The landscape of Star Wars gaming is about to look very different in the near future. Early this year it was revealed that EA would no longer have full exclusivity to the Star Wars license, and that Ubisoft would be taking a shot at the galaxy far, far away. This news was mostly met with optimism and excitement, as many fans of the franchise have been disappointed by what could be considered a lack of content and ambition from EA. Although Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was a success for EA, there's great potential for Ubisoft to do something fresh with the franchise.
If Ubisoft plans to do something truly original, it could be beneficial to tell a Star Wars story that's different from what fans are used to seeing in video games. While Jedi-centric games like Jedi: Fallen Order or The Force Unleashed have often proven to be successful, other parts of the galaxy tend to take a backseat as a result. The constantly evolving nature of the Star Wars universe opens itself up to near limitless possibilities for storytelling, something that Ubisoft could use to its advantage. Although the Jedi are exciting, there are other parts of the galaxy that could make for some stellar games.
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If there's one group in the Star Wars galaxy that is most frequently relegated to cannon-fodder status, it's the clone troopers. For the longest time, these soldiers were simply seen as something to escalate the stakes and give a sense of scale to the "wars" in Star Wars. Much of that perception has changed however, and it's due in part to the last decade or so of Star Wars media. Clone troopers have seen a strong rise to prominence thanks to the emotional portrayal of their characters in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. If Ubisoft wanted to, it could take full advantage of this evolution and turn it into a captivating story.
In the history of Star Wars video games, there have been few that focus on the foot soldiers of the galaxy without introducing Jedi for some added flair. The one game that managed to pull this off was the recently rereleased Star Wars: Republic Commando, but there have been little to no other titles to take such a risk since. Now that the clones are more popular in the Star Wars community, revisiting the tactical shooter genre with a game that focuses on a new squad of clones could prove to be successful. Ubisoft has already demonstrated incredible talent with the shooter genre, and a Star Wars game influenced by Rainbow Six Siege or Ghost Recon could be promising.
Aside from the Jedi, one of the most intriguing aspects of the Star Wars franchise is the bounty hunters. From Boba Fett to the newly established Din Djarin from The Mandalorian, these characters highlight some of the most cunning and ruthless people in the whole galaxy. Some of the best stories in Star Wars center around bounty hunters, and if the success of The Mandalorian is any indication, they sometimes draw more attention than the Jedi. They may be a far cry from the Jedi's peacekeeping ideals, but bounty hunters may be just the thing that Ubisoft needs.
A game centered around bounty hunters could really go in a bunch of different directions. If Ubisoft wanted to harken back to some of the classic Star Wars games, it could provide an experience similar to that of Star Wars: Bounty Hunter. On the other hand however, Ubisoft could go full RPG and allow players to control their very own customizable bounty hunter. The story could see them climbing through the ranks of the galaxy's underworld, taking contracts and upgrading their gear along the way. Considering how much experience the developer has with stealth-based games, a Star Wars bounty hunter game with some elements of Assassin's Creed thrown in could prove to be a big hit.
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In the pantheon of legendary Star Wars characters, few are as recognizable as Han Solo and Chewbacca. The two smugglers turned rebels are the heart of much of the franchise, and their exploits highlight the excitement of being a scoundrel in the Star Wars universe. Much like bounty hunters, smugglers run counter to everything the Jedi stand for. They're a conniving bunch, but the excitement of their adventures would translate almost seamlessly to the world of video games. There hasn't been a dedicated Star Wars smuggler game since Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire introduced Dash Rendar, and it could benefit Ubisoft to end this drought.
Much like a bounty hunter game, a game focused on the smuggling world of Star Wars could take a few different approaches. If Ubisoft wanted to get as expansive as possible, it could go for a full open-world style game where players explore different planets in the galaxy. Players could customize their own ships and even take on companions to aid them in their journeys, similar to Knights of the Old Republic. There would be a lot of opportunity for big action sequences and moments where the player escapes danger by the seat of their pants, much like Han Solo in just about every original trilogy film.
There really is no telling what Ubisoft's Star Wars project is going to be like, other than the fact that it will be open-world, but it will likely be a nice change of pace for the franchise. EA's time with the license has been difficult to say the least, and many fans have been waiting for the day that the exclusivity deal comes to an end. Ubisoft is by no means perfect, but its track record of solid single and multiplayer titles should bode well for fans. It's likely that whatever the company is working on is still in the very early stages of development, so Star Wars fans will just have to remain patient until more details surface.
Ubisoft's open-world Star Wars game is currently in development.