Star Warshas a long history with video games, beginning with 1982’s adaptation ofThe Empire Strikes Back. At different times the franchise has experimented with RPGs, shooters, real-time strategy, fighting games, racing games, and educational games for kids.Knights of the Old Republicis well-known among RPG fans and even influenced many later games of the genre.Masters of Teräs Käsi, however, an attempt at a fighting game that could compete withStreet FighterandMortal Kombat, was a critical and commercial disaster.
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Even after being purchased by Disney,Star Warsgames continue to be made (although no longer under the LucasArts label). TheBattlefrontgames andJedi: Fallen Ordermade a sizable splash. There is also an upcoming Old Republic-themed game by Ubisoft, andplans for a remake ofKnights of the Old Republicby Aspyr. Yet there are still plenty of untouched areas that have the potential for some interesting games.
5The Infinite Empire
The whole pre-republic era is one that has been largely unexplored inStar Warsmedia. The Rakata were first introduced inKnights of the Old Republic, in which the antagonist Darth Malak has been using a Rakatan superweapon known as the “Star Forge” to build his army. The player gets to visit the Rakata homeworld and learn about their history.
One of the big selling points forKnights of the Old Republicwas its then-unusual setting. Being placed a thousand years before the films allowed it to present a very different galaxy from what fans were used to, even while visiting the familiar planet of Tattooine. A game that goes evenfurther backcould present a galaxy that is barely recognizable. Players could explore familiar worlds in a way unseen before, like the jarring experience of seeing Tattooine before it became a desert.
The best way to approach such a game would be an RPG set right at the end of the Rakatan Empire. The player is a slave who is pushed to their breaking point, managing to break free and start a revolution taking advantage of, or maybe even causing, the force-severing plague that prevented the Rakatans from using their own weapons. If they really wanted to tie it into later material, they could even have the player be force sensitive, build an early lightsaber, and become a proto-Jedi figure.
4The Early Sith
The full origins of the Jedi and Sith are a confusingly intertwined mess, butthe Sith Order as it is known todayhad its roots with the Sith species, a power-hungry race that tended to naturally embrace the dark side. Their ruthlessness and insatiable lust for power drove them to stop at nothing, conquering and enslaving worlds, just like the Hutt and Rakata empires. Players got some insight into this history in bothKnights of the Old Republic, especially the first one where the tombs of four different Sith masters can be explored. It was later developed further in theTales of the Jedicomics.
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For a video game, the Sith Empire would be an interesting antagonist. They could act similarly to the Order of the Ancients inAssassin’s Creed Originsas precursors to the enemies fans have become used to. For that matter, anAssassin’s Creed-style approach might be an interesting twist for aStar Warsgame. The player could be a force-sensitive assassin fighting back against an overpowering force in the one way they can: through stealth. That would mean gameplay focused on outmaneuvering and outsmarting enemies rather than facing them directly, something not seen as much inStar Wars.
3Open World Adventure With Jyn Erso
TheStar Warsfranchise has had its share of shady criminal organizations. And yet, the closestStar Warshas gotten to a real crime movie was probablySolo: A Star Wars Story. A lot of games tend to focus on the bigger conflicts, often on Jedi or rebels, and so a game that could really explore the criminal underworld would be interesting. Such a game would require a compelling character, capable of questionable dealings but with a compassionate side.
Jyn Erso was one of the best additions to theStar Warsfranchise. Before she was a rebel hero, she was a criminal trying to survive in a world of corruption and greed, a side of her that was not so visible in the film but could make an interesting video game. Another detail worth noting is a lot ofStar Warsgames enjoyepic stories set across multiple planets. That said, a game focused on a single planet could offer a lot in terms of worldbuilding, especially an open world the player can explore freely.
Imagine an open-world crime game in the style ofGrand Theft Auto, but set in theStar Warsuniverse, about Jyn Erso’s criminal life beforeRogue One. There is no shortage of crime-filled city worlds that would make a perfect setting: Taris, Nar Shaddaa, Daiyu, or even the lower levels of Coruscant.Star Warscould addan interesting spin on the formatwith verticality, due to the player having to navigate multiple levels and being able to use speeders that blur the line between air and road vehicles.
2Bounty Hunting
Bounty hunters are a big partofStar Wars, with many appearing across the franchise. There have been a few obscure games that gave them some focus, such as 2002’sStar Wars: Bounty Hunterand the PSP/DS exclusiveStar Wars: Lethal Alliance, But they are not usually the center of attention. More often they will be NPCs who help or hinder the player, as in the cases of Calo Nord and Mira in theKnights of the Old Republicseries.
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This leaves open a cool idea for a game. Players get to become bounty hunters and take contracts that involve collecting bounties. Even better would be having the option to personalize a bounty hunter, by being able to customize their appearance, species, and gender, and having gear to accommodate different playstyles.
One approach could be a game in the style ofHitmanorDishonoredwhere each level gives the player a different target they have to kill or capture. They could even take a cue fromDishonoredand have a system where the players' methods have consequences, for instance depending on how much collateral damage they caused. Another approach might be to go for a moreAssassin’s CreedorRed Dead Redemption-style approachwhere the player can explore the galaxy and take on contracts. Either way, there is an opportunity here forStar Warsto put its own spin on things.
1Reverse KOTOR
One ofKnights of the Old Republic’s selling points was being set a thousand years before the movies in the days of the Old Republic. This was pretty exciting at the time, but what about going the other direction? Most Star Wars media are set closely after the events of the movies, and a lot of them focus on what happens to the franchise’s iconic characters after the defeat of the Empire, or they follow their children. The furthest anything got was theLegacycomics in the old timeline, which jumped ahead a century. Beyond that lies a whole era that has been largely unexplored.
This leaves an interesting possibility to do the reverse ofKnights of the Old Republicand jump to a thousand yearsafterthe films. The big advantage of this would be that it is mostly untouched territory. Similar toKnights of the Old Republic, players could explore a galaxy that is somehow both familiar and completely alien. This approach would leave room to explore the long-term impacts of the original films' events, and how iconic characters have been remembered.
A game like this would probably work best as an RPG similar toKnights of the Old Republic, with the player being able to customize a character and make decisions that affect how the story plays out,ultimately embracing either the light or dark side.
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