The game starts with a character creation screen with several choices to make, and there is also an option of letting the game do it automatically. Combat and interactions with the environment and non-player characters in Knights of the Old Republic II are based on the d20 System as in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Knights of the Old Republic II is not a turn based game, but is a role-playing video game played from a third-person view that features pausable real-time combat. Screenshot from the first level of the game illustrating the interface and combat system. The game was included in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die. However, the game received criticism for being too similar to its predecessor in terms of graphics and gameplay systems, as well as being launched in an incomplete state. Particular praise was given to one of the game's party members Kreia, with GameSpy naming her the best video game character of 2005. The game's critical reception upon its release was generally positive praise was given to the story, characters, and writing, which were noted to be more grey than the original Knights of the Old Republic. After he or she escapes with the help of their party members, they find the person who exiled them ten years ago, who sends the protagonist on a mission to seek out the remaining Jedi to fight against the Sith. The game begins with the protagonist waking up from unconsciousness on an asteroid mining facility. During this time, the Jedi Order has been almost completely wiped out by the Sith. Knights of the Old Republic II starts five years after the events of the first game and follows the story of The Exile, a Jedi Knight who was exiled from the Jedi Order. The plot first started being written before the original Knights of the Old Republic was released, and development began in October 2003, after BioWare offered Obsidian their Star Wars license due to being confident in their previous work. The game uses the Odyssey Engine, which was originally used in Knights of the Old Republic. Like its predecessor, it is set in the Star Wars universe 4,000 years before the events of the film Episode I: The Phantom Menace and is based on the d20 System developed by Wizards of the Coast. It is the sequel to BioWare's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and was released for the Xbox on December 6, 2004, for Microsoft Windows on February 8, 2005, and OS X and Linux on July 21, 2015. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords is a role-playing video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by LucasArts.