By Kayla Pickrell

It seems that an old dog can learn new tricks when it comes to “Star Wars: The Old Republic.”

Not only have the graphics improved for the computer game, but the whole setup of the game has, too.

The opening movie of the game places you in a realistic world that describes what is happening and the goal of each side of the Force.

“‘The Old Republic’ isn’t the next step in online role-playing games,” said Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot.com. “Instead, it’s a highly entertaining refinement of what has come before it.”

This may be because the game isn’t set in the future; it is merely set in the past.

The game’s 50-level cap includes certain missions called “heroics” and “flashpoints” aimed toward group play, making the difficulty of completing alone nearly impossible.

Group play includes forming a guild with either your friends or others playing “The Old Republic” online.

Similar to massively multiplayer online games, such as “World of Warcraft” or “Guild Wars,” one person can have multiple characters — in this case, eight.

One of the biggest differences between “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic” and “Star Wars: The Old Republic” is the ability to align a character in either the Empire or the Republic (Sith or Jedi).

Just like in other MMOs, you can obtain certain skills for you and your companion.

There are gathering skills, crafting skills and mission skills of your choosing with different abilities.

Gathering gives the ability to find certain items within playable terrain. Crafting skills allow for the ability to create armor, weapons or modifications from materials. Mission skills allow you to send your companion on a mission to accrue loot, gather information or complete goals that further your character’s progression.

You can own your own vehicles; however, until you purchase a starcraft, you cannot leave the planet. After winning a starship, you can engage in space combat.

There are four classes for each the Empire and the Republic.Furthermore, there are nine different races from the world of “Star Wars” to choose from.

The plot line in “The Old Republic” aligns nicely with the “Knights of the Old Republic” series and includes similar characters.

Don’t let this deter you from playing, though, if you’re not familiar with the former plot lines. You can still successfully play.

My advice to you is that if you love MMO games, this one is definitely worth a shot.