The Star Wars movies have a lifelong bond with the video game industry. Star Wars games have reached just about every genre, from classic platformers to modern first-person shooters, evolving with the gaming community from the very beginning. Like most video game adaptations of films, the vast majority of these games have tied into the films in one way or another. They all try to embody some of the best aspects of the franchise, whether it's wielding the Force or piloting an X-Wing, and they're often successful in accomplishing as much.
Although it seems like there's been more Star Wars games lately, there are some films that haven't gotten their fair share of video game adaptations. The video game industry was a little different when the first two trilogies of Star Wars films were coming out, and pumping out unimpressive movie tie ins was a routine occurrence. Much more is expected from developers these days, and recent releases like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order are a big indication of that. This doesn't mean all is lost however, as there's always still a chance that certain films could be made into big budget game releases in the future.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
When Disney took over Star Wars and decided to produce more films for the franchise, part of its plan was to create Star Wars spinoffs. These would be different from the episodic films, and tell "smaller" stories in comparison. The first such film to get this treatment was Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. This film told the story of how the Death Star plans were stolen by the Rebellion, and it was received well by a decent portion of the fanbase. Although this movie did get some attention in the 2015 Star Wars Battlefront, it has the potential for so much more.
The main narrative of Rogue One centered around two things: the team dynamic of the Rebels and the gripping heist of the Death Star plans. This would set a Rogue One game up perfectly for something reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto or the Payday series. Players could take up the role of one of the six members of the Rogue One team, and each character could have their own special abilities based on what they did in the films. The game's main story could have players pulling off all sorts of heists at different Imperial installations, and teamwork would be key in order to make sure everything goes off without a hitch.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
The second, and slightly more controversial spinoff Star Wars film was 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story. This film may have been criticized for giving a story that not many people asked for, a Han Solo origin story, but the film did still have some redeemable qualities. Donald Glover's portrayal of Lando Calrissian was one of the fan-favorite performances from the film, and scenes like the Kessel Run sequence were some of the most visually stunning in the whole franchise. A game set during this film would have to do a lot of heavy lifting in order to entice Solo detractors, but making it a worthwhile experience wouldn't be impossible.
Similar to Rogue One, a Solo game could also lean towards heist oriented gameplay. In order to make this experience unique however, drawing on different inspirations would be necessary. Due to the high-speed, smuggling nature of Han Solo's younger years, a game centered on this era could take a third-person action game approach similar to that of Uncharted. Players could play as Solo as he treks from planet to planet, swindling people in games of Sabacc or racing them for as many credits as possible. With Chewbacca at the player's side, it could end up being a sort of sequel to Solo that many fans have been asking for.
The Sequel Era
One of the most divisive aspects of the Star Wars franchise in recent years is the sequel era. Episodes seven through nine have ushered in a new era of Star Wars storytelling, but some of that storytelling has faced some backlash from fans. Whether it's Han and Luke never reuniting or Finn's character being rather underused, the sequel era films are going through almost exactly what the prequels experienced. But now that the trilogy is over, there's a chance that some games based on the era could redeem it somewhat.
The sequel era Star Wars films have really only been touched on in the LEGO Star Wars games. Although those games have their charm, more could be done to expand on the stories told in the movies. For instance, a large period of time passes between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, and it's assumed that Rey has done a large amount of Jedi training during this time. A game set between these movies would do a lot to fill in the gaps of the sequel era, and help explain Rey's progression as a Jedi more thoroughly. Gameplay could be similar to Jedi: Fallen Order, and give players a chance to play as Rey as she searches for Jedi relics throughout the galaxy.
The future landscape of Star Wars games is starting to look more and more ambitious. A sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is currently in the works, and Lucasfilm Games' recent partnership with Ubisoft has many fans buzzing about what the developer has brewing. Although there's no known plans to turn these films into their own video game in the near future, that doesn't mean they'll never happen.