Just in time for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Steam is offering up 14 Star–Wars-related games for the low price of $23 USD, and you know what? I'm not interested in a single one of them. And look, it's not just me. None of these games have more than 900 current players, according to Steam.
Some of these games were good in their time (Star Wars Battlefront II, Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel), but these have long outlived their effective lifespans, and we haven't had a decent replacement since, and those games were popular for a few years only to all but disappear shortly after. It's worth noting
We had The Old Republic in 2011, which did get mostly positive reviews, but that might represent one of the biggest disparities between gamers and the games press. Its 85 aggregated Metascore was accompanied by its unfortunate nickname "TOR-tanic," as it was known among gamers, who had to deal with its bugs, poor gameplay and subscription nonsense. The Old Republic would go free-to-play within a year and disappear from the public consciousness within two.
Then last year, we had the Star Wars: Battlefront, which, given the success and adoration of its predecessors in the Battlefront series, had high expectations that, by all accounts, it failed to meet. Word on the street is that Battlefront's new content, that ties in closely with Rogue One, is pretty good, and EA has even more in mind for the future of the franchise.
But right now? We basically have nothing but a sub-par list of outdated-at-best Star Wars games for an albeit ridiculously low price.
It's worth noting that this return to Star Wars cinema has re-ignited the LEGO Star Wars games, and last year's LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens was well-received by both critics and fans alike. But are LEGOs really the only lens through which we can create and experience a great Star Wars game? I refuse to accept that.
And what could possibly be so difficult about making a great Star Wars game with modern technology that isn't in the form of freaking children's toys? Star Wars is perhaps the richest deposit of creative possibilities, and games like Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor & Alien: Isolation have showed that movie tie-ins can be good. Heck, even Friday the 13th: The Game looks pretty good, and lord knows Crystal Lake isn't nearly as deep as the galaxy far far away.
If they can do it, why not Star Wars?
