Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is still hailed as one of the best Star Wars games ever made, and longtime fans and newcomers now have a new reason to jump in, thanks to Xbox. Even those who have yet to play KOTOR are aware of how beloved the game is. It’s one of the many great BioWare RPGs that put the studio on the map, and KOTOR now has official Xbox achievements for the first time ever.
Xbox achievements were first introduced in 2005, two years after KOTOR‘s launch and one year after the sequel’s debut. Both games missed the chance to hop on Xbox’s achievement train, but those days are finally over. Now, Xbox fans who have long hoped for a day when KOTOR and its sequel would support achievements has arrived, giving the two games an unexpected modern revamp. Getting achievements in games isn’t necessary for enjoying the experience, but it adds an extra layer that really appeals to players who are incentivized by rewards, and both KOTOR games are bound to be an achievement playground.
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic Xbox Achievements Give the Game New Life After Over Two Decades
It’s hard to believe that KOTOR is 23 years old now. BioWare’s adaptation of George Lucas’ universe was a game-changer for Star Wars games at the time, and its legacy has continued to live on for more than two decades at this point. Now that the game and its sequel have official Xbox achievements, the series now has more replayability than ever. KOTOR has built its reputation on allowing interesting player choices that lead to dynamic interactions and story paths, and that’s why the achievements are so intriguing.
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The best BioWare games allow for plenty of player agency to drive their characters down certain paths, and these branching possibilities mean that there are going to be achievements that can only be gained through another playthrough. Obviously, this won’t appeal to every KOTOR fan. After all, the game has managed to be fun without achievements for 23 years, but the fans who loved the itch that achievement-hunting scratches will more than likely have a field day with this update. The main problem with adding achievements to KOTOR is that it could turn every choice into a meaningless checklist, but that’s ultimately up to the player to decide how they wish to tackle in-game decisions.
This Is How Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Xbox Achievements Work
- On console, achievements apply to Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S users.
- PC also gets these achievements, since the update is part of Xbox’s backwards compatibility program.
- The first KOTOR game features 45 achievements and 1,000 Gamerscore.
- Other old Xbox games that have received this same update treatment are Blinx: The Time Sweeper and Conker: Live & Reloaded.
The most fascinating part about this update is that it adds extra longevity to KOTOR without actually changing the game in any way. Bringing something as simple as achievements to an old game might not sound like much, but it could be the update that finally convinces achievement-focused gamers to see what KOTOR is actually like. There are specific corners of the gaming community that deeply value hunting for achievements, and it can even be a deciding factor on whether to buy a game or not. As one of the best classic Xbox games, it deserves to continue to find a larger audience.
Xbox has brought something to a 23-year-old game that has been a standard for a long time now, which shows that there are still some clever ways to make classic games feel modern without massive remakes or remasters. Now that EA shut down BioWare, a third KOTOR game is unlikely to ever happen. An achievement update isn’t as exciting as a new game, of course, but it’s still a great way to keep the legacy going strong.
These New Xbox Achievements Are a Lifeline for Eager KOTOR Fans
The KOTOR fan base has been stuck in a mind-numbing limbo state over the years, as progress on Saber Interactive’s KOTOR remake remains one of the biggest mysteries in the industry. This remake has been in development hell for a long time, and there is no clear end in sight. As far as it’s known, the project is still going forward, but the longer the silence goes on, the more worried fans get.
On the bright side, there is a spiritual successor on the way with Fate of the Old Republic. The game isn’t directly tied to KOTOR, but this new project has one key component going for it: Ex-BioWare dev Casey Hudson is the director. His experience as the original KOTOR and Mass Effect trilogy director makes this project incredibly promising, but there has yet to be a Fate of the Old Republic release date announced, as the game is probably still in its early development stages. With two major KOTOR-inspired projects waiting in the wings, the original KOTOR‘s Xbox achievement update has arrived at a great time.
- Released
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July 15, 2003
- ESRB
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T for Teen: Violence
