The KOTOR Experience - Episode 1: Escape! From Taris. A retrospective of Knights of the Old Republic

[@ArthurAugustyn]

I'm still making part 2. There's updates on the community tab of my profile. It's taking longer than anticipated, but it's a passion project so the only thing driving its release is because I want to do it.

[@carlwolf5923]

Just found this yesterday and pleasantly surprised to see this update! This video inspired me to do another playthrough :)

[@GordonSan]

Enjoyed the video, looking forward to the next episode.

[@NinkoKotOR]

We'll all be here waiting for it!

[@HeyJes]

Excited to see it!

[@Achallon]

I started playing this for the first time a week ago at 28 years old and it’s actually been really fun! Looking forward to the next one

[@ChristopherA-6665]

Amazing video and as good a retrospective of KotOR as any to be found on KZbin. Totally agree about Taris, I love the way it grounds you in familiar iconography. Can't wait for part 2!

[@NinkoKotOR]

Seriously I know the hard work may not feel worth it, but finishing this series you’ve started will be more than worth it!

[@ArthurAugustyn]

I deeply appreciate your comment and support! I continue to be interested and excited to release the next episode later this year.

[@NinkoKotOR]

@@ArthurAugustyn I will await it's arrival, 20th anniversary of kotor 2 this year also, I would be very intruigued in something regarding that as well!

[@honkeykong4049]

​@@ArthurAugustyn How much later?

[@ArthurAugustyn]

@@honkeykong4049 There's updates on the community tab of my channel. An unlisted video of what I have so far should be up within 30 days. It's roughly 3 hours. Not done yet. I don't have a TBD for the public release of the full episode. I am effectively -$10,000 into this project so the only obligation I have to continue it is if I want to. Right now I do, so I'm still working on it when I can.

[@GordonSan]

@@ArthurAugustynohh goodness, I hope that your finances are solid, take your time. We will all be here.

[@deaj8450]

I assumed this was a complete essay, then about an hour through I realized this is a three hour video just on Taris, and I'm totally here for it. Taris is definitely underrated.

[@ArthurAugustyn]

Happy to take any feedback on what you'd consider "fat" that could be trimmed, because Episode 2 is already shaping up to be three times as long.

[@deaj8450]

@@ArthurAugustyn Personally I'm a fan of how detailed you are. But if I could think of one thing (without rewatching and making notes) that could be trimmed is some of the ruminating on what the remake will do or should do, not that there's much of that anyway. I think maybe that could be its own separate video or episode of this series, going back through and mentioning what you'd like done better. I enjoyed your idea for changing Mission's introduction, it would feel more natural and impactful. Also depends on what your next video is covering. Is it just Dantooine? There is a lot of lore, new mechanics, and choices to be discussed on that planet. So I can see why it could be lengthy. I'm glad you are still making this series though. I love your British people are evil and Trask Ulgo conspiracies. But it's your video and your style, you do what you want. There's a decent size audience for these extremely long reviews, just look at people like PatricianTV. His Skyrim video is over 20 hours.

[@tehgerbil]

​@@ArthurAugustynGlad you're continuing it! Looking forward to the next episode man, this is perfect for expanding on my happy memories of Kotor at work, great listening.

[@MrAbgeBrandt]

Hell yeah, Taris is a great experience! I love Taris and Dantooine so much :D

[@Doctor_17]

This video brought me from 0% invested in Trask Ulgo to 120% invested in about 3 hours. Marvelously done. I'll be keeping up with this series, I very much appreciate the insights! This is incredibly helpful for a KOTOR enjoyer, Star Wars fan, and player/DM like me.

[@KingLouisII]

I accidentally played KOTOR. I was playing the Dark Forces / Jedi Academy series, and assumed this was an fps/3ps like they were. I was so disappointed, but used all my kid money to buy it so I was committed. It became the best game I ever played.

[@Tapptho]

I’m looking forward to the next episode. Keep up the good work!

[@ArthurAugustyn]

Awesome! I've started writing the next episode on January 1 and I'm making decent progress. Hope you'll subscribe to stay updated.

[@alexwingopercussion]

This is super well done! Thanks for putting this together. Excited to see the next parts!

[@paralleloctagon7062]

This is certainly the best video made yet on Kotor, I really enjoyed it. I just completed a playthrough recently, and I'd love to watch a follow-up. I also enjoyed Taris quite a bit, and I honestly wouldn't have minded if it was a bit longer. The atmosphere was good, especially the feeling of being fugitives on an enemy-held planet, and although being a sort of extended prologue it had a quite interesting self-contained story of its own.

[@froloffanton]

A criminally low viewcount for a video essay this comprehensive. Keep the series going!

[@DM-kl4em]

I think it will get more views in the coming months. It just showed up in my feed today, and I'm sure for others as well.

[@UnfilteredID]

Same will you do one for kotor 2?

[@semicharmedlife311]

Found myself confused that someone who isn't a Star Wars fan and doesn't love the movies would enjoy this game so much and sufficiently to create such a massive retrospective. But, fair play to you. It's in my Top 20 favorite games of all-time. 👍

[@danmounfield7431]

Very thorough. I like the observations made around the accents, and that datapad for the rancor. Keen for the next episode

[@user-ManofStyle1]

Such a great retrospective, it's by far the best I ever saw. Thank you for your hard work.

[@therwfer]

Me: Oh cool a three hour retrospective on KOTOR sees "episode 1" Me: YAAAAAAAY Loving this, really looking forward to the continuation.

[@Ragatokk]

With this being 8 months old I somehow doubt you will be seeing many new episodes any time soon.

[@nateflatt7418]

Hope to see more

[@erikirgens4260]

Honestly, I love that you give so much necessary context. It's both a retrospective, deep-dive, narrative exploration, and critique. It's fantastic.

[@DeviSerene]

I really enjoyed this analysis. I haven't played KOTOR in so many years, and it was so fun coming back to this. I didn't know Taris was hated so much, I really enjoyed it. I look forward to part 2!

[@christophermorin585]

This is great. Please keep it going! I've gotten through taris twice and became a Jedi once but never was able to put in the hours to get further. I missed my chance to play it as a kid. Please keep it going!

[@caldermi]

Watched all the way through! Glad to see all this attention to detail on a great game. I totally agree about Taris. It's just fun to play starwars with a blaster for a little bit before getting the lightsaber. It reminds us that Jedi aren't the only characters that matter. Hope to see you make parts 2 and 3. Making me want to replay.

[@ArthurAugustyn]

Lots of people replaying KOTOR lately. The reddit community has grown a lot in the past 5 years. I can certify it's just as good as when you were younger, but short of actually replaying it I hope this series scratches the itch. Thanks for watching.

[@TinyGiiant]

This video is exactly the kind of thing I love watching, I would love to see the full series

[@AgusSkywalker]

The first voice actor I recognized was the anti-alien preacher in Upper Taris. That is Tom Kane doing a remarkably similar voice to Admiral Yularen. I know he was capable of doing radically different voices which is why I find it funny.

[@actionjackson8282]

Thank you for the time to create this. This game has always been a gem. Looking forward to the next episode

[@martind5653]

3 hours review on just Taris part of the game? Do I look like I don't have anything better to do? But I am just chronic procrastinator. Also I like how you probably put more time and thoughts into Trusk than developers did.

[@yamahadbmh]

Please tell me the part 2 is coming out soon! This came up on my recommended videos and i want more!

[@lordsmellvin1151]

making my way through your video, big fan, excited to see the next one!

[@xelloskaczor5051]

Well one thing u might have missed about T3M4 can't be stunned by force powers, making him basically an automatic counter to the sith governor, preventing your whole party from getting stunned. Pretty sure he also has access to ion beam attachment thingy that lets u destroy the shield if u fucked up disabling it somehow but i honestly don't remember if u get it that early or if it even worked on that shield. Between that and high skills pretty sure it was just meant to be the solution to a problem that is entire sith base. Not that it's a particularly relevant thing. Also big Z could never have his life debt to Mission, they'd stop being friends. That was never really an option unless u were prepared to do BIG character developments for them out of nowhere, where she has to un-brainwash him to go from master and a slave (that's what the debt is) back to friends again, Mission would not stand for being a master. But debts are NOT optional. She can't tell him "ur free" and he's free.

[@MrEffectfilms]

I disagree. It's said in Legends continuity that Chewie stays by Hans side because he has a life debt to him. This obviously isn't canon anymore because of the Solo movie 😒 but it sets the precedent that a Wookie can indeed be friends with someone to whom it owes a life debt to since I'm sure everyone would agree that Han and Chewie are absolutely best friends. This also explains why he specifically tells Chewie in Empire Strikes Back that he has to take care of Leia, he was transferring life debt from himself to Leia.

[@timonsolus]

@@MrEffectfilms: I agree with you, a life debt doesn’t preclude friendship - although one doesn’t necessarily follow from the other.

[@MrEffectfilms]

@@timonsolus yeah, I think a good compromise would be that Mission decides to escape Taris with partially as a thank you for saving Zalabarr but also because she hopes to be able to find her brother and Zalabarr would of course come with her. As you prove yourself to Zalabarr over the course of the game and especially after completing everything on Kashyykk that's when he swears the life debt to you.

[@timonsolus]

@@MrEffectfilms : Nice idea theoretically - but having Zaalbar swearing a life debt to you at a point in the story when you don’t need his help anymore - because you’re a Jedi, and have the other Jedi Bastila and Jolee to help you instead (possibly Juhani as well) - that would be really anticlimactic and would fall flat emotionally. The player’s response to the life debt needs to be “Cool, thanks!”, not “Yeah, whatever.”

[@MrEffectfilms]

@@timonsolus for me it's gonna be "Yeah, whatever" regardless since I only ever use Zalabarr while on Taris until I rescue Bastila, after that I basically never use him again.

[@rxauger01]

T3 might be unliked but he's actually the tankiest character in the entire game. He is capable of soloing most of the content by himself, even on Hard. Its pretty ridiculous how crazy he is with a proper kit. (Also he can't be stunned by the Sith Governor, or force powers in general, and is fully capable of beating him alone at that point. Again... Pretty wild)

[@timonsolus]

The Sith Governor can knock T3 out with 2 blows from his vibrosword though, so if T3’s stun ray doesn’t work, the little guy is in big trouble.

[@jhammock13]

This is a masterpiece. I love long form analysis, and love the kotor series even more. I hope you choose to keep doing what you’re doing, because you may have a bright future in the long form content genre.

[@johnsmith8906]

I spent many an hour playing this back in the day, I loved how characters such as Misson and Zaalbar are important at the start but then not so much (T3-34 just exists just to open a door!), but the temptaton exists just to play as Jedis....which is a mistake!

[@ArthurAugustyn]

Yes! It is interesting to see how prominent characters fade in and out of the main narrative. I do wish Mission had more of a role later on but it’s also kind of smart they make room for the later party additions. Just another reason to replay it!

[@johnsmith8906]

First time I played I failed to redeem Juhani and her absence later in the game is a huge hole. @@ArthurAugustyn

[@AlanChair]

As someone who just recently started playing KOTOR for the first time, I'm glad Taris exists, and I totally agree that wielding a lightsaber and being a jedi should start as this mystical idea that you have to earn. I'm really looking forward to watching the rest of this series, as it's made me have a better appreciation for the making of this game. So thank you for the hundreds of hours you've poured into this one video alone!

[@NosralTserrof]

hey dude, just wanted to drop by and say this vid is great. kotor is my favorite game, and to see someone with this much passion is amazing. it’s like, violently in depth and i truly hope that you continue!

[@janstreffing9361]

This was a great way to re-experience the game for me. I played it 3-4 times myself over the years and while you say this game is better experienced, I would argue once it's been experienced, it's better analysed like you do. I'm not sure if you will ever make part 2, but if you do, I'd watch it :)

[@joshuaferrington9990]

Taris gives me the same nostalgic “home” feeling that peaches castle in super mario 64 does. For that reason I could never dislike it, flaws and all.

[@ArthurAugustyn]

@@joshuaferrington9990 100%. Every time I exit the apartments to that walkway I feel at home.

[@FuryForTheWin]

I am two minutes into the Taris section and the Taris slander is crazy. Its one of my favorite parts of the game

[@ArthurAugustyn]

The haters must be stopped!

[@RipOffProductionsLLC]

Yeah, at worst it pisses off min-maxers who will feel compelled to do every single sidequest to get all the loot/experience and chosen light/dark side points while never leveling up to save all those levels for their jedi class on dantuine.

[@kevincastro8617]

@@RipOffProductionsLLCha this is exactly what I do. But I enjoy Taris because there is so much to do and it makes the game more difficult to try to maintain at a low level for more force powers

[@BusterBeaton]

this was one of the best videos i've seen in years, i can't wait for part 2! i never thought about the ulgo connection

[@dialaskisel5929]

Honestly an excellent video for an excellent video game. Great work, looking forward to the next segment!

[@Sasoriscarecrow]

Please Continue this series. This was an amazing retrospective on Act 1. Considering I've been on my own nostalgia journey with this game, this game at a good time. I like star wars, but this game is why I LOVE Star Wars. I can't say I agree with every thing in the video, but I still loved it. Can't wait for the follow ups :)

[@nondescriptmidnight5869]

As someone who is a fan of Kotor and who wants to do video essays. Well done, this is a fantastic video and really gets down to the core of what makes these games great! I appreciate all your hard work and can't wait for the next one.

[@martind5653]

I agree Taris is quite enjoyable for first time player if I remember correctly. Certainly more enjoyable then Kotor 2 Paragus station... and Telos citadel... and Telos surface... and Telos academy... Actualy Telos citadel is probably on par with Taris, it's pretty good time for the first time but I remember playing it second time and it was like... Oh geez when all of this will finally be over so I am free to play?

[@antonioscendrategattico2302]

I loved Telos because the situation on the Citadel is so interesting. You're essentially homeless, stuck on a station among the masses of drifters and refugees, and seeing the tension brew while you're investigating a mystery not many other people care about. The whole atmosphere is kinda... tired, melancholic and cynical, and very very interesting. I also loved Peragus.

[@keklord4128]

​@@antonioscendrategattico2302the TSF gives you an appartment though

[@antonioscendrategattico2302]

@@keklord4128 Well yeah, but a temporary one. You never get the sense that you intend to stay there, you're still on the move.

[@xoulmannn]

​@@antonioscendrategattico2302Being on the move is the whole game. You're tryna survive the first Jedi Purge.

[@DamianSzajnowski]

​@@antonioscendrategattico2302It was the same for me initially but the second play through onwards, with mods or whatnot, those places were very tedious, unless I took a multiple year break, then they were slightly tedious as I have forgotten or discovered new parts.

[@Nin3fingers]

Kudos man, I love this game and Kotor 2 to death, this was such an amazing video with a lot of interesting insight. Taris doesn't deserve even a fraction of the hate it gets, I'm really looking forward to the next vid!

[@quinnobrien4639]

great video man, I hope you continue with the series.

[@ArthurAugustyn]

Thank you so much! I’m committed and excited to keep going.

[@jimbou04]

18:42 Trask seems like a cool character, I hope we see more of him

[@erikmcfadden1668]

Thanks for the video! I've been trying to figure out what game to play for awhile and this helped remind me of my love for the Kotor games. I look forward to your next video!

[@phroggy723]

so glad i found this channel so early on, keep this quality up and i can def see u at 100k by next year

[@ArthurAugustyn]

I appreciate your vote of confidence! I hope to keep creating and get the video in front of people who like this sort of thing.

[@josiemerc]

Fantastic retrospective. I haven't played KOTOR in ages. Not since I lost access to an Xbox back as a teenager, and I just haven't picked it up again on PC or even Android. All of this has absolutely brought me back to one of my favorite games of all time, and my favorite media choice in Star Wars, a franchise that means the world to me and my childhood. Thank you. ❤

[@usulordo]

Fantastic quality content- and production-wise

[@BlackEyedJester]

Commenting for the algorithm, but seriously I hope you continue this series!

[@yonatanyonatano1192]

Interesting bit about the promised land arc: according to SWTOR, they canonically find the promised land. But they essentially get trapped there and over the course of generations, their population dwindles down to nothing. And over that time, they lose all knowledge of how to make their tech function and even how to speak well. By the time your PC gets there, there’s nothing left of them but droids and recordings of their devolution.

[@FergusonFiller]

kotor is one of my favorite games of all time. i’ve beaten it more times than i count. such a fun and immersive experience every time. i loved the video, excellent work and deserves more views!

[@Baalsin]

Great video! I was surprised to find that a piece of work with this amount of detail did not have more views, hope that will change soon. Keep up the good work!

[@evathebanana1958]

what an amazing video ! i always end up replaying the games every few years !!

[@ShameemMoshrefzadeh]

I’ve watched this video multiple times now since I first discovered it a couple months ago, I have it on in the background while working. I love KOTOR, it is my favorite video game of all time, and I really enjoyed listening to your analysis of the first chapter of the game. I love everything about KOTOR, even the stuff I don’t like, if that makes sense. Thanks for your hard work in putting together this amazing video. I hope you are able to continue making these videos for the other planets in KOTOR. Thanks!!

[@straightedgesoldierx6111]

I actually enjoyed Taris: the combat arena, breaking into the sith base, and infiltrating the black vulkar base. Super fun times. I think my least favorite planet was kashyyk. Not that it was a bad planet, it’s just that the others were so much better imo. The only exception to that is possibly rakata prime. It was cool from a lore pov, but idk it was kind of “come on, let me get to the star forge already”

[@ArthurAugustyn]

@@straightedgesoldierx6111 I hope this is a safe space where I can admit I absolutely hate Rakata Prime. Really brings the pace to a halt.

[@straightedgesoldierx6111]

@@ArthurAugustyn I definitely agree, it absolutely did bring things to halt through its gameplay. Bastilla could’ve turned to the dark side on a different planet or even just taken to star forge and turned to the dark side. As much as I like meeting the Rakata, I think by that point it was too late since the main focus was taking the star forge for yourself or destroying it.

[@Aqueox]

Oh nononono, Rakata Prime is the most beautiful and mysterious scifi landscape, planet, skybox, whatever I’ve ever seen. Fell in love with it when I was a kid, dream about a place like it on occasion… it’s just a fucking awesome place. Mysterious mystic mystery shit (the Force and the temple), massive ruined structures in the skybox, a sort of “paradise” world dotted with islands and beautiful oceans…. It’s just really something.

[@CentreShallRise]

This is a well done and in-depth video. I hope you get to make and finish the rest of the game. Makes me want to replay the game for the first time in like 17 years.

[@Leninaid]

Yo, this essay was a blast to listen to as I played through the last chunk of Taris; I’m def subbing to get notified when the next part is released!

[@2112limelight]

We need episode two

[@Jfund12]

One thing I think you got wrong about Zaalbar is the significance that being enslaved had to him. His brother, later information I know, was selling other wookies into slavery. Big Z got so angry that he used his claws to attack his brother. This is why Big Z ended up on Taris. The Kashyyk section also really shows how bad the slavery issue had gotten there. So, while he may have been there just a couple of hours. Death would have been preferable to slavery for Big Z. Mission asking you for help establishes that she could not have released him on her own. This is why Big Z swears the Life Debt to you and not Mission.

[@ArthurAugustyn]

Fair points. Thanks for the in-depth comment.

[@dylc3373]

Casually listened as I played kotor 2. I was sad to see this was as far as you've gotten. I look forward to listening to the other planets. As for taris it doesn't deserve the hate. I've never disliked it. I thought it was a slog, sure. And you've brought up great ways to fix the issues. Really hope you continue and finish the Gane as a whole.

[@ArthurAugustyn]

Still working on it. I got updates on my community page. Current situation (09/2024) is I have ~3 hours of content but I'm holding off on releasing the next full episode until it covers everything I wanted it to cover. That said, I am releasing an unlisted video of what I have so far ideally by the end of the month. The editing is taking a long time because I need to grab footage from other games which caused a big delay. Thanks for watching and your interest in the future videos!

[@OozeSlime]

Amazing video, I really hope you finish this I'd love to see the whole game explored with this level of depth.

[@isaakisaakisaakisaakisaak]

Please make part 2! Thoroughly enjoyed this.

[@based_circuit]

Bro we need a part 2, this is awesome.

[@conlan1015]

54:47 They are speaking in an upper class dialect of galactic basic which is the universal language of Star Wars, example: Grand Moff Tarkin. They probably discriminate other people that don’t speak like them and think you’re a hick from the outer rim plants

[@ArthurAugustyn]

@@conlan1015 so Ice the duelist and Bastila are upper class too? I didn’t know that was integrated into the lore

[@conlan1015]

@@ArthurAugustynI should correct myself in saying it’s more like a core world accent than really “upper class”. But yeah They probably just used the British accent because a lot of Star Wars villains have a similar accent

[@kaitlyngarner740]

​​@@conlan1015 it was also a common thing in Hollywood where if you had 1 British accent in a movie, they were usually a villain or an unlikeable character. Most characters in the star wars movies that have English accents are from the Empire or the Sith. There are a couple of exceptions like obi-wan but generally, in star wars, a more upper class or English accent means bad guy

[@UnlimitedBlakeWorks]

Welcome to the long form video analysis gang ill be watching this video every 3 months until I'm dead, appreciate it😂

[@PoppaShmoop]

I'm a huge fan of the KOTOR games and recently picked up KOTOR 1 and am in the middle of playing it again. I'm glad your video showed up on my suggested list (probably because I've been youtubing videos on the game). It's kind of funny because coming towards the end of the video I realized that this project must've taken you a long time to produce: the edits, the monologue, and sure enough as soon as I thought it, I got to the part of your video where you mention this, haha. I of course liked your video very much and subscribed to your channel and am looking forward to future content on KOTOR.

[@ArthurAugustyn]

If something doesn't come close to killing you it's probably not worth doing in the first place. Glad you enjoyed the video and hope to deliver more soon!

[@AlChestBreachFan7]

Such a thoughtful retrospective on a timeless classic. Commenting for this gem to get picked up by the algorithm!

[@lossavageles]

Yo really appreciate what you going man keep up the work

[@IJustWantHapenis-kw3om]

Please make a part 2 this is the best kotor video on youtube

[@isaakisaakisaakisaakisaak]

yessss

[@bennilol2034]

Hope you get blessed by the algorithm man, this video was insanely good and i hope you will do the whole of kotor in this style!

[@ArthurAugustyn]

Thank you so much! And yes, that's the plan. Providing free monthly updates on patreon for anyone curious on the progress.

[@aksharga]

Great video essay! Just wanted to let you how much I’m enjoying it and would like to see more from you. :)

[@agentdiner]

This is a really interesting video. I picked up KOTOR on switch last year and bounced off it after spending a few hours on Taris. This video has encouraged me to try it again and give it another chance. Looking forward to part 2!

[@ArthurAugustyn]

This is a wonderful thing to read. The goal of this video was to make this classic more accessible to people who haven’t played it (or it’s too old to enjoy). I hope your second shot goes well!

[@Waterbender899]

Love the video man. Subscribed. Can't wait for more but please take your time.

[@jaredglenn1352]

Excellent analysis! I'm really excited for the next part. Thank you for doing this!

[@Barndo13]

Fun Fact: In Star Wars: The Old Republic, the MMO from 2011, you discover Trask was from House Ulgo of Alderaan, one of the royal families. There's even a mission on Alderaan dedicated to the retrieval of Darth Bandon's head which is to be kept in possession of House Ulgo in Trask's memory. Writing this comment before I'm finished, but really love the video so far :)

[@visibilidadlimitada3750]

Amazing video. Hope you complete the retrospective of the whole game (and maybe even the second!)

[@Coldfire242]

I’ve probably played this game as much as you so a video like this from someone seasoned with familiarity is refreshing.

[@cjlewis367]

Absolutely incredible video, thank you for your hard work! We will watch your career with great interest

[@darthmaul1396]

Sir, are you working on part 2? I’ve played this game at least 15-20 times, and this video was so thoroughly entertaining. Love that these games are still appreciated. Can’t wait for more

[@ArthurAugustyn]

Yes! Work on the next video is slow but steady. I'm juggling a full time job now whereas I was in between jobs when I first made this. I'm posting monthly updates on Patreon (for free). The link is in the description.

[@Kevinism]

This was excellent. I can't wait to see your analyses on the next planets, in howevermany episodes it would take!

[@reidlos8084]

I ALWAYS do everything on Taris. Even the promise land story lol

[@russianbear0027]

1:21:32 maybe that closet is part of the restored content mod? I've always played vanilla and don't recall seeing that. Though maybe I'm just forgetting it

[@ArthurAugustyn]

@@russianbear0027 yeah another commenter corrected me - it’s just restored content

[@kylefoley1545]

I saw this on TikTok and had to come watch the full thing, the algorithm works!

[@ArthurAugustyn]

😮 finally the social media god is benefiting us

[@deejohnson7198]

This was amazing, when are you going to drop the video for the next planet?

[@ArthurAugustyn]

Thanks so much! I have free updates posted once a month on my Patreon. My estimate continues to be "August." And the plan is for Episode II to cover Dantooine, Tattooine, Kashyyk, and Manaan. Then Episode III covering Leviathan, Korriban, and the end game. Maybe make some modifications depending on how it goes (Dantooine is already ~2 hours of writing but it's not finalized).

[@deejohnson7198]

Awesome, looking forward to it. I just subscribed so I will see when you drop it

[@just_oliN7]

I love KOTOR and I love hearing people talk about it. I really enjoyed this retrospective and I`m looking forward to the next video(s). I had no Idea people acctually disliked Taris so much, they even made a Mod to skip it entirely. To me, Taris feels like comming home, because I had played it so many times as a kid. The ambience, the music, the side-characters you meet and the different buildings you enter. Except the slums, that shit was tedious. Also in all these years I had no idea there`s a shortcut in an apartment to the swoop-race front-desk. I acctually learned something new today.

[@TheHammemo]

I have watched this multiple times, its very good.

[@tylercrum]

LOVED this video! And I would love to hear your thoughts on the rest of the game!

[@LezCharming]

Stellar video! So excited for the continuing saga.

[@Jimmy.Jardine]

26:30 It is so strange you mention this because back in 2004, when I first bought KotOR, I was one of those that never knew about turn based combat and I started playing, got into the first fight on the Endar Spire, and I actually turned the game off and set it aside. KotOR sat in my game shelf for nearly a year and I was pulling out old games to sell and grabbed KotOR and as I looked at the cover, I said to myself, as a lover of all things Star Wars, let me give this game a real shot. Let me get used to it ands see if I can sell it or not. This decision literally changed my life. I found my favorite video game of all time! And to think, it sat for a year on my shelf and was nearly sold to buy some new skinned version of Call of Duty.. Thanks for the memory lane trip!

[@kmart93]

I hope you come back with another video. This was great and I appreciated your thoughts on how to improve it

[@ericcourts3881]

This was incredible, can’t wait for the next episode!

[@lf2208]

Like other comments say; not everything in the video might be *exactly* the way I would've done it, but there is obviously talent and the viewcount is *criminally* low for such a good piece of work. I cannot do more than like, subscribe and comment, but I'm definitely looking out for more content!

[@ArthurAugustyn]

Every bit helps! Feel free to share any critiques you have. The feedback is useful for future videos.

[@Wigmeister]

Fantastic video sir. Eagerly awaiting the next part!

[@zumwalt_edits]

Great video! I started replaying kotor, because of your video.

[@ryanhughes3569]

Amazing video! No joke I had been workshopping my own idea for a bit of a personalized retrospective video series down the road for not just Kotor 1, but kotor 2, swtor, and talking about the media that came before the games (the original comics) as well as some of the intermediary content (the mostly un-liked Revan book that covers the timeframe leading up to Swtor...), and found this video in my search to passively work on a script over time that doesn't hopefully step over too many other creators toes for things they've already touched on! Your narration is incredibly detailed and I really love your overall take on Taris. Making the choice to also try playing the game with the Restored Content Mod for kotor 1 is also an interesting take that most other retrospective videos haven't even touched on (although like you said, unlike with the majority of the content in the kotor 2 RCM being cut content because it was unfinished or too buggy, the cut content from kotor 1 was almost exclusively cut with purpose, because it was mostly just superfluous stuff or cut to try and limit confusion and bad game design). That being said, some of the things you brought up within part 4 onwards, like with being able to go to the swoop racing track, or talking about locals in the lower city being armed and such is actually only 'because' of the Restored Content Mod, these things aren't present in the original release of the game. There's definitely some stuff that is in the RCM for kotor 1 that I think were cut unfortunately, like the quest where you go into the guys appartment in the lower city and access his footlocker via answering 5 personalized questions from his datapad, in the original game there is no Vulkar in there, and the guys body is not present, it's just an empty apartment room, which kinda just gives the implication that you're breaking into someones home who isn't even there and robbing them blind, where as in the RCM you at least get to feel like you're at least taking stuff from someone who unfortunately won't need it anymore because they're dead. Maybe that was removed just because it was darker than they wanted it to be, but who knows. Anyway, amazing video! Can't wait to see you continue this later.

[@ryanhughes3569]

Gonna followup on that last post, cuz I hadn't finished watching the video yet. It's honestly really refreshing seeing someone show some appreciation for Mission, I feel like she is typically ver underappreciated by players, by video essayists, or in lets plays. I feel you picked up on the writing themes with her in full, and yes although her general combat use is more limiti g, her capabilitity to be more of a glass canon damage dealer thanks to Sneak Attack is nothing to scoff at. Zaalbar, although this is just coming from a place of presumption rather than any specific behind the scenes knowledge, is probably as underdeveloped as a character as he is because he isn't a voiced character, and as such they probably did not want to give him too much effort on a writing front when there are several other companions who could be developed instead (I'll get to T3...). Now I don't think thisis a great answer though given their rather liberal useage of non galactic basic speaking aliens across the whole game which you begin to notice at times is usually moreso to cut corners when it comes to the need for voice acting (and as such can remove some writing limitations in some areas).. but I think just because Wookies growls and roars get a bit repetitive quickly, that probably has more to do with it (evident by the fact thaf Kaashyyyk is usually not reviewed too favourably compared to other planets, obviously save for one Manaan section). As for T3.. Yeeeah I don't know, he is an unfortunate case in this game. Which is funny because Obsidian greatly fixed the issue with him in kotor 2, he is a FANTASTIC party member in that game, and despite having no written dialogue in the traditional sense, actually has noteable story agency, which is impressive. It's almost like a flex on their end to say that they handled the character vastly better because he has zero significance in the game that introduced him, he is basically a key to open a door, and that is it. The only other droid in the companions is insanely better than him on all fronts in kotor1.

[@Xavi359]

I have played this game probably since it came out, I have NEVER seen the swoop platform room before

[@mswerkmeister]

I've listened to this 3 or 4 times. I really hope you do this for all the planets

[@ArthurAugustyn]

This is such a wonderful compliment! I am working on the next video. Progress is slow but steady. I'm posting monthly updates on my Patreon (for free) just to keep myself accountable. There's a link in the description if that interests you. I would like to have something before the end of the summer but we'll see how it goes.

[@mswerkmeister]

@ArthurAugustyn I figured it would take a long time to do it the kind of justice you obviously want to give it. In all seriousness, your narration is great, too. You have a phenomenal tone and cadence. Once you finish this project, I really hope you continue to use your voice in some sort of professional way

[@ArthurAugustyn]

@@mswerkmeisterI'm very glad you like the quality of the narration. It is something I think a lot of essayists overlook but I put a lot of thought into line delivery so it's appropriate for what's being conveyed or so it's coherent on a first listen. It's rewarding to get this feedback. Quick clarification: If I delivered something by "summer" that'd be roughly a year after the first video. Do you think that's a reasonable amount of time? Is it shorter/longer than you expected? I'm just guesstimating based on how long this video took + other life circumstances.

[@mswerkmeister]

@ArthurAugustyn that's a bit longer of a break in content than I would expect, but a lot of that ultimately depends on the video itself. Quality takes time, especially if you are juggling other commitments. It all depends on what your goals are. If this is strictly a passion project, then the only person who should have any impact on the deadline is you. If you are looking for more channel growth, uploading parts as you complete them is probably the way to go (a delayed schedule from your patreon, of course.) Then, after you complete a planet, compile the videos together for more long form content. The length is right up my alley because I drive for work and listen to 9-10 hours of podcasts/video essays a day. That being said, most people aren't like me and don't have that amount of time. Breaking things down into smaller segments or videos would probably attract more viewership. Either way, I just think it's really cool that people are still putting this time and effort into a 20 year old game. It goes to show just how good it is. Your enjoyment and appreciation of the game definitely comes through.

[@ArthurAugustyn]

@@mswerkmeisterExcellent feedback. I've been approaching this as a passion project because it's easier. If people don't watch it - I don't really care because I made what I wanted to make. Playing KOTOR was a big deal when I was 15 and it continues to be a big deal when I'm 32. I want to share that experience with others. I think you're right I could produce something faster than a year. Appreciate the response. Hope to see you in the comments again.

[@dysterotl]

Amazing video and very informative, Taris definitely feels like a slog to get through because you’re just waiting to be let off the leash.

[@Jdkieddj]

Sure would like more episodes of this.

[@Frostwolf_103]

The only time I find T3-M4 useful is its contribution fighting against Sith Governor in Sith Military Base that has the launch code for Ebon Hawk in Taris: Shield removal instantaneous before ion blaster will do the job and the flamethrower that do damage and even cause panic effect that prevents the govenor to use force powers so you wont have to deal with battle of attrition and makes our party unable to defend themselves after casting force stasis. Having Bastilla with you with temporal buffs works good, but alternatively you want Bastilla to have force power that stops the governor from using its power, but likely has higher resistance to Bastila than with T3-M4.

[@echoawoo7195]

@1:44:25 You CAN kill the rancor ! It does require gimping it at the doorway though. Keep 2 ranged behind the door, use stealth char to trigger aggro if he breaks, and just let them rip on him. If stealth dies, they get back up when the rancor combat breaks, so other than maybe letting Mission repeatedly die to the rancor, you can kill it using weapons. You lose XP for this though as the datapad way gives you the kill XP + a quest XP bonus.

[@benjames4442]

Great video about one of the best games of all time, looking forward to part 2!

[@_TheGhostChild_]

This has gotta be one of the best retrospective-type videos I've seen in a while, and believe me, I know my long form retrospective-type videos xD Really great job my friend, I cannot freaking wait for this to continue, a real shame it takes so long, but fully understandable and worth it for the quality ^^ In terms of what I would change is to implement as little uncut conversations as possible unless it is totally necessary to make a point, I just really hate it when a video becomes a simple retelling of events, hate that. I only care for the analysis and YOUR takes and opinions, I assume most people who watch this know the story anyway. And please DO talk A LOT about things that could be changed in a remake, always fun to listen to. Hope to see you soon in my feed ;) And may the force be with you

[@ArthurAugustyn]

@@_TheGhostChild_ thanks man! Yeah the length is a bummer but it’s just the reality of life. It’s not that the video takes a year to make, it’s take it takes ~300 hours and I have to squeeze that into 1-2 hour sessions. If I could take a month long vacation it’d speed things along but I don’t have that luxury. Funny suggestion on removing dialogue. Im taking the opposite approach so far. I agree with you a lot of lazy/bad “analysis” is just a summary - but the objective of the video was to let you revisit KOTOR or experience it as if you played it. When I make a claim like “Bastila is arrogant,” I’d rather give the viewer a clip of her being arrogant and let them come to that conclusion rather than hear me tell them what to think. In this video, I think the longest version of that is the second Mission conversation. The next video doesn’t have anything that long, so it’s trimmed a bit, but I still want people to get things out of this video that they’d get from playing the game. Little things like “what does this character sound like?” Good to hear the remake suggestions are well received. Also funny because a common request is to not mention that stuff at all lol. I think ultimately I’ll have to make the video I feel good about making and people can decide if they enjoy it or not. I appreciate the kind words and hope to deliver later this year.

[@danielmurphy123]

Fire video bro, love the amount of details you put into this. And I totally agree that Kotor is one of the best games of all time. Arguably one of the best pieces of Star Wars media. Edit: Also you can easily cheese the fight with the Sith governor by planting a bunch of mines in front of the door before you open it and trigger the encounter.

[@ArthurAugustyn]

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and subscribe. I appreciate the encourage. Happy to detail why this game is deserving of love.