New SWTOR Video Gives Look at Gameplay and Dialog

The latest making-of video for Star Wars: The Old Republic has just been released. It’s got a lot of information that expands on things we have heard before. And some new in-game footage shows us some interesting new features, although not all of them are encouraging.

The main focus of Video Documentary #3 – The Voice of the Old Republic is the voice acting process. We already heard that the script for SWTOR has enough content to fill more than 40 novels, but this video gives us a closer look at how the voice actors are used.

Apparently the conversations are all highly flexible, so that conversations change depending on what characters and classes are around you. This and the massive amount of voice acting is a good sign that SWTOR will be a unique and personal experience for each player.

We’re also encouraged by the conversation interface which appears to be lifted straight from the Mass Effect games. Mass Effect is known for pushing the envelope in character conversation, and we’re eager to see if SWTOR will sport the conversation interruption feature we saw demoed in Mass Effect 2.

Another glimpse of the game caught in this video is the cover system that has been hinted at and talked about for a while now. Notice the green silhouettes behind cover when the character runs across terrain (starting at 3:40 in the video)? Oddly enough, they look blocky and stylized instead of like actual human cutouts.

In fact, seeing the character animation in action has us a little worried. The voices may sound alright, but the animation and gameplay looked a little wonky. And when is a LucasArts game going to show the carbon scoring and cauterized wounds from lightsabers and blaster bolts? We’re tired of the just-fall-over-and-die effects of slashing with a lightsaber. Obviously, the characters have to look a little cartoony so that the hardware demands for the game can stay low for all users. But still. Even the graphics of the original Knights of the Old Republic from years ago seem more compelling. Let’s hope it doesn’t ruin the great experience created by the voice acting.

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