For as long as civilization exists there will always be Star Wars, and as long as there’s Star Wars, there will always be Star Wars video games. It’s a franchise that lends itself well to games as there’s plenty of lore to explore, lots of unique planets and environments, a large cast of characters that can drop in to make cameos and tell your protagonist how cool they are, and of course, glowing laser swords. Because any game with a glowing laser sword is at least worth a glance.
While Star Wars makes good fodder for digital content, not every aspect of Disney’s cash cow is suitable for exciting standalone adventures. Out of all the various projects that have come from a galaxy far, far away, the Sequel Trilogy is perhaps the most divisive set of films throughout the entirety of the series (and considering this is Star Wars we’re talking about, that’s really saying something.)
There undoubtedly will be more chances for players to blast Stormtroopers and slice up droids, but after the disastrous reaction to Rise Of The Skywalker, it’s likely that the future of Stars Wars games lies in the past rather than the present.
The Past Is The Future So Leave The Future In The Past
It’s not hyperbole to declare that the original trilogy of films is still the absolute pinnacle of excellence when it comes to Star Wars movies. Even Return Of The Jedi - which is somewhat looked down upon due to foisting Ewoks upon the world - is far superior to most of what followed.
The Prequels have been rightfully lambasted due to their boring political scenes, annoying and occasionally racist CGI creatures, and bizarrely wooden acting. However, over the years, there has been a strange rise in appreciation for these cinematic disasters. Whether born of nostalgia, irony, or even legitimate love, the internet has begun to embrace the Prequels. It’s gotten to the point that when characters like Anakin Skywalker or Darth Maul are omitted from certain games there’s an audible outcry of rage from the fans.
Meanwhile, the Sequels are kind of a mess. Disney bought Star Wars and basically set about making movies right away. Except that there didn’t seem to be an overarching plan or vision beyond “let’s make more Star Wars so we can make more toys.” For these three films, it seemed like there wasn’t a whole lot of passion put into the projects. The directors were swapped out, plotlines and characters were dropped or changed, there didn’t seem to be a true sense of where the story was supposed to be going, and in the end, it all simply didn’t matter and felt like there were too many cooks in the kitchen.
The Prequel Trilogy at least had a singular vision from proud Star Wars papa George Lucas. Were most of his ideas good? Oh no, not at all. But those films at their worst have a sort of Ed Wood charm about them, and at their best have some legitimately cool scenes. While history has been kinder to the Prequels than most would have had expected, it’s hard to see that kind of turnaround happening for the Sequels.
Apathy Is More Powerful Than The Force
The Sequels are not only divisive among Star Wars fans, but a little over six months removed from the release of Rise Of The Skywalker, it seems like they’ve faded into obscurity. There’s no excitement, no sense of fandom, no desire for a follow-up or continuation of those characters’ journeys. They came, they made Disney a few billion, and they ended. It was a mediocre trilogy with a flat conclusion. It performed so below expectations that Disney is apparently going to try to avoid the Skywalker Saga altogether by setting all future films thousands of years before Darth Vader is even born. Which is coincidentally around the time of the Knights Of The Old Republic games, a series typically hailed as the best Stars Wars games of all time.
And that’s why the original trilogy along with the Prequels will likely continue to be heavily featured in video games while the Sequels will only garner a passing mention at best. Star Wars has such a deep history and a wellspring of untapped lore that basing any games in the future of the Sequels would be a waste of developer time, money, and effort. At this point, fans want to explore the time periods long before the Prequels so they can see how the Jedi and the Sith operated centuries ago. Either that, or they want to hang out with Luke, Han, and Leia before their lives got all sad and depressing or they want to drive flying cars with a young Obi-Wan and have a force lightning fight with Emperor Palpatine. Star Wars is filled to the brim with classic moments, but most of them didn’t happen in the Sequels. In fact, almost none of them did.
Those first six adventures for all their individual faults feel like pure, unfiltered Star Wars. Every speck or molecule of these films is pored over by fans, and even minor characters like Greedo or Kit Fisto have enough of a following to get them small appearances in games. Can the same be said for Maz Kanata? Or how about Lor San Tekka? Even main characters like Poe Dameron or Rey are unlikely to get the same kind of fanfare as someone even as lowly as Sebulba would.
We’ve already seen a bit of this lack of emotional response recently. When Battlefront II held a Rise Of The Skywalker event a lot of content was absent. Many characters weren’t playable heroes (not even poor Poe!) and many notable locations weren’t included. Yet, there didn’t seem to be much if any outrage over these omissions. Compare that to how excitable and riled up fans get about Prequel events and it speaks volumes about the Sequel’s enduring popularity or lack thereof.
Now Make A Damn Mandalorian Game Already!
Aside from being included in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, we don’t really need any games about the ongoing adventures of Finn and the gang. The Sequels aren’t even disappointing in a weird way like the Prequels were. They’re just a stale collection of movies that feel like people stumbling in the dark trying to make what they think Star Wars is.
It’s far more interesting to dig around in the fringes of the first six films or the distant past of George Lucas’ universe. That’s where the best lore and moments can be found, and that’s where the future of Star Wars games lies. And hopefully, that future also includes a stop in the world of The Mandalorian, because that’s what we all truly want.
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