Mashing together Uncharted with Star Wars, in concept, sounds like a no-brainer mashup for an excellent video game. When LucasArts was still around, many of the more ambitious Star Wars video game adaptations focused on unique gameplay and niche aspects of the Lucasfilm universe; ranging from The Old Republic to Republic Commando. While several of the more experimental projects did eventually see the light of day, other LucasArts games never quite saw the limelight before the studio was shutdown by Disney in 2013. One of these unceremoniously canceled titles was Star Wars: 1313, an action adventure title mean to be a gritty take on the Star Wars ethos.
Once Disney ceased all development projects with LucasArts closure almost a decade ago, Star Wars 1313 was left in a long dormancy before the game was essentially canceled, after years of no news. A spokesperson with Disney had mentioned that an outsourced licensing deal could've revived the game, but evidently that never came to fruition. That being said, in the years since the LucasArts studio's closure, tidbits of gameplay demos and trailers of Star Wars 1313 have come out, showcasing what could've been for the Boba Fett-centered Star Wars game. It's fascinating to look back on a game with such potential that never saw release.
Star Wars 1313: A Fate Undeserved
There are plenty of canceled games out there, many of which are equally lamented for there cancellation, but Star Wars 1313 is a special case. Gameplay of Star Wars 1313 always seems to find a way of resurfacing, reminding players of what could've been. First revealed at E3 2012, Star Wars 1313 was meant to be an action adventure game akin to Uncharted in the Star Wars universe; which was particularly exciting considering how popular the Uncharted games had been in the year prior. Even as early as last week, new footage of Star Wars 1313 resurfaced of an unfinished vertical slice of the game online, showing off new Boba Fett gameplay for the first time.
Unfortunately, the game was canceled with the closure of LucasArts in 2013, which resulted in around 150 employees being laid off from the studio. While Disney had mentioned in an interview with Game Informer that the IP could be revived and licensed to a new studio if interest was expressed, that never happened for Star Wars 1313. Since members of the original development team moved on to their own separate ways, the game was "effectively dead" according to Kotaku's report on the news. The only evidence of Star Wars 1313's existence has been old footage of demos and trailers uploaded online by anonymous sources, but nothing beyond that.
It's Surprising A Game Like Star Wars 1313 Doesn't Exist
While the game's development was likely fractured with the closure of LucasArts anyway, it is a little surprising that Star Wars 1313 was seemingly never revived, in one way or another. Whether the game resurfaced as Star Wars 1313, or under a different name or separate project, the concept of an action/adventure Star Wars game with similar Hollywood-esque set piece design to Uncharted seems like a no-brainer idea. Obviously with the legacy of the films, Star Wars lends itself well to that kind of game. Plus, the gameplay previews and trailers of Star Wars 1313 almost served as a proof-of-concept for this idea, which still remains true to this day.
Comparable games like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order or The Force Unleashed could also emphasize good Star Wars set design in video games can go a long way as well. Examples like the Vader fight in The Force Unleashed, or the train sequence at the beginning of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, also prove that there's room to iterate on a Star Wars game with the same pomp and circumstance as the Star Wars films. Despite focusing on the well-trodden Jedi aspects of the Star Wars universe, these games still emphasize that Star Wars games still have plenty of room to grow in the action/adventure genre, and a game like Star Wars 1313 hasn't released in years.
Of course, considering Star Wars 1313 was planned to be centered on bounty hunters in the slums of Coruscant, plenty of inspiration could be drawn from the Disney+ Star Wars shows. The Mandalorian and Book of Boba Fett have had their fair share of impressive set pieces and moments as well, all of which could be adapted into video game format as well. Even Respawn Entertainment's upcoming Star Wars FPS could focus on action set pieces and iconic action sequences that would've fit well in Star Wars 1313, or at least scratch a similar itch.
Perhaps one day, with EA's Star Wars exclusivity ended, a game like Star Wars 1313 could capture that same magic.
Star Wars 1313 was canceled upon LucasArts' closure in 2013.