You know what’s weird? I can’t think of a bad Star Wars game.
Honestly, I thought there were more. But looking back on my gaming history, I have very fond memories of Rogue Squadron, Pod Racing, KOTOR, Republic Commando, Battlefront (1&2), Jedi Academy, and even all but the last half hour of KOTOR II. Yet when they announced “Star Wars 1313,” my first thought was “Oh. Well, all we can do is hope it’s good.” Which was completely unjustified. I think the reason that thought popped into my head was because the game’s announcement came hot on the heels of my playthroughs of “The Force Unleashed” and “The Old Republic.” Both of which I didn’t enjoy only because I wanted them to be something they weren’t: KOTOR. And let’s be fair, not much could live up to that game.
So when LucasArts closed down and “Star Wars 1313” was cancelled, I didn’t feel too bad. It sucked, but I didn’t mourn the loss. At least not until today, when new details about the game – as well as a few pieces of concept art – surfaced over on IGN. It’s only now that I realize that there was a bigger chance that “Star Wars 1313” was going to be great than there was of it being a flop. And I really feel like I’ve missed out on something because of its cancellation.
You were going to play as Boba Fett. Seeing that sentence in past tense stings a little already, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, it gets worse. Because the concept art for the game was stunning:
Image Credit: IGN
The game was set between the prequels and the original trilogy, so we would have seen Fett’s armor evolve as the game when on, eventually becoming something more like what we all know and love. The picture above is from very early on in the game, set on Tattooine, but the majority of the action would have taken place on the multilayered planet of Coruscant, specifically on level 1313, which is where the game gets its name.
Image Credit: IGN
Level 1313 is controlled by several different crime families, and it would have been interesting to see the Star Wars Mafia in action. As Fett worked with them to complete his bounties, his hunt would have eventually led him to the dark and forgotten level 1314, which I’m guessing would have been an opportunity to show off a creepier side of the planet.
I love the idea of cruising around a seedy metropolis with a jetpack and flamethrower, doing what Boba Fett does best. But unfortunately it looks like the project will never see the light of day. The only real taste of the game we have is the one and only developer diary: