Xbox 360
To this date there are exists only a small handful of companies that have kept to their original values and have successfully produced some truly spectacular titles. One of these big fish is none other than Bioware and they are a prime example of keeping their initial creativity and final delivery in check.
One of their many best selling titles was Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, where they created a universe that left us begging for more. Now they plan to send us back with Star Wars The Old Republic, a massive multiplayer online game that is meant to redefine the genre and start a war between giants. Bioware have stated that their main points of work revolve around creative storytelling, spectacular combat, and interesting companions.
Set 300 years after the events of the last game and 3,500 years before the rise and fall of Darth Vader - Revan has disappeared into unknown space in search of a unimaginable evil but has never returned, the Sith armada is under the command of a mysterious emperor bent on galactic domination and now, after decades of fighting, an unstable peace is in the balance. This is right where your story will begin.
Now the Star Wars universe wouldn't be itself without a vast number of our old time classic planets to revisit and hopefully some new ones to sink our teeth into. At the moment Bioware have confirmed some of the oldies like Korriban, Coruscant, Alderaan, and Tatooine will be present alongside the addition of some new ones like Tython, Hutta, Ord Mantell, Balmorra and Dromund Kaas. Each will have it's own unqiue setting and atmosphere that will help you to dive in at the deep end and truly become immersed in the experience.
A total number of eight classes have been confirmed; the Galactic Republic consists of the Trooper, Smuggler, Jedi Knight, and Jedi Consular while the Sith Empire will be comprised of the Bounty Hunter, Sith Warrior, Imperial Agent and Sith Inquisitor. One major issue Bioware will face is in trying to properly balance the classes. We're all for variety, but how does any non-Force user stand up to a Jedi or Sith in combat? On the one hand we could have Force users complaining that they're not powerful enough, as on the other hand every user would be playing as one because they're unbeatable in combat.
The gameplay will follow the basic formula of any massive online multiplayer where you have three main concepts: exploration, combat, and progression, but as stated previously Bioware have confirmed that they will be focusing a great deal on story. One of the big selling points is that you don't need to play with real people to complete your objectives. A number of different AI companions will be accessible to you to help even the odds in those big battles. Each will have their own unique story arc and will really add a nice touch to your squad and experience. This concept certainly could bring a lot of players back into the online community as we all know the sad reality of how annoying real people can get in the online world.
We are faithful that Bioware seem to be going about developing Star Wars The Old Republic the right way thanks to their heavy interest in developing a strong storyline that continues from an amazing history, and the chance to explore and combat this massive universe by yourself without the need for the 'support' of others. Even though it's still under heavy development from what we've seen so far and from what we know of Bioware's track record, Star Wars The Old Republic is shouldn't disappoint and has great potential to bring something new and fresh to the table.