Summary
Development for theStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republicremake has been notoriously rough, with constant delays and apparent changes in studio involvement plaguing the entire process. While games have been known to occasionally go throughdevelopment hell, especially the more ambitious they are, theKOTORremake’s developmental issues have seemed to be on an entirely different level. Nevertheless, the game is still reportedly in development, despite seemingly hanging on for dear life by a mere thread.
Since its announcement in 2021, the thought of aStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republicremakehas fascinated fans of the RPG that came from what many consider to be developer BioWare’s “golden age,” when the company released critical success after critical success and arguably set a new standard for the role-playing genre of video games. Initially launched in 2003,KOTORis over 20 years old and has only received ports to modern platforms like the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. Hence, it is justly in dire need of a complete overhaul, and both its market and need for preservation justify this even further.
The KOTOR Remake Train Needs to Keep on Chugging
There Is Far Too Big a Market for the KOTOR Remake’s Development to Fail
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republichas consistently proven to be one of themost belovedStar Warsvideo gamesto date. Although modern hit franchises likeStar Wars Jedihave managed to maintain a good reputation, in many ways,KOTORis still considered the standard.
This is why news of aKOTORremake has received so much attention since its announcement, and the classic’s reputation is likely the main reason development for the remake hasn’t ceased despite the challenges. If anything,Knights of the Old Republic’s market has only grown since its launch, even though it is over two decades old. Still, this market can only diminish as the years go on, so a remake is very much in order.
A Remake Would Help Preserve and Grow Knights of the Old Republic’s Market
While it is simply an excellent video game in a variety of ways,Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republicwas the first role-playinggame set in theStar Warsuniverse, so its legacy was all but cemented from the moment it launched. That being said, there is little doubt it has had a difficult time gripping modern audiences with its severely dated graphics and mechanics. As such, it may find it challenging to maintain any sort of reputation in the decades to come, but a remake could certainly help with that, as games likeFinal Fantasy 7have been remade and their audiences have grown on account of it.
A true remake ofKOTORwould modernize the game enough to give it an even longer-lasting appeal than it currently has since the majority of its current fans are likely those who grew up with it. Aside fromlive-service gamesthat have defied the stigma associated with the model and have become even more successful over time, video games generally have a rather short lifespan before they’re forgotten or replaced. On the other hand, hit classics likeKOTORsee players returning for years to come, as it has shown in its numerous ports.
Even so, a remake would undoubtedly reignite interest in the game and draw the attention of a much larger crowd, thereby increasing its lifespan in the process.
Development for theStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic’s remake has certainly been a roller coaster, but it’s not over yet. Recent news shared by Embracer Group suggests that the remake will eventually happen, even if it is still a long way off. It only needs now to endure its hardships until it breaks through to see the light of day.
