Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords

The Basics:
Platform: XBox
Developer: LucasArts
Price: $49.99 (1/30/05)
ESRB rating: T (Teen)

Summary: Be a Jedi knight and choose to fight either for good or evil in the Star Wars® galaxy.

Note: Parents should be aware that the complex moral themes and decisions presented by KotOR2 may be challenging for younger players, and that it is possible for kids to take on either good or evil roles; the game presents both as viable options. Also, most problems are resolved by violennce, regardless of whether or not the player decides to be good or evil.

Further Breakdown:

Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Best for ages: 13+
Playability: Acceptable: buggy gameplay and complicated controls mar the game.
Graphics: Very good
Entertainment value: Very good
Educational value: Some: critical thinking is encouraged during portions of the game.
Reading Level: 8+: As in the first game, extensive reading is required.
KidScore Rating

Ages 3-7: Red
Ages 8-12: Red
Ages 13-17: Yellow
Violence Amount: Yellow
Fear: Yellow
Illegal/harmful: Yellow
Language: Green
Nudity: Green
Sex: Green

Review:
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (KotOR2) returns Star Wars fans to the of Jedi knights, the republic, and of course, the force. As with the original Knights of the Old Republic, KotOR2 thrusts players into a plotline thick with twists and turns and many choices. Some of these choices lead to the "light," or good side of the force, whereas others lead down the dark path-towards anger and ultimately evil.

As the last of the Jedi Knights, the player is hunted by the evil Sith, who wish to turn the player to their side or, if that fails, kill them. Along the way, the player will meet many computer-controlled characters, some who will become allies, and others who will become enemies. The player frequently makes decisions through a text-based dialog system-the computer characters will "speak" to the player, and the player then chooses from a list of pre-determined options to reply. Based on the reply, the player can become either more "light" or "dark"-help people or kill them, rescue or enslave, fight for those less powerful or dominate the weak, and so on.

For children, this type of gameplay has advantages and disadvantages. While it is commendable that the game stresses how actions and decisions have consequences, there is no real guidance-it is equally viable to play the game as a "light" or "dark" character. With this in mind, parents may wish to be an active participant if they choose to let their children play this game-stepping in to discuss how decisions made during the game could be applied in real life.

The game has a considerable amount of non-violent resolutions and puzzle-based challenges to test the player's skill; however, there are plenty of combat sequences. For the most part they are not overtly gory, but there is some blood. The decision to be a "light" or "dark" character can play into the number and type of fight scenes-obviously "dark" characters are much more violent.

There are some other things that parents should be aware of. Some parts of the plot are rather advanced and present difficult moral decisions that would be challenging for younger players to grasp. Alcohol is mentioned, along with gambling-these activities typically occur in the cantinas that are sprinkled throughout the places the player visits. Finally, on a technical level, the game could be somewhat buggy-locking up on occasion (X-box version), which may cause some frustration with players.

To conclude, KotOR2, is very similar to the first game in terms of strengths and weaknesses. The game has an interesting story to tell, and has great potential to be a teacher of how decisions can have a ripple effect throughout a person's life-both for themselves and everyone around them. However, especially for younger players, this game is dependent on parents to step in and provide the background of which decisions are truly right-and why.