Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords review

Sci-fi fans across the globe are all eagerly polishing their lightsabers and preening their Wookiee costumes in readiness for the May release of the final Star Wars film, Revenge of the Sith.

But even pasty-faced geeks gearing up to loiter excitedly outside their local multiplex will need something to tide them over until fanboy mania meltdown on May 19. Well, their prayers have been answered with this sequel to LucasArts' mind-bogglingly good adventure, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

For a franchise that inspires such an enthusiastic following, the history of Star Wars games has been chequered by mediocre movie tie-ins and spin-offs not worthy of anyone's attention. Knights of the Old Republic gloriously bucked the trend. It offered an engrossing, well thought out adventure that was surprisingly open-ended. Whether you wanted to play the game as a goody-two-shoes or a devilish scoundrel, you could. Your actions dictated what you looked like, who your allies were and even the outcome of the storyline. Brilliant.

Knights of the Old Republic 2, like its predecessor, is set thousands of years before the events of the film trilogies. Following the near annihilation of the Jedi Knights in the original game by the dastardly Sith, you begin the game stranded on a crippled starship with your character lying injured in the ship's medical room. For this prologue section you can choose to take control of the vessel's last functioning robot. If you are new to the game, this section serves as a neat introduction to the game's well thought-out controls. Should you have already mastered the controls from playing the first game, you can skip the opening sequence and begin getting to grips with your character.

The only problem is that your character doesn't really remember who he or she is, and much like the first game, it's your job to wander about chatting to people and doing little missions here and there before some of the mysteries begin to unravel. If you're gagging for button-mashing battles and mindless gung-ho action, then this isn't the game for you. Just getting your hands on a lightsaber takes about 10 hours of gameplay, and completing the game will take at least another 20 or 30 - so a little patience goes a long way.

If you want to submerge yourself in a deep and immersive world, KOTOR 2's expansive and stunningly lifelike universe doesn't disappoint. As the game contains a strong influence from traditional role-playing games, you gain experience points and abilities as the game progresses, allowing you to choose which of several areas your character specialises in. Add the ability to drift to the light (good) or dark (yes, evil) side of The Force by doing good or wicked deeds, and you have a game that demands several replays - as moral choices can alter your abilities and how the story gradually unravels.

Knights of the Old Republic 2 may not be a quantum leap forward from its superb predecessor, but it's still a great game, and one to give any self-respecting PC gamer hours of top-quality entertainment.

Sasha Muller