The Star Wars franchise is most famous for its accolades in cinemas, but the best explorations of the fictional universe are in the video games. The first Star Wars release was in 1977, with Star Wars (later seen the subtitle) A new hope) come to theaters and introduce viewers to a galaxy far, far away. From there, the franchise exploded, creating a procession of sequels, prequels, spin-offs, television shows, books, comics, toys, and more. Star Wars is one of the most popular and well-known properties in the world, although it is still most famous for the collection of movie trilogies that explore the story of the Skywalker family tree, the latest version is LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagathe Galactic Edition.
The series has also spawned a wide variety of video games, many of which are well-loved or considered classics. The property’s notable listings are too numerous to list fairly, but include multiple game series, including: Knights of the Old Republic, Frontand LEGO Star Warsas well as individual releases such as Republic Command, Squadronsand Jedi: Fallen Order. With this amount and variety of Star Wars video games, almost every player can name at least one title they liked.
This is in stark contrast to the movies, where most outside of the original trilogy are divisive at best (though all have been commercially successful). As Star Wars continues to grow under Disney’s purview, it has become apparent that video games are where the franchise has truly blossomed and where it has the potential to tell the best stories yet, including exploring Star Wars eras that have been underused. This may be a result of the intrinsic differences in storytelling between games and other entertainment media. Where a movie or book can only show a story in its world, a game has the unique ability to put the player in that story and immerse him in the world.
Star Wars games have a unique story potential
Games have a unique capacity as an art form – the ability to place the player as a character in the story. This potential immediately makes the player invest more in the game world because they now have a stake in it – the success of the character is the success of the player. An example is a Clone Wars fan game, Star Wars Redemption, which adds to the show by allowing the player to participate in the battles themselves. In addition, the player can personally interact with and help shape the adventure. With this interactivity, a Star Wars game can tell a different kind of story than a movie, one that the player feels more personally attached to.
The medium of a game also gives a clear world advantage over a movie. A movie is expected to be from start to finish in a matter of hours, leaving little time to put on exhibits, show deep character relationships, or explore the environment. A game, on the other hand, can be expected to last tens or possibly hundreds of hours depending on the genre, which gives a much higher chance of showing the player all the rich details that the universe has to offer, such as KOTOR hiding the best Tusken Raider story secrets. It has as much time as the player is willing to invest in delving into side stories, building relationships with companions, or just exploring.
Star Wars: The Old Republic built a complex galaxy
A great example of the potential games can bring to the world Star Wars universe is the ongoing MMORPG Star Wars The Old Republic. The game takes place 300 years after the events of the Knights of the Old Republic series and allows players to choose sides in the war between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. This already puts the game ahead of the movies by showing stories from the Empire’s rarely seen perspective. There are four playable classes within each faction (which still doesn’t compare to the best) Star Wars game, which is still playable), and each has a unique story that reveals a lot about the Star Wars universe, the societies in it and the role of each character in it. In each story, the player travels to at least a dozen planets, with each planet having an additional questline that gives the player more knowledge about the environment and the galaxy as a whole.
Where SWTOR really excels in the variety of characters the player encounters in each class quest. In SWTOR there are certainly characters who fit the stereotypes of the noble Republic and the evil empire, but there are also inversions like Jedi who are willing to sacrifice innocents for victory fighting Sith who adhere to a strict code of honor. The most interesting thing is that there are characters who are not so easily defined as good or bad, but who have complex reasons and nuances to Star Wars‘light/dark side choices. The most successful of these storylines can leave players wondering if they really know which side is right, making the conflicts between the Republic and the Empire more complex and real.
Jedi: Fallen Order Shows Video Games Offer More
Jedi: Fallen Order is one of the more recent Star Wars games that have come out, which means it is considered canon in the Disney Star Wars universe instead of a legend. As such, it gives the player a deeper understanding of the new official knowledge for the universe. The game, through dialogues and encyclopedia logs, shows a deeper dive into the history of the universe than the movies have given, and also explains knowledge about Jedi, including the Jedi history of Cere, Cal’s mentor. In addition, the game shows the power of characters, both their strength and their vulnerability, in a different way Star Wars media rarely.
Cal Kestis, the main protagonist of the game, is a survivor of Order 66, which happened when he was just a child. The game shows the player the fear of that moment and how the mighty Jedi were almost helpless in the face of the betrayal. It gave a sense of grandeur to the event in a way never before portrayed by forcing the player to survive it himself. Also a confrontation with Darth Vader in Fallen Order takes place that showcases the fearsome power of the Sith Lord in a way that no other medium can match. Fallen Order gives a sense of power that a movie cannot by letting the player experience the difficulty of a battle for himself rather than letting him see someone else’s experience.
The Star Wars franchise is much more defined by its games than its movies. Much of the knowledge of the universe, many of the complex and deep storylines, and some of the best Jedi are only in Star Wars spell. whole Star Wars settings like the Old Republic can only be seen in games. Compared to the mixed reception most films have received, it has become apparent that Star Wars is no longer defined by its display in cinemas, but rather by the many games that are working to show players the magnitude of the adventure available in the Star Wars universe.
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