A remake ofKnights of the Old Republicis rumored to be in the works, and fans of the series are imagining what changes to expect. The original game came out in 2003 to thedelight ofStar Warsand RPG fansalike, with much praise. The game uses a ruleset fromDungeons and Dragonsto decide the outcome of not only battle but some dialogue and skill checks as well. This was a unique adaptation that not many games at the time had implemented that worked well with its more slow-paced and strategic gameplay.
The originalKnights of the Old Republichad a rich narrative that relied heavily on player choices that tailored the outcomes to the player’s choosing, so long as they had the right skill checks in some cases. The player used their own created character and would meet up to 9 flavorful companions along the way building relationships with each of them. Depending on the player’s actions and their good/evil alignments, a player’s companions would have different outcomes. This also had an effect on whether the player took on the twist that happens later in the game or not, changing the conflicts and outcome of the entire ending.
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Darth Malak
Darth Malak is the main antagonist of the originalKOTOR 1game and sports a cybernetic jaw aligned with a Vocabulator that helps him speak, which was necessary after Revan attacked him.Originally apprentice to Darth Revan, Malak became the new Sith Lord after laying gunfire to the ship Revan was on, defeating his former master. After this Malak would take over the Star Forge, a giant automated shipyard designed to create the most powerful army of all. The Star Forge was created thousands of years prior by an ancient race, and it wasn’t until after Revan and Malak fell to the dark side that they discovered the structure’s existence.
If aKOTOR 1remake is in fruition, it would obviously include Darth Malak as he plays an important role as the main antagonist to not only the player character but of Bastila as well. Bastila is a fellow Jedi to the player’s character, and the two have the option to develop a relationship. Later in the game, Malak kidnaps Bastila after she decides to hold him off allowing the player to escape.This is whenKOTOR 1takes a major narrative shiftas when the player finds Bastila again, she has been turned to the dark side becoming Malak’s new apprentice. It is up to the player then to decide what they should do, and there are plenty of interesting options that they can decide on. This was part of the charm of the original KOTOR as it captured the immersive feel of taking part in a trueStar Warsadventure, with choice and consequence.
If thecombat in aKOTORremake gets overhauled, and it is no longer the pause-play that the original was but was more of an action-RPG of sorts, fans could see a very menacing Malak in the final fight. He does have the brooding look about him, and even in the original, he was pretty scary. Despite his scary appearance, the big gimmick of the originalKOTOR 1’sfinal fight against Malak was that when his health would get low, he would siphon the life of a trapped Jedi in the battle arena to restore his health. This led to a somewhat tedious battle if players couldn’t figure out that they too could siphon the life of the same Jedi, preventing Malak from doing so. Aside from this, it was just like any other fight the player might have with a normal Dark Jedi that they would come across. A remake of the original could expand on this final confrontation with the dark lord and make Malak a truly formidable boss.
Darth Revan
Though the player cannot confront “Revan” themselves, at the end of the game the player has the option to find Revan’s old robes before fighting Malak; otherwise, “Revan” only makes appearances during flashbacks.Darth Revan was originally a Jedi Knight who, against the wishes of the Jedi Council and their complacency, defeated the Mandalorians in the Mandalorian Wars alongside his friend Malak. Though despite their amazing victory, both Revan and Malak disappeared into the Unknown Regions to investigate a mysterious Sith influence behind the war. Eventually, the two reappeared creating their own Sith empire alongside a fleet of warships created by the Star Forge.
The heavy backstory between these two important characters could be fleshed out in a remake of the game because a lot more has been added to their lore since then. This is through not only the extended universe but the MMOStar Wars: The Old Republicthat included sidequests involving Revan. The artwork for the originalKOTOR 1show both Malak and Revan looking menacingly evil, and a remake could really flesh them out making them more terrifying than ever before, as at this point the game is nearly 20 years old.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republicis available now.
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