The world of Star Wars gaming has been thriving off of rumors and speculation for some time now. Ever since Star Wars: Squadrons released last year, there hasn't been much content for fans of the galaxy far, far away. At the same time however, there's been more than enough news to get them excited nonetheless. One of the biggest pieces of Star Wars news from the last few months is that fact that a game based on The Mandalorian is supposedly in development, something that many fans have wanted since the show first aired.
While a game based on The Mandalorian would have plenty of potential on its own, it would also be in a unique position compared to recent Star Wars games. The franchise has yet to receive a major modern game that tackles life as a bounty hunter in one way or another, and it's not for lack of trying. Almost ten years ago, fans nearly got a game that would finally let them explore the seedy underbelly of the Star Wars galaxy in the form of the cancelled Star Wars 1313. The game's development and untimely abandonment is still a fresh scar to many fans, but a Mandalorian game could finally provide the experience that was promised with 1313 so many years ago.
The Tragedy Of Star Wars 1313
The story of Star Wars 1313 is one of the more frustrating things that Star Wars fans have had to come to terms with over the last ten years. Towards the end of LucasArts' status as a game developer, the company began production on a game that would be like no other piece of Star Wars media that had ever been seen before. There would be no Jedi as the central focus, instead focusing on the underground world of bounty hunters within the lower levels of the planet Coruscant. It would be a more mature game than what had been seen from Star Wars before, and it had the potential to change the landscape of the entire franchise.
Star Wars 1313 was shown to the masses at E3 2012, where it took the entire show by storm. The game looked incredible for the time, and it combined gameplay mechanics from Gears of War and Uncharted in a way that captivated nearly everyone who saw its quick reveal. 1313's trailer introduced a story from the perspective of an upstart bounty hunter traversing through the cramped spaces of Coruscant's underworld, something that had rarely been touched on in Star Wars up to that point. It showed a lot of promise very early on, but all of that potential would soon be wasted.
Just one year after Star Wars 1313 was revealed to the delight of many, Disney purchased Lucasfilm and halted all production on any in-progress Star Wars projects. Soon after, the majority of LucasArts' staff was laid off to prioritize the company for licensing, and Star Wars 1313 was completely shut down. Ever since then, there has been no sincere indication that the game will ever see the light of day. What looked like a nearly finished, unique Star Wars experience slipped through the fingers of so many fans, and it's a disappointment that few have forgotten about.
How The Mandalorian Can Pick Up The Pieces
The cancellation of Star Wars 1313 was so crushing to some fans, it's difficult to think of any game that could live up to the hype that it created. The game represents a different era of Star Wars than what fans have now, so it would take a lot to really fulfill the promises of so long ago. Luckily for the rumored Mandalorian game however, it just might have all the right tools to exceed the expectations of those that still hold on to 1313's legacy.
Considering the fact that the Mandalorian game is still just a hopeful rumor, it's hard to say what will come of the game if it is ever made official. Nevertheless, the very idea of the game still holds a lot of potential based on what we've seen from the show. One of the many promises that LucasArts made with 1313 is that it would give players a suite of weapons and gadgets to use throughout their adventures. The Mandalorian has already shown off a number of Din Djarin's various tools for bounty hunting, and any of them could be used to deliver a similar experience to what 1313 hoped to accomplish.
In addition to meeting gameplay expectations, much of 1313's hype was built on the fact that the main protagonist would be a young Boba Fett, and players would be able to carve out his early career as a bounty hunter. This added a heavy layer of star-power to 1313, and the rumored Mandalorian game could rise to popularity on the same principle. Although it would make more sense for the Mandalorian project to take place before Grogu is part of the story, Din Djarin is a charismatic enough character on his own to carry the game. It would still be disappointing not to get a dedicated Boba Fett game, but the Mandalorians in general or renowned enough that it would be better than nothing.
Star Wars fans may never get the true closure of having Star Wars 1313 realized, but the rumored Mandalorian game has the potential to make up for its cancellation. The future of Star Wars gaming is beginning to look brighter and brighter, with Ubisoft developing its own open-world game and EA redeeming itself on the success of Jedi: Fallen Order. While things may be pretty quiet with the franchise at the moment, if the Mandalorian and KOTOR rumors are to be believed, the fun could begin very soon for Star Wars fans.
A game based on The Mandalorian is rumored to be in development.