The Best Xbox Game Every Year 2001 - 2024
22. 2003 - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
It's one thing to press a button and swing an electronic lightsabre, but it's a whole other to step into the galaxy far, far away and live it. This is what made 2003's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic as special as it was.
KOTOR, as it's come to be known, is revered for a good number of things. It's one of the games that really put BioWare on the map before they started work on their own IPs. It innovated on character customisation for the genre, offering various classes and the chance to fight on either the light or dark side of the force. More than this, alongside Elder Scrolls III, it was one of the first truly massive feeling Western RPGs to land on a console, as the Xbox version pre-dated the game's release on PC, showing that console gaming could rival computers.
KOTOR sold out in four days thanks to hungry Star Wars fans that were inspired by its rave reviews about its story, writing and fully-voiced characters.
If you enjoyed the recently released prequel films, this game felt like an epic continuation. If you disliked them, KOTOR's deep narrative was the salve for your wounds. Knights of the Old Republic is still heralded by many Star Wars fans as one of the most engaging tales in the universe over 20 years later.