Knights of the Old Republic 2 Being Unfinished Still Hurts 21 Years Later

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Frequently, people cite the Star Wars: Knights of the Republic series as a beloved classic that warrants a modern-day revival. It’s puzzling why no one has attempted to cash in on this demand thus far. Even after so many years, the narrative in Star Wars games hasn’t quite eclipsed the shocking revelation found in the original Knights of the Old Republic. The sequel, Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, remains incomplete, creating one of gaming’s most significant unresolved issues, worsened by the fact that the series has been dormant since then.

What factors led this series astray, and how might the story have unfolded if things had gone differently and it hadn’t veered so far from its original path? Thanks to media coverage and dedicated fan efforts, we now possess a wealth of information about the KOTOR series that was unknown to those who played it during its initial release over two decades ago.

Obsidian Cut Knights of the Old Republic 2’s Story Down a Lot

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but reflect on the creation process of “Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords,” a game that, sadly, was thrust into the world far too soon, barely a year after its predecessor. Obsidian Entertainment, the brave souls who took up the mantle from BioWare for this sequel, found themselves under immense pressure to adhere to stringent deadlines dictated by LucasArts. This situation wasn’t ideal, given that Obsidian was an inexperienced studio with just around 30 individuals contributing to the project.

This high-pressure environment led to some regrettable decisions, among them the trimming of key elements from the game. The most significant loss, in my opinion, was the rich and immersive storyline that had originally been planned. It’s a shame we didn’t get to fully experience everything they had initially envisioned.

In a 2013 interview with Eurogamer, Lead Designer Chris Avellone stated that “If we hadn’t met that deadline, there would have been significant consequences.

Initially, designers had intended for the player character to explore Alderaan, a planet depicted as destroyed in the first Star Wars film and Leia’s future homeworld, within the game “KOTOR 2”. Due to constraints related to the game engine and Xbox hardware, several action sequences had to be eliminated. Over time, a widely-used mod named “Restored Content” was developed to reintroduce certain dialogues and quests that were discarded during production. However, these restored elements brought about only subtle differences in the overall storyline and gameplay. Despite the additions, many plotlines remain unresolved, and the enigma surrounding Revan’s actions from the earlier game largely persists undisclosed.

What The Sith Lords’ Story Would’ve Been Like 

If Obsidian had more resources or time, they might have given more attention to Revan’s follow-up in KOTOR 2. However, due to constraints like a tight release schedule and limited involvement in the original story development, Obsidian opted to concentrate on other characters in the sequel instead.

In the same interview, Avellone expressed doubt about whether the decisions made in “Knights of the Old Republic 2” were the best ones. To this day, he continues to ponder if those design choices were the correct ones or not. One decision that he wonders about is perhaps exploring more ways to reintroduce Revan in the sequel.

In simpler terms, a well-developed narrative for KOTOR 2 could have provided a less sudden conclusion compared to its initial version, potentially generating additional interest in the character of Revan for a hypothetical third game. The Restored Content mod reveals that this enhanced storyline might have incorporated additional elements, such as resolving lingering plot points more satisfactorily.

  • Extra scenes with HK-47, Atris, and other characters
  • Additional dialogue from the over two hours of unused voice recordings left in the game.
  • Better resolutions for party companion subplots

Contrarily, no findings from the game data seem capable of clarifying or altering the perplexing conclusion in Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords.

Obsidian Planned a Knights of the Old Republic 3

The storyline of the series was suggesting a possible trilogy development, as Obsidian had intended to produce a third installment. As Avellone explained in a 2019 interview with VG247, this hypothetical third game would have focused on a main character pursuing Revan and confronting the ancient menaces lurking at the galaxy’s edges.

Unfortunately, a third installment of the KOTOR series did not come to fruition. Developments for this project had started, but LucasArts ultimately scrapped it in 2005 due to significant company restructuring that led to layoffs. Regrettably, the team responsible for developing KOTOR 3 was among those affected by these layoffs.

KOTOR is What Star Wars Games Should Focus on Now

As a dedicated gamer, I’m thrilled to spill the beans on an incredible revelation! We’re masterfully reimagining STAR WARS: Knights of the Old Republic – Remake, and it’s going to debut exclusively on PlayStation 5 at launch. To add fuel to the Force, this epic saga will also grace PC screens in partnership with none other than PlayStation and Lucasfilm Games! May the gameplay be with you!

— Aspyr (@AspyrMedia) September 9, 2021

Star Wars continues to be a well-known and beloved franchise, even after some missteps with games such as Star Wars Outlaws. To keep the excitement going, fans will soon be reminded of the iconic character from Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR), Darth Revan. In a recent Disney+ series teaser, Darth Revan was seen as a LEGO figure alongside a dark-side version of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Given that the character is currently in the spotlight again, it seems like the perfect moment to release another KOTOR game and capitalize on this renewed interest.

The reimagined version of the classic game “KOTOR,” first announced in 2021, seems to have hit a development snag, leaving some fans less enthusiastic about its release. Given the long wait, dedicated KOTOR followers might be more excited about hearing news of “KOTOR 3” instead, and it feels like now could be the perfect time for such an announcement, providing the eager Star Wars gaming enthusiasts with something truly exciting.

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2025-09-05 23:12