Star Warsgames have been in a good place as of late. Towards the end of EA’s exclusivity deal with Disney, the publisher has managed to put out impressive titles such asStar Wars Jedi: Fallen OrderandSquadrons, while also continuously improvingBattlefront 2following its rough launch. With the deal set to expire soon, Disney aims to keep this streak alive with a few upcoming games from a variety of developers, one of which is reportedly a remake of the famedStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
Fans have been clamoring for a newKnights of the Old Republicgame for quite some time, but not necessarily a remake. LikeStar Wars: Battlefront 3,KOTOR 3is one of those white whales ofStar Warsgames that never came to be, despite high fan demand.With a remake possibly in the works, one has to wonder: CouldKOTOR 3be on the way? It’s possible, but doesn’t seem very probable.
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KOTOR Trilogy: One Step At A Time
There are many questions surrounding theKnights of the Old Republicremake. Will it be mostly the same game? Will it make any big changes in either story or gameplay? Will it be a part of the newStar Warscanon established by Disney, or will it be relegated to the Legends banner? No one knows, but one thing appears certain: The series seems to be hitting reset and starting from the beginning.
With this in mind, deliveringKOTOR 3isn’t as simple as creating another sequel, and that’s all thanks toKOTOR 2.If the remakedoesmake heavy changes toKOTOR 1’scharacters, settings, or story elements, there are bound to be contradictions with 2004’sKOTOR 2.
Aspyr could always develop theKOTORremake to ensure it aligns perfectly with the story present in the sequel, but then the developer runs the risk of making the remake feel like it’s changing too little. Additionally, trying to strictly adhere to theStar Warscanonfrom 2004 would also likely prevent Aspyr from implementing some of the interesting ideas, concepts, species, and planets to have entered theStar Warslore since then.
Even if Aspyr did, for whatever reason, attempt to createKOTOR 3following the remake, there would be an issue of technical inequity across the series. To get the whole story, players would have to play a modernized version ofKOTOR 1, follow it up withKOTOR 2, and cap it off withKOTOR 3, which, like the remake, would presumably follow more modern game design philosophies.
The disparity in graphics, gameplay, and potentially lore between the middle game and the bookends surrounding it makes it incredibly unlikely that theKOTOR 3that has long been on the wishlists of many fans for 17 years will ever be released. As it exists,KOTOR 2can’t be a bridge betweenKOTORremake andKOTOR 3.It could be a sequel to the originalKOTORduology, but then what would be the point of theKOTORremake?
That being said, should theKOTORremake prove successful, either a remake of the second game, or a sequel to the remake — should itdrastically changeKOTOR’sstory — could be possibilities. If this happens, then a perfect road is paved forKOTOR 3to not just exist, but to have a strong, consistent foundation behind it. However, when thinking ofKOTOR 3, it’s important to remember a few things: The road ahead is built on many big “ifs,” and everything here is conjecture. Even if the game were to get made, considering thatKOTOR 1’sremake probably isn’t releasing anytime soon,KOTOR 3would likely be incredibly far, far away.
The Old Republic And The High Republic
Fans ofKOTORsurely raised an eyebrow whenStar Wars: The High Republicwas announcedlast year. The latestStar Warsmultimedia project has some similarities withKnights of the Old Republic. The names are similar, and so are the settings; both take place prior to the films, focusing on past generations of the Jedi and the Republic.
Given how hard Disney has been pushingThe High Republic, it’s hard to imagine the company willingly allowing a similar franchise to share the limelight and possibly confuse consumers. Barring a name change or some other way to distinguish it from the latest large-scaleStar Warsproject, it’s entirely possible that theKOTORremake may not be meant to revive the franchise, but rather fill another page in theStar Warsmythos.
Within thecanon, the Old Republic has ties to an item that keeps popping up inStar Wars. During the fall of the Old Republic, the Darksaber was stolen by the Mandalorians. This weapon has been featured prominently in television shows such asThe Clone Wars,andThe Mandalorian, and if that trend continues, it could possibly play a key role inKOTOR’sremake.
One route aKOTORremake could go would be to delve into some of the lore concerning the Darksaber. The game could conclude with the theft of the Darksaber and the fall of the Old Republic. Such a story would allow it to tie into otherStar Warsmedia involving the Darksaber quite nicely, but there’s one problem: One can’t haveKnights of the Old Republicifthe Old Republicis no more. This route would almost certainly close the door to aKOTOR 3.
SoisKOTOR 3on the way? That remains to be seen, but fans probably shouldn’t hold their breath. If it is, then it’s almost certainly alongway out, and probably wouldn’t be seen until the late 2020s at the earliest. ButKOTOR 3, or even a newKOTORseries beyond just the remake, feels contingent on if Disney is comfortable running two separate, side-by-side series that have a lot in common. The case forKOTOR 3doesn’t seem particularly strong in the force, but as evidenced by the iconic films, the force can sometimes work in mysterious ways. Hopefully, this is one of those times.
AStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republicremake is rumored to be in development.
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