Star Wars: The Old Republic lives up to its cinematic predecessors

Star Wars: The Old Republic (Electronic Arts/LucasArts; Windows; rated teen)

Set in the Star Wars universe, long before the events of the movies, The Old Republic features quests and involves the long-told tale of the battle between light and dark, between the Jedi and the Sith.

As this is a massively multiplayer game, you need an online connection to play. And you’ll need a computer running Windows, too.

The opening cinematic is as dramatic and action-packed as anything you’ve seen in the films, and while the characters that are introduced may be new, they are familiar. There’s the swashbuckling smuggler, the Jedi master and his protégé, and the opposing Sith pair who are only too willing to betray each other. But those personas are simply there to set the stage. The rest of the adventure is up to the players.

At the beginning of many games, your character is nascent and feeble. Not here—you will be powerful and capable right from the start.

The Old Republic may be a MMO, but at times it’s almost like a single-player game. You’ll be completing the same quests with dozens of other players at the same time and you don’t really have to become part of a group to enjoy the game. As BioWare rolls out content updates, expect this to change.

If getting a chance to explore the Star Wars universe wasn’t enough, the Old Republic has impressive visuals, a fully integrated story, and acute attention to detail. BioWare has created a game that will appeal to and can be enjoyed by a much greater audience than the typical Star Wars fan.