Original Jedi: Fallen Order pitch sounds like Boba Fett game
Respawn Entertainment reveals that one plan for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order didn't include Jedi, and instead, focused on bounty hunters.
11th Apr 2023 14:59
Respawn Entertainment | Disney
Original Jedi: Fallen Order pitch sounds like Boba Fett game
Respawn Entertainment reveals that one plan for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order didn't include Jedi, and instead, focused on bounty hunters.
11th Apr 2023 14:59
Respawn Entertainment | Disney
There have been some great (and not-so-great) Star Wars games over the years, and alongside Knights of the Old Republic 2, most can agree 2019's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is the cream of the crop. However, could we have had a completely different game?
Set in that sweet spot between trilogies, Fallen Order followed Jedi outcast Cal Kestis, who joins the ever-growing ranks of Jedi that survived Order 66. Apparently, the saber-swinging series nearly didn't feature Jedi at all. Confusing, considering it's literally called Jedi: Fallen Order.
What was the original pitch for Fallen Order?
Speaking to The Guardian ahead of the release of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Game Director Stig Asmussen gave some insight into how the game came together. "It's a big process...we wanted to do third-person action adventure, and we wanted to have a Jedi with lightsabers. And then they're like – wait.
"At that point, to Lucasfilm, the Jedi are like the holy grail. I mean, it's something that they’re probably the most protective of, except for maybe Baby Yoda," added Asmussen. "So we had to kind of earn that.
"We had to go through a whole process of, why do you want it to be a Jedi? What do you want to do with the Jedi? They were really uncomfortable with Jedi, and they said, 'Let's reset this. Let's call this character a force user.'"
As for how things evolved, Lucasfilm suggested that Fallen Order focus on a bounty hunter or smuggler. Given the many rumours of a Mandalorian game and the canned Star Wars 1313, it's easy to imagine either of these scenarios. Still, we doubt it would've been such a hit if Cal had been a beskar-clad antihero.
What happened to Star Wars 1313?
Even though it never came to pass, we're big fans of what we saw of Star Wars 1313. Following Boba Fett as he navigated the criminal underworld of Coruscant on Level 1313, you would play as a random bounty hunter, only to be assassinated during an early twist - leaving Fett to take over as the playable character.
Some early footage leaked online last year, where we pitched how an open-world Mandalorian video game could bring back those scrapped concepts. Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy has always maintained that no good idea is left behind, however, we haven't heard from 1313 since it was scrapped in 2013.
As for the Jedi series, it's struck out on its own as a Star Wars-esque Soulslike that is already getting rumblings of a trilogy. After rounding off Cal's story, we say Respawn should turn its attention to a Mando video game. Sounds like a license to print Galactic Credits.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
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