Star Wars is currently one of the most active franchises in pop culture and the video game world is no exception. We're all anxiously awaiting details regarding the promised new Star Wars title from Visceral Games, the creators of Dead Space. While we don't know much about the game, writer Amy Hennig has told us that what we'll eventually see will be an entirely new part of the Star Wars universe. During her Storytime panel at PAX West 2016, she specified that the game will be an "original story" as opposed to simply being an adaptation of one of the films. Then, she intimated that the game will have multiple playable characters because following multiple protagonists is a key aspect of Star Wars storytelling style.
The side characters in Indiana Jones, and those types of films, are just that...they're kind of along for the ride. But if you think about that compared to Han and Leia and the other characters in Rebels and the other characters in Rogue One, you can see that they're all ensemble stories. And so if our game wasn't an ensemble game and we weren't telling an ensemble story then it wouldn't pass the litmus test of going, 'does this feel like Star Wars?'
Amy Hennig says that Star Wars movies don't have sidekicks, so much as they have "co-protagonists." Everybody in the story is a fully realized character, as opposed to somebody who is there to enhance and support the lead. PAX's Jerry Holkins, who acted as interviewer/moderator made a comment that it would be a disservice to the ensemble if these characters were not playable. It was at this point that Hennig was forced to clam up.
While it's certainly true that an ensemble cast is a key aspect of the Star Wars films, the vast majority of games have told very focused stories. Especially the games that have told original stories, as opposed to adaptations, like Shadows of the Empire, or Dark Forces, have focused on introducing a single new character and focusing the entire story around them. Games that let you play as multiple characters, like the Super Star Wars games of the 1990s, let you play as existing characters only.
If we take these concepts together, the original story and the ensemble cast, it could potentially add numerous new characters to the Star Wars universe. What's more, as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has shown us on the film side, with it's connection to The Clone Wars animated series, it's possible that characters introduced in one medium can make the jump to another. It certainly does appear that Lucasfilm is taking any additions to the canon very seriously. It's important that the new game feel like it is part of the Star Wars universe, not simply a game with a Star Wars title.
We're only becoming more excited to see what this upcoming title from Visceral game's and EA is really all about. We're excited to see original chapters in the Star Wars universe in the same way that we're looking forward to seeing Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. What do you hope the new game brings to the galaxy far, far away?
