My Reckless Speculation About Visceral’s Star Wars Game

E3, that wonderful week where new video games are announced, is quickly approaching. Many of the new AAA games have already been announced or leaked, but one that hasn’t been mentioned is the new Star Wars game by Visceral. So far, all we know is that Amy Hennig and Todd Stashwick have both signed on to work with Visceral on the game. The only other information  is that it might make an appearance during EA’s press conference as one of 6 games to be shown.

Keeping that information in mind, I decided that now was the perfect time for reckless speculation. The following are my ideas for elements that could be presented as part of this new Star Wars game. Some are more likely than others, but what matters is that I have absolutely no inside information. Join me in seeing how wrong/slightly correct I am!

Han Solo’s Story

Is there a character more beloved in the Star Wars universe than Han Solo? That suave, handsome smuggler can shoot or talk his way out of any situation, and he looks good while doing it. More importantly, Han Solo hangs out with the coolest sidekick and has a sweet ride for picking up ladies all across the galaxy.

Why would this make sense? Amy Hennig was the creative director for the Uncharted Series before joining Visceral, and Nathan Drake is similar to Han Solo in more ways than one. That style of hero would fit well with a Han Solo game, and it would take the focus away from those stuffy, boring Jedi. Additionally, Han Solo’s history was explored in a series of fantastic novels— which are no longer canon—so his story is ripe for telling. Just imagine playing as that dashing man for 12-16 hours. Fantastic.

1313 Reboot

Honestly, who doesn’t want to play Star Wars 1313? That E3 gameplay footage looked like an Uncharted game already, so Amy Hennig could take it over the top. Plus, I love the fact that it was supposed to be a Boba Fett game. I would dig playing as an awesome bounty hunter taking down scum on Coruscant.

How awesome would it be if they came out and announced that 1313 was being rebooted by Visceral for the new consoles with a new campaign? 1313 wouldn’t even have to be open world; it could be in linear levels, but with some open world trappings. To be completely honest, I just want to wander around parts of Coruscant. How cool would it be to wander through a market checking out the sites?

Set During Original Trilogy

This one is more of a personal preference, but I would love to see a game set in the Original Trilogy time period. Additionally, games like KOTOR and the Old Republic have covered the old time periods, and nobody wants to see a game set during Epiodes I, II, and III. Therefore, it would only stand to reason that Visceral’s Star Wars game should be set during the brightest period in the galaxy.

I don’t believe that the new game would be set after Episode VI, unless Visceral has inside access to JJ Abrams. It would make more sense for this new Star Wars game to be set during the events of Episodes IV, V, and VI. Plus, I just want to hang out with Lando. That guy seems like he would be the life of the party.

Some Form of Cooperative Play

This is probably the least likely item on the list, but Visceral does have some history with Co-op. Visceral created Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel, which featured split-screen, as well as Dead Space 3, which had online Co-op. Granted, The Devil’s Cartel was developed by Visceral Montreal, but you get my point. If you want to go back even further, Visceral also developed Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, which featured co-op play as well.

The inclusion of co-op does depend on the story and the creative direction, but it would be pretty cool to roam through a Star Wars game with a buddy. Visceral could even create a squad-based game that allows for multiple players. It probably won’t happen, but I would be so excited for a new split-screen experience.

New Jedi Powers

Although I doubt that Visceral will be creating a Force-based Star Wars game, I do imagine that they could create a unique game if they chose. The talent on that creative team could probably find fun, new ways to implement Force powers. Maybe, Visceral would even branch out beyond the standard push and pull powers.

One option for Visceral would be to create a game with a Jedi main character, but hopefully they would introduce a new hero instead of using the standards like Luke or Obi-Wan. Now that I think about it, Visceral could probably make a pretty cool Jedi game. They already have the technology to dismember characters that was used in Dead Space. They could probably make an ultra-violent game that heavily involved lightsaber mutilation. I would enjoy that.

All New Character With an Espionage Twist

Maybe, just maybe, Visceral will go off the books and make an entirely new game featuring an original character. Forget the Jedi, forget the regular heroes/villains, and create a new experience. My thought is an open-world game about a smuggler on Coruscant. You know, like a good version of Alpha Protocol.

This game could feature an up-and-coming smuggler out to make his fortune in the galaxy. Visceral could even use different hub worlds instead of going fully open-world. Obviously, being a smuggler would require the game’s hero to obtain multiple disguises and change his appearance. Imagine a mechanic similar to Hitman where the smuggler could knock out a Stormtrooper, steal his armor, and infiltrate a command center. Oh, and imagine the weapons you could obtain. Theoretically, a smuggler could gain access to a lightsaber, so ultra-violent combat would still be an option.

I Feel a Disturbance

So, there you have my reckless speculation about Visceral and their upcoming Star Wars game. Do you think they will give us any information about it during E3? How accurate/insane are my theories? Let me know in the comments.