The Star Wars universe is no stranger to video game adaptations, as the franchise can work with seemingly any genre. The intense lightsaber combat is perfect for action-based games, while space battles are well-suited for flight sims. Many Star Wars games have released over the years, but few have been met with as much critically acclaim as a certain RPG from Bioware. Now, that original title is receiving a full blown reimagining in the form of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake, slated to arrive on PC and as a timed PS5 exclusive somepoint in the far, far away future.
The era of remaking beloved gaming classics is in full swing, with titles like Final Fantasy 7 and Resident Evil 2 receiving their own fully-fledged revamps for modern consoles. It is not to undermine the exciting announcement of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake, but there are still numerous other Star Wars video games deserving of the same remake treatment. It is important to note, that while many of the following titles have had remastered ports in recent years, a remake would be for each game to have a complete face lift, from the ground up. From fast-paced racing to intergalactic bounty hunting, these are the adventures that deserve new life on current gaming platforms.
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
A multimedia project from the late 90's that incorporated a toy line, comic book run, and even a video game, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire carved its place into the overarching mythos with relative ease. Introducing a brand new protagonist in Dash Rendar, the plot takes place in between the fifth and sixth movies in the saga, chronicling a dark period in the Star Wars universe. Players visited iconic locations from The Empire Strikes Back, including the Battle of Hoth, while also exploring numerous fresh locations as well. While exploring, gamers faced off against renegades, bounty hunters, and freakish alien creatures.
Though the game was ambitious for its time, it is now 25 years old and is clearly showing its age. Launching early in the lifespan of the Nintendo 64 generation, graphics are blurry, controls are a bit slippery, and levels feel like a series of jumbled mazes at times. Updating the game to have smoother controls and upgraded visuals could bring the game closer to the original vision the developers probably had at the time, as Shadows of the Empire was only limited by the hardware of the day. It is hard not to get excited about the adventurous thrills of the Uncharted series being given a Star Wars makeover, something that this remake could certainly provide.
Star Wars: Dark Forces
For the longest time, video games were all about jumping around, collecting coins, and using wacky power ups while playing as colorful mascots. Then in 1993, a little game from id software called Doom completely changed the landscape of the industry. Ushering in the first person shooter boom, this new genre immediately cemented itself as a popular commodity, something which the Star Wars brand soon incorporated itself into. Playing as Kyle Katarn, a mercenary working on behalf of the Rebel Alliance, gamers uncover the new "Dark Trooper" program, a legion of new military forces being trained by the Empire.
While dubbed a Doom clone at the time, Star Wars: Dark Forces did introduce its own unique mechanics to the genre and sold well enough to warrant numerous sequels (becoming the Star Wars: Jedi Knight franchise). While still a fun game, it is also beginning to show its age like Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, as it was released all the way back in 1995. First person shooters have come so far since this game's original release, leaving plenty of room for a developer to improve upon this game's foundations.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter
The Star Wars prequels have been subject to criticism over the years, but there were many elements praised as bright spots from that trilogy of films. One standout character was Jango Fett, the father of Boba Fett and DNA donor for the creation of the Clone army. Jango Fett was such a notable antagonist in Attack of the Clones that he even received his own spin-off video game shortly after the film's release. The game was the usual third person shooter fare, but with a Star Wars coat of paint. What was most interesting about it was how it delved into the grungier side of the universe, showing the gritty side of bounty hunter deals and criminal underworlds.
This was long before the reveal of Star Wars 1313, a mature take on the universe that was sadly cancelled. It is a corner of the Star Wars mythos not often explored, and now there is an opportunity to bring things full circle. The game can adopt the cover based gameplay that Star Wars 1313 was aiming to deliver, fine-tuning the fast paced gunplay of being an intergalactic bounty hunter. Adding in missions that allow the player to pilot the Slave 1 ship would just be icing on the cake.
Star Wars Episode 1: Racer
First speeding its way into arcades, as well as the N64 and Dreamcast, Star Wars Episode 1: Racer did a commendable job of recreating the iconic Podrace sequence from the first chronological film in the saga. The sense of acceleration and momentum in the game is very well done, and even holds up well to this very day. While the title has received a remaster for modern gaming platforms, a true remake would be a special treat.
The hardware inside the PS5 and Xbox Series X is resulting in faster loading speeds and even more photorealistic graphics than ever before, something that can only help elevate an already polished gameplay experience. Gameplay footage for Gran Turismo 7 and Forza Horizon 5 indicate that racing titles are delivering on the promise to satisfy the need for speed like never before, something that an upgraded version of this classic Star Wars game would tap into.