Star Wars: The Old Republic still a Force

It's not often that we dive into massively multiplayer online games because of the time and dedication one must give to fully experience and appreciate what they have to offer. But darn it, we are there with our childhood geek love in tow.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is not groundbreaking massively multiplayer online, or MMO, gaming. For genre fans, nearly everything here is culled from some other game you've probably already played. This doesn't make it a poor experience; it just means that you're likely to see the MMO you played a while back in "Star Wars" clothing.

The controls are easy to grasp, with hot keys and panels available at the quickest presses of the keyboard. The interface can get cluttered and dilute the action. The game does an excellent job with voice acting and dialogue trees to give you a sense of choice, even when it forces your hand in certain directions. The best advice is to pick a path (toward the Light Side or the Dark Side of The Force) and stick with it, no matter what. Trying to make rational decisions hampers your progress.

You may not find the next evolution in MMO gaming here, but fans of the genre will no doubt flock to the game because of the "Star Wars" license.

STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC

RATING T for Teen

PLOT Cue the John Williams "Star Wars" theme

DETAILS PC, $60

BOTTOM LINE Still a Force in games