The finest Star Wars games all have one thing in widespread: they stand other than the films.
Knights of the Old Republic. X-Wing and TIE Fighter. Jedi Knight. Even Republic Commando. These are the zenith of Star Wars in video games, they usually all come from the identical place – they’re games set within the Star Wars universe, however not too near the central characters, planets and occasions of the movies.
There’s one thing of the story of Icarus about Star Wars in video games. The potential of games within the universe is big, however the nearer one soars to the brightest stars of that universe the upper the prospect of burning up and feeling like a lame also-ran. I’m taking a look at you, The Force Unleashed.
Even when games do retell the movie tales probably the most profitable are typically people who summary occasions – stuff like Lego Star Wars, the utterly non-canon multiplayer skirmishes of Battlefront, or the vehicle-focused Rogue Squadron and Star Wars Trilogy Arcade games. It’s no coincidence that Rogue Squadron considerably worsened after they added on-foot segments the place you performed as well-known heroes. Too near the solar but once more.
While like every Star Wars fan with a coronary heart I nonetheless pine for Knights of the Old Republic 3 for this very purpose, that is additionally what makes Jedi: Fallen Order the most exciting Star Wars projects in years.
As an idea it manages to tick all the bins. Its premise makes use of probably the most iconic scenes within the film saga as a springboard, giving extra informal followers very important context. But past that, up to now it seems to be a disconnected, distinctive story that simply so occurs to be set in probably the most fascinating durations of the Star Wars canon.
Star Wars is a vibrant, expansive universe – or at the least it has the potential to be. To put it plainly, it’d be extremely simple for Jedi: Fallen Order to veer off into fan-wank territory. What begins as a gritty story of survival might find yourself with some naff quest to Tattooine to trace right down to Obi Wan, or to Dagobah for Yoda. At this era within the canon, Darth Maul is doubtlessly on the market someplace, scuttling about after being retconned out of dying and given robotic spider legs by a cartoon. And after all there’s Darth Vader himself, skulking throughout the universe at this era in time looking down hiding Jedi like Cal, the lead character of Fallen Order.
It’d be actually tempting for Fallen Order to go down any one in every of these paths, particularly the latter. In principle being on the run from Vader, omnipotent and invincible as he stalks you like Mr. X in Resident Evil 2 may very well be thrilling. But the reality is a good Star Wars game doesn’t want that iconography. It doesn’t have to rise up shut and private with these kinds of characters: and as titans of the universe, it makes plenty of sense {that a} lowly avenue rat, a Jedi in a struggle to outlive, wouldn’t ever meet such characters anyway. Some new, mysterious Sith Inquisitor looking Jedi on Vader’s orders might be simply as efficient narratively, and also you received’t must hearken to some not-quite-there James Earl Jones impersonator because of this.
One has to hope that Respawn can resist the temptation to go down such a path, and in addition resist the little doubt focus-group led calls from writer EA. EA executives allegedly requested staff on Visceral Games’ now-cancelled Star Wars journey game where Chewbacca was after seeing a demo, and ex-Visceral workers described this kind of focus as one of many issues that finally killed their game. This is the kind of pondering that for my part suffocates an idea like that of Fallen Order.
“It’d be incredibly easy for Jedi: Fallen Order to veer off into fan-wank territory”
This delicate steadiness between a recognisable and acquainted setting and all-original content material is what titles like X-Wing, TIE Fighter and Jedi Knight bought proper. When these games did cross over into battles and scenes from the films or launched well-known names, it felt like an occasion. It felt, appropriately, such as you’re within the presence of a legend. Given its setting, that is precisely the kind of method I hope to see in Fallen Order – a restraint in direction of exploiting probably the most iconic pictures of the supply materials which in flip provides unique ideas room to blossom. This doesn’t simply go for the movie characters, both – I really feel the identical method must be afforded to the solid of Rebels and different main Star Wars media set in the identical period.
I’m hopeful the game goes to get all of this proper, too. Last week Chris Avellone, one in every of Fallen Order’s six narrative designers, told VG247 how important story is to the game. Avellone is aware of the way to make this kind of factor work, too: he was lead author on Knights of the Old Republic 2, one of many Star Wars games most disconnected from the broader lore that additionally manages to be probably the most thematically fascinating Star Wars tales basically – even in a semi-finished state. Avellone is precisely the kind of one who can inject originality whereas nonetheless feeling true to the remainder of Star Wars.
The universe Lucas created is an open-ended science-fantasy fairytale, and too usually these creating new works in it are too beholden to the established lore and iconography. Hopefully Jedi: Fallen Order might be the kind of Star Wars game that creates its personal lore and turns into a beloved collection staple in its personal proper. We haven’t seen that since Knights of the Old Republic, and it’s about time it occurred once more.
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