After the recently released Battlefront, there are a handful of Star Wars games that Electronic Arts just has to make next.
The publisher has the sole rights to make Star Wars video games for the next ten years, (as part of a deal EA made with Disney), so we’ll most definitely be seeing a ton of new Star Wars titles in the coming years. The company can go in a bunch of different directions, but there are three obvious choices in my opinion. The first idea is probably the likeliest out of the bunch: a linear, story-driven third-person shooter from Dead Space developer Visceral Games and former Uncharted creative director Amy Hennig.
It has already been confirmed that Hennig is indeed working on an unannounced Star Wars game with Visceral. Considering Hennig’s pedigree when it comes to video game writing and storytelling and the type of games she has worked on, having her make a Star Wars title similar to Uncharted is a no-brainer. The same goes for Visceral as the studio has also proved that is it more than capable of creating fun, engaging third-person shooters. The new game in question should be similar to the canceled Star Wars 1313 as developer LucasArts was definitely going in the right direction with that title; everyone was excited for it.
Maybe tell a bounty hunter story that doesn’t tie-in with Jedis and Sith? Remember, there’s a lot more to the Star Wars universe other than lightsabers, believe it or not. I would say make Boba Fett as the protagonist, but then again having a new character is a better choice as both Hennig and Visceral wouldn’t have to abide to established lore. The most important aspect will definitely be the game’s story. This has to be a true single-player experience, and that’ll receive a positive response following Battlefront’s online-only gameplay.
My next choice is also an obvious one, but it’ll be difficult seeing it bring to fruition. A new open-world RPG similar to Knights of the Old Republic developed by BioWare. Everybody loves that game and for good reason. It’s well written and has a plethora of interesting characters, it’s brimming with content, has a great setting, and is pretty fun to play as well. The fact that it’s set thousands of years before the prequel films, and is an RPG easily allows for a captivating experience.
A new entry will be set a little later on, perhaps 500 years after KOTR? You can make your own character and the complex moral system and player choices will also definitely make a return. Both the Light and the Dark Side will have their benefits and flaws. Of course the story also has to be great and epic. The only thing I want to see drastically different from KOTR is combat. BioWare has learned quite a lot on that front making the Mass Effect and Dragon Age trilogy. Both Mass Effect 3 and Dragon Age Inquisition employ RPG mechanics but are also quite fun to play. Real-time combat in this KOTR sequel will elevate the entire experience to a whole new level. Imagine wreaking havoc with a lightsabre for hours on end, completing interesting side quests and just getting lost in this unique universe?
My final choice is a standalone Darth Maul game. Austin-based developer Red Fly Studio was actually working on a Darth Maul title, but it was ultimately canceled. You can view snippets of what the game might’ve looked and played like on YouTube. What I’m proposing is an action hack-and-slash game that plays like both God of War and Devil May Cry. Stylized, bloody, deadly combat. That is what Darth Maul is all about after all. Just like Hennig’s title, this too will be linear. Maul’s unique double-bladed lightsaber will lend itself well to fast-paced combat. The story will pick up right after the events that transpired in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV series, after Maul escapes Darth Sidious’ grasp.
Most importantly, however, the game will have to be visceral, mature, and bloody; something Disney might not be okay with, but it’s worth the effort. Developer Ninja Theory, the studio behind Heavenly Sword and DmC: Devil May Cry would be a great fit for this as it knows how to deliver fun and complex hack-and-slash gameplay.
For EA, the sky’s the limit when it comes to Star Wars. I just hope that the publisher will be more ambitious with the type of games it wants to make for this revered franchise in the next decade. I think these three titles will be a great start.