Uncharted Creator and former Creative Director on Visceral’s Star Wars title, Amy Hennig, recently sat down with USgamer during the DICE Summit. Over the course of the interview, Hennig spoke about a number of things. As expected, her work with Visceral served as one of the more compelling topics. While she couldn’t divulge much, Hennig did share some of the difficulties the team faced, most notably with regard to the Frostbite Engine. Interestingly, she also noted that the project was “farther along” than people seem to believe.
To many, Visceral’s Star Wars appeared very Uncharted-like in nature. According to Hennig, such a conclusion is reductive, yet works in giving audiences something to envision. In addition, the comparison helps explain a few of the development challenges. For one, getting Uncharted-inspired gameplay to function within the Frostbite Engine, developed by Battlefield studio DICE, generated its own myriad problems.
Hennig told USgamer,
So I think Visceral was sort of beset with a lot of challenges. Even so, we were making a game; people have said it was an Uncharted Star Wars. That’s sort of reductive, but it’s useful because people can kind of visualize something in their head. But what that meant is we obviously had to take the Frostbite Engine, because there was the internal initiative to make sure that everybody was on the same technology, but it was an engine that was made to do first-person shooters not third-person traversal cinematic games. So building all of that third-person platforming and climbing and cover taking and all that stuff into an engine that wasn’t made to do that.
We did a lot of foundational work that I think the teams are still benefiting from because it’s a shared engine, but it’s tough when you spend a lot of time doing foundational stuff but then don’t get to go ta-da! [laughs] You know, here’s the game.
She also revealed that, despite popular belief, Visceral’s Star Wars project was pretty far along. What that means specifically isn’t clear; unfortunately, it’s likely to remain unclear for the foreseeable future. Hennig explained,
I wish people could have seen more of it because it was a lot farther along than people ever got a glimpse of. And it was good, you know? But it just didn’t make sense in EA’s business plan, ultimately. Things changed over the course of that time I was there. So you know, what can you do.
With Electronic Arts’ focus on producing projects that have a long tail after release, it seems generally linear, story-centric games wouldn’t fit the bill. Still, it’s a shame this particular title will never see the light of day, especially since it sounds like the kind of experience Star Wars fans have been eager to get their hands on.
[Source: USgamer]
Star Wars Games We Want
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Star Wars Rebels/Star Wars Clone Wars RPG
Okay, so we cheated and put two games in this first slot, but they fill the same niche. Both of these series are massive, expansive, planet-hopping adventures that would make for amazing RPGs. Think Mass Effect, but retain the signature art styles of the iconic Star Wars series.
Hard to say if I would trust BioWare with this one after Mass Effect: Andromeda, but what if we gave a studio like CD Projekt RED a chance? They've proven they can do licensed material very well with The Witcher, and Cyberpunk (another licensed property) proves they are adept at not only fantasy, but sci-fi as well.
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Coruscant Planet Builder MMO
Coruscant is the city planet, but how did it come to be? Where did all the buildings come from? What happens when new construction has to go in for new buildings?
This game might have to play a bit fast and loose with the lore and history of the planet, but it would be fun to get players around the world simultaneously building on top of each other, creating the multi-layered planet we see in the Star Wars universe.
The details are a bit hazy on this one, and it might be tough to work out the logistics, but we're not actually making the games here so I'm allowed to dream big.
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Smuggler Management Game
Star Wars is a universe filled with a seedy underbelly. Smugglers, bounty hunters, and other less-than-law-abiding characters roam the galaxy. What if you got the chance to manage your own empire of shady individuals?
It could allow you to set up trade routes, hire smugglers to run illicit merchandise, and put hits out on competition or those who rip you off. It could even cross over periodically with major Star Wars events to have those affect the galactic economy, or give unique missions to decide to either help the good guys or the bad guys. You can help shape the galaxy from the corners of a dark alley.
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Han Solo and Chewbacca Co-op Adventure
Think A Way Out. Connect these two characters inextricably, and allow people to bond as they play together. A couch co-op only game was a crazy thought for an original IP and it succeeded, so I can see people lining up to sit beside one other and play together as Han and Chewie get into a fair amount of trouble together. EA, can we trust you with this one?
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Star Wars 1313
We're well beyond four games now, but these are simply entries that have to exist on this list. Originally unveiled in 2012, Star Wars 1313 is the canceled(?) game that every Star Wars fan still wishes was happening.
It followed Boba Fett as he explored the 1313 level of Coruscant, unearthing a massive conspiracy. The game hasn't really ever been formally canceled, and execs at Disney have talked about looking at the material for the game--three years ago that is. It's a long shot, but we may just one day see the mature title finally produced.
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Knights of the Old Republic Revist
Okay BioWare, embrace your roots. Either give us KOTOR 3, or revisit this franchise in some way. Rebuild the first game for the modern generation (or maybe even next gen at this point). Not only were the stories from this era fascinating, but the gameplay was a lot of fun and set the stage for Mass Effect.
Do we still trust BioWare to return to KOTOR? Hard to say, but I know my excitement levels would be off the charts if another one was announced.
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Amy Hennig/Visceral Star Wars Game
Amy Hennig was let go and Visceral was disbanded as a studio when this game was canceled--or at least significantly changed--due to the perception that single-player games don't do well (God of War says hello).
I'd still love to see the original concept for this title come to fruition, rather than the multiplayer garbage fire that it is inevitably going to be turned into with EA's multiplayer focused approach. We've got Battlefront II for that.
