The Unstoppable Rise of Star Wars Gaming: A Golden Age Like No Other

Highlights

Star Wars games like Jedi: Fallen Order have marked the beginning of a new era, where the franchise is moving away from nostalgia and familiar iconography.

The recent success of Star Wars games can be attributed to their exceptional storytelling, introducing fresh characters and events to the overarching timeline. To ensure the franchise's prosperous future in the gaming industry, it is essential for Star Wars games to continue exploring various genres and catering to diverse interests.

Star Wars games have rarely been considered exceptional in terms of their influence on game development, with only a few groundbreaking titles like Knights of the Old Republic standing out. However, this trend of average games ended recently with the release of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which has established itself as one of the better Star Wars games in recent memory. Unlike many other popular franchises, Star Wars has often relied on familiar licensed imagery, but shifting away from this approach has allowed the IP to shine in the world of gaming.

With the upcoming releases of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Survivor, Respawn's Star Wars FPS and Star Wars strategy game, Amy Hennig's Star Wars game, Star Wars Outlaws, and Star Wars Eclipse, fans can expect an abundance of content in the franchise. What sets these games apart is their unique stories, which are still connected to the larger timeline but introduce new characters and events that fans have yet to experience. This fresh approach has undoubtedly contributed to the current golden age of Star Wars gaming.

Star Wars Games Seem to Hit All the Right Notes Lately

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League may surprise fans by defying their current expectations, but Rocksteady's latest game could also suffer from being a poorly-timed result of trying to predict gaming trends. Gaming trends are inherently unpredictable, and what fans enjoy now might become unpopular in a few years.

With big-budget games taking several years to develop, relying on these trends as a foundation for a game is highly unreliable. However, Star Wars has managed to consistently understand what players want from games over the past few years. For example, FromSoftware's Fallen Order successfully tapped into the emerging Soulslike genre, resulting in a refreshing and well-received game within the Star Wars universe.

Star Wars Games Deserve a Chance to Branch Out with Genres

Although there isn't much information available about the supposed remake of Knights of the Old Republic, fans may have to wait a while before any updates are released. In the meantime, it's exciting to have a variety of Star Wars games to anticipate. There was even a possibility of another multiplayer live-service game, a third installment of Battlefront, but its cancellation was a wise move to avoid potential controversies.

Exploring different genres to enhance the franchise in games is truly remarkable. Whether it's through Soulslike games, strategy games, or other popular niches beloved by fans, the possibilities are endless. Although Star Wars Eclipse may not be released for quite some time, the details that have been revealed so far are equally thrilling due to its unique time period and the open-ended story paths offered by Quantic Dream.

The Star Wars Jedi games will undoubtedly thrive with their Soulslike approach, while Outlaws will thrive as a Star Wars adaptation of the highly engaging systems found in Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. On the other hand, Eclipse will be a captivating exploration of player choice within a canon that hasn't traditionally allowed much creative freedom. By consistently delivering games that cater to these genres and showcasing the franchise's creativity and intuition, Star Wars is poised to have a bright future in the gaming industry.