For the longest time I didn't envy Obsidian. The new development studio was tasked with the difficult chore of crafting the sequel to a game that won so many 2003 game of the year awards that I lost count. So I approached Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (KotOR2) with a bit of apprehension. I fully expected Feargus Urquhart and company to do a fine job, but part of me didn't think his company could outdo the outstanding game it was following up. As I was playing KotOR2 I was impressed with the improvements -- some subtle, some sweeping -- in game design and storytelling that Obsidian made. By the end of my run (which took way longer than five parsecs) I was incredibly pleased to discover that KotOR2 is every bit as good as the original, and in some ways it's clearly superior. Star Wars fans and RPG lovers should stop reading now and snatch this baby up right away.

Story wise, The Sith Lords is a step up from the original, whose random ramblings covered up a remarkably standard plot. You are the last Jedi alive (the last one not accounted for by the evil Sith, anyway), and as the game begins, you're trying to rediscover your dormant Jedi skills while running from the long arm of the Sith. The main cast is completely different, but characters from the first KOTOR make regular appearances, (something sure to cause veterans to exclaim, "Oh, c'mon, there's no way he became a Republic admiral!").