the same time, and that he is an example of a lost and unhappy character who had learned to live with the kind of person he has become, which she considers to be a recurring trope in Chris Avellone's writing work. Phil Owen from Kotaku remarked that "there are always reasons people follow evil leaders beyond those people themselves being evil", singling out Atton as an example who "puts a sympathetic face on those enemy hordes" and whose moral convictions is not rooted in rigid notions of good or evil, and noted that "the game truly is awash in grey areas". Reflecting on the theme of redemption and loss with Atton's potential death, which came through a story-mandated death outside the player’s control as opposed to being a consequence of their own actions, Hughes observed that players get emotionally attached to certain characters and would want them to continue sticking around. Atton's role within the game is positioned to assert the lack of distinction between Jedi and Sith Orders from the masses' point of view, save that both sides possess powers capable of immense destruction. Owen discussed an early game conversation with Atton where the player character may argue with him over rumors and hearsay about how the aftermath of the so-called Jedi Civil War in the first game affects present events; aside from its primary function of maintaining continuity between the two games, a point is also made that it is irrelevant whether the Jedi-backed Republic or the Sith won the war within the wider context of the Knights of the Old Republic series' setting. In a research dissertation submitted to Edge Hill University, Eamon Reid emphasized dialogue exposition from Atton that highlights the unemployment crisis and callous exploitation faced by refugees in Nar Shadaa, which count many displaced war veterans hailing from all sides among their number, as a direct byproduct of the preceding wars. The reveal of Atton's backstory also highlights his personal suffering as he is caught in the constant violent struggles between the Jedi and Sith. An editorial published by the Official Xbox Magazine argued that since The Sith Lords "takes a universe of light and dark, and paints it in shades of grey", both factions' single-minded pursuit for balance of the Force could be compared to a religious schism, which holds little relevance for the rest of the galaxy but results in far reaching