KOTOR2 had a lot of promise. I loved KOTOR1, and wanted to love this game as well, I really did put a lot of hours into it. KOTOR2 has a darker style, things are a bit more bleak, and I'm fine with that, but the biggest issue, is that the game feels unfinished. K2 has so many sections that are just BORING. Large levels that are almost completely empty (I don't care that there are generic droids to fight -- include something interesting for me to solve, someone for me to talk to that can drive the plot, some sort of side-quest... anything). The intro section in K2 compared to K1 is indicative of how the whole game is. If you look carefully, you'll see that the devs had a ton of great ideas, but they never got around to implementing them -- empty rooms, characters who you can talk to who kind of just go away without proper resolution, computer panels that do nothing, etc. If you can get through the extremely barren intro, even the "4 planets" that you travel to are completely anemic compared to K1. In fact, you revisit certain planets, and could have been a great idea, but again, since the devs were forced to publish, it makes it all the more obvious just how painfully unfinished this game is. For example, you visit the Sith temple in both games. K1 gives you an excellent look into the lore of the sith, students to compete against, evil Sith teachers, you feel like you're really infiltrating, and it's up to you to resist, or embrace the Sith ways. K2 has none of that, just a few caves to explore (with little story pay-off), and when you finally get to the Sith temple, it's almost completely empty by comparison. The other planets are also just as empty. I know a lot of people will praise this game for its tone and differences... but to me I would be lying to say that, just because I love SW and KOTOR. This game is not KOTOR, it could have been great, but the devs weren't able to finish the game properly. Mind you, I played KOTOR2 with the "restored content" mod.
KOTOR is an amazing (western) RPG, a game that took RPGs in a different direction when JRPGs were the standard. From start to finish, the game is well paced, with some excellent ideas. To me, if you're looking to only get KOTOR1 or KOTOR2, definitely pick up the first one, as KOTOR2 stumbled a little too much (unfortunately they didn't have time to finish it).
Many people will say that Jedi Academy (JA) is the superior game, but I have to strongly disagree. Jedi Knight 2 - Jedi Outcast (JO) is an excellent game that is still playable. If you want to feel like you're in a Star Wars movie, this is the game to play. The story is great, taking from location to location in a logical and meaningful way (unlike in JA where you just jump around and do random missions, making it all feel less impactful), the bosses are well-timed, the challenge is right on point... there is a lot packed into this game. They really nailed the pacing down properly. Moreover, the gameplay is fluid, fast, and some of the best lightsaber combat (yes, even though you can only have a single saber in JO compared to the dual weild or saber staff options in JA, it is still more fun to actually have a lightsaber battle in this game -- similarly to how the lightsaber battles in the prequels were more flashy, but felt less exciting). This is a game from the generation when things were still starting to get good, without holding your hand (i.e. giving away the answers with bright yellow circles to puzzles, or giving you cover to hide behind everywhere). While the story will not contain all the side missions like a KOTOR game, it's not supposed to -- like I said, the story is paced perfectly, and each level perfectly flows into the next, taking you to all sorts of "Star Wars"y locations... and the music uses the traditional John Williams score... When the action ramps up, it goes into the action tracks, when things are slower, the music responds... it's excellently done. All in all, to me, this is the best Star Wars on-foot action game. You've got the saber, the blaster, the thermal grenades, and all of the enemies/locations/music/sounds etc etc are recognizable, it really is a must have for any SW fan. For a game with such an awkward title, SW:JK2-JO is a must own.
Witcher 2 holds as an extremely well made game even after Witcher 3 came after and was declared a masterpiece by most people. Witcher 2 tells a focused and compelling story in a beautifully crafted world. Your choices in this game really do matter and some will change the main story arch of the game itself early on causing your main story experience to be potentially completely different; few games if any can replicate this. Well worth it to anyone, even if you started with the Witcher 3. Witcher 2 will focus on the Northern Realms' conflicts, all while the rebel band Scoia'tel lead their uprising against their oppressors. I particularly liked how the Witcher series does not give you a "Good guy" vs "Bad guy" option most of the time (like in Mass Effect). So much of this game lands in the grey zone, sometimes with unexpected consequences leaving you thinking about your decisions. Some decisions will carry over from Witcher 1 (although I wouldn't recommend you start with that ironically*), while others will carry into Witcher 3. Many things are handled very maturely (certain romance options, morality, mortality, etc)... It's all masterfully woven. While not perfect (what game is when you really scrutinize), this is truly a wonderful game. *If you're wondering where to start, W2 is a great place. W1 is really a game that true fans of the series will enjoy, but due to its many technical flaws (CDPR were still a small budding studio) it can turn off many new players to the franchise. W2 and W3 are the perfect companions for my tastes, although you will find people who swear that W1 is best game of the series.
Fantastic music, tight controls, fun levels/bosses, beautiful art direction... An homage to the classics of the 8bit era, while still forging its own identity, Shovel Knight is a true masterpiece.
