A Larian KOTOR, eh?

 Dare to dream

So with all the praise and love flying this way and that for Larian and their success, few are asking what is next for them after the age of Baldur's Gate is done. It is an unasked question, likely because so few of us want to admit there will come a day when Baldur's Gate is updated no more. This isn't a Hello Games situation, they aren't gonna squat this one for the next decade. Personally I'm also driven by a general distaste in Larian's homebrew franchise, which appears to be their next area of focus. But there was one out there who proposed the obvious, and in doing so opened up a world of possibility I was too closeted to even consider. A former Bioware writer posited the idea of Larian picking up the duties to bringing a Knights of the Old Republic 3 into the world and I have to say, that is a mighty fine proposition to set in the sand! That is the kind of idea that can set hearts racing, pulses quickening and maidens a-fainting. Because if any game out there needs the touch of masters- it's KOTOR.

Of course, KOTOR has not exactly been in the best of places in recent years and months. Ever since the franchise was brought roaring back into the eyes of the public with the reveal of the Remake, it seems to have been misfortune after misfortune for the Star Wars Swansong. The KOTOR 2 Switch port got it's flagship modded content restoration update scrapped, the team signed up to work on the Remake found themselves kicked to the curb and it seems active development has ceased leaving the development a corpse waiting in someone's desk cabinet. It's not happening. What we KOTOR fans need, really, is a miracle worker to stoke some life back into the brand. Honestly, throw KOTOR 3 my way and I'll forget about the hurt feelings residing from the KOTOR Remake debacle. If there's one thing I want even more than to see the story I love remade, it's to see it continued respectfully. (Respectfully! The Old Republic MMO made so many dull narrative choices after the immense lay up that KOTOR 2 set up for them...)

The switch would actually make some bizarre sense given the fact that the original Baldur's Gate franchise was, likewise, a Bioware property before making it's way to Larian's hands. And in a strange mirror of this proposition, Bioware were also the one's who went on to give up the reins of the original Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic to Obsidian for it's sequel. On one hand that is just a convenient mirror image of the past, and in another light it's also keeping a tradition of making each new entry of KOTOR be developed by a new team each and every entry. And you know what, I don't actually dislike that idea. Perhaps that will be what keeps that series of games feeling uniquely special when compared to every other Star Wars series like it. I've always been a fan of competing visions working towards the same goals- and Larian could certainly bring their own spin on things.

The original Knights of the Old Republic felt like it was designed with a resounding love for the original trilogy of movies to heart, wherein the true end goal was to replicate the same basic formula of those films without resorting to a shot-by-shot retelling. (Like what Disney would end up doing when they got their hands on it.) Of course there was some pretty large subversions thrown in there too, that we love KOTOR for; but it was that familiar, workable, framework which built the trust of the audience enough for those special narrative beats to even matter. There's no point in telling us that everything we know is not as it seems if we never cared about what we were told to being with. That is uniquely KOTOR 1's strength, and that is what Bioware successfully brought to the table. All and all, KOTOR is a pretty by-the-numbers RPG, it's the heart and the setting that sprinkles something special on there.

KOTOR 2, on the otherhand, was put together by the Obsidian team- veterans of Black Isle Studios who had gone through games like the original Fallouts and Wasteland before that. Which is to say, they'd gotten enough of the bare basic RPG and wanted to make something a bit more interesting and out there. KOTOR 2 was a rushed game, and that shows very much on it's shortcomings, but underneath the odd expedient plot point there is an expertly penned and weaved narrative that touched even further into the fantastical imagination of what Star Wars could be then any property had done before or since. I would have loved to see what that vision of the Star Wars universe could have become if it was given the chance to walk. But if we're in the habit of passing it off to the next team, well then I think Larian could give it a shot as well.

I'm just trying to figure out what would be their unique 'hook' which would define their design process as distinct from everyone elses. The Baldur's Gate cast is known to be pretty well loved by the public, perhaps creating a cast of deep and well rounded characters could be their KOTOR's call to fame, but I suspect I know what would really get them excited. What Larian would be obligated to do, simply for being involved with another legendary franchise, would be to go balls to the walls again trying to create an expansive web of an RPG with choice and consequence oozing out of every wall panel. The kind of experiment which could have easily bankrupted the entire company if it didn't go to plan. That would have to be what makes KOTOR 3 unique. A narrower scope made up of dozens more branches than is really feasible.

Narratively it would be a very interesting time for Larian to join up too. Because if we are to pick things up directly where KOTOR 2 left off, we would be seeing the brand new threat from across the otherside of the universe that the KOTOR 1 protagonist left to try and delay. The threat that, according to some perspectives, was what Revan was preparing the galaxy for when they started the Sith empire. (And I hope it's more interesting than what TOR ended up saying it was- just a big group of Sith from the otherside of the galaxy- lame!) Although I have to admit that when it comes to making lore, Obsidian would absolutely be the best team to put to task over here; (POE 1 and 2, and Tyranny, demonstrates they haven't lost that deft touch of theirs) a focused narrative with a clear threat would certainly slide right into Larian's wheelhouse for writing. Perhaps a collaborative effort, then?

As for Disney, they have gone so far as to publicly acknowledge the fan love for Knights of the Old Republic and the red hot desire for a remake, even after all the blundering about in the dark. And Disney has been known to give in to fan pressure before. Usually when it comes to fan-casting decisions, but I bet some guidance in the scattergun that is Star Wars wouldn't be shrugged off if people pester them long enough. And what better way to introduce the Old Republic era of content back into the fold than with a brand new game, developed by masters, which brings the era home with players? It could be a whole new way of franchise building than what Disney are used to, provided they are META enough to respect the narrative of a game as content. (Jury's still out on that one, depends on whether or not those rumours about a Fallen Order adaptation are true. Please don't be true.)

There is another aspect to this that I've been avoiding, probably because it's the most prickly one. Because you see, the balance of power isn't really the same as it was anymore. We've been treating this as though Larian would be reverential and honoured to be given such an opportunity, but after putting out a game like Baldur's Gate: this team is on top of the world. It would have to be the Star Wars rights holders coming grovelling to the feet of Larian to get a project like this off the ground, and given their strange fascination with their subpar home grown franchise; (I swear I get more dismissive of Divinity with every blog) Larian would probably turn them down. So we can live in our dreams as much as we want but the truth is- there likely won't be a Larian KOTOR game anytime soon if ever. Shame though, they'd have knocked it out the park- I'm sure!