As I’ve often discussed, I’m a gamer who thrives on exploration and world-building. It’s why my favorite games of all time tend to be RPGs, some of which are pretty old by now, and it’s why I tend to stray away from games that are pushed out hastily, are missing huge chunks of story-based content (or missing story completely), and are missing that certain… something.

That something‘s pretty damn hard to describe. I sometimes say that it’s the little details that matter, simply because they often do. I used to dabble in indie game production as a hobby, and one of the things I quickly picked up on was how easily passion comes across during the various game development stages when the team working on the game truly cares about the world they’re creating.

One of the most impressive things upon entering the first major quest hub in The Old Republic for the first time is the sheer size of the environment. The Sith Academy in Korriban towers endlessly toward the sky, red banners proclaiming the vast power of the Empire. The Jedi Enclave in Tython towers similarly, far too high for the reach of an individual character, yet just high enough to feel that shiver of awe that signifies the power behind the Jedi Order.

Even on Ord Mantell, the size of Fort Garnik is impressive, especially considering the fact that it’s an area torn apart by war. Inside the buildings around Fort Garnik, the warehouses are huge, perfect for storing starships. It’s hard to wage a war without the storage capacity for equipment, after all. All of the game’s spaceports follow the same trend, and the ceilings tower toward the stars, reminding players that they are exploring the wide expanses of space.

IGN published another positive SWTOR review this morning. This time the authors take on the Star Wars game world and the layers of depth they’ve seen so far. Here’s the full article.

The first thing that popped in my head when I opened the article was, “Coruscant? Tell me about Coruscant!” And yep, they talked about Coruscant.