Further details are dripping into cyberspace regarding the new Star Wars: Maverick game that was first mooted at the beginning of March. The latest leaks have provided more screenshots of the game, and these show classic X-wing spacecraft alongside an Imperial Star Destroyer. The clues are there, and they strongly suggest the game will be set in the period following Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
In some respects, this is the most important period in the franchise’s timeline, and it approximately coincides with the period in which the animated Star Wars: Rebels series is set. It’s a period that’s been largely glossed over in the dozens of Star Wars games to be released over the years, so its release will be eagerly anticipated.
An ideal time for Star Wars gaming
Of course, given events in the real world, we’d love to give Maverick a try today – after all, most of us have time on our hands. Instead, we’ll have to satisfy ourselves with the extensive back catalogue of Star Wars themed games out there. There are around 80 officially licensed Star Wars games, and that figure doesn’t even consider the various freeware games that have appeared and disappeared over the years.
In other words, even if this lockdown continues for months and Maverick is delayed till next year, there’s really no reason to be bored. Here we’ve pulled out some very different examples. Each has its own loyal fan base – how many of them have you played?
Star Wars Dark Forces
When this first person shooter was released in 1995, there were those in the gaming community who wrote it off as a Doom rip-off. To a certain extent they were right, in that it unashamedly mined the basic game play. However, it also works in some subtle changes that actually make it a better game to play than id Software’s classic 1993 release. The ability to move your character in more ways and look up and down as well as around leads to a far more immersive experience.
Knights of the Old Republic
Some argue that games are superior to movies as they put you at the centre of the action as opposed to just watching from the sidelines. If you scoff at that notion, this RPG could make you think again. The game is set in a completely different timeframe, thousands of years before the events of the movies. It gives new depth to the Star Wars universe in much the same way as The Silmarillion did to Tolkien’s Middle Earth. If you want to explore what life was like in the days when Jedi Knights numbered in thousands or to learn the ancient secrets of the Sith, this is the place to do it.
Other game formats
Star Wars games are often about more than blowing away the forces of evil. For example, battling to save the galaxy is one thing. Battling to save the galaxy and potentially winning a pile of money is another! The world of online slots has literally thousands of titles these days, and there was a feeling of sadness when the Las Vegas casinos pulled the plug on the classic Star Wars slot. Fortunately, IGT has come to the rescue with a Star Wars slot game you can play online. With three different jackpots, there’s the chance to win big, while the simple layout is something of a tonic these days, where most slot games are impossibly complicated.
The franchise has also spawned a host of board games that include strategy challenges like Rebellion and Imperial Assault. Most intriguing, though, and a must-have for the franchise aficionado who has everything are the special Star Wars themed versions of Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit!
Whatever you choose to play, happy gaming!
