Star Wars The Old Republic: Knights of the Fallen Empire Expansion Goes Live

It’s finally official, the Star Wars the Old Republic: Knights of the Fallen Empire expansion hit live servers for all players on Tuesday, October 27, and as a long time SWTOR player, I can tell you first hand that this is already my favorite expansion in the game’s history. The back-to-basics storytelling and enriched gameplay has made Star Wars the Old Republic the game it was when it launched back in 2011. Bioware Senior Producer Bruce Maclean had this to say at launch:

"“When we began development on Knights of the Fallen Empire, we really wanted to bring to the forefront what has always made Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ great — story. Not only to deliver a great story, but to return to our BioWare storytelling roots. That is why in Knights of the Fallen Empire you will experience a deep and personal story, and one in which your choices matter. Ultimately, your choices will determine the fate of your destiny and that of the galaxy. This story will put you at the center of an epic Star Wars adventure; and that is exactly what developing it was for our team – a deeply personal and epic adventure.”"

Maclean goes on to say that Knights of the Fallen Empire is a love letter from Bioware to its players for all the years of passion and support, which is why this expansion — already being hailed as the best expansion — is being offered free to all Subscribers. The expansion’s story will continue with new chapters coming each month. Beginning early in 2016 — after the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens — the new chapters will also be free to Bioware’s Subscribers.

Here’s the official Knights of the Fallen Empire Launch Trailer:

In Knights of the Fallen Empire players becomes the Outlander — a veteran of the Great Galactic War. As the Outlander, players must confront a powerful yet familiar new enemy, the immortal Emperor, Valkorion. Players will be able to create their own adventures to new planets in the outer rim of the galaxy (see wild space), where they will meet new companions and recruit them as allies. Knights of the Fallen Empire includes the first nine chapters of  what Bioware is calling an “evolving player-driven storyline, with new chapters continuing to release episodically.“

This expansion has something for first-time players as well, as a free Level 60 character is offered to Subscribers, allowing players to jump directly into the Knights of the Fallen Empire storyline to experience their own deep and personal adventure. This really is one of the highlights of the expansion, in my humble opinion, as it allows even longtime players a free level 60 character — free from the labors of the level grind — to experience an all new class. And, of course if you want, tokens can be purchased on the Cartel Market for more level 60 character slots.

I’ve only played through the first 5 chapters of the new expansion on my Sith Warrior, but I can tell you without any bias whatsoever, that this is my absolute favorite expansion, and I will be playing through the entire expansion, with several more characters. If you’ve played Star Wars the Old Republic before but quit for whatever reason, I highly suggest returning for Knights of the Fallen Empire, and if you are a gamer looking for an amazing and story-driven, enriching Star Wars MMORPG, then digitally download Star Wars the Old Republic, because it is absolutely worth your time.

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