Exploring the Greatest Written Game of All Time - Why Star Wars' KOTOR 2 Was So Ahead of its Time

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  • Опубліковано 17 тра 2024
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    🎬Video Credits:
    Narrators - Cam
    Editor - Giorgi
    Writers - Sean
    Chapters
    0:00 Intro
    1:08 On Canon and Cut Content
    2:25 What Happens After
    7:05 Touched By War
    11:41 Echoes and Bonds
    17:28 The Lost Jedi
    22:41 The Lesson of Strength
    27:20 Against the Force
    28:59 The Case for the Light
    34:22 Healing Together
    38:13 Putting the World Back Together
    41:32 Malachor
    44:56 A Better Star Wars
    45:50 Outro
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 1 тис.

  • @chidori0117
    @chidori0117 Рік тому +681

    Kreias voice actor also deserves a lot of credit. Even though its "just a game" she gives the character enough gravitas to convey her ideas in earnest.

    • @marklee1194
      @marklee1194 Рік тому +41

      Sara Kestelman. She was absolutely phenomenal.

    • @Poopenheiner
      @Poopenheiner Рік тому +28

      I could listen to her read a phone book

    • @jansenart0
      @jansenart0 Рік тому +5

      She's the Raul Julia of Bioware.

    • @robk8463
      @robk8463 Рік тому +6

      So true! Her reading of that script was so compelling. I think that was truly the heart of the story.

    • @Nichomachean5
      @Nichomachean5 Рік тому +5

      Oh yeah, I mean she carried the game to the end. And she was all we got for the ending and ... it was good enough for me. Made me play the hell out of SWTOR. lol

  • @Mike-to7rz
    @Mike-to7rz Рік тому +1170

    This game is *the* reason I like Star Wars in the first place. It gives the universe an incredible richness of depth and life which I haven’t seen equaled in any other Star Wars property. Also making Kreia angry is funny.

    • @CenturianEagle
      @CenturianEagle Рік тому +14

      You should read the darth bane trilogy it’s amazing! Even listening to the audiobook, that trilogy really adds some depth to the sith. But yeah I need to play kotor 2

    • @FormerGovernmentHuman
      @FormerGovernmentHuman Рік тому +19

      @@CenturianEagle Darth Bane trilogy and KOTOR are why I am still invested in star wars. SWTOR was great in the beginning.
      I’m just waiting for the day I finally get a KOTOR live action that isn’t dogsh!t.
      Clone wars is great too.

    • @CenturianEagle
      @CenturianEagle Рік тому +7

      @@FormerGovernmentHuman clone wars and rebels were both good. I couldn’t do resistance though, but yeah I really liked rebels just as much as I liked the clone wars. But yeah the bane trilogy is great, imagine that was a show! Live action or even cgi at this point, but that story is great I think it would give a lot to build on to do a kotor one after, but I know I’m probably alone in wishing for a bane show over a kotor show. I just think it would be so cool to see the training stuff and like how they undermine each other and things like that, the books were written damn well

    • @AndreNitroX
      @AndreNitroX Рік тому +10

      Well said this is Star Wars to me, the movies can only hop to touch a fraction of this well spring

    • @aamirrazak3467
      @aamirrazak3467 Рік тому +4

      agreed it really adds nuance and depth to the galaxy. Also yeah trolling kreia is hilarious!

  • @araaraaura1887
    @araaraaura1887 Рік тому +927

    Kreia is the best possible antagonist for a Star Wars story. A philosophical anti-Jedi that wants the death of the Force because it has a will that it imposes on the galaxy. It's thematically perfect, the apex of Sith desire for freedom tempered with actual wisdom.

    • @AndreNitroX
      @AndreNitroX Рік тому +45

      Yes, this is the kind of villain a good Star Wars story deserves

    • @roninjedi2494
      @roninjedi2494 Рік тому +44

      I am glad you can see her as the villain. I hear so many people try to defend Kreia as being correct and some sort of “grey Jedi” even though grey Jedi don’t exist and are oxymorons. You either serve the force “light” or serve your own selfish desires for personal power and gain “dark side”. But I digress, Kreia is a Sith Lord and evil from the very beginning but just like Palpatine in the prequels she is a master manipulator from start to finish and she never helps anyone, least of all the player, she only manipulates and twists people to become evil very slowly over time. You bring up a great point too, she wants the exile to kill the force because the will of the force is for everyone to do good and help others which completely goes against everything she wants. It’s essentially the same mindset of a suicide bomber, such radial devotion and hate for something preventing what she wants she is willing to kill what prevents her from achieving her desires even if it means killing herself too

    • @KainZeuxis
      @KainZeuxis Рік тому +29

      @@roninjedi2494 THANK YOU. So many people seem to forget that each of the Sith triumvirate were avatars of a specific trait, Keria’s being betray. Aka everything out her mouth is pure bullshit.
      Nor do they acknowledge she is blaming the force as excuse to avoid accountability for creating Nihilus and causing the issue to begin with.

    • @dreadrath
      @dreadrath Рік тому +14

      @@roninjedi2494 What she wanted would've caused a genocide unrivaled by any Star Wars villain ever, and I mean a body count potentially in the thousands or trillions if not more. While her intentions were understandable and the force would surely rack up more deaths over time, there's no excuse for an atrocity on such an unimaginable scale. Sure the force may "Want" sentients to do good, yet its willing to repeat a destructive cycle ad nauseum until it gets its way, resulting the the deaths of so many who don't deserve it. I see the force as a body, and a single dark side user like a disease, so it'll do anything to purge it. To me, Kreia is a villain, but so is, to some extent, The Force, albeit unwittingly. Kreia seeks genocide to impose her own beliefs on the galqaxy, and the force uses genocide in an attempt to, if only for a moment, regain its so called "balance". The Force MUST die if free the galaxy is ever to be truly free from this endless cycle, but not at Kreia's price.
      (Plus even without The Force, sentients will take any excuse to kill the shit out of eachother anyway, The Force is just another contributor to it in that galaxy)

    • @dreadrath
      @dreadrath Рік тому +17

      @@KainZeuxis I suppose if you want to get technical, Revan created Nihilus since it was the destruction of Malachor and surviving it that turned Nihilus into what he is and saw him discover how to feed on others to such an extreme dagree, but Kreia did play a part in teaching him how to control and focus his hunger. Though Nihilus was gonna be a peril to the galaxy with or without Kreia's meddling. There is a theory that Revan actually passed through the Trayus academy to meet with Kreia again before going into the unknown, and that it was Revan who manipulated Sion and Nihilus to betray and kill Kreia because he thought her goal of killing the force was utter madness (Only she somehow survived the attempt)

  • @karanhdream
    @karanhdream Рік тому +187

    When it comes to Kreia's philosophy, I feel freedom was ultimately her final goal. She was a broken woman who felt her dependency on the power of the Force had robbed her of her life and freedom. She is right for advocating the strength that comes from within, to denounce the dogmatism of the Jedi and the pointless thirst for power of the Sith. Her extreme individualism is where she becomes flawed... She was a very lonely person, and in a sense it gave her strength but also made her quite bitter. She needed, much like the companions of the exile, to heal herself. But she couldn't let people in because she was maybe afraid... I feel this is part of why Kreia is so well liked by people. She is relatable on a visceral level. The desire for freedom and independence, the hidden hurt and the fear of letting people in for it could result in further pain. The bitterness and feeling your life wasn't your own, the will to try and get it back yet you cannot escape the past.
    Many of us carry this kind of pain and we all face it in different ways. Kreia's path is one followed by many, consciously or not. Fewer follow the path of the Exile. Healing is hard and painful, letting people in is terrifying... In the end, I think what matters is the will to try and heal, to confront the demons and darkness within, whichever path we chose to follow.

    • @dhaburuk6494
      @dhaburuk6494 Рік тому +17

      Underrated comment.

    • @rsk-1337
      @rsk-1337 7 місяців тому +3

      Incredible analysis

    • @shazariahl
      @shazariahl Місяць тому +1

      This is the best comment I have ever seen on a star wars topic. Incredible insight.

  • @EdaugEthanbYT
    @EdaugEthanbYT Рік тому +496

    Kotor 2 was always my favorite not because of the gameplay but because it’s story always encouraged me to think deeper and more critically than any other game and that was something I enjoyed especially when the conclusions I came to applied to me personally in some way that made me a better person as a whole. It’s not often that video games make someone a better person but Kotor 2 made me better at a time when I needed to improve and for that it will be my favorite game for all time

    • @KnjazNazrath
      @KnjazNazrath Рік тому +3

      tbh I'm hoping the massive amounts of "DaS got me over depression" vids might pave the way for "KotOR got me into Phi/Theo" vids

    • @ltb1345
      @ltb1345 Рік тому +3

      @@KnjazNazrath What's DaS?

    • @KnjazNazrath
      @KnjazNazrath Рік тому +1

      @@ltb1345 Dark Souls

    • @GhostShotYaDead
      @GhostShotYaDead Рік тому

      Totally

  • @MatthewChenault
    @MatthewChenault Рік тому +449

    It’s important to note that the lead developer of Knights of the Old Republic II was Chris Avellone, the man who wrote for Jedi: Fallen Order and was responsible for developing games like Fallout 2, the undeveloped Black Isle Fallout 3 (Van Buren), and New Vegas.
    His writing has always been top-tier.

    • @clanofshadows
      @clanofshadows Рік тому +9

      Yeah and I think he worked on Titanfall 2. However I will say I didn't enjoy fallen order which disappointed me seeing who was working on it

    • @dreadrath
      @dreadrath Рік тому +55

      From what I understand he had very little creative influence on Fallen Order, he was on the team, but he wasn't the lead guy.

    • @Myth_or_Mystery76
      @Myth_or_Mystery76 Рік тому +19

      Fallen Order wasn't nearly as well written. I mostly liked it for the gameplay.

    • @panamajack5972
      @panamajack5972 Рік тому +1

      So you're saying his blade ain't as sharp anymore

    • @MatthewChenault
      @MatthewChenault Рік тому +10

      @@panamajack5972, no, more like “no one appreciates creativity anymore.”

  • @christophergardiner5351
    @christophergardiner5351 Рік тому +70

    Interestingly, Chris Avallone (the game's director) didn't like Star Wars at the time as there were elements within it he was not fond of. However, he approached it in a great way. He didn't do as others do, taken it as an opportunity to trash what they don't like or turn it into something else, cutting it off from what it was and alienating the fans. He put everything that should be in a Star Wars game into Kotor 2, and through all these things that made Star Wars so great, used it to show us what he finds flawed about it. He gave us exactly what we want, but showed us something we hadn't seen or thought of before. People that can do that are few.

    • @marklee1194
      @marklee1194 5 місяців тому +8

      Very true. When developing KOTOR 2, Chris Avellone took it upon himself to read every Star Wars book, watch all the movies and TV shows (up to that point including the Holiday Special) and really immerse himself in the Galaxy Far Far Away. What we got in KOTOR 2 was the byproduct of all that hard work and investment.

    • @torain7
      @torain7 Місяць тому +2

      Wish Disney would take notes.

  • @megazard5249
    @megazard5249 7 місяців тому +4

    "I do not have the years required - nor the desire to indulge you"
    - hot damn, Kreia coming out SWINGING !

  • @yellomellow9481
    @yellomellow9481 Рік тому +83

    SWJKA and KOTOR 2 made me realize I had no choice but to keep star wars #1 in my heart. Honestly miss their aesthetics, atmosphere, settings -- hell I miss all of it.

    • @johnisgreat133
      @johnisgreat133 Рік тому +1

      SWJKA!!!! I Still play it on PS4 from time to time with the bois

  • @zincwing4475
    @zincwing4475 Рік тому +55

    There is a rare scene in which Kreia praises a light side action, because you encourage another to help others in turn. Because she acknowledges that you strengthened both of them.

    • @Nobody32990
      @Nobody32990 7 місяців тому +5

      She also praises you during dialogue on Korriban, when you affirm potential for redemption of Sith.

    • @sheogorath6834
      @sheogorath6834 5 місяців тому

      @@Nobody32990 I just looked it up, she doesn't praise you for that, she think that someone like that doesn't deserve redemption.
      But, she respect your opinion, and you don't lost any influence on her (unlike many other things she disagree with).

  • @nickreed3924
    @nickreed3924 Рік тому +94

    I always say that this game is a master class in storytelling and is the proper way to tell a Last Jedi style story.

  • @JustAnotherUser565
    @JustAnotherUser565 Рік тому +397

    I think it’s no exaggeration that you could practically write a book on how deep KOTOR 2 was as a game and story. It is a travesty that we will probably never get another Star Wars story like it, at least while Disney’s still around.

    • @AndreNitroX
      @AndreNitroX Рік тому +22

      Agreed which is why I treasure this story even more

    • @aamirrazak3467
      @aamirrazak3467 Рік тому +20

      totally agreed on both counts, it is imo the greatest story in all of star wars

    • @Justanotherconsumer
      @Justanotherconsumer Рік тому +21

      Andor gives me hope that Disney is willing to try less fluffy options.

    • @bchristian85
      @bchristian85 Рік тому +6

      IMO, Star Wars video games really started going downhill with the Force Unleashed, which was long before the sale to Disney. Was upset there was never a KOTOR 3 and Jedi Knight 3.

    • @vaultstar168
      @vaultstar168 Рік тому +1

      ​@@bchristian85Force Unleashed II 🤢

  • @aurelcorstan5242
    @aurelcorstan5242 Рік тому +143

    Absolutely one of the greatest scripts for a story, in general, ever.
    Bao Dur and Kreia just steal every scene they are in.
    I love this video. Great work.

    • @dyelawn893
      @dyelawn893 Рік тому +24

      Bao Dur is a critically underrated character. The voice actor is incredible. His and your character’s story are so tied together with the trauma of Malachor. Light or Dark side whichever way you take him fits so well given that connection.

    • @fordid42
      @fordid42 Рік тому +12

      Bao Dur gets complaints from some players that he's boring. But he's not. The voice actor was great in showing just how broken Bao Dur was in what he did -- Creating the Mass Shadow Generator that was responsible for killing millions and destroying an entire planet. He was shattered by the whole thing, beaten and broken down, still carrying the weight from what happened a decade later. You may sound like that yourself if you went through all of that. I also enjoyed the conversations with him, and felt bad when he had to give his little droid buddy the suicide mission.
      Kreia.... I'd have to say she's _the_ best overall character in any Star Wars media. One of the best-written, and best portrayed. Sarah Kestelman was the perfect fit for voicing Kreia. Many of the things she spoke about The Force was something I thought of through the years of my love for Star Wars. It was a master class in how to write a character. We need more like Kreia in games.... not the actual character, just that well-written.

    • @abcdefghij337
      @abcdefghij337 Рік тому +3

      Bao Dur is the ASMR King and an excellent stand in for anyone who created something with less than noble intentions but then had to watch as that thing became more terrible than he could possibly imagine. I’m reminded of the Winchester rifle or fertilizer: powerful things that seemed necessary and became deadly very quickly.

  • @JamesSamson487
    @JamesSamson487 Рік тому +83

    I was basically raised on this game. When I was 7, my uncle bought my brother and I a game each: He bought me Sonic Heroes and my brother KOTOR 2.
    I soon became bored of Sonic (cos the last Emerald is damn impossible to get) and jumped into KOTOR. I initially found Kreia to be an irritating old crone, constantly yelling at me for helping people. But soon I started listening to her words and I soon understood what she was trying to teach me. Always look at the consequences of your actions, whether you mean good or ill. Work hard to better yourself, don't accept shortcuts offered by others. But most importantly, always be open to new ideas and opinions but always test to ensure they are valid and true.
    Kreia was one of my mentors (the other being Iroh). It is from them I am the person I am today.

    • @Giblitzky
      @Giblitzky Рік тому +4

      Sonic Heroes was a classic! Glad to see there are others out there who remember it

    • @acethegray
      @acethegray Рік тому +4

      Goated childhood. Some of my favorite games.

    • @Rinzler555
      @Rinzler555 Рік тому +1

      A video game character was your mentor? Lmaoo thats kinda sad and weird

    • @acethegray
      @acethegray Рік тому +16

      @@Rinzler555 People find comfort and guidance in fiction, when good real life role models are missing or lacking. If he has found success in his life and has learned and practiced valuable life lessons, it doesn't matter from who they got them from, whether a family member or a video game/book/movie character. My inspiration and mentor figure is Rocky Balboa and I have no shame in that, for that character motivates and pushes me daily to become a stronger and better person. Through Kreia, I became familiar with Nietzsche's work and allowed me to learn much. So please, do not mock one for finding peace in somebody else's work, it doesn't matter if it's a painting, a book or a game character.

    • @Nobody32990
      @Nobody32990 7 місяців тому +7

      @@Rinzler555 you can retell real life stories and ideas in manner not loaded by real life baggage through fiction. Philosophically speaking guy was exposed in his childhood to Nietzsche (Kreia) and stoicism (Iroh).

  • @aurelcorstan5242
    @aurelcorstan5242 Рік тому +23

    4000 BBY to 3950 BBY, give or take maybe a decade, is probably the best set of Star Wars stories ever told.
    100% my singularly favorite period in all of Galactic history.

  • @AndreNitroX
    @AndreNitroX Рік тому +122

    Personally I feel Star Wars became so much more outside of George Lucas trilogy, it had to. The art outgrew the artist as they say. These are the Star Wars stories that I adore, so rich with lore and fantastic ideas that could never be shown in a 2 hour movie.

    • @whorror_punx
      @whorror_punx Рік тому +7

      Yeah, I agree. and I actually am quite happy with the Disney purchase personally. Im loving seeing all these new series and movies come out. Im not gonna praise the sequels or anything, but they didnt ruin Star Wars for me at all either. I just sort of live with it and am happy to have new content coming out so consistently. I know a lot of people hated Boba and Kenobi, I personally liked them just fine though (Kenobi really should have been better though that was an easy homerun they coulda had 🤷) but as they work our the kinks, im sure they'll figure it out. Im hoping at least.
      Super excited for Bad Batch season 2 premiering on the 4th though! Just 2 more days!!

    • @sambridgers9543
      @sambridgers9543 Рік тому +11

      Yes, exactly. All this discourse about whether George would've approved of each direction taken is futile, IMHO, because Star Wars is a universe where we can take multiple different directions.

    • @AndreNitroX
      @AndreNitroX Рік тому +5

      @@sambridgers9543 yes, while i respect the man and what he created, his word is not sacred, so I create my own canon based on the content I enjoy.

    • @AndreNitroX
      @AndreNitroX Рік тому +2

      @@whorror_punx well said, i personally enjoy the mandalorian.

    • @ltb1345
      @ltb1345 Рік тому +9

      @@whorror_punx There was a lot of content coming out during the golden age of Star Wars (the 2000s). Just because that content wasn't in the form of big budget shows or movies, doesn't mean Star Wars was dead back then. It simply used to be quality over quantity, but not anymore.

  • @tezz2698
    @tezz2698 Рік тому +22

    I love how the game nails its atmosphere down perfectly. You can never escape the feeling that there's some sort of danger stalking you in the shadows of the Galaxy. You actually feel hunted throughout most of the game, until you and your companions decide to face the Sith on Telos.

  • @supremeleadergnkdroid3202
    @supremeleadergnkdroid3202 Рік тому +134

    Imagine how much better this already great game could have been had they had time to finish it

    • @aamirrazak3467
      @aamirrazak3467 Рік тому +22

      they tried to finish it with the restored content mod. I wish they'd been able to finish it and we got obsidian kotor 3 as well

    • @Th0ughtf0rce
      @Th0ughtf0rce Рік тому +16

      @@aamirrazak3467 Yes. Unfortunately TOR is written for a different era of gaming audience.

    • @aamirrazak3467
      @aamirrazak3467 Рік тому +20

      @@Th0ughtf0rce yeah and I felt it was a poor continuation of Revan and the exiles stories

    • @olorinmagus4479
      @olorinmagus4479 Рік тому +3

      @@aamirrazak3467 it’s alright. It’s a continuation of KOTOR 1 which was still a good game, but it came nowhere near the levels of amazing that KOTOR 2 achieved

    • @e.corellius4495
      @e.corellius4495 Рік тому +5

      right? kotor 1 had 5 years of development time, kotor 2 had 10 months. imagine if it had even just gotten 2 full years...

  • @kittaylor5752
    @kittaylor5752 Рік тому +30

    I played the retail copy of this game when I was young. It came straight out of the box so didn't have any of the restored content, and I was still too youthfully ignorant to fully understand some of the themes; Kreia's nietzschian outlook on the force, the nuance lacking in the classic good vs. evil tales we see in traditional SW stories. But even so, I still found it to be a masterpiece that left a huge impression on me. It continues to be refreshing for me to see so many others singing its praises to this day, because this game definitely deserves it.

  • @cjhott7237
    @cjhott7237 Рік тому +124

    I only now realized just how this game has effected me as a person. I constantly try to live like I played the light side PC. Always trying to make some one else’s life a bit better. Being human sometimes makes that hard.
    Well regardless, I would like to see a video on the philosophies you guys touched on.

    • @AndreNitroX
      @AndreNitroX Рік тому +9

      Well said, the theological themes of Star Wars have always drawn me towards it, and probably why I desire to be altruistic without being a fanatic about it.

    • @matthiasnagorski8411
      @matthiasnagorski8411 Рік тому +8

      @@AndreNitroX being altruistic isn't altruistic if we must crow about it. It would become self-serving.
      You're doing it right.

    • @AndreNitroX
      @AndreNitroX Рік тому +1

      @@matthiasnagorski8411 thank you, by nature we should want to help others, not for favor or for validation.

    • @JohnSmith-fo5cx
      @JohnSmith-fo5cx Рік тому +1

      @@AndreNitroX by nature? I would argue that humans are intuitively not altruistic by nature.

    • @AndreNitroX
      @AndreNitroX Рік тому

      @@JohnSmith-fo5cx your right, humans have a sinful nature, but through Jesus Christ we can become so much more. Even if we don't do evil things, the sinful nature is always present, and naturally we would not desire to be altruistic. JC gives us a way out of that nature, and the ability to be altruistic naturally.

  • @dannyh13100
    @dannyh13100 Рік тому +68

    What the hidden Sith empire could have been gives me chills, especially with Darth Nihilus running around: Nihilus could feel any gathering of Force users and drain them and the planet they were on…and he makes no move on the other Sith. Either they had the power to hide themselves from that force of nature, or he was saving them for when he was able to confront them.

    • @JohnSmith-fo5cx
      @JohnSmith-fo5cx Рік тому

      neither? He just didnt care and didnt see them as competition.

    • @e.corellius4495
      @e.corellius4495 Рік тому +5

      idk, i mean Vitate is ultimately pretty boss, i mean over 1000 years old and veteran of the great hyperspace war, the original galactic conflict. so powerful that he could keep tons of sith who usually just start killing each other in line that whole time, all the while having a hidden back up shadow empire.... mf had not one but 2 secret empires. most successful sith lord ever outside of old palpy himself.

    • @shaneyy__
      @shaneyy__ Рік тому +5

      @@e.corellius4495 how successful really is Palpatine with that context? Palpatine had a 20-30 year reign? Vitiate had a literal thousand year empire

    • @e.corellius4495
      @e.corellius4495 Рік тому +3

      well vitiates empire, while impressive and the cultural and aesthetic model that palpatines empire would adopt, never completely defeated the republic or the jedi. the republic still controlled about 1/3 of the galaxy at vitiates height, and there were still a few thousand jedi. ol palpatine was the only, and i mean only, sith to actually achieve total galactic domination. (thats why it wasnt the second sith empire, but the FIRST GALACTIC empire) and had the jedi reduced from thousands to a few dozen that would be hunted down by his aprentice vader after the clone wars. he got closer to eradicating the jedi than any other.
      and you cant count nilhus there either, most the jedi were already gone before he even showed up, took an army of madolorians, sith and two wars to reduce the jedi to what they would be in kotor2. old palpatine did all that just by himself, no force powers required. kreia would actually be pretty proud of that particular achievement. (would probably hate what palpatine would do with the empire though...)

  • @Baked-as-Bread
    @Baked-as-Bread Рік тому +15

    kotor2 is literally my favorite piece of starwars media.

  • @artstudent1255
    @artstudent1255 5 місяців тому +3

    One correction: Visas Marr is not the last Miraluka. Katarr wasn't their homeworld. It was a miraluka colony. It did make them more rare and almost gone in that part of the galaxy though, as their population isn't large to begin with.

  • @goldeagle6431
    @goldeagle6431 Рік тому +18

    The Senate had a time machine with how ahead of his time he was.

  • @marklee1194
    @marklee1194 Рік тому +32

    Thank you very much for showing love to one of my all-time favourite games.

    • @geetslys
      @geetslys  Рік тому +8

      No problem!

    • @geetslys
      @geetslys  Рік тому +6

      No problem!

    • @michaelandreipalon359
      @michaelandreipalon359 Рік тому +2

      @@geetslys Hope you'll get to explore the X-Wing series of games too.
      (Also, your comment duplicated.)

  • @neil5458
    @neil5458 Рік тому +11

    I really enjoyed your video, as Kotor 2 is my favorite game of all time. One thing I'd say is that Kreia did not kill the former Jedi masters, rather she completely drained them of the force. They were alive, but the shock of losing the force was basically like losing all 5 senses, which turned them into empty husks unable to perceive anything.

  • @117Tempest
    @117Tempest 5 місяців тому +2

    One thing I feel deserves more recognition is KOTOR 2’s music. It does a fantastic job enhancing the tone of the game and I truly believe that it’s the single best Star Wars score not composed by John Williams.

  • @aaronlopez5163
    @aaronlopez5163 Рік тому +27

    Meetra was in a sense able to turn her wound from a black hole that consumes into a white hole that gives. The most basic explanation of her wound is finally complete

    • @Nobody32990
      @Nobody32990 7 місяців тому +2

      Redistributes. Exile still feeds on death like Nihlus (story explanation for xp mechanic in game) but can redistribute this power to others while Nihlus is like constantly starving animal that has no control over its instincts. Nihlus makes the wound deeper uncontrollably while Exile has potential to be full blown parasitic/symbiotic infection of the Force.

    • @MDE_never_dies
      @MDE_never_dies 5 місяців тому

      ​@@Nobody32990Damn.....that changes the way I look at XP 😳

  • @Bundeskaiser
    @Bundeskaiser Рік тому +16

    Kreia is the prime example why this game is great. She is the perfect antagonist as she constantly challenges the player's beliefs. And still, I wouldn't say she is pure evil. If you act too cruel during the game, she dislikes it the same way she dislikes charity. At one point she even claims that she never wanted the Jedi to die. Being defeated, but not dead. I wouldn't even say that she is a Sith. As she said to Atris, they both aren't what their titles suggest. I always saw Kreia more as an entity of her own. Of course, she is a villain and does horrible things during the game. She manipulates and kills people, she is even willing to commit genocide when it helps her to achieve the goal (but she also has no problems with harming herself, like when she stabbed herself on Dantooine to teach the Exile a lesson and in the end she even sacrifices herself. That's something a Sith would never do). Her idea of killing the force itself is really unique.
    But whenever she speaks and challenges you, she has a point. I learned a lot from her and her philosophy.

  • @mill2712
    @mill2712 Рік тому +75

    Exploring the best written (Star Wars) game of all time.

  • @darkside6526
    @darkside6526 Рік тому +14

    This game is in my top 10. Such a well written game. Darth Traya is one of my favorite all time villains.

  • @krystalcz9251
    @krystalcz9251 Рік тому +14

    Kreia didn't really kill the jedi masters-the Force did-she implanted the same thing that was sewering the exile from the force on to them-they had a Choice: to sewer their ties to the force and live or to keep the force and die-they choose the later.

  • @dancooke8811
    @dancooke8811 Рік тому +16

    FINALLY SOMEONE ELSE HAS RECOGNISED THIS FOR THE MASTERPIECE IT IS!

    • @rob776
      @rob776 Рік тому +3

      Um... everybody does.

    • @PrinceDaemonTargaryen
      @PrinceDaemonTargaryen Рік тому +2

      Yeah this game is legendary definitely the best star wars game story wise

    • @TY-km8hj
      @TY-km8hj Рік тому +1

      @@rob776 sadly, it isn't everybody. Certain ppl view this one in a bad light and think the first is the real masterpiece

    • @A7XKoRnRocks1
      @A7XKoRnRocks1 Рік тому

      @@TY-km8hj The first game is great but come on, the second one is far superior.

    • @TY-km8hj
      @TY-km8hj Рік тому +1

      @@A7XKoRnRocks1 agreed, I've said this for yrs

  • @kailenpiardi2721
    @kailenpiardi2721 Рік тому +8

    This game works incredibly well in tandem with its predecessor. Talk about standing on the shoulder of giants! My original favorite game

  • @paragonrobbie9270
    @paragonrobbie9270 Рік тому +3

    I agree. KOTOR2 is the most well written piece of Star Wars media...when it works. It might be the most unstable game I've ever played and since I'm playing it on the Xbox, there's no chance at downloading patch mods.

  • @es68951
    @es68951 Рік тому +11

    Glad you uploaded this again, I only got to hear half of it last time 😄

  • @victorgarcia6150
    @victorgarcia6150 Рік тому +7

    i was so immersed in this story. such a beautiful game.

  • @shaelynmartin1996
    @shaelynmartin1996 Рік тому +5

    Personally, I think the most amazing thing about this game is how the developers and head writer went about this story. In interviews, Chris Avellone admitted that he was never a fan of Star Wars before this game. Obsidian didn't even really want to make the game. They could've just slapped together something haphazard that didn't go against the status quo. A simple hero's journey. But they didn't. Instead, he and the team consumed every piece of Star Wars media they could get their hands on, doing their best to truly understand the world they were expected to create. And it shows in their handling of the game.
    With how rocky the development of the KOTOR remake has been, I say give it back to Obsidian. They've been dying for a chance to handle this tale again and finish it properly, as they wanted without all the pressure from the head honchos. This story is by far the best. It's my favorite game. And that's as is, as unfinished as it is (And no one can deny that it's unfinished, even with the Restored Content Mod, though that mod does definitely help smooth things out). Imagine how amazing it would've been had Obsidian been allowed more time with it?
    And I'd definitely love a longer video really digging into the meat of this game! It deserves the recognition and discussion!

    • @Qinto
      @Qinto Рік тому +2

      Avellone was a fan of SW, but only up to ESB, after that his love for it waned.
      It was during his deep dive into the (then) EU that he rediscovered his love for the franchise.

  • @GreenFalcon926
    @GreenFalcon926 Рік тому +7

    Loved your analysis of this game. KOTOR2 is imo, the best RPG game ever made. Sure it's very dated, but the story and characters were so well done, that I even play it today and still get immersed in this brilliant game.

  • @marshallscot
    @marshallscot Рік тому +26

    KotOR accomplishes spectacularly what Episode 8 tries and absolutely fails at.

  • @bbott137
    @bbott137 Рік тому +7

    Kreia has such understandable motivations, she reached the height of both jedi and sith, and realized the force itself dictates lives and free will is false. So she wants to kill the force.

    • @Nobody32990
      @Nobody32990 7 місяців тому

      The free will aside, galaxy and non force sensitives are constant collateral damage to Sith and Jedi offing each other because their power sugar daddy is incapable of balancing act other then mutal self destruction of its zealot followers. This good as any reason to hate the Force.

  • @Tom-jj6qc
    @Tom-jj6qc 6 місяців тому +2

    This video was very well done and the maker’s commentary was on point all the way through.
    I remember when I first started playing the game, I was skeptical at first. Running around with a droid and a Han Solo wannabe looked bleak at first. But wow - little by little, you peel back the layers and its one of the most profound and entertaining stories ever written, much less in a video game.
    My favorite aspect of the game are the companions. Their backstories and development as the game goes along really adds a ton of depth to the story as a whole. They’re not just a bunch of side-kicks. They end up being a key part of the quest. Its a story where the main character, the Exile, doesnt really “progress” or “develop”, except as his/her companions develop. That’s unique and fresh dynamic. And everything ties together - the Exile, the past, the antagonists, the companions - it all ties together for a complete story.
    Anyway, well done on the video. How I wish the “content” we are given nowadays had 1/10th the depth, thoughtfulness, and connectivity KOTOR2 had.

  • @thorshammer7883
    @thorshammer7883 Рік тому +33

    From what I am getting from what Kotor 1 & 2 has set up from dialogue and narrative set up the Kotor 3 Sith antagonists were supposed to be a truly terrifying dark faction. With Sith Lords more powerful then Darth Nihilus and to them Dark Side Wound in the Force nexuses like Malachor V were a common environment to them. So powerful to scare Revan and Malak into seeking the Star Forge.
    And with the vibe I am getting from what Kreia and Ajunta Pall say there could have been a far greater force or power behind this faction of megapowerful dark Sith. Kreia with her comments about something outside the galaxy that Revan saw. And Ajunta Pall he explains something out there which gave him and his fellow dark lords their power to rule the Ancient Sith. This gives me the idea that whoever or... whatever... the true antagonist Kotor 3 was intending was going to be greater then anything we saw before. Perhaps a primordial or even eldritch being. Something to threaten the entire galaxy and drive Revan into such fear of preparation against it to set out to find the Star Forge and convert the entire galaxy to becoming a dark side nation under his leadership. A force of nature worse then Nihilus yet not mindless or bound to a hunger. But has a drive for a era of chaos and war before going dormant until it's time comes again. Like the whole cosmic balance the Force demands which Kreia rebukes and hates. And the hidden true Sith revere it.
    Now that to me sounds like a great antagonist. Less like a person and more like a ancient evil which is above the Sith but unites even the most chaotic and deadly of Sith Lords under it's banner and doctrines like a synagogue. A power greater then Vitiate and would make even him submit to it's rule if he did exist in the similar conditions that he did in Swtor. Like Abeloth but different.
    "The Force betrays"
    “I am a timeless chorus, join your voice with mine and sing victory everlasting” - Gravemind

    • @akale2620
      @akale2620 Рік тому +4

      Yes like abeloth

    • @thorshammer7883
      @thorshammer7883 Рік тому +3

      @@akale2620
      Perhaps in a sense but maybe not completely like her.

    • @thorshammer7883
      @thorshammer7883 Рік тому +5

      @@akale2620
      "Child of my enemy, why have you come? I offer no forgiveness. May the father's sins pass to his son."

    • @thorshammer7883
      @thorshammer7883 Рік тому

      @@akale2620
      "Do I take life or give it? Who is victim, and who is foe?"
      "Resignation is my virtue; like water I ebb, and flow. Defeat is simply the addition of time... to a sentence I never deserved... but you imposed."
      "Listen, hypocrite who holds the key! Think on your past, and know."
      "With me dies the potential of a thousand million souls. Can you appreciate the tragedy, simpleton that you are? Your life is but an instant, a lonely flash. A ruse. And your... 'victory'... (laughs) Another stone upon the monument to the sins of shortsighted fools."

    • @akale2620
      @akale2620 Рік тому

      @@thorshammer7883 so quoted mother?

  • @KnjazNazrath
    @KnjazNazrath Рік тому +4

    I love how your intro explanations of the planets could each be the start of a novel. Really shows how much worldbuilding went into the plot.

  • @jordanj190
    @jordanj190 Рік тому +3

    This was an amazing video. My favorite part is the “Healing together” chapter starting 34:24. I like how you delved into the individual deep traumas that each companion carries. One of the biggest themes in this game is trauma and overcoming it to become stronger & wiser. The exile exerts powerful influence over her companions to help them “come to terms with their past” as you said. Opening them to the force is the most beautiful outcome to this…

  • @OneTrueNobody
    @OneTrueNobody 11 місяців тому +1

    2:00 - The Restored Content Mod is practically official game content now anyway; when the game was released on Steam they made a point to add Stream Workshop compatibility so the game could be modded easily, and the Switch port was *supposed* to get the Restored Content Mod as official DLC, though whether that plan is still happening is up in the air at this point.

  • @thomassmart4088
    @thomassmart4088 Рік тому +6

    its great that Kreia thinks the Force itself has a 'plan' for things - and as such she wants to wage war on God. George Lucas wanted to explore this with his Whills of the Force in the sequel trilogy. Interestingly, Stargate SG1 last few seasons dealt with the idea of 'force ghosts' and how much effect they are allowed on the mortal realm - far better than anything Star Wars has ever done.

  • @CloneScavengerVulpin8389
    @CloneScavengerVulpin8389 Рік тому +5

    No npc or star wars character challenges you and your decisions like krea.
    20:25.
    22:41.
    25:10.
    27:45.

  • @theia1653
    @theia1653 Рік тому +4

    I like the long winded monologues. It's soothing but always a hidden darkness and everyone is broken in some way.

  • @drunkserval7396
    @drunkserval7396 Рік тому +2

    This is how I got into Star Wars lore. I played this game for hours, and prior to that I used to not like Star Wars very much. This is the game that showed me how deep the lore went.

  • @Loe_Jist
    @Loe_Jist Рік тому +2

    KOTOR 2 gave us a better depiction of the Jedi's self-righteousness and blinding arrogance than the entire prequel trilogy. That was one of the key plot points from the movies that Lucas handled too clumsily and ineffectively. Jedi pride, dogma, hypocrisy, efforts to avoid conflict in the face of an antagonizing force, and their unwillingness to do any introspection or make reforms all caused their own demise and trillions of deaths. That, along with the depiction of the aftermath of 3 catastrophic wars and how complex the morality and characters are, really sealed the deal for how much I loved KOTOR 2 above any other Star Wars story outside of the original trilogy. It gave us a new, more nuanced perspective on the cost of war and the light vs dark relationship.

  • @brother_bear_one7340
    @brother_bear_one7340 Рік тому +15

    Between you and Noxxarian, there's hours of content on KOTOR 2 lore.

  • @KravMagoo
    @KravMagoo 9 місяців тому +9

    Drew Karpyshyn, the writer who wrote the first two Mass Effect games before abandoning the series, also wrote KOTOR 1, which he also abandoned. His abdication opened the way for the KOTOR 2 team to create the masterpiece storyline of Kreia and The Exile. You are correct--it is the best SW narrative ever written. Because Kreia says plainly that Revan was superseded by The Exile in power and importance, Karpyshyn, in a fit of jealousy, jockeyed into position as the lead writer of SWTOR, and used that position to completely undermine and unravel the story created by KOTOR 2. In my opinion, Drew Karpyshyn is the equivalent of D&D (GoT) and Kathleen Kennedy and her Sith minions in terms of abusing the writing position to destroy a spectacular and higher quality franchise concept.

    • @vehnashur2771
      @vehnashur2771 5 місяців тому +1

      They did The Exile dirty in the book and in the MMO. However, KoToR II did Darth Malak dirty as well. Not as bad as The Exile got, but nevertheless done dirty.

    • @willisskull2676
      @willisskull2676 4 місяці тому +1

      @@vehnashur2771 How was Darth Malak done dirty? I only remember a few mentions. They show a dream version in the Korriban caves where he recruits Jedi. Revan was even cooler in 2 than 1. Maybe that makes Malak less important by comparison? I agree the exile got shafted after 2.

  • @dancooke8811
    @dancooke8811 Рік тому +19

    Kreia is the best written character in history 👏 hands down 🙌 👏 every word that comes out of her mouth is litery gold!

  • @TheSteve_1992
    @TheSteve_1992 Рік тому +2

    This game was the first one I completed multiple times. I went through it so often, when I started a new game almost 14 years later, I remembered almost every outcome of decisions you can make

  • @joshmaynard2657
    @joshmaynard2657 Рік тому +3

    This channel's ability to effortlessly switch between short, fun videos and longform deep-dives is incredible.
    So excited for more content from you guys, long and short!

  • @celestrius9197
    @celestrius9197 Рік тому +29

    Omg I died when you said 12 characters and then showed the disciple. I've literally beaten this game like 7 times. I've never gotten him... I had no idea that was a thing

    • @akale2620
      @akale2620 Рік тому +20

      Umm lol. Bcz you didn't play as female

    • @arceras
      @arceras Рік тому +2

      Same here haha

    • @olorinmagus4479
      @olorinmagus4479 Рік тому +2

      @@akale2620 honestly, I just prefer the Handmaiden as a companion. I find her more compelling. Not knocking the Disciple, he’s great, I’ve played a couple of playthroughs with him, but whenever I do I find myself missing the Handmaiden more than I find myself missing the Disciple in the reverse situation.

    • @akale2620
      @akale2620 Рік тому +1

      @@olorinmagus4479 yes I prefer Brianna too.

    • @mopground
      @mopground Рік тому

      I dont get the red haired girl as a companion either

  • @DuskyPredator
    @DuskyPredator 7 місяців тому +2

    I really like Kreia. I think a great part about her is that she is wrong in the totality of her beliefs, but there is some wisdom to learn. Not every thing you think is being good on a surface level is going to have good consequences. That part where she tells you off for giving some thoughtless charity to someone and then see that person get attacked for it really stuck with me. Maybe she meant it as don't give charity, but my take was more about needing to help systems, not just an act to just feel good.
    Just like you said about the whole codependence can strengthen everyone involved. Relying on others is not just a weakness, as just any strength equals being stronger. Also the thinkingbof Jedi in black and white terms being something really flawed. Probably why I felt so strongly that the sequel triology should have brought an end to the Jedi and start of something new.

  • @RyanNash20
    @RyanNash20 11 місяців тому +1

    As soon as I heard you recommend stop watching and play the game if you haven't yet, i subscribed. Your love for the game and people experiencing it outweighs your desire for views on youtube, and passionate creators like you deserve support. Kotor 2 will likely always remain my favorite game of all time. Thank you for encouraging others to experience it.

  • @thomassmart4088
    @thomassmart4088 Рік тому +3

    another great thing to come from these games was Jedi Battle Meditation - a 'seer' class Jedi using the force to harmonize the space fleet - the opposite of Emperor Palpatine who used the dark side to control his battle fleet (i think that was in the Timothy Zahn books) which fell apart when his mortal body was destroyed by Vader.

  • @michaelandreipalon359
    @michaelandreipalon359 Рік тому +4

    (And we're back in this.)
    TIE Fighter and X-Wing Alliance, the Dark Forces Saga, and Republic Commando are still king/queen in my eyes though. Also, Episode I: Racer.

  • @jordanj190
    @jordanj190 Рік тому +1

    It truly is a testament to how amazing this game really is being that it was released in 2004 and it still being discussed to this very day. Phenomenal writing, phenomenal, storytelling, phenomenal characters, phenomenal plot, phenomenal music, and an overall phenomenal game.
    I played this game when it was first released when I was a kid and I had fun playing it. It’s much more interesting being an adult now (26 years old) looking back at the game, and seeing the deep subtexts and nuances of each individual character, and why they did what they did.
    Watching videos like this is somewhat therapeutic for me.

  • @noelburland7169
    @noelburland7169 Рік тому +1

    KOTOR is a quintessential Star Wars story but I still love playing it. The revelation of Revan is one of the greatest plot twists I've ever seen and I also love how they flip the script in the game from the Prequel Trilogy at least. In the Prequel Trilogy, Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine manipulates Anakin Skywalker into becoming his apprentice by giving him a false promise that he will help him discover Darth Plageius' ability to prevent people from dying (as he knew Skywalker had married Padme Amidala and that she was going to die on him), causing Skywalker to fall to the Dark Side and become Darth Vader. This somewhat justifies the Jedi Council's belief that loving someone is dangerous and as such, frowned upon. KOTOR turns that on its head by allowing Revan and Bastila to confess their love for each other to help her turn away from the Dark Side and redeem herself, turning the tide in the Republic's favour and ending Malak's crusade.
    KOTOR 2 on the other hand is indeed the greatest Star Wars story ever written and it is such a shame that the game was rushed at the time by an incompetent LucasArts studio who put Obsidian Entertainment into an impossible situation. I'm glad that there were people out there willing to restore as much of the cut content as possible allowing people to experience this wonderful game to nearer its intended purpose than what we originally got. KOTOR 2 is essentially a deconstruction of Star Wars lore but it works and the game has so much depth to it and it allowed them to create a better story without being hindered by standard Star Wars storytelling. The Sequel Film called The Last Jedi also attempted to deconstruct Star Wars mythology but it missed the mark and was widely criticized. Traya, Sion and Nihilus are my most favourite Star Wars villains, especially Nihilus who is one of the coolest looking villains ever created in any game, film or story in my humble opinion.
    Sadly LucasArts continued to make fools of themselves by canceling KOTOR 3 while it was in production and instead they eventually made SW:TOR which was set some 300 years later but was written by Drew Karpashyn who wrote KOTOR for BioWare and didn't really acknowledge Chris Avellone's brilliant KOTOR 2 as well as it should have. I like Emperor Vitiate but I really wish that KOTOR 3 had gotten made and that Revan and Bastila got a better ending to their love story and that the Jedi Exile Meetra Surik got treated better than simply being killed off by Lord Scourge in the Revan book (written by Karpashyn) which filled in the gap between KOTOR and SWTOR.

  • @w.i.z.a.r.d.s.studios4466
    @w.i.z.a.r.d.s.studios4466 Рік тому +7

    The art of these titles carry so much nostalgia and realizing of the amount of work those games required to be as memorable as they are

  • @thagerty8493
    @thagerty8493 Рік тому +6

    You’re the main Star Wars channel I watch, and I love your deep dives! I’d really love it if you went more in depth into how the true sith were foreshadowed by kotor, I’d also love to hear more about your take on the revanchists

  • @aurelcorstan5242
    @aurelcorstan5242 Рік тому +7

    For the love of anything left sacred in the SW universe, we need a good series or movies that can cover this time period.
    Sorry for the barrage of posts. I have been writing a KOTOR based Star Wars D20 table top game that starts 5 years after KOTOR 2 ends. I have been devouring Old Republic lore like crazy and this channel has been instrumental in getting me back into it.
    Fantastic videos and commentary. Keep on slaying it.

    • @user-yq9im9dk9z
      @user-yq9im9dk9z Рік тому +1

      We'll never get good movies on anything from EU, it'll always be inferior and watered down

    • @SkintSNIPER262
      @SkintSNIPER262 Рік тому +2

      Best we'll get is Filoni and Favro stealing something from this timeline and bastardizing it. Like they've been doing with everything else.

    • @mor3gan285
      @mor3gan285 Рік тому +3

      Why does it need to be a movie? Just leave it alone. Or is the problem that you think video games aren't as good/prestigious whatever as a movie

  • @NextGenNovelist
    @NextGenNovelist Рік тому +10

    The title alone already makes this a banger

  • @mikewatkins3533
    @mikewatkins3533 Рік тому +8

    KOTOR 2 is the best!!! Bar none!! Cheers Geetly🍺🍺🍺🍺😎🎸

    • @hamsterdmg
      @hamsterdmg Рік тому

      frankly i enjoyed KOTOR more than KOTOR 2

  • @guidotana5521
    @guidotana5521 Рік тому +8

    Thank you for the interesting video.
    I have, however, many reservations about the section on Chodo Habat. Essentially, the way you present that particular conflict misses both Kreia's actual point and the reason why there is a conflict between Habat's position and Kreia's. This missing the point is enshrined in your own admission that Habat's point is 'simple'. If Habat's point were so simple and unambiguous, this would not only make Kreia's resistance against it futile (as you try to pass it off). It would also dismantle the very narrative of the game.
    Habat's point would be well received if all Kreia's reflection amounted to were to strike a balance between the dogmatist dickishness of the Jedi Council, and the cartoonish evil/lust for power of the Sith creed, by giving into the ways of both on an alternate basis. If that were the case, Habat's position would be arguably the more sensible one (and the game would be over, thematically at least). But Kreia's viewpoint goes beyond the mere rejection of Jedi/Sith distortions and shows that Habat's position is itself limited, finite, approaching the issue only from a particular standpoint while surreptitiously raising it to the correct position.
    Kreia's stance is directed against the force itself. There is a longstanding conception of viewing Kreia's philosophy as essentially Nietzschean. Leaving aside matters of interpretation on Nietzsche's philosophy itself (and especially on his posthumous work Die Wille zur Macht), some traits of Kreia's position appear undoubtedly Nietzschean. In particular, the rejection of dependence on others and the idea that the only valuable strength is the one the agent produces by itself. However, there is a much wider point in Kreia's philosophy that is often neglected and frequently only tangentially expressed. Kreia's stance endorses an almost Kantian defense of the idea and value of rational autonomy. This is the original sin of the force. The force, its existence with its seemingly unstoppable will, is the ultimate affront to the rational autonomy of the subject. Every living creature becomes a mere tool, a simple expendable pawn to be used by the force and its inscrutable biddings.
    When Kant writes his second critique, the general position in western philosophy on the topic of free will (and on theodicy, the question of reconciling the benevolence of God and the existence of evil) was the Leibniz-Wolff perspective of pre-established harmony. What happens in the world and what human beings do in the world is so according to God's plan. However, this completely undercuts the idea that the human being is a rational, autonomous creature. There is nothing rational nor autonomous in behaving in accordance with what is essentially an external constraint, an authority that cannot even be recognized as such by the subject because its rationale is completely transcendent to the actual world.
    This is what the force is for Kreia. To be open to the force means the complete rejection and abandonment not only of freedom but of reason, of moral worth. Now what one does is nothing but a minimal expendable cog in the greater architecture of what the force wills. There is no space to be a man, a woman, or an agent here because what one does and what is affected by one's actions are always already beyond the possibility of rational evaluation. This is also where the Nietzschean interpretation of Kreia's philosophy shows its weakness. A Nietzschean perspective, notwithstanding its talk about authenticity or freedom, wouldn't see the force understood this way as something to be resisted or fought. The admittedly sometimes overblown irrationalism of Nietzschean philosophy would view the force as the destiny (the Shicksal, a concept extremely important in the Lebensphilosophie of 1920s Germany that Nietzsche influenced) that awaits those who are worthy of it. To a Nietzschean, it doesn't ultimately matter if there is something transcendent that cannot be rationally comprehended and that undermines rational autonomy (the sometimes forgotten coda to 'God is dead' is 'and you have killed him') as long as this entity establishes a distinction in the worthiness of the subjects under its control which provides the significativity of values in the world. This is where your analysis also reveals itself as simplistic. Kreia's stance is not trivially individualistic as you claim it to be. She would remain a Sith if that were the case, and she'd need much less rationalization than what she provides in the game. The mistake you and many others make in reading the philosophy of Kreia is to conflate individualism and autonomy. this ends up painting her as a kind of Ayn Rand figur more than anything, something she's clearly not (Rand loathed Kant's concept of autonomy, because it carries with it an entitlement to responsibility. And this is the key of Kreia's position: owning up to one's own choices as rational autonomous commitments, not instead as something that can be explained away by external forces acting on the subject).
    If Kreia were simply a Nietzschean or a Randian, she would stop at the rejection of jedi and sith sects. But no, she rejects the force altogether. And this is why Habat's position is something she rejects as well. What does it mean to heal the planet through the force if this healing also means opening Telos again to that same endless Spiel that brought it to ruins in the first place? If Telos is brought back in contact with the force, the kind of healing it and its inhabitants achieve will be swept away, and with it its significance, at the next turn of events that the endless carousel of the force requires. The only real, factual healing that can be achieved is not by the mere semblance of a temporary improvement brought about by that thing that doomed Telos in the first place. The only real healing that can be achieved is via the rejection of the terms and conditions of the force's game. But Habat cannot understand this, because he approaches the situation as if it were a mere conflict of opposites in a neutral setting. Kreia's position sees through Habat's simple alternative because its simplicity reveals nothing more than a mystification of what's at stake.
    Of course, in the game, and at that point of the game, this cannot be understood by the player, nor spelled out by Kreia adequately, simply because it is too early for both the Exile and the player. Both the Exile and the player think at this point that the issue at hand is again a new iteration of the light/dark conflict (and it is also presented in this way, with the antagonist played by Czerka at this point). The Exile still thinks her being severed by the force was a punishment by the (light) Jedi Council for other dark side choices. The game instead shows that the whole setting where these conflicts arise is the root of all the suffering endured by the galaxy. There can be no case for the light in KOTOR II, because the light cannot win its case on the terms of the force.
    On a side note, Kreia's perspective becomes clearer when one keeps in mind that Kreia is essentially Chris Avellone's mouthpiece in the game. Avellone, before becoming lead designer of KOTOR II, didn't really like star wars, and especially rejected the received conception of the force as somehow neutral, disinterested, or worse of all, supposedly trying to strive for a balance that at the same time mysteriously aimed at eliminating completely one of its counterweights.
    Kreia is Avellone's way of achieving a capacity for self-reflection of star wars on itself. And in essence, Kreia is never proved wrong in the game. The only problem is that the final act of the game makes it look like she's defeated because, after the encounter with the masters on Dantooine, the game loses its plot and fails to make its point. Essentially this is because the game needed a conclusion, and it must be a conclusion that remains within the boundaries of Star Wars. How could have the game progressed once Kreia's lesson had been accepted? The only possible way would have been for the Exile to go into exile again and renounce the game of the force on her own terms. But this does make for an anticlimactic ending. However, the fact that this would have been a more sensible way of ending Kotor II's story can also be seen in the fact that until almost before the game was ready, Atris was planned to be Darth Traya, and not Kreia. Atris would have revealed how her dogmatic adherence to the jedi order was nothing else than the corruption and treachery bred by the sith teachings. However, once Atris is vanquished, there would be no way to move the story further: how can the jedi order be rebuilt? It cannot; it has to be abandoned. Why should the Exile go find and help Revan against the True Sith? the attempt is nothing else than an additional futile move in a game that needs to be abandoned.
    In fact, it would undercut one of the main narrative plots of the game, the fact that Revan had not simply fallen to the dark side but had recognized a greater peril that could only be met by going beyond jedi teachings. Remember, it is this revelation that gifted us the character Revan as we know and appreciate now, the fallen hero, a complex character that allowed us to revisit the story-line of the first game in a different light. Before this, Revan's story, while entertaining, was not much different than many other Fall/Redemption story-line that we see in star wars (somebody said that Kotor I's storyline had been prequelified, and the old republic era had already a redemption story in Ulic Qel-Droma). By destroying the grip of the force on the Star Wars universe, even Revan's crusade becomes a mere accident, something eliminable that will run its course according to the will of the force.

  • @TheMinskyTerrorist
    @TheMinskyTerrorist Рік тому +2

    Thank you for correctly understanding the plot and what Kreia is all about. There are some multi hour videos out there (you know the one) and many people that uncritically accept everything Kreia says at face value, even though she's an obvious liar, hypocrite, and master manipulator. Her might makes right ideas are reprehensible in both Star Wars and real life, and it's bizarre to see so many people buy in to nazi-like ubermensch ideology as long as it's framed in terms of "both sides are wrong" nonsense and fantasy terms.

  • @michaelbarnes2126
    @michaelbarnes2126 Рік тому +2

    I always thought the characters is what made the story of KOTOR2 so good, but as time went out it's story really has been appreciated, examined and explained very well. The approach they took with this game was very underrated

  • @brickbreaker9151
    @brickbreaker9151 Рік тому +13

    This is also why kreia is my favorite Star Wars character by a long shot. If there ever was a “grey” Jedi it would be her. She understood that light and dark are just 2 sides of the same coin. 2 halves of the whole picture. Such an interesting character and some incredible writing!

    • @SkintSNIPER262
      @SkintSNIPER262 Рік тому +9

      No, Kreia is a Sith and spews bullshit to manipulate people. She is blaming the force as an excuse to avoid accountability for creating Nihilus and causing the issue to begin with. Grey Jedi is an oxymoron.

    • @TheMinskyTerrorist
      @TheMinskyTerrorist Рік тому

      @@SkintSNIPER262 Thank you

    • @TY-km8hj
      @TY-km8hj Рік тому +4

      @@SkintSNIPER262 she didn't create nihilus tho, the echos from the mass hsadow generator did and she found him later.... and if she was a sith then why would she attempt to destroy the very thing that gives her power. Seems to me u didn't understand the game

    • @Nobody32990
      @Nobody32990 7 місяців тому

      @@SkintSNIPER262 Kreia did not creat Nihlus (worst she did was train him because she hoped he could become what Exile was in the end) nor does she spews bs. She is Machiavellian but completely understandable in her motives. She blames Force for making galaxy playground for two factions of its extremists and "balancing" this never ending war through regular culling of both sides while non force sensitives are collateral. In essence Force as presented in TSL "it's like hand of God hovering above" robbing life of its free will. In EU (which Kotor 1 and 2 are part of) there is just Force and light/dark side are extremes. When Luke was asked what techniques lead to dark side he said "All of them".
      To quota Kreia herself: "You learned nothing!".
      Go play the game again, don't skip dialogues this time tho.

    • @SkintSNIPER262
      @SkintSNIPER262 7 місяців тому

      @@Nobody32990 Training is helping to create someone lol. The Force did not make the 2 factions, force sensitive people made it themselves because some fell to the darkside. It's not 2 sides and then there's the force. The Light IS the force. And the darkside is a perversion of the force. And this perversion is abuse and selfish use of the force, that threw it out of balance. It seems the KOTOR devs didn't have a full understanding of Lucas' universe.
      Another example is how Revan and Malak got corrupted by the Star Forge but for some reason wasn't corrupted by the darkside....
      And the force set things straight when it created Anakin to purge the deskside users, thus bringing balance back.

  • @mr.i6527
    @mr.i6527 Рік тому +5

    You're the goat for this upload 🙌

  • @faibarlinc999
    @faibarlinc999 11 місяців тому +1

    "Be mindful of your choices, least your risk to do more harm with an open hand, than a closed fist."

  • @adamtr1026
    @adamtr1026 Рік тому +2

    He also wrote Planescape Torment which I'd argue is a strong contender. But definitely set the bar for star wars

  • @mattfisher368
    @mattfisher368 Рік тому +3

    Don't you dare take this down again, I want to watch it after my American turkey day festivities

    • @geetslys
      @geetslys  Рік тому +4

      dw, it was removed for an editing mistake that has been corrected

    • @mattfisher368
      @mattfisher368 Рік тому

      @@geetslys *Faints from fan boying* in all seriousness though, great video and I saw your post on the replacement all good, idea though and maybe you did it already you have many videos but an exploration of how the Kotor games became/were the crux of the old republic storylines both before and after being arguably the largest flash point before the rise of the empire and after the Rakata

  • @mcquadex
    @mcquadex Рік тому +5

    The story of KOTOR 2 really went over my head on my first playthrough of the game so this video was very useful in helping me finding further enjoyment in this Obsidian classic. I Still don't understand the beginning of the game whatsoever, but ultimately it doesn't matter too much. Very nice video

  • @shaikahmed2586
    @shaikahmed2586 2 місяці тому +1

    One of the best video essays that I've ever seen and heard!
    Phenomenal !

  • @koraegi
    @koraegi Рік тому +1

    *A 40 MINUTE LONG VIDEO ESSAY IN 2022 ABOUT WHY KOTOR 2 IS SO GREAT?*
    *OH BOY MY FAVORITE*

  • @ybmsimba2410
    @ybmsimba2410 Рік тому +7

    I consider myself one of the biggest and most knowledgeable star wars fanatics in the world and KOTOR 1 and 2 is where it all started and to this day they remain the greatest pieces of star wars media ever created. My love of these games simply cant be overstated. Thank you for this video and here's to hoping the the KOTOR Remake is a huge success so we may one day get a KOTOR 2 remake as well 💯💪🏾

    • @thorshammer7883
      @thorshammer7883 Рік тому +4

      Imagine what the Kotor 3 true antagonist could have been behind the chaotic hidden Sith Lords.

    • @thomasshirley318
      @thomasshirley318 Рік тому +1

      It's sad we don't get this quality of content as far as movies and games

    • @thorshammer7883
      @thorshammer7883 Рік тому

      @@thomasshirley318
      Yeah. Alot of modern writing stinks.

  • @bbocel89
    @bbocel89 Рік тому +3

    Great deep dive. Love exploring the concepts of these games.
    Definitely interested in anymore deep dives in the topic

  • @im_piano
    @im_piano Рік тому +1

    Hands down the best video on KOTOR 2 I've seen, and I've seen a lot of them! Clear, concise and somewhat unexpected in its conclusion.
    Good work.

  • @kangaroocaliphate1577
    @kangaroocaliphate1577 Рік тому +1

    I can't believe people are still making videos on this game. I remember first playing it at an age where I barely understood how to play the game, I hardly understood what was going on but the image of the ebon hawk flying into the distance at the end stuck with me forever.

  • @Honnid
    @Honnid Рік тому +8

    Hello Geetsly’s team, I’d like to ask again that my work be credited in some form, in a comment or the caption of the video. however unlikely that’d be, it would be great to see my work in your content and be excited however each attempt I have made asking for my work to be credited has been met with deletion.
    my HK 47 art has been used for the thumbnail and my signature was removed. Previous videos featuring my work also featured cropped images of my work to exclude my signature.
    I still appreciate your content, however the uncredited use of my art has been a thing for a while now. sure they appear on google but when my signature and name is clearly -resent its hard to imagine a scenario a simple “art by” would be out of the question.
    thanks in advance, I know this will likely be deleted, but if you choose to respond and make it clear the artists who’s work is being used in the future many of these creators would be over the moon to be featured.

    • @fizzy4877
      @fizzy4877 Рік тому +5

      I hope they credit you

    • @Honnid
      @Honnid Рік тому +3

      @@fizzy4877 Appreciate it man, I doubt it. I’m surprised my comment has stayed up honestly

  • @zexalbrony4799
    @zexalbrony4799 Рік тому +11

    Dang. Now that is a story right there. And a very good one by the sounds of it. And one with a very good message. Power you steal never lasts because you'll always have to steal more when you start to run out. All that power does is, like Kit Fisto once said, "Consume you in the end." But power willingly given and shared between others always regenerates and can come back. It almost never ends. That is ultimately the difference between the philosophies of the Sith and Jedi, even though sometimes the Jedi mess up because some become too ridged and dogmatic, their hearts are usually in the right place. Sith are all about mistrust and taking, while Jedi, generally since again some do mess up, are supposed to be compassionate, trusting, and always trying to help those in need. That is the ultimate strength of the Jedi and the Light Side, because when you help others, they may just help you when you need it, helping each other be better and protect things. One candle may not be able to eliminate and purge all the darkness, but by sharing its light with others, one candle can become a thousand, which can purge the darkness which is always alone. This kind of philosophy can be seen in several aspects between the Jedi and Sith, like how they both make and use Lightsabers. In both Canon and Legends, Jedi find Kaiber Crystals, which are living things, they bond with these Crystals through the Force, becoming partners and maybe even friends, with a mutual trust and respect, both blade and Jedi work together trusting each other, and not fighting against each other, working with each other for not just their own benefits but the benefits of their friends and allies. The blade wants to help them, so when they willingly give themselves over to it and the Force when there in serious trouble, they know full well the blade will help them to protect themselves and those they care about. Whereas the Sith are the opposite. In Canon, they steal someone else's Crystal and torture it until it submits to their own will and does whatever they want. Whereas in Legends they use artificial Crystals, which I assume aren't alive, thus the only will involved is that of the Siths. In both instances, they see the Lightsaber as just a tool, much like they see everything, something to use for their own goals and nothing else, something to be simply replaced after its served its purpose. They refuse to submit to anyone else will, because they think the other doesn't have their best interest in mind. But as the Jedi show, the blade wants to help you not control you, and by working together in harmony a Lightsaber wielder becomes there absolute strongest, more strong than they could be if they fought alone just using their blade without working with it.
    The moral of this lesson and story is, people bring out the best in each other. We saw this a lot with Anakin during the Clone Wars, sure he would sometimes give into his darkness, but when he was with his friends and family, they always managed to reign him in and bring out the best in him so he could do so much good during the Clone Wars. They all help each other be better. Iron sharps iron. Power friendship. All that good stuff. That's why I still support the Jedi despite their flaws.

    • @michaelandreipalon359
      @michaelandreipalon359 Рік тому +3

      Hope this vid gets some attention from 100% Star Wars and Papito Qinn.

    • @zexalbrony4799
      @zexalbrony4799 Рік тому +1

      @@michaelandreipalon359 I'm assuming those are UA-camrs who have done playthroughs of this game or something.
      But I too always hope Geetsly's videos get more attention because almost all of them are awesome and deserve it, just like this one.

    • @zexalbrony4799
      @zexalbrony4799 Рік тому +1

      @@michaelandreipalon359 Oh also, not sure if you celebrate this Holiday, Michael, but since I consider you a friend, I'd just like to say Happy Thanksgiving, if you do celebrate it, if you don't then just Happy Thursday, buddy.

    • @michaelandreipalon359
      @michaelandreipalon359 Рік тому +2

      @@zexalbrony4799 I'm celebrating it on my own terms, don't fret.

    • @michaelandreipalon359
      @michaelandreipalon359 Рік тому +4

      @@zexalbrony4799 Not exactly playthroughs, but yeah, they are. Feel free to check them out.
      I'll say.

  • @beast7116
    @beast7116 2 місяці тому

    I never considered Chodo Habat’s dialogue as it was relevant to the grander plot of the game and Kreia’s ideology. Very well made video

  • @MrTarakanisher
    @MrTarakanisher Рік тому +5

    The thing that makes KOTOR 2 so unique is that Kreia is a teacher, but not a teacher to the Exile. She is a teacher to the player.

  • @yashaleo7
    @yashaleo7 Рік тому +2

    Great video. Totally agree. My favorite game in the Star Wars universe. 😊

  • @sonofsueraf
    @sonofsueraf 9 місяців тому

    31:28 now this is a perspective no one has ever made before. I've often see players bully the Ithorians because tbf there's more rewards when you side w/ czerka.

  • @LtDavidB312
    @LtDavidB312 Рік тому +2

    Anyone else getting that dreadful feeling that Aspyr has abandoned work on porting the Restored Content to Switch as DLC? We haven’t heard a peep from them since they missed the October deadline.

  • @darkinnovator2479
    @darkinnovator2479 Рік тому +4

    Honestly, I think Kreia has a bit more depth than all that. The Kreia philosophy video does go into the depth about it, but essentially Kreia is a plot device. She is a master that teaches the Exile the foundation of really what all Jedi should be, and indeed she chooses to martyr herself as the "villain" for her belief in the exile as the "hero".
    A true Jedi in my mind is the Ubermench parallel. One who is not dependant on the power of others, but uses the power of others to change the world for the better rather than submit to nihilism. And yet, does not enforce or harmfully change the world or those in it. The Ubermench isn't intended as an isolated and atomised individual, but an entity people aspire to be like and as a bettered group go toward the future. One great example of the Ubermech ideology from another series was, admittedly initially, Griffith from Berserk.
    One the opposite end of the spectrum, especially what we see with radical elements within the Jedi Order, is the Last Man. A being who even is aware of the world's suffering and has enlightenment, but chooses not to use their power to better the world and those in it. They choose nihilism, content and find comfort with how things are. A great many Jedi prior to and even during the Clone Wars is the biggest example of these radical Lightsiders, in this case due to being heavily subsumed in the hierarchy and expectations of Republic politics.

    • @dhaburuk6494
      @dhaburuk6494 Рік тому +1

      I'm no philosophy student, but wouldn't the goal of improving the world make an ubermench dependent on the power of others? No individual can change the world alone. If you take that goal away from them, would they not be left with only nihilism?

  • @edwardrobertson9887
    @edwardrobertson9887 Рік тому +3

    There was a conversation between Krea and Atris where Atris had as much hatred for the force as Krea did, only masked as attempting to save the force and restore it. The Atris story might be one worth diving into deeper as she is wounded as well.

    • @mikereger1186
      @mikereger1186 Рік тому

      Yeah. Atris could have had a bit more coverage in this presentation; although given its depth and quality we can’t complain.

    • @marklee1194
      @marklee1194 Рік тому

      It seems that Atris was to become the successor to Kreia/Darth Traya when she died, though that did not turn out the way she wanted.

  • @Adrisec
    @Adrisec 2 місяці тому

    I remember playing Republic Commando back in the day and just being totally fixated lmao I loved it and just (for some reason, dont hate me) got into KOTOR 1&2 and MANNNNN these games are truly something special

  • @jasongriffin3138
    @jasongriffin3138 Рік тому +1

    KoTOR and KoTOR 2, is still one of the best storyline/decision based games I've ever played. I'm glad that many others have enjoyed these games as well. It brings a lot of missing points of view tat isnt normally seen in other Star Wars games or movies. Good work on your content, keep it up.

  • @cmillerpa33
    @cmillerpa33 Рік тому +3

    I really enjoyed KOTR and KOTR2.

  • @inductivegrunt94
    @inductivegrunt94 Рік тому +35

    Big take, calling this the best story ever. But considering it's a story set during the darkest time in Jedi history until The Great Jedi Purge, you play as a Jedi Exile who lost their connection to the force, and are combating the three strongest Sith in history, it's easy to see why this story is the best. And that's before taking into consideration everything else about the story aswell.

    • @elfather2045
      @elfather2045 Рік тому +4

      "The three strongest sith in history" now that is a bold statement, considering the likes of Sidious, Vitiate or Krayt who could crush those three.

    • @inductivegrunt94
      @inductivegrunt94 Рік тому +13

      @El Father Nihilus was tied to both Malacor V and the Force. Meetra Surik was only able to defeat him because she was a wound in the force, an anti-force if you will. But that was temporary. The destruction of Malacor V was his ultimate end. Those three aren't threats to him, just buffets.

    • @dgenerate707
      @dgenerate707 Рік тому

      This took place after a jedi purge

    • @elfather2045
      @elfather2045 Рік тому +2

      @@inductivegrunt94 No you are wrong, just because Meetra could defeat him just for been a wound in the force dosen’t mean that someone who isn’t could not too, especially someone like Dark empire Sidious who can destroy planets or entire fleets with force storms while been sit in his throne on the other side of the galaxy .

    • @inductivegrunt94
      @inductivegrunt94 Рік тому +14

      @El Father What part of Nihilus' backstory do you not understand? Nihilus feeds off of the living force, thus someone like Sidious would be drained by just proximity. Look him up before you say Darth Sidious can overcome the literal force eater.
      And calling me wrong invalidates your argument since you say you're right based on your opinion. Look up the story of Nihilus before you make a fool out of yourself like you just did now.

  • @harryballz4260
    @harryballz4260 Рік тому +1

    I took a week off of work when this came out.
    Did the same for San Andreas also.

  • @YurtLurt
    @YurtLurt 5 місяців тому

    I recently played Starfield and after about 30 hours I had an incredibly somber & unsatisfied feeling. Yet I couldn’t describe it. I literally had to keep telling myself to power through the game which is quite sad compared to how games use to be. I decided to download Kotor 2 just to get a feel for what may be missing and I ended up playing the whole game through non stop. The level of detail in the story and how your decisions impact outcomes was so ahead of it’s time. The voice acting/writing (especially from Kreia) is almost unbelievable from it’s sheer brilliance & depth. Even the way the camera angles switch and illustrate different elements as dialogue is happening [instead of the god awful static dead-stares in Starfield] is captivating. I played Kotor 1 & 2 over 30 times as a kid and even now at 28 year old…..It still amazes me. _I really lost my love for Star Wars after what Disney did to it over the years, but this game reminded me what made me love it in the first place._

  • @barnabassebesteny1490
    @barnabassebesteny1490 Рік тому +3

    Do the Revan and true sith vids mentioned pls

  • @Silencer0151
    @Silencer0151 Рік тому +3

    As much as I love KOTOR 2, tossing away KOTOR 1 as just a "what you'd expect from a Star Wars story" is completely off for me. The story of Revan and the dynamics between the protagonist, Bastila and Malak are incredibly deep and anything but a simple Star Wars story.