Summary
Not every gaming franchise’s lore or continuity has been beholden to sacred linearity, with many choosing to retcon or simply reboot lore with huge overhauls or otherwise inexplicable lapses.God of Waris one particular franchise that has certainly glossed over a monumental lapse in how Kratos was not only able to survive afterseemingly being slain at the end ofGod of War 3, let alone find his way to another mythological plane entirely. That said,Star Warslore likes to have a concrete and discernible continuity that Quantic Dream’sStar Wars Eclipsemight be uprooting.
Especially with different corners of popular culture being dominated by multiversal storylines now, it’s becoming more difficult to tell one continuity apart from another.Star Warshas never truly had this problem, though, having its canon firmly established with anything not included in it being secluded to itsLegendsor Expanded Universemonikers now.Star Warshas since held to this and crafted its timeline around certain events meticulously, which is whyStar Wars Eclipsemight be a rejuvenating change of pace for the iconic brand whenever it ends up releasing.
RELATED:Rumor: Star Wars Eclipse Leak Narrows Down Release Date [UPDATE]
Star Wars Eclipse is Sticking to What Makes Quantic Dream Unique
Quantic Dream’s games aren’t known for being the most mechanically innovative or impressive. Instead, where games likeDetroit: Become Human,Beyond: Two Souls, orHeavy Rainare most interesting is in their approach to branching narrative paths triggered by the player’s actions—commonly thrown at players through QTEs and other rapid prompts—and dialogue choices.
The whole idea is that entire events can spiral into a narrative path that is only possible through a particular sequence of preceding events, and split-second choices can mean the life or death of a character. There are obviously ways to steer the game in the direction players would like, yet knowing that there are so many cutscenes, events, and lines of dialogue that players could miss out on in a single playthrough gives Quantic Dream games a ton of replayability.
That’s why ifEclipseis going to have Quantic Dream’s signature branching narratives, then this will be the first time in a long while thatStar Wars’ story and events will be determined by the player’s actions rather than being fully scripted in order to adhere to the overarching lore it belongs to.Star Wars Jediand the upcomingStar Wars Eclipseare games that seem stuck with narratives that need to neatly align withStar Warscanon, for example, whileEclipsewill hopefully be profound in its ability to honor Quantic Dream’s traditional emphasis on player choice.
Star Wars Eclipse Having Branching Narratives Upends Traditional Star Wars Canon
IfEclipseis allowed to make massive branching paths that wholly disregardStar Warscanon, it would be incredible to see suchiconic characters as Yodaperish due to a decision the player has to make. Knowing that it wouldn’t be following canon events to the letter givesEclipsea tremendous amount of freedom that would be squandered if similar choices couldn’t be made, and thus the player’s actions would truly ripple through theStar Warsuniverse, even if it would never have an actual effect onStar Warslore beyondEclipse.
That would makeStar Wars Eclipsegenuinely exciting in an IP that has grown too comfortable with its classic iconography and fans’ nostalgia and make replayability a wonderful tool for seeing what different outcomes could look like. Moreover, sinceEclipseis apparently taking more time in the oven to bake in an effort to expand its gameplay mechanics,Eclipsemight be a Quantic Dream game that ushers in a new era of cinematic interaction in games as well as aStar Warsgame that can truly be unique and dynamic in a way that others haven’t been.
Star Wars Eclipseis in development.
MORE:Star Wars Eclipse Dealing with Politics of the High Republic Could Show a Different Side of the Galaxy
