"Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords for Xbox is in stores now!" As of Monday afternoon, that one line on the official LucasArts Web site was the only fanfare announcing the shipment of the sequel to GameSpot's 2003 Xbox Game of the Year. Although a PC version is due in February 2005, the game is currently available only for Microsoft's console. The game is rated T, and is priced at $49.99.

　　The first title from Obsidian Entertainment, a new developer created by veteran role-playing game designers from Interplay's Black Isle Studios, The Sith Lords picks up several years after the first left off. The player's custom-created characters awaken in a heavily damaged Ebon Hawk, the Millennium Falcon-esque ship from the first game, in the outer rim of the galaxy. As the story progresses, characters learn that the war between the Galactic Republic and the Sith has caused large sections of the galaxy to regress into a state of anarchy.

　　In terms of gameplay, KOTOR II will be much like its predecessor, with the same turn-based combat, albeit with a new repertoire of Force powers.

　　While one of The Sith Lords' selling points is its plot's mystery, you can learn more about the game in our previous coverage. The full review for the game will be up later today.