Without a doubt, Star Wars is one of the most successful IPs of all time. Spanning a number of films, games, movies, comics, and pretty much any other medium one can imagine, the franchise has been a nerdy icon since the first movie’s release in 1977. Now, Star Wars: The High Republic is set to introduce fans to a new era of the Star Wars mythos, and if it translates to games, it could mean players get the best of both worlds.
There are two distinct parts of Star Wars. Since the Disney acquisition, there’s been a heavier emphasis on content surrounding the Skywalker Saga, showing the events of the Prequels onward to tell the tale of the Skywalker family and those wrapped up in it. Then there’s the expanded universe, which has largely been axed in the last decade, but still features characters fans know and love.
For a long time before the Disney acquisition, games like Knights of the Old Republic were releasing alongside full-fledged Star Wars movies. Though many were disappointed by the Prequel trilogy, fans still had solid expanded universe experiences to look forward to. That time has come and gone now, but the High Republic setting could bring it back.
The beauty of KOTOR was that allowed the developer’s imaginations to run wild simply because of how far removed it was from the mainstream timeline. It allowed the introduction of new characters like Darth Revan, who has become one of the most iconic characters in the Star Wars roster. The High Republic setting takes place about 800 years after the Old Republic and about 200 years before the events of the Skywalker saga, putting it in a similar position as the KOTOR era of Star Wars, in terms of what it can do with the narrative.
If another big Star Wars RPG were set during the High Republic era, players could potentially have the same journey from space-nobody to heroic Jedi or evil Sith, but have more freedom with ship types, or possibly even expanded lightsaber options. Introducing a wider variety of lightsaber types has been a big part of modern Star Wars, and while they haven’t all been popular among fans, it would still be an option many would appreciate. Letting players create a hybrid lightsaber-blaster set up not only implements some of the unique aspects from the franchise’s current iterations, but it could also add an extra layer to roleplaying.
The question is what Star Wars games would look like in the High Republic setting, especially under EA, which currently holds the video game license to the Star Wars franchise. Doubtlessly, fans would want to see some type of Knights of the Old Republic 3, perhaps reborn as Knights of the High Republic. The first game was developed by BioWare, which EA owns, so the pieces are in the right place, assuming EA was to proceed with it.
The problem is that, as it stands, there’s no indication EA or Disney is interested in pursuing the High Republic setting in a video game format, with novels based on the setting slated to release early next year, but with little else being announced. Of course, it’s possible that something has been put into motion that hasn’t been announced, but given what’s currently known, it isn’t certain if that’s the case, or even if it’s all that likely.
BioWare already has it’s hands full, with a rumored Mass Effect trilogy remaster and an Anthem overhaul in the works. The studios is massive, of course, so it’s possible that something could come out of the studio, but it’s difficult to say. The developer has lost some goodwill with fans after releasing Andromeda and Anthem back-to-back, though, so it may even be best for a High Republic game to come out of another studio.
If the games were going to enter development, it’d be years before fans got to play anything, likely landing somewhere around the middle of the PS5 and Xbox Series X lifespan. That might not be such a bad thing, though. Depending on how the early work in the High Republic novels goes, it may or may not be worth investing in an entire game. If it does work out well, though, the extra time may be enough to lay a better foundation for the High Republic setting, which would make the era feel more fleshed out by the time that a game is ready to launch.
Current Star Wars games, however, haven’t quite lived up to the expectations of most fans. While Battlefront 2 has evolved a lot since its debut, the meatiest game released by EA has been Jedi: Fallen Order, and while that game was generally well-received, EA doesn’t have much to show for its time with Star Wars.
No matter what, it does present a massive opportunity for whichever studio would be behind it. While EA has stumbled numerous times with Star Wars, it has learned a lot by doing so. It’s now managed to create games with compelling lightsaber combat, space combat, and large-scale battles. Those are all things that fans would want to see in a big new Star Wars game set in the High Republic era, along with intimate moments between characters.
It’s understandable that such a game would be a risk, but it’s something that could pay off big time for EA if it’s a success. The Disney trilogy of Star Wars movies, as well as the variety of other TV shows and media, has been met with a mixed reaction, but there are still some elements that could make for an interesting game, especially when coupled with the aspects of older Star Wars media.
For now, fans can only wait and hope that something big is announced. The new generation of hardware presents a major opportunity to give fans what they’ve been looking for with a shiny coat of paint – not to mention giving EA the chance to put it’s knowledge to use.
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