Summary
- Star Wars games have evolved beyond Battlefront, with titles like Jedi: Fallen Order adding single-player, story-driven experiences.
- A game starring Grogu from The Mandalorian could offer a unique gameplay experience with a focus on force abilities and vulnerability.
- While a Grogu game presents risks to the established canon, it also has the potential to shake up the traditional Jedi-gunslinger dynamic.
There are several new Star Wars games in the works, including the Ubisoft-helmed Star Wars Outlaws and the curiously MIA Star Wars: Eclipse, but the franchise may want to take a new direction in the future, releasing a game that is a bit more experimental or off the beaten path. One interesting way to shake up the franchise's gaming presence would be to launch a game starring the ever-iconic Grogu from The Mandalorian; this concept has the potential to either lead to one of the best Star Wars games in recent history or fall on its face.
Star Wars has been expanding its gaming footprint over the past few years. For a significant stretch in the 2010s, the IP was best known in the industry for its Battlefront multiplayer games, but that repertoire has been growing, most notably with the Star Wars Jedi titles, which injected a bit of single-player, Uncharted-inspired action-adventure into the series' gaming sector. Something else to note about the Jedi games is the fact that they tie directly into the canon of the movies, books, and comics, as they feature characters like Darth Vader and Boba Fett, even though the stories of the games are only tangentially connected to the main Star Wars saga. Something similar could be accomplished with a The Mandalorian game, but it would be a bit of a tightrope act.
The Pros and Cons of Giving Grogu His Own Star Wars Game
A Grogu Star Wars Game Could Be a Major Experiment for the Franchise
A Star Wars game drawing from The Mandalorian lore doesn't seem too implausible, considering the success of the show and the franchise's apparent doubling-down on ambitious games. The obvious choice of protagonist for this game would be Din Djarin, the titular Mandalorian himself, but the game could stand out in just about every way if it chose the less pedestrian route and made Grogu the playable hero.
Generally speaking, there seem to be two distinct routes Star Wars games relegate themselves to when it comes to their protagonists: the hero can either be a Jedi or a gunslinging rogue similar to characters like Han Solo or Outlaws' Kay Vess. When considering a Mandalorian game adaptation, though, Grogu offers a decidedly unique option, as he is a character with exceptional force abilities but is otherwise mostly incapable. Putting him in the starring role in a Star Wars game would make for a strikingly unique experience, as players could leverage force powers of increasing capacity, but would be extremely vulnerable to physical threats and lack mobility.
There Are Many Risks Associated With a Grogu Star Wars Game
Star Wars Jedi proves that a Star Wars game experimenting with different genres, namely, Soulslike and Metroidvania, can pay off. However, the Jedi games draw from frameworks that have been long-established and fleshed out—a Grogu Star Wars game doesn't have this advantage, as it would need to go out on a limb with regard to its game design. Basically, there aren't many games that feature a playable infant with advanced space-magic powers. Creating this sort of gameplay foundation could prove difficult.
A game starring Grogu could also be a challenge for the overall Star Wars franchise, as it would inevitably impact the canon narrative of The Mandalorian and any spin-off movies or shows.
Putting players in the shoes of the physically underpowered but force-competent Grogu would require some creativity and risk-taking, but it may be worth it. Even great Star Wars games like KOTOR sometimes lean too heavily into the Jedi-gunslinger dichotomy, so a title that truly thinks outside the box could be a great thing for the interactive side of Star Wars.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Released
- April 28, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
The story of Cal Kestis continues in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor™, a third person galaxy-spanning action-adventure game from Respawn Entertainment, developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. This narratively-driven, single player title picks up five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order™ and follows Cal’s increasingly desperate fight as the galaxy descends further into darkness. Pushed to the edges of the galaxy by the Empire, Cal will find himself surrounded by threats new and familiar. As one of the last surviving Jedi Knights, Cal is driven to make a stand during the galaxy’s darkest times - but how far is he willing to go to protect himself, his crew, and the legacy of the Jedi Order?
Explore an Untamed Galaxy – Discover new planets and familiar frontiers in the Star Wars galaxy, each with unique biomes, challenges, and enemies. Master new skills, equipment, and abilities that will augment the ways you explore, fight, and roam. With larger areas to explore and more to discover off the beaten path, players who adventure beyond the horizon will find hidden rewards.
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Respawn Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Franchise
- Star Wars
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Soulslike, Sci-Fi
