The game uses a d20 system, similar to Dungeons & Dragons tabletop games: combat is divided into rounds, with the player and party normally taking single actions each round before enemies do likewise. This system is turn-based but can be played in real-time, or paused at the player's discretion.
The game takes place four years after The Jedi Civil War at the end of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, four thousand years before the rise of the Galactic Empire at the end of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. This brutal civil war has left the ailing Republic on the verge of collapse and all but destroyed the Jedi Order, whose few remaining Jedi Knights are hunted down and destroyed by resurgent Sith.
The player is a custom or quick character known as The Exile, whose choice of sex, class(es), attributes, skills, feats and later Force powers can have a significant impact on gameplay; also significant can be choices made for characters joining your party, any two of which can normally be added at any time, and whose strengths and weaknesses can compliment or compound your own.
Dialog and subsequent action can move you and your party closer to the dark or light side of the Force throughout the game, as The Exile helps or hinders the Republic and restores connection to the Force.
