This is the first BioWare game that I've actually completed. Not because it's shorter than the others, but because this game is simply better than their previous ones. There's more to do and it's done better in the areas that actually matter. Sure, I hate the combat. I definitely hate the console ported interface. Minigames certainly chafe my ass. The inane whining of my followers just tended to piss me off. But.. There's a lot to do, and there's bunches of ways to do most of it.

If the combat were better, and lightsabers were done better than just mimicking D&D swords, then this game would be great. If I wasn't forced to zap fighters or swoop race, I'd be really happy. If the interface were actually redone for the PC as promised, I'd be thrilled. If I didn't have to play a female to keep Bastila's hormones in check, that'd be wonderful. Despite all the problems I had with the game, it's still enjoyable. It's enjoyable because I get a feeling that I am doing things, and doing them the way my character would want to do them for the most part. Sure, there's some funnelling in dialogue and the planets get a little linear in places. There's also a better order in which to travel from planet to planet lest you get overwhelmed by superior enemies, making the whole game more linear than it really should be.

I don't think it's a coincidence that this is the best CRPG they've ever done and it's also the first CRPG they've ever done without multiplayer, either. Without being forced to concede things because you might have multiple human controlled Jedi running around on the same planet, BioWare has managed to do something they just haven't seem to have done before. That is, make a CRPG with a lot to do and lots of ways to do it. Now, if only they'd figure out how to make a decent tutorial, combat system, and so forth, then they might actually live up to something.

So, basically, what I'm saying is that while the game has a bunch of faults, it's worth checking out even if you've hated everything done by BioWare so far.