Star+Wars+Knights+of+the+Old+Republic

For my entertainment game, I chose Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (better known as KOTOR to it's users). I downloaded it for my macbook, but it originally came out for the xbox back in 2003. Evidently, this is a very popular title in the Star Wars gaming canon, and is still heavily played and discussed to this day. I have no real gaming experience so I went into the game with zero traditional game play knowledge or skills. I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to move my character around and I picked up the gist of basic operations fairly quickly. I was surprised with how much story and exposition there was. I figured it would be mainly fighting and action scenes, but KOTOR has a surprisingly complex narrative, and it is easy to get wrapped up in the story and it's missions. That being said, while the overarching story may be linear, the many side stories and missions that I always find myself sucked into was confusing at times as far as what I was expected to do. This is probably considered a strength amongst gamers, but I often found the vast world of KOTOR a bit overwhelming. Like most games, the first "level" was fairly short- you had to escape a ship being attacked by the enemy- and is meant as a tutorial for helping you get accustomed to the gameplay and features. There would be a companion helping your character navigate the controls as you are battling your way to the escape pods. I liked the way KOTOR dropped you right in the action and made you figure it out as you went along. The exposition and gameplay instructions was overwhelming at first but I also took my time and listened to every detail of how to do things since I have low gaming skills. I get the impression that if one plays these kinds of games often, than they would breeze through all these intros. Your character is customizable, and as you play the game, there are many choices you make that will set your character down certain paths. For example, every choice gives you an option to "do the right/noble thing" or chose to take advantage of people. Essentially, you can make your character attracted to the light or dark side of the force. Honestly, KOTOR reminded me of the "chose your own adventure" books I read as a kid. I like that because, after you complete the game, you can go back and play it a completely different way. Since the KOTOR world is big, and there were always side missions distracting me, I found myself stuck on what to do at times. Luckily, this is a popular game with //many// online discussion forums where others have been stuck in similar situations, so a quick google search will lead you to a solution, often with a YouTube walkthrough as well. This is one of those games that you learn by trying and making mistakes, and trying another path until you reach your goal. I'm surprised with how much I enjoy playing the game, even though most of the time I'm actually "funstrated". It's frustrating to me that it's not so black and white, but the story is compelling enough for me to grit through the challenges and I feel a sense of accomplishment when I meet my goals. I'm glad I have this game on my computer now, so I can come back at it from time to time and chip away at it. If you are into Star Wars, or games with good stories and puzzles, than Knights of the Old Republic will be right up your alley.