The first KOTOR feels like it belongs in the original canon. It’s basically a perfect Star Wars movie with a bunch of game padding around it. It’s the most “Star Wars” Star Wars outside of the Original Trilogy.
KOTOR 2 did what Rian Johnson tried to do in deconstructing and subverting the usual Star Wars tropes, and did so a million times more competently than The Last Jedi. With the Restored Content mod it’s one of my favorite pieces of media ever.
I’ve always found the first KotOR to be in the vein of a typical Star Wars story (Like the OT one), it’s something fun to engage with and fun to follow but KotOR 2 made me a huge fan of the “we’ll deconstruct every thing you knew about Star Wars to its core and you’re going to like it.” approach and boy oh boy do I like it! That story left such a huge imprint on me, I’ve been yearning for another story as good as KotOR 2’s since I first played. Each playthrough, I’m always taken aback by how good it is. They really did craft a masterpiece with this one and it shows. Wish the final game was finished and wasn’t so buggy but we have TSLRCM for that ehhehe.
Have you played Obsidians other works? They love deconstructing tropes. It’s what they’re known for, aside from top-tier writing and being screwed over by their publishers.
Pillars of Eternity has a cleric party member who’s a bitter old man that openly hates his own god.
Alpha Protocol is a clusterfuck of factions allying with and betraying each other, and remains the single most reactive RPG ever made (nearly every choice has consequences, sometimes thirty hours later). It’s hard to recommend though because the gameplay is terrible and it’s probably their buggiest game (it was rushed out the door by Sega, who refused to pay for post-release patches).
Tyranny puts you into the shoes of an executive officer in the Evil Overlord’s army after they’ve already won. I haven’t played it but I’ve only heard good things.
And of course New Vegas brought the Fallout series back to its morally gray roots by having all sides be terrible, but giving compelling practical (if not moral) reasons to side with them anyway.
I really really want to check out their other works, especially FNV. I find it comical how both FNV and K2 were created in such a short time and because of that plagued with issues but both excelled in their writing, storytelling, world-building and as you mentioned, deconstructing commonly established tropes about the franchises (the cherry on top imo).
KOTOR 1 was good, but KOTOR 2 was a masterpiece if you can stomach the janky combat from the first. The writing is [chef’s kiss]
The first KOTOR feels like it belongs in the original canon. It’s basically a perfect Star Wars movie with a bunch of game padding around it. It’s the most “Star Wars” Star Wars outside of the Original Trilogy.
KOTOR 2 did what Rian Johnson tried to do in deconstructing and subverting the usual Star Wars tropes, and did so a million times more competently than The Last Jedi. With the Restored Content mod it’s one of my favorite pieces of media ever.
Basically this: https://inv.nadeko.net/watch?v=OI2iOB8ydGo
That video has been in my aptly-named “Watch Eventually” playlist for ages. I should get around to actually watching it!
It’s insanely good, most things from him are great but I think this one may be my favourite.
I checked my playlist and it’s very nearly the oldest entry still on there. It’s definitely due for a watch by this point!
I’ve always found the first KotOR to be in the vein of a typical Star Wars story (Like the OT one), it’s something fun to engage with and fun to follow but KotOR 2 made me a huge fan of the “we’ll deconstruct every thing you knew about Star Wars to its core and you’re going to like it.” approach and boy oh boy do I like it! That story left such a huge imprint on me, I’ve been yearning for another story as good as KotOR 2’s since I first played. Each playthrough, I’m always taken aback by how good it is. They really did craft a masterpiece with this one and it shows. Wish the final game was finished and wasn’t so buggy but we have TSLRCM for that ehhehe.
Have you played Obsidians other works? They love deconstructing tropes. It’s what they’re known for, aside from top-tier writing and being screwed over by their publishers.
I really really want to check out their other works, especially FNV. I find it comical how both FNV and K2 were created in such a short time and because of that plagued with issues but both excelled in their writing, storytelling, world-building and as you mentioned, deconstructing commonly established tropes about the franchises (the cherry on top imo).