Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the action-adventure title from Respawn Entertainment and EA, launched in November 2019. Set five years after the fall of the Galactic Republic, the story follows a young Padawan as he attempts to avoid the Empire’s hunters. The Fallen Order subtitle refers to the Jedi themselves, who are now wanted criminals following Order 66.
Jedi: Fallen Order was a success, having the fastest-selling digital launch of any Star Wars game. There were some that doubted it could be, given EA’s recent focus on multiplayer Star Wars titles. There were even some who thought that the age of the story-driven Star Wars game was over. The success of Fallen Order proves otherwise, and in that success, it has re-opened a question that many Star Wars fans have been asking for years. Could this mean the return of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series?
The Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series, most often abbreviated as KotOR, contains some of the most influential Star Wars video games. Beginning with KotOR 1 in 2003, the series is set four-thousand years prior to the Star Wars films, and takes place in a time of galactic conflict. The Sith Empire battle the Old Republic and their Jedi Knight allies across dozens of star systems.
In the games, players take the role of a lone force-sensitive character thrown into the middle of this conflict. Many of the systems first popularized in KotOR have since become mainstays of the RPG genre; any fans of Mass Effect or Dragon Age couldn’t fail to see the similarities. The fully-voiced branching conversations, the roster of colorful video game companions, any two of which can accompany the player while they explore, and of course the morality system.
Though considered a staple now, the game’s morality system was almost unprecedented at the time. Players’ decisions would see them lean toward either the Dark or Light side of the Force. Committing to one of these paths unlocked special powers related to it, as did maintaining balance as a Grey Jedi.
Despite the success of its predecessors, the third single-player KotOR game never saw the light of day. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 3 was cancelled in 2004 due to cuts at the LucasArts studio. However, the KotOR story didn’t end there; in 2008, EA confirmed that it was developing a new MMO set 300 years after the end of KotOR 2.
Despite a rocky start, Star Wars: The Old Republic proved to be big success with MMO fans. The game brought many of the features of the KotOR series into a Massively Multiplayer landscape, though some critics complained that story nuance and emotional connection were lost along the way. Nevertheless, the game has received numerous major expansions and was reported to have generated almost $1 billion by October 2019.
Among some fans of the original KotOR, the popularity of The Old Republic is considered a negative for the series. This is because it left EA with no incentive to return the KotOR series to its single-player roots. However, the success of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order may well mark the return of that incentive. Fallen Order has proven that a single-player, story-driven Star Wars game can still be a lucrative option.
It’s been almost a year since Jedi: Fallen Order reignited these hopes of a return to the classic KoTOR series, and the next EA Star Wars game is already on the horizon. While it may not share many gameplay similarities, Star Wars: Squadrons does feature a story-driven campaign. Now fans must wait once again, until EA announces its next foray into the Star Wars universe, and hopefully it considers the return of this fan-favorite subfranchise.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is out now for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One with a release for Google Stadia planned later this year.
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