The best Black Friday gaming deal won’t cost you a penny so long as you’ve got an Amazon Prime account. For a limited time, the online retailer is giving away the legendary Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for absolutely nothing.
From today (Thursday, November 16) Amazon Prime members can claim a free copy of Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic on PC via Prime Gaming. This seriously awesome freebie will be available to claim until Wednesday, December 20.
Released in 2003, and developed by BioWare, Knights of the Old Republic (or KOTOR as it is more commonly known) is one of the most beloved Star Wars games ever. And I can confirm that it’s held up even two decades later. I completed my first playthrough earlier this year, and have now joined the legions of gamers who hold KOTOR in such high esteem — and I'm not even much of a Star Wars fan!
It’s not just KOTOR that’s included with Prime Gaming right now. Rage 2, a 2019 open-world shooter developed by Avalanche Studios and Id Software, and Invincible Presents: Atom Eve, a visual novel based on the hit Prime Video series, are also available for free. Plus, there are also dozens of smaller indie games that you can download right now as well.
If you’re already an Amazon Prime subscriber, then you have access to Prime Gaming as part of your subscription. You can claim any of the free games mentioned above from the “Weekly game” tab in the Prime Gaming hub. And remember once claimed these games are yours to keep, so grab them now even if you want to play at a later date.
Why you should play Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Set almost 4,000 years before the events of the mainline Star Wars movies, Knights of the Old Republic is an RPG that offers players the chance to explore an era of the franchise that remains mostly untouched. You won’t be running into Han Solo or receiving Jedi training from Yoda, but you’ll meet a whole new cast of characters who are equally as compelling and enjoy one of the best Star Wars stories ever told.
I'm fearful of revealing any major spoilers, but the game's narrative starts fairly basic as you set out to hunt for various magical McGuffins, but thanks to one of the most shocking twists in all of gaming, eventually it becomes something far more interesting. And it's all set across various iconic Star Wars locations from Tatooine to Kashyyyk, but it's the new places such as the sprawling city planet of Taris that are most exciting to explore.
Plus, KOTOR offers you a lot of freedom to shape your character as you wish. If you want to be a virtuous Jedi who does the right thing in every situation, you certainly can. Alternatively, you can walk a darker path and embrace the ways of the Sith becoming a ruthless figure that is feared across the entire galaxy if you desire. Just be warned that your party will react to your actions accordingly and while some will encourage your darker impulses others won’t be quite so pleased with you.
This freedom of choice is mirrored in KOTOR’s outstanding mission design. Objectives can usually be tackled in multiple ways. For example, if you need to gain access to a smuggler’s base, you could sneak in by hacking a backdoor, or use your silver tongue to talk your way inside. Alternatively, you could throw caution to the wind, equip your lightsaber and gain entry via sheer force. The ability to complete missions in a multitude of ways makes each playthrough feel unique.
While KOTOR’s strong story, characters and mission design have aged gracefully, its visuals and combat haven’t fared quite as well. Understandably, a game from 2003 isn’t able to compete with a modern release in terms of graphics, but the combat was divisive even upon release, and the passage of time hasn’t helped. It’s a turn-based system based on dice rolls, and it feels unintuitive even at the best of times. I recommend playing on easy mode to save yourself the aggravation.
Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic is often cited as not just the best Star Wars game ever made, but one of the most important and influential RPGs, period. It’s a legendary title and now that it’s free for Amazon Prime members, there’s no excuse not to find out why Star Wars fans still rave about the KOTOR franchise to this day.
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