Scum and villainy etc.
Hutta has certain similarities to Ord Mantell, the starter world for the Republic's non force wielding classes, but differs in a few ways that make it the best of The Old Republic's starting experiences.
There's an overall story, but the feud between crimelords isn't quite as constantly front and center here as the Separatist storyline is on Ord Mantell. The world can offer up a bit more variety in who you meet and what you do and it's better for it. The lines between good guys and bad guys (or rather bad guys/worse guys) are also blurry enough to adds interest to the conversations and choices you're presented with. Interestingly, you never directly confront Fa'athra, the rival to your prospective patron, Nem'ro, and this adds to the feeling of Hutta being a real place. It's somewhere that you pass through but won't ultimately make a huge, world changing impact on.
Something else that adds to this impression is the layout of the world. The map of Hutta is the least linear of SWTOR's starter worlds, encouraging the player to pay attention to their surroundings rather than simply following the one true path. I even had to circle back to a couple of objectives in one mission due to having bypassed them on the way in. It's always good to be able to wander off the rails.
Like Ord Mantell, Hutta ends with a big set piece finale, in this case the attack on Fa'athra's palace. I'd picked up my initial companion, Mako, by this point but was running without her as is my habit. In a repeat of my experience on my Trooper I was level shifted from 11 to 10 and actually found some of the ensuing fights unexpectedly challenging, so after resummoning Mako for the class story sequence I kept her with me on the way out of the palace. That made it a lot easier, but not quite a walkover. There's nothing inherently wrong with SWTOR's level shifting, it just doesn't go far enough.
I might as well say that now, before I come to Dromund Kaas.
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