Summary
While BioWare led the development of its predecessor,Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith LordswasAvoweddeveloper Obsidian Entertainment’s first project after being founded by former Black Isle Studios developers — a project that the team managed to complete in just a little over a year. To this day,Knights of the Old Republic 2is considered one of the best RPGs ever made, on account of its philosophical storytelling, character depth, and subversive take onStar Warsmorality. As such, its influence on the gaming industry is still felt today, and that apparently includes Obsidian’s ownAvowed.
The DNA and some of the core gameplay principles ofStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2can be seen and felt inAvowedin numerous ways, from its dialogue system to its world-building. However,Knights of the Old Republic 2’s influence can be felt on a much more specific level in one ofAvowed’s most prominent sequences that takes place throughout the entirety of the narrative. This sequence is introduced rather early on inAvowed, when a mysterious figure known as “The Voice” reaches out to the Envoy and communicates with them telepathically.
‘The Voice’ Might Be a Callback to Obsidian’s Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2
Kreia Speaks to Knight’s of the Old Republic 2’s Protagonist in Their Mind
Kreia is one of the most memorable and complexcharacters inStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2. She ultimately plays the role of mentor to the game’s protagonist, the Exile, guiding them throughout the game’s story while constantly challenging their views on the Force, morality, and power. Her role is far more than just a teacher, however, as she is a deeply philosophical figure whorejects both Jedi and Sith ideologies, seeking to destroy the Force itself. Thanks to the Force bond she shares with the Exile, Kreia can communicate with the game’s protagonist telepathically, often resulting in some of the game’s creepiest sequences.
ThroughoutKnights of the Old Republic 2, the Exileexperiences unsettling visions, often reliving past events or getting a pre-emptive glimpse at impending dangers. Kreia sometimes appears to the Exile in these visions, either as a guide or as a cryptic figure, influencing what the Exile sees and learns. More than that, one of Kreia’s most unsettling abilities is her ability to speak directly into the Exile’s mind from a distance. This often happens when she is not physically present, yet still aware of the Exile’s actions. These moments often come with a dark, echoing reverb effect on Kreia’s voice, making it clear she is using her mind, not her voice, to speak to the Exile.
The screen during these moments also frequently darkens, or there is a slight distortion, reinforcing the eerie, intimate nature of the communication.
‘The Voice’ Speaks to Avowed’s Protagonist in Their Mind
Those who playedKnights of the Old Republic 2might have immediately picked up on the similarities its telepathic Kreia sequences share with the moments when The Voice speaks to the Envoy telepathically inAvowed. That’s arguably because the two are essentially one and the same, and this is even further reinforced by the parallels of the connection between the Envoy and The Voice and that ofKnights of the Old Republic 2’s Kreiaand the Exile. Both partnerships share a special bond that allows them to communicate with one another in such a way, and the sequences themselves even look and sound similar.
The DNA and some of the core gameplay principles ofStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2can be seen and felt inAvowedin numerous ways, from its dialogue system to its world-building.
Just as the screen would occasionally darken and Kreia’s voice would be backed by reverb duringKnights of the Old Republic 2’s telepathic sequences, the moments shared between the Envoy and The Voice are nearly identical. The screen darkens and closes in on the Envoy’s face, all while the reverberating sound of The Voice’s dialogue fills the atmosphere. These similarities might not have been an intentional move by Obsidian, but that seems unlikely considering the parallels betweenAvowedandKnights of the Old Republic 2.
