After months of anticipation, Star Wars: Visions has finally released on Disney+. The experimental Star Wars anime series has quickly received praise from fans and critics alike, with many showing appreciation for the show's varied art styles in particular. One of the biggest surprises is just how experimental Star Wars: Visions is with the storytelling formula that the franchise has built itself upon. Each episode still has the themes of Star Wars at its core, but they're distinct from any other piece of Star Wars media.
It's becoming apparent that Visions is doing things with Star Wars that never would have been considered for a film up to this point, and it opens up a unique opportunity for the franchise moving forward. While fans may not get storytelling or visuals that are as bold as Visions in a film any time soon, there could be hope in the video game space. Star Wars games have been reasserting themselves in the industry, and while there's been success in games that provide a familiar experience, Star Wars: Visions should serve as motivation to push the envelope with future titles.
Freedom Outside of Star Wars Canon
Whenever a new Star Wars project is announced, be it a film, television series, or comic book, one of the first questions to come up is how it will affect the canon. The beauty of Star Wars: Visions is that it isn't tied to canon whatsoever, so it has the freedom to do whatever it wants without contradicting established storylines. If a Star Wars game took a similar approach, it could provide one of the most unique stories in the franchise's history. Games like KOTOR have already proven how Star Wars games can have incredible stories, and breaking free from the limitations of canon could open up untold possibilities.
Reinvigorating Star Wars Gameplay
If there's one thing Star Wars: Visions does well, it's introducing new ideas with classic Star Wars weapons. The lightsaber is the subject of most of this creativity, and it could be a huge catalyst for similar creativity in a Star Wars game. While running around as a Jedi has always been exciting, throwing in things like cinematic samurai duels could shake things up in a big way. Star Wars as a franchise is heavily inspired by classic samurai films, and if a game like Ghost of Tsushima is any indication, technical swordplay mechanics with a Star Wars coat of paint could have a lot of potential.
Breaking The EA Star Wars Stigma
For close to ten years, many Star Wars games have been the subject of criticism. When it comes to finding the source of these failings, critics and fans point toward EA's exclusivity deal with the franchise. While Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order received praise for its solid gameplay and story, it seemed like the one thing that EA has to show for a decade of opportunities. Now that projects like Ubisoft's open-world Star Wars game and the upcoming KOTOR Remake have been revealed, it seems there's a real chance for more creativity in Star Wars games.
Any number of developers could provide their own take on the franchise in the not-too-distant-future, and Star Wars: Visions could be a major source of motivation moving forward. Whether it's Square Enix or 2K, Visions could be the blueprint that repairs the Star Wars gaming reputation and builds an inspired future.
Star Wars: Visions makes a case for one of the most exciting experiments for the franchise as a whole. It tells bold stories with equally bold art styles, and it really shows how Star Wars can transcend art forms in a way that few other properties can. Time will tell if Star Wars: Visions is able to motivate a new level of creativity for the franchise that extends into video games.
Star Wars: Visions is out now on Disney+.