I played KOTOR 1 and 2 for the first time this year
combat was very dated but once you get into it it's kind of fun, especially when you realise that it's more about stats stuff that you do outside of combat that matters but there is a window in combat where you can do stuff like plant mines or run around if you're under-levelled
I'm a massive mass effect fan so liked the whole companion thing and really both games felt like a proto-mass effect, KOTOR 2 was better in that regard although the story still doesn't make that much sense, KOTOR 1 is more basic
I would say yes they do hold up and I played KOTOR 2 a second time immediately after beating it
anyway I got meme'd by /v/ into playing TOR afterwards and it was fucking terrible