gamesbriefs
10:10in productionCh. 1 · A New Kind of Star Wars Game/ 10:10 · ceiling 15 min
RPG · Genres

Star Wars: The Old Republic

BioWare · 2011

An MMORPG where story is king, but level gates lock you out of half the galaxy until you grind.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is BioWare’s first MMORPG. It launched in 2011. It is built around eight faction-locked classes, each with a three-act, level-gated storyline. Players choose Republic or Sith Empire but can align morally anywhere on the light/dark spectrum. Advancement comes through missions, exploration, and combat. Skills unlock automatically. Heroic missions require multi-player cooperation and reset daily. Player choices permanently alter storylines and affect NPC companions. All dialogue is fully voiced and uses a Mass Effect–style system. BioWare Austin was founded in March 2006 specifically for this project, with assistance from BioWare Edmonton. In 2023, BioWare Austin handed the game to Broadsword Online Games.

RPGGenresAdaptationStorytellingWorldbuildingAdaptation across the network →
Chapters & takeaways5
  1. 1:08
    A New Kind of Star Wars Game

    BioWare’s first MMORPG — and their attempt to scale narrative design to thousands of concurrent players.

  2. 2:52
    Story Is Structured, Not Open

    Eight classes, two factions, three-act stories — all level-gated and mission-driven.

  3. 4:23
    Consequences That Stick

    Every dialogue choice changes companion loyalty and closes off story branches — permanently.

  4. 5:42
    Design Decisions That Define Play

    No skill trees. No solo endgame. Just automatic unlocks and daily co-op missions.

  5. 6:43
    A Studio Built for One Game

    Built by a studio founded in 2006 solely for this game — then handed off in 2023.

Worth your time?

Yes. Play the whole thing.

3.5/ 5
What works
  • Mass Effect–style dialogue system gives weight to choices
  • Companion relationships shift meaningfully with decisions
  • Each class has a distinct, self-contained narrative arc
  • Heroic missions force cooperative play without requiring permanent group formation
What does not
  • allow cross-faction story access
  • offer skill customisation
  • support open-world progression
Play it if
  • players who value authored, voiced, consequence-driven storytelling in an MMO
  • players who accept that 'choice' means branching paths, not systemic freedom
Skip it if
  • players seeking sandbox exploration
  • players seeking build flexibility
  • players seeking cross-faction interaction
The written brief1 min read

What the game is

Star Wars: The Old Republic is BioWare’s first MMORPG. It is a story-first, faction-locked, level-gated, fully voiced online RPG set in the Star Wars universe.

How it actually plays

You pick one of eight classes, each locked to Republic or Sith Empire. Your class storyline unfolds in three acts, gated by level. You advance by doing missions, exploring planets, and fighting enemies. Skills unlock automatically as you level. Dialogue is fully voiced and uses a Mass Effect–style wheel. Choices permanently lock or unlock story branches and change how companions behave. Heroic missions require grouping and reset daily.

What works

The Mass Effect–style dialogue system gives weight to choices. Companion relationships shift meaningfully with decisions. Each class has a distinct, self-contained narrative arc. Heroic missions force cooperative play without requiring permanent group formation.

What does not

It does not let you cross faction lines for story content. It does not allow skill customisation — new abilities arrive on schedule, not by choice. It does not support open-world freedom: progression is linear, act-by-act, and tied to level thresholds.

Who it is for, and who it is not

It is for players who value authored, voiced, consequence-driven storytelling in an MMO — and who accept that ‘choice’ means branching paths, not systemic freedom. It is not for players seeking sandbox exploration, build flexibility, or cross-faction interaction.

Is it worth your time

It is worth your time only if you want a story-driven MMORPG with persistent moral consequences and full voice acting — and are willing to accept its rigid level-gated pacing and faction-locked structure.

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Mass Effect 2BioWare · 2010Mass Effect 2 is a tightly authored, choice-driven action RPG that prioritises narrative consequence and squad loyalty over systemic freedom. Its strength lies in how imported choices reshape the story, how class design shapes combat, and how the galaxy map serves plot—not exploration. It asks players to commit to a single, high-stakes arc. It withholds open-ended world interaction, real-time loadout flexibility, and non-linear quest resolution.
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The Witcher 3: Wild HuntCD Projekt Red · 2015The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an open-world RPG built around authored consequence, not systemic simulation. Its combat demands precision, stamina, and resource management. Its world feels lived-in because of writing—not physics. It was made at great cost, with no DRM, and shipped with free DLC. It remains worth playing if you want narrative weight over procedural noise.
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Mass Effect (video game)BioWare · 2007Mass Effect (2007) is a single-player, third-person science fiction RPG developed by BioWare using Unreal Engine 3. Players customise Commander Shepard, choose one of six classes with distinct talents and weapon proficiencies, explore a galaxy map to pursue story and optional quests, and recruit and develop six squad members. Combat is real-time and squad-based, pausable for tactical ability selection, with shield/health mechanics, overheating weapons, and cover. Dialogue uses a radial wheel tied to morality (Paragon/Renegade) that shapes relationships and unlocks narrative options. The game features vehicle-based planetary exploration via the M35 Mako, resource surveying, and talent progression through experience and leveling.
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