Coming into 2023, news on Ubisoft’s upcomingStar Warsgame is still scarce. Developed by Massive Entertainment using the Snowdrop engine, this title is intended to be an open worldStar Warsadventure featuring an original cast and customizable main character. Apart from being able to seamlessly traverse the galaxy in a way that sounds similar toNo Man’s Sky, not much else is known. What looked like a recent hint at a 2023 window was quickly clarified, which makes sense considering that developer Massive Entertainment has its hands full withAvatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
That puts thisStar Warsgame in a rather awkward position. Not only will it probably follow up a somewhat mystical sci-fi open world game from the same studio, but it’s also coming on the heels of massive, genre-defining epics likeElden RingandThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In addition, the recentLEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagaaccomplished the galaxy-roaming open world that Ubisoft is advertising, and their shared franchise invites comparisons. Massive Entertainment’s upcomingStar Warstitle will need to learn from the best if it wants to stand a chance, and a great place to start is withBreath of the Wild.
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Zelda’s Sheikah Slate Is A Gold Mine of Ideas
One need not look too far to see howThe Legend of Zelda’s first open world venture can teachStar Wars' latest.Breath of the Wild’s open world design is an achievement few can match, but there are some other mechanics that are more relatable and in line withtheStar Warsbrand. Specifically, an open worldStar Warsgame could benefit from a Force power layout similar toBreath of the Wild’s Runes.
Right from the beginning ofBreath of the Wild, the player is handed a Sheikah Slate and instructed to gather its magical Runes before they can proceed. Said Runes go on to serve as the player’s most reliable tools in any situation. Bombs and Cryonis have their uses, but Magnesis and Stasis allow Link to directly interact with his surroundings and manipulate them. It’s not hard to seeForce Push and Force Stasiswork in similar ways, and with a few more Force powers to fill out a set, players could be looking at aStar Warsgame with a unique identity and a lot of flexibility packed into its mechanics.
The Force Compliments Zelda’s Magic Well
The result could play out somewhat likeLEGO Star Wars, but with a lot more fine control over physics objects in environmental puzzles. A bit ofHalf-Life 2could creep in, with players moving large objects to create their own makeshift weapons or platforming opportunities.Star Wars’ Forceallows for greater displays of power than that of Magnesis or Stasis, and finally fulfilling the promise ofStar Wars: The Force Unleashedby dynamically tossing around starships would be cathartic.
On the topic of doing something different with Runes,BotW’s sequelTears of the Kingdomshows even more possibilities. Each one of its four revealed abilities could be a game all to its own, but there is some merit to examining the effects of these powers. Ascend could be interpreted as a traversal mechanic and matched with Force Jumps, and Recall could turn into an investigative tool where visions show an object traveling to its current location. Enabling the player character to remotely turn on technology could add another angle toZelda’s Ultrahand power, and tieStar Wars’ futuristic setting into the mechanics. By design, there’s a lot of flexibility inBreath of the Wild’s abilities, and an open worldStar Warsgame can’t go wrong by drawing inspiration from them.
Ubisoft’sStar Warsgame is in development.
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