Tech Talk

One of the most beloved classics in Star Wars video game history is getting the remake treatment.

Whispers have been spoken about it for years as fans begged for a remake of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. After countless rumors and speculation, Lucasfilm Games confirmed that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is being remade during Sony's PlayStation Showcase 2021. It's been a long time coming for the illustrious game. Knights of the Old Republic has cemented itself not only as one of the best Star Wars games, but one of the best games ever made. Period. Before Mass Effect and Dragon Age, this was arguably BioWare's biggest and most influential release.

The baton's now been passed on to Aspyr Media, the developer working on the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake. In conjunction with Lucasfilm Games, Aspyr hopes to raise the bar for video game remakes. Here's everything you need to know about Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, coming to PS5 and PC.

What is the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake?

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is an acclaimed RPG first released by BioWare in 2003. We know little of what the remake will look like, but in an interview on Star Wars' official website, Lucasfilm Games executive producer Orion Kellogg and Aspyr lead producer Ryan Treadwell discussed their hopes for the project.

Kellogg specifically noted advancements in technology that have been made since the game's first release, allowing the team to "bring it back to modern platforms using modern methods." He continued, "Our big goals on this are to bring the story to a modern audience and have it be just as impactful today as it was for players when it originally launched."

It's clear that the team wants the experience to be authentic to the original while modernizing it to today's standards. Knights of the Old Republic has been lauded for its achievements in storytelling, crafting an unforgettable tale that's stuck with players over the decades.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — The story so far

This section contains spoilers.

Though Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was uncanonized when Disney bought the franchise and is now a part of Star Wars Legends, it remains to be seen if the remake will recanonize it, for lack of a better term.

Knights of the Old Republic takes place around 4,000 years before the events of the movies. Both Jedi and Sith seem to be at the height of their power, and being before the Rule of Two was ever implemented by the Sith, their numbers are vast across the galaxy. Darth Revan's apprentice, Darth Malak, has sent the Sith to destroy the Galactic Republic. The player character, appearing to be suffering from amnesia and having no memory of their past, sides with the Republic and goes on a galaxy-sprawling adventure to stop him.

Being an RPG, players could choose whether they wanted to follow the Light or Dark Side of the Force, eventually leading them to defeat or join the Sith. In one of the biggest plot twists in gaming history, you come to find that the character you were playing was Darth Revan all along, a powerful Sith Lord who mentored Darth Malak.

Notable locations in Knights of the Old Republic include Dantooine, Korriban, Kashyyyk, Tatooine, Taris, and more. Dantooine and Korriban, in particular, are homes to the Jedi and Sith Academies, respectively.

Though not playable in the game, the events leading up to Knights of the Old Republic are just as important. Shortly before the infamous Jedi Civil War, Darth Revan and Darth Malak (who were both Jedi Knights at the time) conquered the Mandalorians and subsequently fell under the influence of the Dark Side. As Revan and Malak fought against the Republic, Revan was captured by the Jedi and had his mind wiped. This leads us to the events of the game.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — Is it a full remake?

Judging from the way Lucasfilm and Aspyr talk about it, this seems to be a full remake of Knights of the Old Republic. It's much more than a simple port of a remaster that we've seen countless times over the years. Though we haven't seen what it will look like, I'd wager it'll be more similar to the Resident Evil 2 remake or the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, completely overhauling and rebuilding the original game from the ground up.

Lucasfilm Games is also re-recording the dialogue, with Jennifer Hale returning as the Jedi Bastila. No other voice actors were announced, but in the announcement teaser, we heard other familiar voices return.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — Gameplay

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a third-person RPG that controls similarly to Mass Effect and Dragon Age, though it isn't referred to as an open-world title. It remains to be seen how the combat will be affected in the remake, but it should play out closer to a modern-day action RPG than the real-time turn-based mechanics used in the past. Ranged and melee weapons can be used, including lightsabers. If Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is anything to go by, lightsaber combat can be really, really good when in the right hands.

Being an RPG, players could customize their own character and select different dialogue options when speaking with NPCs. So it's reasonable to assume this will return.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — Who's developing it?

Lucasfilm Games is handing development to Aspyr Media, a studio that previously ported AAA releases like Borderlands 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, along with plenty of older Star Wars games. This will be the team's most ambitious project to date by far. As Treadwell said in an interview, not only has many of the team worked at BioWare in the past (some even on the original KotOR team), but developers from the Demon's Souls Remake, Ghost of Tsushima, and Dragon Age: Inquisition have been recruited as well.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — Is it PS5 exclusive?

Sony Interactive Entertainment collaborates on the project and is publishing the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake on PS5 as a console launch exclusive. It's also expected to come to PC. We don't know exactly what the words "console launch exclusive" entail, so it's unclear whether it's a timed exclusive that will make its way to Xbox platforms at a later date. Regardless, it's being viewed as a timed PS5 exclusive for now.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — Release date

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic does not have a release date just yet. Treadwell noted that development has been active "for a little while," but refused to elaborate further. Given the initial reveal trailer that we've seen, it could still be in early development. With no release date to speak of, you shouldn't expect it anytime soon. At the earliest, maybe we could see it in late 2022 or early 2023, but that's optimistic.