After scooping more than 30 game-of-the-year awards in 2003 — and being one of the few console adventures to keep Lucas fan-boys happy — Knights Of The Old Republic is still one of the most impressive Star Wars titles on the shelves.
But even though it’s a tough act to follow, the sequel is mercifully more Empire Strikes Back than Phantom Menace.
Set 4,000 years before Episode I, the game casts the player as one of the last surviving Jedis as they try to dodge Darth Sion and his army of shadowy warriors. Fans of the original game will feel immediately at home as Sith Lords follows the same basic routine as before — create your own Jedi, assemble a party of allies and choose to follow the Light or Dark Side.
However, morality plays a much stronger role this time, and the choices you make will influence your closest colleagues — from the young apprentice who’ll experiment with the Dark Side if you choose the path of evil, to the warriors who’ll follow you to the ends of the universe if you lead by virtuous example. And with the game’s incredible new Force powers — plus an engaging story that will keep you hooked until the end — Episode III will have a battle on its hands to be 2005’s best Star Wars experience.