At the fall PlayStation Showcase, Sony officially announced that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Remake is in development. The fan-favorite RPG isn't simply getting some enhanced graphics, but a complete overhaul.
The KOTOR remake is being developed by Aspyr Media, Lucasfilm Games, and Sony Interactive Entertainment. Aspyr has previously worked with Lucasfilm Games on ports of classic Star Wars games like Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. In fact, the remake will not be the first time Aspyr has worked on KOTOR, as the developer released a port of the game for iOS in 2014; the following year it released macOS and Linux ports of the sequel game, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords.
PlayStation featured an interview with the KOTOR remake's lead producer, Ryan Treadwell, who made it clear that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Remake will be much more than a remaster. "We are rebuilding from the ground up," Treadwell stated, but when asked about specific changes to the game, the producer only discussed the graphical side of the remake. Treadwell noted that it is now possible to build the game with a "higher level of fidelity" than technology allowed during the original release of the game. The focus on high-end graphics is likely one reason the KOTOR remake is only coming to PS5 on consoles.
How the KOTOR Remake Could Change Combat
As far as any changes to KOTOR's plot or gameplay, Treadwell spoke in vague terms, like making sure the game was "authentic to what players loved about that original game." This vagueness, along with Treadwell's comments about "rebuilding from the ground up," gives some credence to the rumors that circulated earlier this year that the KOTOR remake would be an action RPG, instead of the more D&D-inspired combat of the original. While this could be concerning to fans, Aspyr seems committed to preserving the spirit of KOTOR, going so far as to confirm that members of the original KOTOR development team are working on the remake.
While very little is confirmed about the game, it appears there will be similarities between the KOTOR remake and Final Fantasy VII Remake. While KOTOR likely won't receive the kind of drastic plot changes that FF7 Remake did, it will likely overhaul its combat in a similar fashion. KOTOR's combat was slow and a bit clunky, sometimes requiring players to use a tactical pause button to issue orders to the various party members. A more action-oriented style of combat make sense in today's gaming landscape, especially in the wake of the popularity of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Much remains to be seen, especially as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Remake is still in early development, but it's clear that Aspyr is preparing fans for big changes ahead.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Remake will release on PlayStation 5 and PC.
Source: PlayStation