New Hope: Upcoming Star Wars Games
You can tell me. It’s okay, I’m a friend. How many times have you watched The Last Jedi trailer?
Just breathe.
I’ve seen it about a dozen times, and each time I get that wave of hype that feels too good to ignore. Star Wars is one of those keystone franchises that grab the imagination of almost every person it comes across. I always think of this scene in That 70’s Show, where the grumpy Red Forman sits in the theater bitching about how dumb the movie is. Then the Death Star explodes into that shimmery beautiful corona we can all picture. And his jaw drops.
The best part is, you can bathe in Star Wars in all your favorite mediums. Love comic books? Allow me to recommend the incredible Enemy of the Empire line from Dark Horse that tells the tale of the budding bromance between Boba Fett and Darth Vader. Maybe you’re the type who likes to sit in his study in front of the fire and read the Yuuzahn Vong Saga. Cartoons! Movies! Music! VIDEO GAMES!
My god the video games. O.G. Battlefront! O.G. Battlefront II! Knights of the Old Republic! Jedi Knight! Bounty Hunter! I’m getting flashbacks to puberty and not doing my math homework because I was helping Canderous Ordo crush his enemies on the barren plains of Tatooine.
Though I realize now in the throes of my nostalgia, it seems to have been awhile since I really enjoyed a Star Wars game. The Old Republic MMO from Bioware failed to capture my curiosity or attention. Since the great Disney Buyout of 2012 there has only been one major title release, Dice’s Battlefront. For those who don’t know, EA currently holds the reins on any upcoming Star Wars games.
Dice’s Battlefront, the Not-Good-Battlefront, also failed to capture my curiosity or attention. The lack of a single player campaign bothered me, and while the gameplay was polished and iconic, it lacked any appeal to me beyond the initial luster of the beta. I eventually went on to purchase the game on sale for less than ten dollars. I played it for a few days before retiring the title in favor of more hard drive space. The whole experience felt like it was lacking, and honestly like a cash grab.
I’m not opposed to EA or Dice, despite EA’s penchant for garnering internet hate. In fact, I loved Battlefield 1. I loved it so much I platinumed it. I loved it so much I even considered buying the They Shall Not Pass DLC. Then they dropped the first trailer for the Second Battlefront II and I start to feel that familiar itch where I keep my credit card. The dreaded pre-order itch.
Let’s not be ashamed, we’ve all been there. Maybe even recently. So let’s take a moment and consider where we are. Battlefront II is offering a campaign that picks up right after the destruction of the second Death Star and puts us in the shoes of an Imperial. A FEMALE Imperial (cue the neck beards complaining about SJW’s). Before we get too hyped for this latest installment in the behemoth of Star Wars media, let’s take a look back and try to figure out what makes a great Star Wars game, and what that could mean for Battlefront II.
- Exploration
We all know when and where Star Wars takes place. All together now: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. And what a big galaxy it is. My favorite Star Wars titles took us all over the Outer Rim and beyond. The Old Republic MMO, despite its Rock Band reminiscent character models, gave me the opportunity to see Nal Hutta. This swampy planet is the birthplace of the Hutts, the slug crime lords responsible for one of the most strangely sexual moments in film history. No? Just me?
Knights of the Old Republic gave us the first opportunity to see the Wookie home world of Kashyyyk brought to life. The original Battlefront series took us all over planets from the film and gave us decently sized levels to roam around. Not that a Star Wars game needs to take place over multiple planets, but in a fictional universe so large, I want to come away with a piece of it that now seems familiar. Speaking of familiar…
- Fan Service
This is a double edged sword. Fan service isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Including winks and nods to popular entries in a franchise is a great way to create a sense of inclusion or continuity, like seeing Howard the Duck at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy. Or it can be a jarring moment that takes you out of your immersion. Like seeing Howard the Duck at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy.
For example, and yes it’s a fucking Knights of the Old Republic example, take Jolee Bindo. Jolee Bindo is a black character. As a young man, ten years of age, I replaced Jolee Bindo’s green lightsaber with a purple one. Why? Well, I’m not proud of it, but it was because I thought all black people used purple lightsabers. Blame George Lucas for not including more people of color on the Jedi Council. But that familiarity, that iconography, was important to me as a kid.
When I use the term fan service, I certainly am referring to easter egg type moments for hardcore fans, such as references to the Qel Droma family. But I also want to remind everyone of the Star Wars fan we all started as. Kids.
As much as I want to see a lightsaber cut someone in half, we as adult fans need to remember how far the fan base stretches in either direction. I don’t remember not being a fan of Star Wars. We need to be welcoming of younger fans, and it wouldn’t be a bad thing if future games pandered a little to the younglings. That’s not an excuse to make a bad game, *cough*Star Wars Kinect*cough*, but it is an excuse to make a whimsical game for the padawans.
- Adventure, Excitement
A Jedi craves not these things. Friends and family know that I put Knights of the Old Republic on a pedestal. I even praise its sequel, especially when combined with the Restored Content Mod. In my defense, it’s a great game and I will argue the shit out of you on Twitter if you disagree. But one thing it severely lacks is riveting gameplay. That is, in a more blunt manner, the combat is dog shit.
At its heart, Star Wars is an adventure franchise. Luke and Leia swinging over the walkway in A New Hope in the style of Tarzan and Jane was one of my favorite moments in the original trilogy. The climactic battle between Obi Wan, Qui Gon Jin, and Darth Maul remains one of the most influential moments in my childhood, leading to a score of bruises and many broken plastic lightsabers. Let’s recreate that fun digitally in a way that won’t end with me in the E.R.
- The Greatest Story Ever Told
Sometimes simple narratives are best, and at the end of the day Star Wars is a simple narrative of good vs. evil. When I talk about the story of the next great Star Wars game, I want to feel like C3PO telling the story to the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi. To do that, you have to start by at least having a narrative. I’m looking right at you Not-Good-Battlefront.
There’s room for good stories in games. Both Battlefront 1’s lacked a real campaign mode. The old Battlefront simply ushered the player through the eras of Star Wars film, and the new Battlefront had tutorial missions with small narratives. Both were unsatisfying experiences that tried to make up for it with good gameplay and succeeded in their own ways…I guess. However, Old Battlefront II had a simple but great campaign where you played as the 501st Legion. These clones fought on Geonosis at the beginning of the Clone Wars and served as Vader’s right hand through the Empire’s strike back on Hoth. Let’s not forget that EA. You hooligans.
- Looking Forward
It’s okay to be hyped. Gamers who have stayed current on news for Battlefront II will have seen that a lot of these concerns have been addressed. Exploration: the trailer shows several locations from the film universe. Fan Service: The trailer beings with the Death Star exploding and promises to let us slice and dice in control of new icons Kylo Ren and Rey or classic characters like Darth Maul and Yoder. I feel pretty serviced. Adventure, Excitement: New Battlefront delivered on decent gameplay, and Battlefront II is being released on the same engine, Frostbite, that Dice has loads of experience on. It doesn’t seem like they’re going to try to fix something that isn’t broken. The Greatest Story Ever Told: This remains to be seen, but the premise seems interesting and may even fill in lore gaps on the creation of the First Order and the rise of the Resistance. No matter what, they have a narrative and campaign. Not to mention Dice is coming off Battlefield 1 which offered a great, if unorthodox vignette style campaign mode.
So I’m gonna be optimistic. I won’t pre-order just yet on principal, but even in a year that promises a lot of great titles, I’ll be keeping an eye on Battlefront II. EA has been keeping their plans for the franchise pretty close to the chest and we can only hope that they offer experiences that fans can truly enjoy and immerse themselves in… And we also hope they make a new Knights of the Old Republic game. Amen.
Let us know what you think! What do you need from a Star Wars game? What kind of game have you been crossing your fingers for? Why don’t you love Knights of the Old Republic like I do? Let Handsome Phantom know your thoughts and you could get a shout out on Adventure Mode!
