Now that EA has the Star Wars video game license, a new era of Star Wars video games will begin later this year. It is just in time for a bonanza of new Star Wars media. A new trilogy begins with Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens in December. Then there will be new Star Wars Anthology films. The new era of Star Wars games coincides with the birth of the new movie trilogy in the form of the Star Wars Battlefront reboot. However, EA will be making even more games than that. Visceral Games and former Uncharted creative director and writer Amy Hennig are still working on a fairly secretive Star Wars project. With the new era of Star Wars game, I decided to spitball a list of fantasy concepts I would love to see explored by EA for the Star Wars universe later down the line.
5. Shadows of the Empire HD Remake
Playing the original Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire video game on the old N64 was a revelation for me. It was one of my favorite games for the console, and it really made players feel like they were playing an adventure inside the Star Wars Universe. It featured a cool new, Han Solo-esque protagonist in Dash Rendar with a storyline set in between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Ultimately, I want to see an HD remake of the game with updated graphics and textures.
4. Rogue Squadron Reboot
Well, EA already has a reboot coming out of Star Wars Battlefront. The next step might be a brand new reboot of the Rogue Squadron experience. Rogue Squadron is necessary because Star Wars Battlefront will have absolutely no space battles. That is a shame; but that means there will be a void that needs to be filled. It is a void EA can fill and excite fans with a reboot of the Rogue Squadron game franchise.
3. Star Wars: Jedi Knight III
The Jedi Knight/Dark Forces franchise was one of my favorite series of Star Wars games ever made. The franchise sort of petered out by the time Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy came around. I believe the problem was that it moved away from the original series lead Kyle Katarn. Kyle Katarn is probably my favorite Star Wars Expanded Universe character in existence. The problem? Star Wars now has a new established canon that will work completely independently of the Expanded Universe. However, that does not mean Kyle Katarn is dead forever. Characters like Katarn can still appear if writers or game developers come up with a good story and get approval from the Lucasfilm Story Group. I do not believe Star Wars: Jedi Knight III has to be a true sequel to the previous games of the Dark Forces franchise. It could be a reboot, but it would be a shame if Kyle Katarn never gets an appearance in another game. I would like to see a new era of Dark Forces game starring Katarn with next-gen graphics and visuals.
2. Star Wars: Level 1313
I am so disappointed this game got shuttered. When I first saw the preview video, I thought this looked like an amazing concept for a Star Wars game. Essentially, it was Star Wars meets Uncharted. It might be foolish to hold out some kind of hope of this game ever again becoming a concept, but I did say this is a wish list of fantasy scenarios. Level 1313 looks like such an intriguing place to explore. It seems like a place that is unique on the urbanized planet Coruscant and home to a whole criminal underworld. It is an area that is rife for storytelling and would be great for a video game.
1. Star Wars: Bounty Hunters
I do not think there is enough material out there that really explores the world of the wretched group of scum and villainy that are the bounty hunters of the Star Wars Universe. It seems to be ripe for visual storytelling for a video game. For Star Wars: Bounty Hunters, I imagine something like an interstellar version of Batman: Arkham Asylum or Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. The game would put players in the boots of the most nefarious bounty hunters of the Star Wars Universe. Or heck, the developers could create a new character like Kyle Katarn or Dash Rendar. They should just make it authentic and fun.
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