Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Game review by Jeremy Gieske, Common Sense Media
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 13+

Fun game lets players explore the dark side.

Windows 2002
Rate game

Parents say

age 11+

Based on 7 reviews

Kids say

age 10+

Based on 34 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that there are some minor sexual elements, and they may wish to address the quasi-religious philosophy of "the force" in regard to their personal beliefs. The game does not just reinforce positive behavior; rather, it rewards both positive and negative behavior in different ways. The game doesn't focus exclusively on violence to solve all situations -- communication and negotiation skills are also critical.

Community Reviews

Will K.
Will K. Adult
September 3, 2016
age 8+

...Pardon?

So this is less of a review, and more of a response. ...3 Stars? Really? Knight of the Old Republic is one of the best, most classic games out there and is far more deserving that 5 stars. It's a masterpiece to behold that can and should be enjoyed by really any age. Don't be mislead by commonsensemedia's lowly 3 stars, it's so much better than that. I highly encourage anybody looking for a great game to try this one out.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
gamerdad512
gamerdad512 Adult
August 31, 2014
age 10+

One of the best RPGs of all time

If you let your kids watch the star wars movies, this game is a little bit worse but not too bad and one of the greatest role playing games ever, if your kids want to play it, you should but you should know this first: there is some violence but there's no blood and gore, combat is a pretty big part of the game but it's mostly about the story you create by making good or bad decisions. The violence is about as bad as the star wars movies. There is not any sexual content I remember but there was some mild language like hell and damn.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 7 parent reviews

What’s It About?

STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC lets fans of Star Wars live out the life of a Jedi knight. Jedi knights are masters of the \"force,\" channeling energy drawn from all things to do their bidding. Jedi can be drawn to the light side (good) or the dark side (evil), which must be in balance. Choosing actions that are benevolent and kind will draw players to the light side, but actions that use power and strength to dominate will draw players toward the dark side.

A significant amount of the game is designed to resolve situations in a peaceful way -- through dialogue or by providing alternative solutions. However, players can influence this by their decisions, and there are many occasions where combat is presented as the only option. During fighting scenes, the player can command several characters within their control. Fighting can be paused to change weapons, use artificial stimulants to increase fighting ability, or alter fighting tactics.

Is It Any Good?

The overall play of the game harkens back to earlier years of video games, with a style somewhat similar to old text adventure games or Pick-a-Path books. The game is almost literary in its depth. In fact, reading is reinforced, as players respond to computer-controlled characters by reading through several dialogue options on the screen, and then choosing the one that best fits their goal. Through these choices, players can influence the path of the story to a degree.

Nonetheless, the overall game is still quite linear, with major choices that are unalterable. Violence isn't portrayed in a particularly bloody or gruesome way; victims simply fall to the ground when defeated, and eventually fade away. Not to be conquered quickly, the game weaves missions, character storylines and overall Star Wars themes into an interesting story that is fun to play, but will take a long time to conquer.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about good and evil. Are domination and power always evil? Do you think good and evil need to be balanced in real life? How does this game explore that idea?

Game Details

  • Platform: Windows
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: LucasArts
  • Release date: August 12, 2002
  • Genre: Action/Adventure
  • ESRB rating: T
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

Our Editors Recommend

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