Since audiences were first introduced to Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and the rest of George Lucas’ galaxy almost 50 years ago, it’s become one of the most expansive works of science fiction ever made. Before Disney bought the franchise in 2012, it amassed a humongous universe of novels, comic books, TV shows, and games, and after rebranding the “Extended Universe” as the non-canon Legends banner, Disney got to work replacing it with its own sprawling canon.
Every Star Wars era has benefited from having its lore expanded by a larger media ecosystem, and a huge part of that has always been video games. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, based in part on Dark Horse’s Tales of the Jedi comic book series, is one of the most consequential expansions of the franchise ever made. But while that was set in the distant past, Disney’s games have focused more on familiar moments from the timeline, such as the original trilogy’s conflict or the rise of the Empire in the aftermath of the prequels. Many of the contemporary games have been good, but most share a common flaw, one less reflective of their individual quality than of the cohesion of Star Wars as a brand right now: none of these games have felt consequential to the larger franchise.
