Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker, the final film in the Star Wars Skywalker saga, is now out and has received a variety of responses, many being in the negative. While there are neat action bits and solid performances, it’s often derivative and isn’t entirely narratively engaging. It also adds things to the Star Wars lore that are noticeably extraneous. But, the situation could be amended by more Star Wars video game installments - such as the most recent entry into the franchise, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
For all of its flaws, Fallen Order was still an enthralling title. It wasn’t exactly a polished experience, but it was interesting nonetheless and fit in existing components of the Star Wars canon while carefully adding new ones. It didn’t quite reach perfection in doing so, but there was a degree of sensitivity to the established canon.
The Rise of Skywalker lacks the same regard for canon that Fallen Order did. Although the last of the Skywalker saga, The Rise of Skywalker added a lot of new ideas without any explanations or expositions. Right off the bat, for instance, is the fact that Emperor Palpatine is somehow alive. This might not be a problem if there were some explanation for how he survived being tossed into the center of Death Star, but given that he’s simply claimed as alive in the opening crawl with little to no context, it works to the detriment of the film.
This can all be fixed with a canon-adjusting Star Wars game. Another single-player narrative-heavy Star Wars experience could feasibly explain the survival of the Emperor, as well as the formation of a legion of Star Destroyers, Rey’s heritage, and lightspeed skipping. While some don’t have room to be addressed in new stories, things like the Emperor’s revival is something that could definitely be explained in a new EA-published Star Wars single-player game.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker proved to be a narrative failure in the eyes of many by adding too much uninteresting content to the Star Wars canon. Fortunately, developer Respawn Entertainment proved that there is still room for great single-player Star Wars games with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. As such, there is hope that the lore added by The Rise of Skywalker can be fixed by another Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order-like title. For the frustrated Star Wars fans out there, we’ll need it fast.
