5 Reasons to Play Star Wars: The Old Republic

Who among us has not dreamed of wielding a lightsaber or flying the Millennium Falcon?  Those of us who love Star Wars to our very core have no doubt at one time or another either purchased a plastic lightsaber (or blaster), picked up one of the many Star Wars novels or comics available, sampled the few console games put out there by EA and LucasArts, or viewed any or all six films countless times—anything to return to our beloved galaxy far, far away.  I offer you the chance to do so—on a daily basis—on a unique, unrivalled scale in the free-to-play massively multiplayer online roleplaying game by BioWare, Star Wars: The Old Republic.

1. You can be whomever you want to be.  The character customization—at least when it comes to Star Wars games—is unparalleled.  There are four classes for both sides: Jedi Knight, Jedi Consular, Smuggler and Trooper for the Republic, and Sith Warrior, Sith Inquisitor, Bounty Hunter and Imperial Agent for the Empire.  And once you’ve made your decision, there are twelve Star Wars races to choose from.  (Twi’lek or Zabrak, anyone?)  You can be a rogue Smuggler in the grand, beloved tradition of Han Solo, or you can be a dread Sith Warrior following in the footsteps of Darth Vader.  Come on…who hasn’t secretly wanted to walk on the wild side and see what it’s like to be Sith?  Personally, I’m a terrible Sith.  I make too many light-side choices…

2.  The cast of supporting characters is as rich and diverse as any Star Wars cast that came before.  In 2012, Star Wars: The Old Republic set the Guinness World Record for largest entertainment voice-over project, with over 200,000 lines of dialogue recorded by several hundred voice actors.  Professional voice actors, I might add.  Professional performances, one and all.  Your character—no matter the class or species—comes with its own sidekicks and mentors, enemies and allies that you can either learn to love or love to hate.  Two of the most iconic are Sith champion Darth Malgus (voiced by classically-trained actor Jamie Glover, the son of Julian Glover who played infamous Imperial walker commander General Veers in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back) and Jedi Grand Master Satele Shan (voiced by Jennifer Hale, Commander Shepard of Mass Effect fame).

3. The gameplay is both immersive and player-friendly.  The controls are very easy to learn, for both seasoned gamers and newbies trying out an MMORPG for the first time.  I was a fledgling gamer when I first came to The Old Republic, my only major gaming experience being The Lord of the Rings Online MMORPG and a lot of frustrated hours trying (and failing) to beat my brother at Halo 4 multiplayer.  The intro—for any class—successfully does its job of engaging the player in the world of The Old Republic and acclimating her/him to the control setup, and I picked it up in leaps and bounds.  Those of you who’ve longed to visit Tatooine, Hoth, Coruscant, or even the ancient Sith homeworld of Korriban (Moraband), long no more.  Your ticket has arrived.  Even Alderaan awaits you—as this story takes place centuries before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope.

4.  The music continues the grand tradition begun by John Williams.  I don’t know if you’re like me, but when the Star Wars fanfare started during The Force Awakens, I teared up a little bit.  I grew up on John Williams’s Star Wars music because movie scores was all the music I and my siblings were allowed to listen to as children.  I know all John’s themes like the sound of my own breath.  Mark Griskey and his music team do an excellent job of expanding on the musical palette laid down by Williams—from proud and chaotic brass as you battle powerful foes, to softer melodies as you traverse the snowy forests of Alderaan.  The score only serves to pull you deeper into the world of the game.

5.  The story itself is worthy of its film predecessors.  Stories, actually, but I won’t spoil too much for you here.  Each one is vastly different, from the Jedi Knight to the Bounty Hunter.  The Smuggler has her ship stolen first day touching down on a new planet, and is pulled into a whirlwind race for the fabled treasure trove of a legendary space pirate.  The Sith Inquisitor begins as a recently freed slave on the Sith homeworld of Korriban, and after winning the post of apprentice to a powerful Sith Lord goes on to battle deadly intrigue and Sith schemes that go as deep and as high as the Empire’s Dark Council.  Along the way, you gather a small army of companions (and a few love interests, *wink wink*) who follow you around on your quest and help you succeed in your missions, and each story path is fraught with thrilling dangers, formidable obstacles, and exhilarating victories.  And the stories only continue with expansions like Rise of the Hutt Cartel, Shadow of Revan, and the most recent—Knights of the Fallen Empire.  These new installments bring in more adventures and more new friends as Star Wars: The Old Republic shows no sign of slowing down, and in the newest expansion, Knights of the Fallen Empire, there is the new option to skip to level 60 and immediately experience the new story. 

The possibilities are endless.  The story is yours.  Destiny is waiting.  Join me and countless other Star Wars fans as we step into a new and wonderful chapter from a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.

Have you played Star Wars: The Old Republic?  Would you be interested?  Let us know below!

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5 Reasons Why The Sims 3 Is Really Fun

In February 2000, a computer game was released that would forever change the world. Well, that’s not entirely true. What this computer game did do was allow humans to create worlds. Several of them. Maybe even hundreds. The possibilities are endless. What is the game? The Sims!

You may have heard of this game. It’s had over ten incarnations on many different consoles. The most popular version are their computer games, including The Sims 1, The Sims 2, The Sims 3, and The Sims 4 respectively. For purposes of this post I’m going to be talking about The Sims 3, but each of them have their pros and cons.

So why should you play it? Isn’t it a little odd to play a game about pixelated people? Doesn’t this mean you play god?

Thank you for the assistance in demonstrating my point, Jeremy.

The answers are yes and yes. I used to think The Sims was a weird concept, too. And sometimes you can play god, which includes controlling and even killing your Sims (which can make things awkward and sad). But here are a couple of reasons why The Sims 3 is just plain fun.

1. There are endless possibilities.

Let me just say this: the possibilities are endless. In The Sims 3 base game alone, you have the ability to create an entire town with dozens of life paths for your Sims to go down. But then there are countless expansion packs that expand the possibilities even more. Want to have pets? That can be done. Want to go to university or on vacation? Go for it! Want to visit to the future? Let’s go! Want to create a family of vampires and reenact Twilight? Done. The Sims 3 is a whole world, which isn’t an exaggeration. You really can do anything. (More on that later.)

2. You can create your world.

One of my favorite things to do in The Sims is to build houses. (I kept making new games to build new houses and then never played them again.) You’re able to make complete houses and decorate them as you please. You can make pools, garages, attics, and lofts. For me, it’s therapeutic.

You can also create the Sims themselves, which can be fun. Personally, I really enjoy experimenting with genetics and having a couple have a ton of kids to see how they all turn out. It isn’t just limited to creating humans, either--you can make blue aliens, if you wish. (Avatar, anyone?)

You can even edit your town to suit your needs, which means that pretty much everything in this game is customizable.

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3. You can have storylines.

The level of involvement with which you play is up to you. Some people have created entire stories about their Sims and posted them online. Some people don’t care what happens to their Sims and play with a detachment. I find myself somewhere in the middle. While I don’t write out an entire story out, it’s entertaining to see what can happen to my Sims. Plot twists abound, including career changes, unexpected relationships, and even deaths. Which brings me to…

4. Anything can happen. 

And I do mean anything. (Especially with The Sims 3: Pets in the mix...)

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Your Sims can get sick from eating bad food. They can feel down about a bad breakup. They can be asked to move in with their best friends. And they can even die.

When things like this happen, it can be extremely unexpected. One time, my Sim got married to her longtime boyfriend. Her new husband was cooking something and the house caught on fire. He caught on fire and promptly died. The Grim Reaper arrived, ready to take his soul. But wait! Because my Sim was so unlucky, the Grim Reaper decided to spare his life. It was quite the roller coaster.

Ultimately, you can control most of what happens to your Sims, but in the event that you can’t, it’s enjoyable to watch plot twists happen in front of your very eyes. Whatever happens, you can be sure it will surprise your Sims, too.

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5. It’s a good experience

The Sims 3, while having wasted many hours of my time, is ultimately a very enjoyable experience. Sometimes it helps to just relax and focus on other people’s lives for a change. While Sims still have to deal with paying bills and cleaning their house, you can use some cheats if you want to have a less hands-on experience. There are many challenges that will appeal to more competitive people, such as the Generations or Genetics challenge. For the hopeless romantics, you can fall in love, get married, and grow a family (and play them throughout the generations). You can climb the corporate ladder and buy out all of the businesses in town. You can also just create a family of Sims and see where their lives go. Whatever way you choose to play, there’s something in The Sims 3 for everyone.

If you want to play, I’d highly recommend starting with The Sims 3. Now that The Sims 4 is out, The Sims 3’s price went down, and it’s a good place to start. Sometimes you can find bundles with The Sims 3 base game and an expansion pack together. You can even try out The Sims 1 or The Sims 2 for even less money--while I haven’t played them, I’ve heard they are enjoyable as well.

If you want a free taste, you can check out the app Sims Freeplay for your mobile device. While it’s very fun, it’s not nearly as immersive or free-play as the name suggests and you can do a lot more in The Sims 3. One thing’s for sure: whatever way you choose to go, The Sims can provide you with hours of fun.

Have you played Sims 3? What’s your favorite aspect of the gameplay?

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