The Game Awards 2021 is known for its world premieres, and 2021's big night was no exception. Quantic Dream unveiled an upcoming, hitherto unknown title set in a galaxy far, far away. The Star Wars: Eclipse teaser served up everything fans could want from a Star Wars title: lightsaber combat, dogfighting, intersteller intrigue, exotic alien locales, and a side of taiko drumming.
Eclipse will also seemingly be the first video game set in Star Wars' High Republic Era - a setting Disney has primarily developed via books and comics. But Quantic Dream's sharp-looking trailer raises the awkward question of what Eclipse can do that other upcoming Star Wars titles can't. Even though Quantic Dream has garnered attention for Detroit: Become Human and Beyond: Two Souls, recent Star Wars titles have offered gripping stories with excellent execution. Eclipse will have even stiffer competition from the return of another game set in a similar-sounding era.
Plenty of Star Wars Games to Come
The long-anticipated follow-up to Respawn's Jedi: Fallen Order will likely satisfy action fans with its blend of Uncharted-esque exploration and Souls-lite combat. While the title tells its cinematic story beautifully, it's easy to see how a narrative-driven game from Quantic Dream could scratch a different itch. But Fallen Order 2 isn't the only other Star Wars title on the horizon, as fans also have Ubisoft's open-world title.
The recently announced Knights of the Old Republic remake will likely hold major sway with fans of the original and newcomers alike. Its narrative is an important touchstone in the series' pre-Disney Legend's canon, and one of the highlights of the original game was the degree to which players could interact with their crew. On top of being an excellent BioWare RPG, it was also a character drama where the player got to call all of the shots.
A Question of Genres
It is important to note that the High Republic is a distinct setting from the Old Republic, though it is hard to imagine what different kind of narrative opportunities it will afford. While the trailer was visually impressive, with a less obviously branded opening than many other Star Wars teasers, it still felt like a Star Wars trailer. The only hints at the game's plot are a slow eclipse, alien diplomats in cityscapes which could be Naboo and Coruscant, and drummers performing for a humanoid being emerging from a tar-like substance.
Quantic Dream titles like 2018's Detroit: Become Human have defied common definitions, operating in an area that is more mechanically complex than most of Telltale Games' work, but no less narrative-centric. The question is whether Quantic Dreams can stick to its same formula here, whether Star Wars is still fun without as much combat, and if not what can it show that's unique while maintaining their signature focus on narrative.
Force Sensitivity
One potential way Quantic Dream could distinguish Eclipse from the crowd would be to explore Force powers in a new way. While most Star Wars games focus on their utility for combat, few explore the vision-quest, jedi mindtricking, mysticism aspects. All of the other forthcoming titles are also guaranteed to feature the Force in some significant capacity, but most will do so in an action-oriented capacity like Fallen Order 2, as a puzzle-solving tool-kit like in LEGO Star Wars, or as a means of character building and advancement as per the KOTOR remake, and likely Ubisoft's open-world title.
If Quantic Dream dedicates its attention to using the Force in a narrative capacity, Eclipse might offer fans a completely new Star Wars experience; something more subjectiv, and strange than what players are accustomed to. Though that is not to say Jedi should have all the fun. A similar focus on other non-combat systems like smugglers evading capture or playing Sabak for information, or imperial senators and Jedi councilors debating issues of importance, could offer similarly distinct dynamics.
Star Wars: Eclipse is currently in development by Quantic Dream.