Andor follows the eponymous Cassian Andor through backwater planets amidst a neo-noir backdrop, and its gritty drama is already a unique take on the franchise. This may not come as a surprise to some fans who understand Andor to be a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but it is refreshing nonetheless after Star Wars has lent so much of its attention to Jedi adventures. Andor’s dark atmosphere is ripe with dramatic intrigue and scoundrel antics, making it a compelling template that should inspire future Star Wars games.
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Andor’s Intimate Drama is a Good Canvas for Game Storytelling
Andor sheds Star Wars’ whimsical fantasy and centers solely on a suspenseful political drama. This could be an exciting premise in a third-person action-adventure game, especially if its playable protagonist was shrouded in mystery. If a new Star Wars game introduced an unknown scoundrel protagonist, for example, fans could learn about this character’s backstory throughout the game. Branching dialogue choices in an RPG could determine which path players head down, but each decision would need to be comprehensive and morally dubious to avoid being too binary.
That is something Andor achieves well, where the Empire’s grunts are as morally ambiguous as the Resistance’s scoundrels. The reason why scoundrel characters are so captivating in Star Wars is because they are supposed to be unpredictable in their motivations, or at least behave like anti-heroes whose own personal goals often outweigh the needs of others.
In gameplay, this would translate to fun gunplay through tight corridors and open warehouse locations, such as fans have seen thus far in Andor. Gunplay in Star Wars games was last seen through Star Wars Battlefront’s epic warfare and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga’s blaster-wielding characters. However, such gunplay has yet to be seen in a single-player action-adventure game, at least in a way where the stakes were dire and characters felt like they were in peril as they struggle to flee from the Empire.
Menial Scoundrel Struggles Would Make for Great Side Quests
This is why a Star Wars game where fans play as a bounty hunter is so desirable, as it would allow for these unique planet-hopping adventures with an emphasis on gunplay. Likewise, Andor’s narrative of a fugitive on the run who is aiding and abetting the Resistance would establish a wonderful foundation for a Star Wars game.
Interestingly, these motifs have been echoed throughout Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor may be even more representative of what a scoundrel-led Star Wars game could be like. Seemingly on the run again, Cal Kestis will wield a blaster pistol in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Therefore, depending on how satisfying those gunplay mechanics are, it is possible that future Star Wars games will implement something similar. Andor has certainly had action sequences, but again what makes it compelling is its atmosphere and neo-noir drama in a science-fiction landscape. If nothing else, traveling to different planets and carrying out menial side quests would be great for world-building, where players may have to interact with a crew to initiate a heist or to find a buyer for a potentially problematic artifact.
Players would meet shadowy, untrustworthy characters in dingy nightclubs, then race away on a speeder as an old rival approaches them about loaned money they are owed. Many developers would be capable of achieving this, and it will hopefully be what future Star Wars games strive to accomplish in their narratives.
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