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Top 10 LucasArts Games We May Have Lost

Top 10 LucasArts Games We May Have Lost

On April 3rd, 2013, it was announced that Disney would be closing the doors of its newly acquired entity, LucasArts. It happened quickly, essentially dissolving the company overnight. As a development studio, LucasArts created many titles that hold an honorable place in the hearts of gamers, and as a publisher, they’ve overseen some great Star Wars titles. So this closure feels like the final nail in the coffin for many beloved series.

While a resurrection of any of these series isn’t entirely out of the question, it’s likely we’ll lose most (if not all) of these franchises to the overcrowded shelves of Disney Interactive. Here are ten game series we may never hear from again.

Star Wars: Jedi Knight

Star Wars: Jedi Knight

Arguably some of the best Star Wars games ever released, the Jedi Knight series made playing as a Jedi a powerful experience, as opposed to the underwhelming Jedi outings that had come before it. A blend of first- and third-person mechanics, interesting storylines, and online multiplayer support, the Jedi Knight games were a complete package.

The few technical issues aside, Academy and Outcast cemented a place for the series in the hearts of many gamers. While we are sad to see this game fall by the wayside, there is one small bright spot of hope: Series developer, Raven Software, has made the game open source, making it a possibility that we may see some fan-made Jedi Knight games down the road. Here’s to hoping.

Monkey Island

Monkey Island

In 1990, back when LucasArts was actually willing to stray from their Star Wars cash-cow, they created The Secret Of Monkey Island. It quickly became a fan favorite. Though it has been primarily delivered via the PC market, Monkey Island has been seen on PS2, and downloadable versions have been made available as WiiWare, Xbox LIVE, and PSN titles.

Throughout its existence, the Monkey Island name has been slapped across four games, the last of which being a five-part episodic adventure co-created by Telltale Games. With Telltale’s growing notoriety, it seems possible that we may yet see another Monkey Island, though with all the projects currently filling their plate (The Walking Dead: Season 2, The Wolf Among Us), we’re not expecting anything anytime soon.

Indiana Jones

Indiana Jones

Admittedly, the Indiana Jones games have barely ever risen above mediocrity. Most adaptations were half-hearted attempts, looking to merely capitalize on the namesake of the beloved films. The one exception is the LEGO Indiana Jones series, which may not be definitive, but it still delivered a solid experience to younger gamers.

With the popularity of Uncharted and the reimagination of the Tomb Raider series, now would be the perfect time to see Indy back in action.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

While The Old Republic MMO is still alive, it’s gone free-to-play, which is often a slow death sentence for any MMO that starts out with a monthly paid service. Sure, there will be a following of hardcore fans that will continue to play as long as possible, but for most it will fade into the background of MMORPG obscurity.

But people tend to forget where this game came from. The Knights of the Old Republic games were some of the best Star Wars properties ever released, and they paved the way for developer BioWare to create the critically acclaimed Mass Effect series.

Unfortunately, aside from updates to the MMO incarnation of this chapter of Star Wars lore, we doubt that we will see another installation in the KOTOR legacy.

Mercenaries

Mercenaries

One of the earliest Grand Theft Auto “clones,” Mercenaries had something that GTA has never had: a T rating. This opened up a sandbox world of explosions and gunplay to the younger crowd, helping to forever solidify the role of open world games in the market.

Although Mercenaries 2: World In Flames was the last realized outing for the series, two more installations were planned, Mercs Inc. and Mercenaries 3: No Limits. Unfortunately, they were both cancelled when developer Pandemic had its doors shut by EA in 2009.

Grim Fandango

Grim Fandango

Grim Fandango is a bit of a conundrum. An amazing title by Tim Schafer (creator of Full Throttle, Psychonauts, and Brutal Legend), this game was an attempt to resurrect the graphic adventure genre, already in steep decline at its release. Unfortunately, it failed.

But even though it was a commercial failure, Grim Fandango garnered several awards, telling a great story of life after death in the land of the dead. A title definitely due for a reboot, we fear that Grim Fandango may be lost to the pages of gaming history, released past the prime of the genre it attempted to resurrect.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

One of the most successful Star Wars properties ever to hit the gaming landscape, The Force Unleashed let you truly feel like a master of the Force. Even though it had its issues, overall the experience was excellent, easy to play, and loaded with intricate story details.

Telling the tale of how the Rebel Alliance came to be, Unleashed put you squarely in the shoes of an up-and-coming Sith named Starkiller, who was discovered and apprenticed by Darth Vader on the Wookie world of Kashyyyk. While it would be a welcome addition to an already extensive Star Wars library, we fear that we have seen the last of Starkiller and The Force Unleashed series.

Star Wars: Battlefront

Star Wars: Battlefront

It just made sense for the Battlefront games to exist. They took advantage of the large-scale battles depicted in the Star Wars films, bringing them to life for all to enjoy on the PS2, Xbox, and PC/Mac. Even if the single-player was a bit shallow, the game spawned a multi-platform sequel and several handheld iterations.

The greatest thing about this series was the sheer scale of the battles. You actually felt as though you were part of a massive assault, instead of being limited to the smaller scale skirmishes that we’d experienced in prior games. The PC/Mac version supported up to 64 players and boasted huge numbers of A.I. counterparts, even if they weren’t the sharpest tools in the shed.

An updated third installation in this series is sorely absent from a generation of hardware that could bring it back to life on an enormous scale.

Star Wars: First Assault

Star Wars: First Assault

One of the two officially cancelled titles as a result of the LucasArts closure, Star Wars: First Assault was a digital distribution project. An attempt to return to the FPS genre, it looked as though it was a successor (at least in part) to the Republic Commando title released back in 2005.

The Star Wars name, frantic multiplayer action, and low price point could have been a winning combination for the fledgling project. Being partially developed, it is our sincerest hope that this game is not thrown completely out the window by the suits at Disney.

Star Wars 1313

Star Wars 1313

The only truly tangible project to be cancelled during this closure, Star Wars 1313 looked as though it was the key to returning the stagnant developer back to its former glory. Set in the underbelly of Coruscant, 1313 was definitely making a move toward a darker Star Wars experience. From the videos that had been released, it looked like a surefire winner.

It’s hard to apply the word “original” to any Star Wars game at this point, but 1313 looked as though it was at least making the attempt by exploring a never before seen location and keeping the lightsaber out of the picture for once.

Unfortunately, it was not meant to be.

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