The Problem Nobody Wants To Admit About Star Wars Games
For Knowledge and Defence, NEVER for Attack. Except in Games.
Since the days of 1983's Star Wars: Jedi Arena for the Atari 2600, all the way through to 2020's Star Wars: Squadrons on PS4 and Xbox One, the worlds of Star Wars and video games have always gone hand in sliced-off hand.
System after system, generation after generation, fans have been treated to all manner of weird and wonderful Star Wars games spanning thousands of years in canon, and presented as everything from first person shooters to real-time strategy titles. Naturally, given the sheer volume and scope of Star Wars titles over the years, for every classic game beloved by fans and critics alike, there have been some absolute shockers - colossal failures which are more suited to the Sarlacc pit than a given fan's collection.
However, whether it's a retro shooter or modern adventure title under the microscope, there seems to be one major thing virtually all Star Wars games have in common: much like Han Solo, they seem to shoot first and ask questions later.
While this does undoubtedly make for great gameplay, has the action-heavy direction of Star Wars games limited the scope of the franchise over the years? Has it actually had a negative impact overall? And what does this trend mean for the future of Star Wars games?
Well, let's take a look.