Our thoughts on the Master’s Enigma story chapter from SWTOR Update 7.8.1. We discuss the gorgeous new biomes, the reunion with Darth Jadus, and what this update means for the finale of the expansion.
This review contains spoilers. We recommend you play through the story first, then come back to read it.
Endonae’s Reaction
Disclaimer: I love SWTOR, and I’ve been playing consistently since launch, so I’m pretty easy to please. While there is a vocal contingent of players who dislike Legacy of the Sith, my overall opinion is positive.
Expansion Pacing and the Force vs. Tech Divide
I think the biggest problem with this expansion story by far is the fact that we’ve typically had to wait 6 months between updates, and that’s just way too long. I’d much prefer smaller updates every 3 months.
It’s also a problem that so much of the post-launch storyline has been Force-centric and now Legacy of the Sith has done a 180 with a lot more tech, particularly Mandalorian-centric story that makes our Jedi and Sith feel out of place sometimes.
As I wrote in my guide on the Best Classes to Play for Each Expansion, I think a Force/tech split in the story would be more appropriate than the Empire/Republic divide we usually get.
As a Sith Inquisitor, Kessan’s Landing was a highlight for me, but visiting the wreckage of the False Emperor’s station on Ilum was also fantastic (and gorgeous).
Exploring the Enigma’s Biomes and Puzzles
While there were some awkward points where I felt I wasn’t being given enough credit as a loyal member of the Dark Council and a proper threat to Darth Jadus, Master’s Enigma was a hoot and a holler!
I had a blast exploring the Enigma. The biomes were positively breathtaking. My favorite planets in SWTOR are Dromund Kaas, Ruhnuk, and Copero, and as soon as I caught a glimpse of that Imperial waystation nestled in the cliffside of the Biome of Ferocity, I had to whip out my camera and take a picture.
The puzzles and interactions contained within the Enigma were magnificent, too. I cackled when Kal Kestis’ little droid made the mushroom blow up in my face, and then I kept cackling every time he did it again, though this time, from a safe distance away.
Using the Kath Hounds to herd the Grophets and seeing the WoWiest enemies crammed into SWTOR was also just delightful. The lighter tone didn’t feel jarring like the minimum-wage work we did at the Interpreter’s Retreat, or much of what we do for the seasonal events that were added back-to-back earlier in 7.0.
Visual Storytelling and Replayability
I’m glad that Broadsword is leaning more into gameplay and visual storytelling and trying their best to minimize the KOTOR-style cutscenes.
Date Nights aren’t for me, but I really hope they’re paying off for Broadsword. I get the impression that those few KOTOR cutscenes we had with the holograms this time exist at all because they’re diverting a couple scene’s worth of animation and cinematography budget to those Date Nights that almost no one will experience.
But that’s more negativity than Master’s Enigma deserves. This is the first chapter of Legacy of the Sith that really has me wondering about replaying it with multiple other characters, like my Imperial Agent, my Republic Saboteur, and my LS Inquisitor.
There are many great reasons that you’d want to side with him or against him regardless of faction, and I’m curious to the implications that come with the treacherous individuals who surround him.
Darth Nul’s Legacy and The Nightmare Ending
Of course, Jadus wasn’t even really the star of this show. Darth Nul was the main focus of the chapter, and it was great to see her multitudes on display.
There’s just so many layers to the experiments she’s conducting on her ship, and I love that at the end of it all, she is basically asking the question “If you could beam a message into the head of every individual in the galaxy, what would you say?”
I’m not sure that we’ll be the ones that end up getting to ask that question in 7.9 just because it’d be too hard to boil down into 3 satisfying dialogue choices, but perhaps we’ll get to pick who asks the question…with their last dying breath.
I just hope it’s not Lana. For the next 3 months, or probably forever, I’m gonna have to keep telling myself that it was just a nightmare that mean ol’ Mister Jadus stuck in my head and not a premonition…
Vulkk’s Thoughts
Overall, I loved Master’s Enigma. However, I feel like the next chapter – the finale of Legacy of the Sith – will raise more questions than it answers.
Reuniting with Darth Jadus
My first playthrough of Master’s Enigma was with an Empire-loyalist Agent. I specifically wanted to see what happens when the Agent meets Jadus again after more than a decade of in-game time.
While the few unique lines referencing our past were a nice touch, they felt a bit expected and predictable. I was genuinely hoping for a little more depth. Perhaps a stronger acknowledgment of the Agent’s former role as the Hand of Jadus, rather than just a passing nod before the game ushered us forward through the story.
Breathtaking Environments and Level Design
Master’s Enigma struck a decent balance between exploration and cinematics. Throughout this expansion, the developers have consistently outdone themselves when it comes to environmental design, and this update is no exception.
Every new location we’ve visited since 7.0 has been more breathtaking than the last. The contrast between the moody, oppressive Sith architecture of Nul’s ship and the vibrant ecosystems inside the test chambers is striking.
The two biomes were so gorgeous, packed with rich atmospheric lighting and detailed flora, that I simply didn’t want to finish my objectives and leave.
Cinematic Storytelling and The Traitor Reveal
The narrative delivered an unexpected traitor reveal near the end, which transitioned into a “dream-like” (though nightmare is a much more accurate word!) sequence.
The cinematic direction in this specific scene makes it one of the most visually stunning moments in SWTOR to date, utilizing camera angles and visual effects that feel surprisingly fresh for the game’s aging engine.
The traitor, especially on the Republic side, was a shock to me. Ever since we first met Arn, I had something in the back of my mind telling me he is going to flip and cause a disaster somewhere, some day. But no. Tau served a surprise I never expected. The Rivix twist was far more logical, yet still lacked any obvious buildup, aside from his constant, smarmy charm and unsettlingly smooth voice.
Role-Playing and Meaningful Dialogue
I’ve played through this chapter three times so far. As we noted in our walkthrough, this update doesn’t offer significant, branching choices with unforeseen consequences, but it does effectively test your moral compass.
Even if the destination remains the same, the dialogue options allow for solid role-playing along the way. I enjoyed the extra layer of tension between my Agent and Jadus.
Later, the Jedi Knight I brought through, was able to stand firmly by his Light Side and Republic-loyalist beliefs, while my reckless Sith Warrior got to ignore and belittle everyone in the room, true to his character.
How many times have you played through the story so far? What did you think of the choices, the Enigma ship, and the traitor reveal?
