When BioWare's Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic (known by the fans as KotOR) launched for Xbox and Windows PC back in 2003, it quickly became one of the best-loved Star Wars games ever.
With a gripping central story about an amnesiac Jedi, and a cast of loveable characters like his mentor Bastilla and rogue droid HK-47, the game painted a whole new picture of what the Star Wars universe could be. And since it was set generations before the films, this RPG title had the freedom to explore new planets and deliver fresh twists without stepping on any other stories' toes.
But as we approach a new era for Microsoft, we can't help but wonder about the possibilities that an Xbox Series X remake of KotOR could present.
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This franchise already spawned one sequel (Obsidian's The Sith Lords) and an online spinoff (BioWare's The Old Republic), but keep reading for some thoughts on why now is the PERFECT time for a top-to-bottom remake...
The Star Wars galaxy is ready for a KotOR remake
The original KotOR game is no longer strictly 'canon', because the extended universe of Star Wars spinoffs was rebooted when Disney bought Lucasfilm a few years back. Although allusions to KotOR have slipped into post-Disney Star Wars content, there's a gap in galactic history right now where a KotOR remake would slot very nicely indeed.
Also, movies like Rogue One and Disney+ shows like The Mandalorian have recently proven that there's a mass audience for Star Wars spinoffs these days. Spinoffs are not just something for hardcore fanatics, but the kind of thing that anyone could enjoy - that is to say, a KotOR remake could find an even bigger audience than the original.
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KotOR is a perfect fit for Xbox Game Pass
The original KotOR launched on Xbox and Windows PC, and it still has never come to a PlayStation console. This makes us wonder if a new version would also be exclusive to Microsoft-approved devices, which could actually fit very nicely with the Xbox Series X creators' current strategy.
Microsoft has been building up Xbox Game Pass as a brilliant platform for gaming over the last couple of years: all of Microsoft's big first-party titles have launched on day one for Xbox Game Pass recently, across Xbox One and PC, and the newly-added xCloud streaming service is making it possible for some of them to work on mobile devices too. It's the kind of platform that could deliver a new KotOR game to a huge audience quickly.
Big recognisable IPs are one thing that Microsoft could do with more of, and a big new Star Wars game would certainly fill that criteria! A KotOR remake could really bolster Xbox's offering in the next-gen console wars.
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Will a KotOR remake for Xbox Series X and PC happen?
As much as we'd love this to happen - hard to see, the future is. Disney has a lot of plates spinning at the moment, and there hasn't been any confirmation about a new KotOR game at this point.
Also, BioWare is working on a new Dragon Age game, and Obsidian has a big new RPG called Avowed in the works, and Respawn (makers of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order) have plenty of different irons in the fire. So it's hard to tell, that if a new KotOR project does materialise, who exactly would be able to make it.
But still, we can dream! There are bound to be more Star Wars games in the pipeline, and Microsoft can convince Disney/EA to let Xbox Game Studios do something with KotOR, we could end up with something very special. Until then, all we have is hope....
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