For over 40 years, the gaming world has been filled with hundreds of games inspired by the Star Wars films, books, and comics. While a few of these have taken place in time periods surrounding and even far before the prequel film trilogy, most have been centered around the original film trilogy and the climactic fight between the struggling Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire. Even today, under EA and Ubisoft developments, most Star Wars games have players fighting against Stromtroopers, Tie Fighters, and Darth Vader in some form. However, one upcoming game could upend this trend and allow players to fight enemies unrelated to the Empire: Star Wars Eclipse.
Star Wars Eclipse Explained
First revealed in the 2021 Game Awards, Star Wars Eclipse is a new Star Wars game currently in development by Quantic Dream, a French video game developer and publisher best known for producing story-focused adventure games such as Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human. While Eclipse was announced in 2021, little is known about how the game will play as it has repeatedly encountered setbacks in its development, such as the relatively recent departure of Star Wars Eclipse’s lead writer, Adam Williams. So far, only a cinematic trailer for the game has been officially released, though Quantic Dream’s Vice President of Marketing Lisa Pendse did confirm that Eclipse will feature branching narratives and multiple playable characters that could die at any moment.
In terms of setting and characters, little is still known about Eclipse’s exact story details, but what is known is that the game will be set in the High Republic era. First appearing officially in the 2019 audiodrama Dooku: Jedi Lost, the High Republic is both a time period and a publishing line for Star Wars. The official publishing line of High Republic books and comics first began in 2021 with the release of the novel Star Wars: Light of the Jedi. In universe, the High Republic is a golden era of both the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order, lasting from 500-100 BBY or ending 68 years before Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace.
Only one Star Wars video game has shown parts of the High Republic so far, that being Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Star Wars Eclipse’s Potential Villains
While the High Republic is a 400-year-long time period of relative peace for the Republic, there are still a lot of conflict opportunities for Quantic Dream to create or set its game in. Eclipse could be set during the rise of the Nihil Conflict around 232 BBY, wherein a legion of pirates with new hyperspace technology attacked and raided Republic and Jedi outposts in the Outer Rim. During the same time period, the Jedi additionally had to deal with new and old threats to the Force, such as the plant-like carnivorous Drengir and the Shrii Ka Rai, which could devour, petrify, and even induce hallucinations in Force users.
Star Wars Eclipse could even be set back further in the High Republic around 387 BBY during the Eiram and E'ronoh War. Here, the planets Eiram and E’ronoh continued to fight in a generational war while the Jedi attempted to ease tensions between the two planets as well as several religious organizations that opposed the Jedi and the increasingly expanding Republic. Meanwhile, other criminal groups continued to sow chaos in both time periods, such as the Hutt Cartel. However, Eclipse doesn't have to be set around either High Republic time period and Quantic Dream could create a new crisis in a new area of the galaxy in a new unexplored part of the High Republic era.
The Potential Gameplay of Star Wars Eclipse
No official gameplay of Eclipse has been shown yet but some potential enemies have possibly been shown, such as the Trade Federation, pirates, and an unknown army of alien troops. Based on the gameplay in prior Quantic Dream games such as Detroit: Become Human, Star Wars Eclipse could have players combat enemies through brief but visually complex quick time events. However, Quantic Dream could have players take part in brief, more complex gameplay scenarios throughout the game, such as starfighter battles or lightsaber duels against melee weapon wielding enemies. At the very least, players are most likely to encounter enemies the likes of which they haven’t seen before in other Star Wars games.
- Developer(s)
- Quantic Dream
- Publisher(s)
- Lucasfilm Games
- Franchise
- Star Wars
WHERE TO PLAY
FROM AWARD-WINNING INDEPENDENT STUDIO QUANTIC DREAM AND LUCASFILM GAMES
comes Star Wars Eclipse™, a new action-adventure, multiple-character branching narrative game set in the High Republic era of the iconic Star Wars™ galaxy, now early in development.
Weave a tapestry of interlaced destinies
See the galaxy through the eyes of an ensemble cast of multiple, charismatic playable characters, each with their own morality, personality, motivations, and impact upon each other and the story at large.
Compose an original Star Wars™ story
With all-new characters and environments, you have the power to make choices with consequences thanks to many outcomes in this deeply branching narrative.
Shape your fate in the Outer Rim
In an uncharted section of the galaxy with never-before-seen species and planets to discover, this part of the Outer Rim is rife with opportunity – and political tensions that could alter the fabric of peace. What will you do?
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
