Summary
TheStar Warsfranchise has always been a bit of a mixed bag. It may be sacrilege to say it out loud, but even the original trilogy has a handful of questionable moments thrown in, as do the prequels, as do the sequels. WithStar Warsdishing out so many movies, TV shows, comics, novels, and video games, it’s only natural that not all of them land. But even in those misses, fans can still find some shining moments.
That’s certainly been the case with themost recentStar Warsshow,The Acolyte. The first piece of live-action media set during the relatively new High Republic era,Star Wars: The Acolytefollows the story of a former Jedi Padawan who agrees to help her old Master track down a mysterious, murderous Force-user. ThoughThe Acolytehas received an exceptionally divisive reaction from fans and critics, it still had some incredible sequences, including one that should inform the entire tone of Quantic Dream’sStar Wars Eclipse.
Star Wars Eclipse Needs to Borrow The Acolyte’s Sudden Stakes
Star Wars: The Acolyte’s Deaths Have a Big Impact
Star Wars: The Acolytebegins with a pretty impactful sequence that seesAmandla Stenberg’s Oshakill Carrie-Anne Moss' Jedi Master Indara. After an intense bout of hand-to-hand combat, Osha brutally stabs Indara in the heart as she’s distracted trying to save a bystander. This moment effectively sets the darker tone that much ofThe Acolytefollows, and provides some high stakes right off the bat, proving that no one is safe.
While the next few episodes contain their fair share of deaths, it’sThe Acolyte’s fifth episodethat really sets the tonal bar not just for the rest of the show, but for any piece ofStar Warsmedia that now follows it. In episode five, the mysterious Sith that’s been teased throughout the season finally makes his debut appearance, and it’s one of the best inStar Warshistory.
Essentially a 30-minute-long action sequence, this episode ofThe Acolytebegins with this mysterious Sith massacring the Jedi team that’s been sent to apprehend Osha. While this Sith’s speedy murder of two relatively unknown Jedi is impressive, it’s the deaths of the main characters Yord and Jecki that are truly shocking. Up until this point, both Yord and Jecki had played prominent roles inThe Acolyte’s story, and their deaths come as a big surprise, especially with how brutal they both are. This sequence feels like the culmination ofThe Acolyte’s building tension and darker atmosphere, and it sets Qimir up as a Sith unlike any fans have seen before inStar Warslive-action.
Star Wars Eclipse Should Set a Similar Tone Throughout
Being set in the same general era, fans can probably expect to see plenty of similar imagery and themes across bothStar Wars: The AcolyteandQuantic Dream’s upcomingStar Wars Eclipse, but ifEclipseis going to borrow anything fromThe Acolyte, it should be its high stakes.Star Wars Eclipseshouldn’t be afraid to kill off its cast to heighten the game’s tension, and that should include main playable characters.
Quantic Dream’s past games have all revolved around the player taking control of several main characters, and making certain decisions that drastically affect their story.Star Wars Eclipseshould take this one step further, and allow its main characters to die due to the player’s actions. According toQuantic Dream’s VP of Marketing Lisa Pendsein September of last year, that might be exactly whatStar Wars Eclipseis offering, as according to her, “Anyone can die, anything can happen and the story sort of continues.” This statement seems a bit general and even a little uncertain, but Quantic Dream should lean into this darker tone and high-stakes narrative as much as possible.
Star Wars Eclipse
WHERE TO PLAY
FROM AWARD-WINNING INDEPENDENT STUDIO QUANTIC DREAM AND LUCASFILM GAMEScomesStar WarsEclipse™, a new action-adventure, multiple-character branching narrative game set in the High Republic era of the iconicStar Wars™ galaxy, now early in development.Weave a tapestry of interlaced destiniesSee 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 originalStar Wars™ storyWith 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 RimIn 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?
