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PaperclipPerfector  1d ago (text post)   5307 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of November 17, 2025

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i have not. I played Star Wars: Jedi Knight but I don't remember any story from it.

The reason I bring that game up is because Knights of the Old Republic 1 and Knights of the Old Republic 2 both set out to subvert and deconstruct Star Wars respectively in a way that was not destructive, and years before the Disney Triology ever came to fruition.

While people universally hold KOTOR1 is one of the best Star Wars games ever made(as well they should), KOTOR2 is much more devisive. For one, there's a severe tonal shift - while KOTOR1 is a galaxy-spanning pulp science fantasy in the theme of the original trilogy, KOTOR2 is much more darker and philosophical, to the point where the opening level is taken straight out of a horror game.

KOTOR2 also brings to the fore the potential consequences of the Jedi and Sith conflict, in the wake of such a cataclysmic, planet-destroying war, openly questioning on wether such organizations and individuals are good things overall, and the nature of the Force as a whole.

And it does all of this while managing to somehow not take a steaming shit over the setting itself or insult the fandom, while never giving you a clear or concise answer as to what the game thinks is correct. I'd argue it's a masterpeice of writing, for all the balancing act it plays.

Doesn't hurt that it has one of the best video game characters ever created in the form of Kreia, but the KOTOR series is littered with incredible characters.

Personally, I like KOTOR2 far more than KOTOR1, myself. There's just something about it...

OK, i'll try to take a look at the KTOR games, thanks!

Jedi Knight had some at-the-time impressive FMV bits, but the story was not exactly the core of the series. Knights of the Old Republic is much more heavily on the RPG side with correspondingly deeper story, and a lot of KOTOR 2 and especially its end boss in particular is focused on questions about the Force and its Dark Side and what that means to individual people force-sensitive or not (along with a bit of theodicy and anti-theism).

Pretty good game, too, if you're into the genre.

KOTOR 2 is my go-to shield when somebody accuses me of just wanting more of the same, or not appreciating the brilliance of subversion.

You could argue even that game is pushing against the limits of what the SW universe can really tolerate. But you never get the sense the writer is scoffing at the pillars he's working with.

Yes, you can have 'dark, questioning' Star Wars. But you need to be competent and respectful.

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