10 RPG Video Game Sequels We Desperately Need (But Won’t Get)
6. Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
What it was: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was a highly respected RPG that came out in 2003 for the original Xbox and PC. Garnering extremely favourable review scores across the critical spectrum - mainly 9/10s - it was praised for bringing a deep yet customisable experience to the Star Wars universe. The sequel, subtitled The Sith Lords, was released in 2005 for Xbox and PC (it actually hit the North American Xbox in December 2004). The first game of the pair made it to tablets and mobile devices, too: the Apple store in 2013 and Android in 2014, a sign of its enduring appeal.
Why we need a sequel: What made KOTOR special was its original story that still fit Star Wars lore: you got to become a Jedi and wield lightsabers whilst still experiencing everything you should from a good RPG. A variety of locations, characters that have depth and personality, quests that you want to complete because you're invested in plot and character alike. The combat system was accessible, using commands queued up not unlike The Sims.
But you could use this to pause and plan out a strategy that your party members would execute in tandem with your own commands. Getting to know your party members was also crucial, as some were likeable and others were brash and annoying - or just whiney like Carth Onasi (you'll see).
Why we won't get one: Development for the first game was by BioWare and the second was made by Obsidian Entertainment. Obsidian went on to produce other RPGs like Alpha Protocol and Fallout: New Vegas, whilst BioWare went on to create the Mass Effect trilogy, free of the particular restrictions of the Star Wars license.
BioWare wanted the sort of creative control held by LucasFilm in a time before Disney owned all the entertainment IP in the known universe. The next stage in Knights of the Old Republic then, became an MMORPG simply titled The Old Republic. Starting in 2011, it is currently on its fifth major expansion and claims revenues in the regions of $140 million per year, adopting a hybrid model of free-to-play and subscription-based users.
Simply put, the dream of a single-player Star Wars RPG died a death with The Old Republic.