Last week had been a difficult one for me to handle. It was as if I had been told that I my childhood would have no advancement. Although, I had a feeling that Disney had something tricky up their “wizard’s” sleeve with Star Wars. I’m sure the news of LucasArts’ passing has been shared by many, yet, I’m not here to inform anyone. What I really would like to share are my own experiences. Games that I most remember from that time and things that I had hoped were going to happen in the next few years with games.
First ever LucasArts game?
Star Wars: Shadow of the Empire. It was a fantastic game. When I go back home from college, I plan to fire up my N64 and start playing it again. I always loved it, found it difficult, and it had been my first ever video game. The first week we had it, my father taught me how to play it. A week later, I was teaching him to how play games like that. There are times today that I wish that I hadn’t been as good as games as I was. My father said it was the reason it turned him off from playing them, which disheartens me. We could’ve been enjoying games to-date and played them together. Regardless of that, it was the first game that I had ever played. Being so little, I didn’t understand parts of the game. Such as, I was wondering the entire time why this guy that I was playing wasn’t in the films, or there was never a mention of him. I thought he was Han Solo (I was five people, little slack, hm?).
Favorite LucasArts Game?
It’s a mix between Empire at War, and Bounty Hunter. Bounty Hunter was one of my favorite games because I got to do something that I hadn’t done ever: Be someone other than a person holding a lightsaber. Hence the origins of my first game, Shadows of the Empire. The idea that someone with nothing special about them, other than their skills that they’ve honed over years was an appeal to me. About Empire at War, I still play this game to-date from time to time. Fighting off hordes and hordes of enemies while attempting to win the galaxy was tons of fun. Dream game that I always hoped to play? A Battlefront game mixed with an Empire at War like game. How awesome would that be? Playing an RTS and when you go to scale it down to the actual battles, you’re off fighting like Battlefront and you’re controlling a grunt to help win (or save) the galaxy for your leader. I would have loved to have seen this.
Favorite Company
Bioware threw out a wonderful game with LucasArts. KOTOR is by far my top RPG that I’ll ever play. Not just because of the Star Wars aspect. It was my first ever RPG before I had been introduced to both Mass Effect and Dragon Age. KOTOR had been my first steps into a greater world. While KOTOR 2 was my first game to play of the duology, I adored KOTOR much more because of how open it was. While KOTOR 2 had the appealing factor of being darker, and much more thrilling KOTOR gave it that perfect Star Wars sense. The kind we all want to experience as kids.
Future Hopes for the Games
I was hoping for a lot more games like Star Wars 1313. Darker, much more menacing, I had wanted to see LucasArts start tipping out of the norm that was Star Wars. To go a bit farther than what they’re use to. To show an intent to go beyond the standard “let’s keep it for everyone” was really extraordinary to see. I had wanted to see a darker Star Wars, I had wanted to see something that was realistic that you sometimes get in the books. If you’ve ever read some of the books that are out there, a few authors attempt to explore those shadowy regions of Star Wars that few game developers or film makers dare to go. I wanted to at least try it out on a game.
While Star Wars will forever be with me, Star Wars loses something amazing that it always will remember. That we gamers will always remember. LucasArts may have been shut down as a studio, I hope that other game developers want to create these amazing games. That’s the best that we Star Wars fans can hope for. If other developers out there want to do something, make it memorable. That’s we, as fans are looking for!
Also: Today, it has been announced that Batman: Arkham Origins has been confirmed! Awesome stuff! Batman is where it is at. Check it out here – Batman: Arkham Origins Article
