The classic Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic has been confirmed for a remake during the September 2021 PlayStation showcase. Originally released in 2003, KOTOR has remained a popular MMORPG among Star Wars fans. However, the heavily anticipated remake will be handled by Aspyr instead of BioWare and EA. While this might be concerning for fans of the original game, due to BioWare's more recent history with buggy game releases, the change in developers could be an important decision for the remake's success.
BioWare is well known for popular games outside of the Star Wars franchise, including the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series. However, its recent releases were bogged down with bugs and glitches that made gameplay frustrating for players. BioWare has also been teasing the Dragon Age 4 game with minimal details and has recently announced another game in the Mass Effect series with a short teaser trailer. This has all been compounded by the poorly received release of Anthem in 2019, which attempted to compete with popular games like the Destiny series.
However, Aspyr has been working closely with the Star Wars games - especially recently - and has been involved in multiple ports of KOTOR for Mac, iOS, and Android in recent years. It also was involved in the re-releases of popular titles like Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 and Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Jedi Academy. Because Aspyr has been a major presence in Star Wars games since the release of the original KOTOR title, the developer has a better sense of what is happening in the Star Wars universe, and what fans might like to see in a full KOTOR remake.
BioWare's Departure From KOTOR - Remake Isn't Surprising
BioWare's lack of involvement with KOTOR - Remake is not surprising for most. BioWare has been largely uninvolved with any Star Wars titles since it was purchased by EA in 2008, and much of the gameplay and mechanics of its recent games would stray from the gameplay seen in the original KOTOR. While some elements of the combat and narrative direction seen in Dragon Age might be interesting, they likely wouldn't fit with the MMORPG gameplay of the KOTOR remake. While it isn't clear currently what direction Aspyr is planning to take these elements, its understanding of many different Star Wars games will likely allow it to tailor gameplay to audience expectations.
For many, the decision to change KOTOR's developers may be a relief. Aspyr has a solid history of game releases and has been involved with many popular Star Wars games. Because of this, it is possible Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Remake could release before either of the planned projects by BioWare even launch. Because the game has such a large legacy to live up to, the choice of a reliable developer could be the difference between a disappointing letdown and an enjoyable, modern experience.