Will this be a remake emphasizing modern visuals that at the same time preserves the core gameplay and narrative of the original? Or will tweaks also be made to modernize other parts of the game, such as the turn-based combat system, which in 2021 feels slightly dated? Adding real-time combat, for example, would certainly be an exciting way to make Revan’s journey feel fresh two decades later.
But is it possible that there’s even more to this remake than a visual upgrade and modern gameplay flourishes?
Last year, Square Enix completely subverted expectations with its Final Fantasy VII Remake, the first part of a multi-game adaptation of the 1997 PlayStation classic that seriously expands and at times completely changes the story fans know and love. In fact, it might be more apt to call the remake a “reimagining” of the original game’s events than a modern recreation. Some might even feel the game is closer to a sequel.
While there’s no indication that such an extensive reworking of Knights of the Old Republic is in play at Aspyr, it’s possible a potential remake could afford a studio the opportunity to expand on levels and storylines from the original. Could the Hutt world of Sleheyron, a Star Map location that was cut from the original, be added back into the remake? How about an alternate dark side ending that would have seen a dark side female protagonist choose to die on the Star Forge with Carth Onasi?
Adding back content BioWare cut from the game would be the most logical way to expand the Knight of the Old Republic experience but this could also be the perfect time to beef up the ending. If you’ve played the original, you likely remember KOTOR‘s largely buttoned up canon ending: Revan saves Bastila from the dark side, defeats Darth Malak once and for all, and destroys the Star Forge. The game’s final scene is a celebration on Lehon, where Revan is awarded the Cross of Glory just as credits roll. It basically plays like an homage to iconic ending of A New Hope. The galaxy is saved and the brave heroes are honored.
But that’s hardly the end of the story as it pertains to Revan. Players learned more about what happened to the Jedi hero directly after the events of the first game in Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords as well as in the novel The Old Republic: Revan by KOTOR writer Drew Karpyshyn, but we never saw these moments on-screen. Not long after the Star Forge was destroyed and Darth Malak’s Sith forces fell, Revan married Bastila Shan, a decision that somewhat strained their relationship to the Jedi Order, and settled into a quiet life on Coruscant. But when he began to receive visions of an ancient Sith Empire lying in wait in the Unknown Regions of space, Revan decides that he must stop the impending threat and leaves the known galaxy behind.