Ny review from metacritic: 8/10

[e_tenebris_lux]

This is a mixed review but ultimately a positive one.

 

First what I don't like - this is an ugly game. Some people like the 'toony' style but I certainly do not. Compared to Rift or even the older Age of Conan, the character graphics and gear are pixelated, misshapen, ugly and uninspiring. The animations are adequate at best and goofy at worst, reusing some from Bioware Turkey-of-the-Year Dragon Age 2 (which I loathed).

 

Also many aspects of the game are rough (the UI is only just fit for purpose) but then as the game is so new it is perhaps churlish to complain too loudly as there is every indication they intend to greatly improve the UI and most bugs tend to get patched quickly.

 

Some sound related design decisions are very questionable indeed: I am walking around the Imperial Fleet Station's inner ring and I get bombarded with absurd honky-tonk cantina music that is grotesquely out of kilter with the 'Grrrrr. feel the dark side, we are the bad guys' feeling that should be pervasive on the Imperial Fleet! And I would pay Bioware real money to make that accursed intensely annoying and not in the slightest bit amusing robot on my ship just SHUT UP! Ideally I would like to smash him to pieces and throw him out the airlock.

 

--- More neutrally... this game breaks very little new ground. It is a very conventional MMO that anyone who has played a mainstream MMO will have no problem understanding almost immediately. Whether or not that is a good or bad thing is a matter of opinion.

 

--- What rocks... the story lines are very good for the most part and the voice acting is absolutely stellar: my very posh female Sith Inquisitor scares me sometimes with her intelligently psychotic one liners! Most importantly game play and team synergy, whilst not perfect, is very much on the right side of acceptable. They have done a good job capturing the 'feel' of the Star Wars Universe and so over all... 8/10

[Pink_Saber]

Compared to Rift or even the older Age of Conan, the character graphics and gear are pixelated, misshapen, ugly and uninspiring.

 

I completely disagree, to be honest. A lot of people will point to Rift as an example of what happens when you try to be too realistic. Your animations usually end up just looking... well, wrong. You end up in the "uncanny valley," where the heightened realism makes every little non-realistic thing jump out at you like a stick in the eye.

 

While Rift may have some nice art and decent textures, the emphasis on realism just makes the whole thing look a little off to me. That doesn't happen as much in a less photo-realistuic environment, and that's why I think stylizing thing is a much better choice in an MMO.

 

In any case, I certainly wouldn't call this game ugly. Apparently some would, though. Go figure. I also highly doubt Dragon Age II animations are reused (not that any of the complaints about DA:2 had anything to do with character animations). Got anything to back that up?

Edited February 13, 2012 by Pink_Saber

[MadCuzBad]

This is a mixed review but ultimately a positive one.

 

First what I don't like - this is an ugly game. Some people like the 'toony' style but I certainly do not. Compared to Rift or even the older Age of Conan, the character graphics and gear are pixelated, misshapen, ugly and uninspiring. The animations are adequate at best and goofy at worst, reusing some from Bioware Turkey-of-the-Year Dragon Age 2 (which I loathed).

 

Also many aspects of the game are rough (the UI is only just fit for purpose) but then as the game is so new it is perhaps churlish to complain too loudly as there is every indication they intend to greatly improve the UI and most bugs tend to get patched quickly.

 

Some sound related design decisions are very questionable indeed: I am walking around the Imperial Fleet Station's inner ring and I get bombarded with absurd honky-tonk cantina music that is grotesquely out of kilter with the 'Grrrrr. feel the dark side, we are the bad guys' feeling that should be pervasive on the Imperial Fleet! And I would pay Bioware real money to make that accursed intensely annoying and not in the slightest bit amusing robot on my ship just SHUT UP! Ideally I would like to smash him to pieces and throw him out the airlock.

 

--- More neutrally... this game breaks very little new ground. It is a very conventional MMO that anyone who has played a mainstream MMO will have no problem understanding almost immediately. Whether or not that is a good or bad thing is a matter of opinion.

 

--- What rocks... the story lines are very good for the most part and the voice acting is absolutely stellar: my very posh female Sith Inquisitor scares me sometimes with her intelligently psychotic one liners! Most importantly game play and team synergy, whilst not perfect, is very much on the right side of acceptable. They have done a good job capturing the 'feel' of the Star Wars Universe and so over all... 8/10

 

Story lines make a good game, just not a good MMORPG

[Valkirus]

I disagree with his opinion on the graphics and char animations. The music..yeah. The UI I agree with as it stands now. But that is going to change soon. Over all I would give TOR a 9.5. PC Gamer gave it a 93%. Which is about right.

[Creedon]

This is all relative to your own personal opinion, based on your experience(s), as what is a good MMORPG and what isnt. So really, any review by anyone, be it a magezine, website or individual, has no bearing on the collective opinion on the enjoyment of a game from those that play.

 

Most gamers opinions are never even noticed due to a vast majority never posting to say so. As we all know, most forum threads are negative or individual issues with the mechanics of the game. Then we have the opinionated posters that give their "reviews", that are still just opinions and not collective fact.

 

The only way to see if an MMO succeeds is the amount of subs it maintains through its lifecycle. But inevitably, thats my opinion lol.

[Joshmaul]

Story lines make a good game, just not a good MMORPG

 

Then it's not an RPG. What would you call it instead? An MMO-QQ fest? Oh wait...

[mSum]

It's KOTOR made into an MMO. Everyone knows that....don't they?

 

I think this is a good thing.

[e_tenebris_lux]

I completely disagree, to be honest. A lot of people will point to Rift as an example of what happens when you try to be too realistic. Your animations usually end up just looking... well, wrong. You end up in the "uncanny valley," where the heightened realism makes every little non-realistic thing jump out at you like a stick in the eye.

 

I think the whole "uncanny valley" thing is largely BS and is used by developers to justify rubbish graphics because rubbish graphics are cheaper to produce... and I think SWTOR has rubbish graphics whereas the Rift models and textures are better proportioned and crisp rather than misshapen, pixelated and muddy.

 

But it is true that in SWTOR every little unrealistic thing does *not* jump out at you like a stick in the eye because it is all looks so ugly and unrealistic... well that's one way of doing it

 

It's KOTOR made into an MMO. Everyone knows that....don't they?

 

I think this is a good thing.

 

Indeed, which is why I gave it 8/10 on balance in spite of being so ugly.

 

This is all relative to your own personal opinion, based on your experience(s), as what is a good MMORPG and what isnt. So really, any review by anyone, be it a magezine, website or individual, has no bearing on the collective opinion on the enjoyment of a game from those that play.

 

So what? This is my review so it is a statement of what I think. All opinions are individual.

Edited February 14, 2012 by e_tenebris_lux

[CommonKnowledge]

Then it's not an RPG. What would you call it instead? An MMO-QQ fest? Oh wait...

 

You don't need a story to hold your hand in order to role play. Even when going through the story I don't fine it much like role playing because rather than thinking to myself "what would I do?" I instead just pick the option that awards fan points with my companion or gives light side points, even if it's a really stupid option like bribing a terrorist to tell me where their bomb is.

[Urko]

*cough better textures needed cough *

[Astron_]

So, the game is rubbish, full of bugs with tons of lacking polish...however the story is good so lets give it a 8/10!!!

 

 

/facepalm

[Karraway]

Must say that I far prefer the graphic direction of swtor to rifts wishy washy realism attempt. Tera on the other hand shows more realistic graphics done well.

[archifikoss]

You don't need a story to hold your hand in order to role play. Even when going through the story I don't fine it much like role playing because rather than thinking to myself "what would I do?" I instead just pick the option that awards fan points with my companion or gives light side points, even if it's a really stupid option like bribing a terrorist to tell me where their bomb is.

 

Then pick what you would do and ignore the dark/light side gains as well as the companion affection stuff. Nothing in the game is forcing you to do so except your own OCD in this matter.

 

BTW don't take the OCD comment negatively as I didn't mean it as such - I myself have it for many things.

[Halofax]

Just saying... Age of Conan has good graphics, but Rifts graphics are terrible.

 

Its like just placing an "ultra" option in the preferences makes that blocky piece of **** "top end graphics"

 

There were platformers in 2002 that looked better than Rift... and SWTOR.

[CommonKnowledge]

Then pick what you would do and ignore the dark/light side gains as well as the companion affection stuff.

 

As with virtually every morality system put into games it fails because whilst trying to offer supposed "moral choices" it always boils down to benefit. I benefit from farming light side points in the form of gear and, to a lesser extent, titles. Whereas skewing my alignment with dark side points gains me nothing and, considering I'm over rank IV now, actively punishes me.

 

The same is true of picking the "right" dialogue option for your companion. You're punished (albeit very mildly) with picking the "wrong" option and rewarded for choosing what your companion wants to hear rather than what you might actually think. I don't want to spend credits bribing some cretin when I can just smack him across the chops for the same result, but that gets me dark side points and lost affection.

 

Basically I find the game actively punishes you for role playing because, whilst all my companions have a personality, I don't. I act like a predictable bootlicker when companions such as Arik are around, a full basket of fruit with Tanno and someone who cares with Elara.

 

If the game had more flexability and offered neutral or favoured rewards (e.g. something requiring 1500 light side and 500 dark side points) then it might work. Currently it's just an all or nothing situation where doing anything other than picking the same option over and over again only serves to gimp you.

[archifikoss]

As with virtually every morality system put into games it fails because whilst trying to offer supposed "moral choices" it always boils down to benefit. I benefit from farming light side points in the form of gear and, to a lesser extent, titles. Whereas skewing my alignment with dark side points gains me nothing and, considering I'm over rank IV now, actively punishes me.

 

The same is true of picking the "right" dialogue option for your companion. You're punished (albeit very mildly) with picking the "wrong" option and rewarded for choosing what your companion wants to hear rather than what you might actually think. I don't want to spend credits bribing some cretin when I can just smack him across the chops for the same result, but that gets me dark side points and lost affection.

 

Basically I find the game actively punishes you for role playing because, whilst all my companions have a personality, I don't. I act like a predictable bootlicker when companions such as Arik are around, a full basket of fruit with Tanno and someone who cares with Elara.

 

If the game had more flexability and offered neutral or favoured rewards (e.g. something requiring 1500 light side and 500 dark side points) then it might work. Currently it's just an all or nothing situation where doing anything other than picking the same option over and over again only serves to gimp you.

 

Is end-game gear/mods alignment based? Because in that case I agree that it would force you into going for an alignment... But if it's optional and merely cosmetic, it shouldn't be a problem. And BTW neutral gear is incoming! Thank god because my BH is neutral, hehe

 

But as far as roleplay (meaning with other people) is concerned, it's a non-issue. The story is there as a basis and inspiration IMO, not meant to be taken at face value.

 

And as for companions, I see it as a case of not being able to have our cake and eat it It would make sense that our characters personality would fit with some but clash with others... And we can still make up for lost affection with gifts and the like.

[Dominoris]

I also highly doubt Dragon Age II animations are reused (not that any of the complaints about DA:2 had anything to do with character animations). Got anything to back that up?

The female Hawke run animation springs to mind. Fortunately that animation is not to be seen in SWTOR.

 

But your point stands. Just saying "bad animations copied from DA2" without an example and given that DA2 for the most part had nice animations ... just does not lend any weight to the critique.

[e_tenebris_lux]

So, the game is rubbish, full of bugs with tons of lacking polish...however the story is good so lets give it a 8/10!!!

 

 

/facepalm

 

Except I did not say "the game is rubbish", that is *your* opinion. I said the game is ugly. And it is not all that buggy either, so /facepalm... did you actually read what I wrote or are you just reacting to certain trigger words?

[e_tenebris_lux]

The female Hawke run animation springs to mind. Fortunately that animation is not to be seen in SWTOR.

 

But your point stands. Just saying "bad animations copied from DA2" without an example and given that DA2 for the most part had nice animations ... just does not lend any weight to the critique.

 

As I play female toons, it is indeed the running animation that was clearly taken from DA2. Likewise some of the fighting animation. And like so much in DA2 it looks daft. And as this was a metacritic review of SWTOR, not DA2, excessive details as to why I have a transcendent loathing of DA2 and anything from it would be out of place in a short SWTOR review.

Edited February 17, 2012 by e_tenebris_lux