Well, three years after Disney bought the Star Wars franchise, The Force Awakens has finally reached cinema screens.
Fans (hardcore and casual alike) are lapping the movie up, and we’re sure plenty of merchandise will find its way underneath many a tree this Christmas. Star Wars: Battlefront will also devour its fair share of hours over the holidays, with players across the world blasting away in their homes, replaying iconic battles over and over.
Still, it’s surprising to see no video game dedicated solely to The Force Awakens itself. There are multiple Star Wars titles available on mobile and tablets, but as of yet, fans wanting to play as Kylo Ren, Rey, Finn, or the undeniably-cool Poe Dameron have little to go on.
Sure, Disney Infinity features some of these characters, but the gameplay is fairly limited. Gamers looking for a deeper, more mature experience are left wanting … for now, at least.
Pondering the lack of a specific The Force Awakens game leads to an intriguing question: what other Star Wars games are we missing? We know many titles have been cancelled during development over the years, and the franchise is filled with endless potential for video games.
Let’s take a look at seven Star Wars games we’d love to play, including those we almost had as well as those we like to fantasise about.
(To avoid confusion, we’ve marked games as either ‘cancelled’ or ‘wish list’ to denote whether they’re real or just hoped for.
Star Wars: Darth Maul (Cancelled)
When LucasArts ceased to be, they revealed details of various games in development – including one based solely around Darth Maul, undoubtedly one of the strongest characters to emerge from the prequel trilogy.
With his distinctive looks, iconic dual-blade lightsaber, strong Force powers, and Sith-based ideology, Darth Maul makes for one heck of a leading man. However, the game (which reached a decent stage of development at RedFly Studios) was not meant to be – and is unlikely to reappear.
The game was originally imagined as an origin story for Maul, but executives requested a shift to tie-in with the character’s return on the awesome The Clone Wars TV series. Allegedly, the plot would cover the time between Maul’s unfortunate body-split at the hands of Obi-Wan and the battle of Geonosis.
Concept art and footage is available online, and it’s well worth checking out.
Star Wars: Kylo Ren (Wish List)
As soon as Kylo Ren was first revealed, many fans (us included) took a shine to his incredible design. Echoing Vader’s mask-and-cape style (as well as other villains throughout the Sith’s long lineage), Ren is a stunning visual – especially with his unique crossguard lightsaber.
While the character is playable in Disney Infinity, a game based around this mysterious figure is rich with potential. While we’ve played as Sith across multiple games, the Knights of Ren are entirely new to the franchise – why not give us a title exploring their story?
With his powerful grasp of the Force, gorgeous weapon, awesome aesthetic, and intriguing backstory (you’ll get no spoilers from us!), Kylo Ren could star in a fantastic action-adventure.
We’re sure Disney will put the character into more video games in the coming months and years – we just hope they live up to his potential!
Star Wars: Smuggler (Cancelled)
Originally titled ‘Scum and Villainy’, Smuggler would have put players in charge of a titular rascal just trying to earn a few credits during Palpatine’s reign of the galaxy.
Sounds awesome, right?
Well, sadly, Smuggler never reached consoles, but the concept is still an intriguing one. Stealth and flying-skills would have played key roles in Smuggler, with players able to customise their character, crew, and even select their own missions.
Hopefully, we’ll get a similar game soon enough – many fans would love the chance to play as a character in Han Solo’s line of work! On that note …
Star Wars: Han Solo & Chewbacca (Wish List)
While Smuggler would have allowed players to customise their own characters, a game based solely around Han Solo and Chewbacca (either in their younger days, during the original trilogy, or before The Force Awakens) has the potential to be a blast.
Imagine it: Han and Chewie travelling from world to world, finding ways to smuggle spice and other items through Imperial checkpoints, tearing around the galaxy in the Millennium Falcon … the possibilities are enough to make us drool!
Of course, players could switch between Han and Chewie, with AI decent enough to make the pair equally-helpful during combat. Such a game may well reach consoles someday, but who knows?
Star Wars: 1313 (Cancelled)
Boba Fett needs no introduction.
He also needs little dialogue to make an impression. With only a few lines throughout the original trilogy, and an abrupt (supposed) end, Fett nevertheless went on to become one of Star Wars’ most iconic, beloved characters.
While Fett has been a playable character in numerous games (including the Battlefront series), a title based solely around him could be something very special. Borrowing ideas from the Jango Fett-starring Bounty Hunter, Boba’s adventure could task players with tracking targets and exploring various worlds in the pursuit of credits.
1313, the recently-cancelled game, was based around a young Boba Fett as he rose to become one of the galaxy’s greatest bounty hunters. Set in Coruscant’s underworld, 1313 could have been the Boba Fett game we all wanted, and recently, film-producer Kathleen Kennedy suggested the title may well appear at a later date after all.
However, with so much potential, a Boba Fett game could be even bigger than 1313 appeared to be: players could travel the galaxy at their leisure in Slave I, choose bounties as and when, as well as visiting dozens of well-known & fresh locations from the franchise.
Knights of the Old Republic III (Cancelled)
Quite rightly, the Knights of the Old Republic games have a huge fan-base. Demand for a third game in the series has been immense, and while this did reach the concept stage, it was cancelled early on.
Disney and EA are sure to know just how much money they have waiting to be made with KOTOR III, but no word has been given yet on whether it will ever surface. Concept art for the title was released in a book, Rogue Leaders: The Story of LucasArts, and offers plenty to whet fans’ appetites.
Hopefully, KOTOR III will indeed be made soon enough – there’s so much scope and material to explore, the series could go on and on.
Star Wars: Stormtrooper (Wish List)
While many games have given us the chance to play as stormtroopers, a title based around commanding a squad could give us the chance to become some of the Empire’s finest.
Borrowing elements from Republic Commando (the prequel-set FPS released to great acclaim some years back), Stormtrooper would involve leading a group of three or four characters through a story based either on an original concept, or that of the films.
Players could switch between troopers, or take on the role of their leader, issuing orders as needed. A range of weaponry would be available, and facing down a range of enemies (rebel scum, Jedi, bounty hunters, and more) clad in that iconic white armour would be something of a thrill.
That’s our seven Star Wars video games we’d love to see – what do you think? What ideas do you have? Let us know!
