem written by people who have either never played a MMORPG before or actively find reasons to complain and give low scores.

A lot of people come off a previous Star Wars game, Star Wars Galaxies which was a totally different monster - it was a "sandbox game" which for those who don't know the terminology means a game that you can make your own. You could build a virtual city and live in it. Make a store and sell things. The worlds were huge and empty and built for players to create their *own* community. TOR is not a "sandbox game" - However it is the next evolution of the the online Star Wars genre. TOR takes the best aspects of several MMORPGs and combines them to create a totally new yet familiar beast. For example, some people are complaining at the lack of options during character creation. This game has a ton more choices then another successful game, World of Warcraft. That game has one body choice. TOR has 4. Then you get to the face and have a vast number of choices to craft your avatars face.

Tor is like a corvette with a custom engine. They researched many of the things that "worked" in multiple MMORPG's, tweaked it, and improved upon it!

The most amazing aspect of the game is the storytelling - not only is it all voiced (which is mind boggling), every storyline is well written and makes my experience in TOR one of the best I've had online. You have the potential to play through EIGHT different storylines (4 Sith Empire and 4 Republic) and you can also play a male or female character (with its own voice).

The game adds something I have not seen before in any game - Flashpoints! Flashpoints are missions that are performed in a group and offer conversation choices that each player has a chance to chose. Once chosen, virtual dice are thrown and whoever gets the highest roll is the response the game uses! It makes for some very exciting and fun roleplaying (even if you aren't a roleplayer!) where the attitude of the party (and sometimes the story) changes as you make your way through the Flashpoint. At one point we had a choice to kill an important character or allow that character to live! Hope you roll high!

Anyway, this game is amazing and the launch was one of the smoothest launches I have seen for an MMORPG in years. The developers promise tons of updates and with the money they are making with the successful launch of TOR and I believe they will deliver.

Finally, despite the negative online responses here, there is a VAST majority who are having a blast with TOR and are currently playing the game as opposed to the very vocal minority that has found a soapbox to stand on and complain.… Expand

HyperionIV

Dec 21, 2011

10

I haven't been able to play this game enough, each class is amazingly fun, the plot lines are addicting and I have to know what else happens next. I was amazed at how well the pvp feels, you can jump right in at level 10 and still make a difference against level 30's and 50's etc. The crafting is somewhat unique for MMO's and while it feels slow its not annoying and I can see how it willI haven't been able to play this game enough, each class is amazingly fun, the plot lines are addicting and I have to know what else happens next. I was amazed at how well the pvp feels, you can jump right in at level 10 and still make a difference against level 30's and 50's etc. The crafting is somewhat unique for MMO's and while it feels slow its not annoying and I can see how it will be down the line will be engaging without feeling like a grind.

I feel this game is well worth your time and money, very fun and with the entire thing scripted with voice acting it feels like you're really immersed in the game.… Expand

Nion

Dec 20, 2011

10

I am 22 lvl and didn`t skip any quests at all, I have to do them becouse voice acting, world design, combat animation, story telling made this expieriens much more interestning. There is bugs here and there, but after all I will think twice before buying a copy of GW2. Think I became a Star Wars fan. Haters are gonna hate.

Zanadar

Dec 20, 2011

8

World of Warcraft in space with Voice-overs. That pretty much sums up The Old Republic entirely. Now, is that a bad thing? No, I don't think so. After all, millions of people have played World of Warcraft for six years, so clearly it's a model that works. The voice-overs really add to the experience, the class stories make the leveling process feel like "the game" instead of "that boringWorld of Warcraft in space with Voice-overs. That pretty much sums up The Old Republic entirely. Now, is that a bad thing? No, I don't think so. After all, millions of people have played World of Warcraft for six years, so clearly it's a model that works. The voice-overs really add to the experience, the class stories make the leveling process feel like "the game" instead of "that boring part you're forced to do before you get to max level". There are a few interesting ideas thrown in like the way the map functions, the way even outdoor content scales to match your party size, etc. So yeah, this in summary, good effort. Is it here to stay? That depends on how well they handle the end-game.… Expand

nirvycn

Dec 20, 2011

9

Played for the last 7 days, currently level 35. loving it so far, combat is fun, the story is awesome, loving the voiceovers. There is a lot of group content which i love, i have done 5 different dungeons so far, which is pretty good for a level 30. So far so good!

Sethisto

Dec 20, 2011

3

SWTOR is very much a WoW clone, but not of the current version. This game seems to emulate somewhere near the end of Vanilla WoW. The quests are pretty much all "kill x creatures/ kill x boss/ click x items", there really isn't much variation. This, I usually don't mind though. It's a system that has worked multiple times. SWTOR throws a wrench into the equation though, by giving youSWTOR is very much a WoW clone, but not of the current version. This game seems to emulate somewhere near the end of Vanilla WoW. The quests are pretty much all "kill x creatures/ kill x boss/ click x items", there really isn't much variation. This, I usually don't mind though. It's a system that has worked multiple times. SWTOR throws a wrench into the equation though, by giving you absolutely ridiculous distances to run between each objective. Be prepared to enter/exit the same MASSIVE jedi temple 10 times for a single quest line, and the NPC you need is always in the farthest room in the back. While the environments are excellent looking, this is not an enjoyable experience, at all. The PVP Is pretty much the same as what you have all done for years. I played a Jedi consular/shadow, and it literally was my rogue in wow, no different at all aside from a few ranged force powers. The queues are quick though at least! They added voice overs and cutscenes to every single quest, but you can only make "go collect 5 elixirs" so interesting. It's a nice touch, but by level 20, I was just spamming space bar and selecting dark side responses to get through them. The main story quest is neat, but be prepared to grind if you want to focus on just that. Space fights are fun, and a neat addition, but it really doesn't make up for everything else. The game is just so ridiculously linear. If something like this is allowed to be successful, we are doomed to another decade of really bad WoW clones.… Expand

MaximusG

Dec 20, 2011

9

After the turd that was Dragon Age II I was worried, but with this fantastic game Bioware has won me back. Server queues are a problem for now, but otherwise I don't think I've ever played a game with such engrossing storytelling. For once, I actually give a damn about my character - they're not just some avatar that I stick things on. Praise also needs to be given for being one of theAfter the turd that was Dragon Age II I was worried, but with this fantastic game Bioware has won me back. Server queues are a problem for now, but otherwise I don't think I've ever played a game with such engrossing storytelling. For once, I actually give a damn about my character - they're not just some avatar that I stick things on. Praise also needs to be given for being one of the first RPGs to actually bother with a proper evil storyline, instead of just making evil acts all those that are "not good". The game has a lot of stock MMO elements but these are generally well-done. The UI is imperfect, and needs improvement.… Expand

Bozochicken

Dec 29, 2011

0

It saddens me to see that this game was released this year in 2011. This game was created with the idea to completely reinvent the idea behind MMO's. Sadly, it didn't do anything other than clone WoW with a bunch of chopped up voice acting. There are enough SW fanboys out there that will keep this game afloat for quite some time; but I think that it will die quicker than we think becauseIt saddens me to see that this game was released this year in 2011. This game was created with the idea to completely reinvent the idea behind MMO's. Sadly, it didn't do anything other than clone WoW with a bunch of chopped up voice acting. There are enough SW fanboys out there that will keep this game afloat for quite some time; but I think that it will die quicker than we think because it's not the MMO that most people were expecting.… Expand

FattyMooMooMan

Jan 22, 2012

3

All I can say is that EA/Bioware dropped the ball bigtime on this game. It starts out with the promise of being the new big MMO but fails to deliver on its promises. The graphics engine is dire and on the 3 systems I have seen it running on it has issues with random frame-rate drops, hitching and poor resource loading (the PC I am writing this on runs most PC games just fine - Deus Ex HR,All I can say is that EA/Bioware dropped the ball bigtime on this game. It starts out with the promise of being the new big MMO but fails to deliver on its promises. The graphics engine is dire and on the 3 systems I have seen it running on it has issues with random frame-rate drops, hitching and poor resource loading (the PC I am writing this on runs most PC games just fine - Deus Ex HR, Eve Online, Payday: The heist, etc but fails to run SWTOR smoothly all of the time on even the lowest settings). There are also major balance issues - playing a scoundrel (smuggler) alongside a family members Sage (Jedi Consular) there were obvious imbalances between the two, with the smuggler being woefully underpowered, playing a commando (trooper) felt like driving a juggernaught through the mobs in the game - serious easymode. There were also issues with mission bugs, game crashing, areas not loading up properly. This game needed a lot more time in development before it was released. My rating of 3 is generous and thats only because I like some of the ideas the game has - though not in the games current state.… Expand

drakinor

Dec 21, 2011

9

While the game does include some minor issues expected of any MMO during its infancy, many of those expected are minor or completely absent. The story, from what I have seen, is excellently written, the sound is very well done, and the graphics (while an issue of some debate) are beautiful. The game can run even on lower end machines (I run an AMD dual core 3Ghz with 4Gb RAM and SapphireWhile the game does include some minor issues expected of any MMO during its infancy, many of those expected are minor or completely absent. The story, from what I have seen, is excellently written, the sound is very well done, and the graphics (while an issue of some debate) are beautiful. The game can run even on lower end machines (I run an AMD dual core 3Ghz with 4Gb RAM and Sapphire Radeon HD 4650 512Mb low profile) And even on my settings if shadows are turned off, I can run the game on high settings. While the game is very similar to many MMOs with features like hotbars, quests, instanced dungeons and PvP, and also has a way of making these features feel new and fresh. The voice overs making the quests feel meaning full rather than yet another pointless slaughter of some creature. NPCs feel more alive than other MMO's as they have a personality and story, and PvP matches, while currently limited, have interesting twists like "Huttball" with an announcer that makes comments about the match. The character customization is somewhat lacking compared to some newer MMO's but is superior to its major competitor, World of Warcraft. Unless you are absolutely set on having very immense customization options to alter every last freckle on your characters face, this should not bother you. Phasing is heavily used, but in my personal opinion, it is used well. Unlike World of Warcraft that require lockstep questing in order to maintain phase with friends, The Old Republic will have multiple identical instances of a zone to prevent excessive overcrowding (although sometimes quest areas are still busy) Your characters story quests are also instanced so that you are not waiting in line for ever other character of your class to complete it. The Old Republic seems to have found a good balance between maintaining a high population, area crowding, and quest completion ability by players. Flashpoints (or dungeons) are very entertaining with entire stories that can play out in multiple ways depending on how the group chooses to go about it. Whenever there is a conversation each party member gets to chose a response and whoever wins the roll says their choice. Some of these lead to different outcomes but your choice is the only one that affects dark or light side points. So you do not have to worry about being the only guy with a heart who doesnt want to flush innocent people into space and losing alignment for it.

Items are highly customizable stat wise allowing you to level your items up with modifications. So you can use the same armor for a long time if its high quality by adding new modifications to it. The weapon customization also affects the color of your blaster bolts or lightsaber blade. If you use a yellow color crystal your bolts or blade is also yellow, and there are various colors to chose from. All in all this is an extremely well done MMO that many will love. The one thing that may turn some people away is the fact that the journey to endgame is designed to be just as fun and important as endgame so you are really cheating yourself if you rush past it. If you want to hit endgame ASAP and could care less about story and the RPG aspects then this may not be your game. If you want to play and MMORPG that actually is an RPG and not a shadow of that title, or are interested in the Star Wars Universe, you will be very pleased with this.… Expand

Augustus75

Dec 25, 2011

4

I am rooting for any mmorpg that takes immersion seriously, but as of now do not believe story alone can accomplish this. The frequent instancing creates a ghost town feeling. The pasted on, wallpaper backgrounds in each zone do not allow for players to interact with the environment as freely as in many other mmorpgs. To me, each zone feels exactly the same as the last, turning left andI am rooting for any mmorpg that takes immersion seriously, but as of now do not believe story alone can accomplish this. The frequent instancing creates a ghost town feeling. The pasted on, wallpaper backgrounds in each zone do not allow for players to interact with the environment as freely as in many other mmorpgs. To me, each zone feels exactly the same as the last, turning left and right through a tunnel/dungeon environment with different backgrounds. Although the story is fun, and does create the sense of being in a movie, the initial excitement for me wore off mid-level, leaving a real feeling of claustrophobia. Compared to Dragon's Nest and Vindictus this game can be called an mmorpg. But compared to those games already established in the genre SWTOR rates low as an mmorpg specifically due to the lack of an open, persistent world.… Expand

rakista

Dec 26, 2011

4

Besides the voice acting there is nothing to distinguish this game from any of the other WOW clones. The engine alone is just dreadful with delays beyond the global cooldown on skills making PVP an exercise in anger management at times. The PVE areas because of the extreme instancing are dead. Some planets have less than 10 people on 20 square miles of virtual space. Space combat is aBesides the voice acting there is nothing to distinguish this game from any of the other WOW clones. The engine alone is just dreadful with delays beyond the global cooldown on skills making PVP an exercise in anger management at times. The PVE areas because of the extreme instancing are dead. Some planets have less than 10 people on 20 square miles of virtual space. Space combat is a mini game rail shooter, need I say more?… Expand

Vamric

Jan 16, 2012

0

I just canceled my sub today. I don't hate this game as much as I'm very disappointed in it. Here's a list of some of the things that I take issue with:

1) Not enough PVP maps, just 3? even Rift had more when it came out 2) Terrible graphics Lotro's graphics are light years ahead of TOR, and that game came out in 2007 3) Crafting is painful waiting up to 2 1/2 hours to get a mat, only toI just canceled my sub today. I don't hate this game as much as I'm very disappointed in it. Here's a list of some of the things that I take issue with:

1) Not enough PVP maps, just 3? even Rift had more when it came out
2) Terrible graphics Lotro's graphics are light years ahead of TOR, and that game came out in 2007
3) Crafting is painful waiting up to 2 1/2 hours to get a mat, only to have your companion fail= BORING
4) Character creator is superficial do you want to play as a human, or a human with red skin?
5) No guild perk system or guild bank
6) No dungeon finder for instances
7) Class quests are fun, but nonclass quests are kill x, pick up y, go to z, rinse and repeat (no innovation)
8) UI can't be adjusted
9) Graphics options are extremely limited no AA, really?
10) Very linear game everyone takes the same path through the worlds
11) No player housing
12) Mobs all look the same humanoid, in groups of 3-5 or a single elite, standing still waiting to be killed
13) Poorly optimized game performance suffers even on high end rigs
14) No duel spec for talent trees healers are punished when they want to solo to level up
15) No appearance tab you will find a lot of identical twin brothers and sisters!
16) Endgame has one raid, and that's it
17) World feels empty due to sharding
18) Auction House is annoying to use
19) Space combat (rail shooter) is a joke
20) Combat is a matter of button mashing, no skill involved
21) Companions are complete morons in combat

Overall, this game feels like a big step backward. It feels more like a single-player game with occasional co-op. There is so little to do in this game compared with other MMOs (and I've played them all). All I can say is, I hope Guild Wars 2 lives up to the hype and is not a colossal disappointment like TOR.… Expand

HigeNezumi

Jan 17, 2012

0

I will start at the beginning. 4 classes that split into 8 classes at lvl 10. Only 5 races which are all look-alikes with insignificant differences such as horns, facial tatoos, head-tails, eye-wear and hair. Only two starter areas for each faction. If you wish to experience all 8 classes you will have to go through the same places over and over again.

Character creation is inferior toI will start at the beginning. 4 classes that split into 8 classes at lvl 10. Only 5 races which are all look-alikes with insignificant differences such as horns, facial tatoos, head-tails, eye-wear and hair. Only two starter areas for each faction. If you wish to experience all 8 classes you will have to go through the same places over and over again.

Character creation is inferior to games like wow, aion, rift ever quest and so on. It is completely devoid of imagination, all characters having the same blank, android-like visage, regardless of how hard you try to make them look different.

And the lack of imagination doesn't stop here. All the caves you go in, follow two, maybe three, patterns. All underground areas, of which the game has an abbundance of, follow the same parameters. The only slightly original area becomes available at level 28 so you will have to grind your way through.

The quests are a grind, then come the bonus quests of kill so many enemies and so on. And they come over and over again. The areas on the maps are large yet the number of quests in them is very very low. The indoors quests by far outweigh the number of quests you can complete outdoor, adding to the grind feeling of the entire game. One corridor is just like any of the 100 you have been through and just like the next 100 you will go through. Shades might slightly differ, geometry might differ, mob placement might differ but overall it's basically sos all through. Even on planets that are so called 'outdoors' the textures are nothing more than recycled collated backgrounds that fail utterly at giving you something memorable. Without looking at the map over and over, spacial orientation is not possible because everything looks the same. (There is one exception to this: Alderaan. But only between levels 28 to 32, I think)

Adding to that is the fact that most mobs come in groups ot at least three, with the occasional strong or elite mixed in. This enforces the grind feeling you get throughout the game, making it feel like you are continuously farming the one and the same dungeon over and over again for some obscure gains. Not that this grind is difficult. Far from it, its simplicity being the very thing that makes it so annoying. I'd rather kill one strong mob than a group of so and so manny weaker ones. The amount of green items that drop makes the drops completely worthless, orange items purchased with planet commendations are readily available, adding to the simplicity of the game. There is absolutely no way anyone can fail at this game.

The galactic trade network is a bad joke at best. It does not offer the possibility to search for a particular item without previous filtering and thus makes random searches a complete pain. It does not offer the possibilty for you to shift click an item and automatically enter it into the search field. It does not offer the possibility of selling for example 10 peices of the same item, all as a separate sale, without having to enter the item 10 times. And lastly you can have only 50 items on sale at any given moment.

Your inbox will be flodded with messages from NPCs thanking you for help, which would be very nice to keep, if you could at least make a copy of the message and then empty the mailbox.

Overall a dreary game, displaying absolutely no diversity whatsoever, containing not even one original thought, completely devoid of imagination. The voice-overs are nice, yes, but the choices the game gives you are sometimes far from what you actually think of the situation. The voice-overs are actually the only thing that makes this game slightly different, but, I for one, would gladly give up on the voice overs for some additional content, some actual content, additional quest areas, additional quests and so on.

Had this game come to us in 2005 I would have applauded it for being innovative. But for winter 2011 it's stillborn. 6 years of development, 300 million dollars later all you get is this?

I would love to have a word with some of the developers who sat down to come up with this **** but I doubt it would be more than a monologue. I mean, have these developers never played ANY mmos? And if they haven't, they should have done so and found out how to improve.

This game is a disgrace to the idea of MMOs. It's actually a disgrace to ANY pc game and it might be marginally interesting as a mobile phone game. Move forward mash button 1 mash button two move forward activate pannel, go back report quest. And did I mention that it takes like 10 mins to start, 2 to 5 mins to load a planet and maybe 15 mins to quit the game (at low graphic settings). All this on a PC that runns other games with full graphics...

It's not worth time and effort.… Expand

yasger

Jan 18, 2012

0

As a single-player RPG it is downgraded linear clone of KOTOR2 with worse story. As MMO its carbon copy of WoW circa 2007. I wish they`ve found better use for 300 mln budget and Star Wars IP.

18	#18 Best PC Game of 2011
8	#8 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
9	#9 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

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