The fate of the Star Wars license under EA is looking decidedly brighter as of late. With Battlefront II's multi-year redemption arc and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order's single-player success, the brand began to rebuild its reputation among fans. This year's Star Wars: Squadrons provided to be a decisive success as well, essentially confirming this upward trajectory was the status quo.
However, now isn't the time to get complacent. Instead, EA needs to continue barraging the community with compelling Star Wars games to make up for the tumultuous early years of the partnership. For as shaky as the revived Battlefront brand has been, it's time to give DICE another shot, this time with Star Wars: Republic Commando.
The Legacy of Republic Commando
Released in 2005 on PC and Xbox, Republic Commando's first-person shooting and engaging story compelled fans. Its plot centered around the iconic Delta Squad, and the gameplay brought its four commandos into focus with innovative tactical elements. The player could assign AI teammates objectives, truly making them feel empowered to lead the squad and think strategically, in addition to simply shooting through hordes of CIS forces.
This, combined with the game's more mature aesthetic and theme, left a great impression on those who played it. Fifteen years removed from its release, Republic Commando is still talked about as one of the premier Star Wars games. Unfortunately, a sequel was planned and cancelled. Tentatively referred to as Imperial Commando or Rebel Commando (there were two internal pitches at the time), this title would've given fans more of the gameplay and story they connected with.
But, just like Star Wars 1313 and other high-profile titles, it was axed. Of course, Imperial Commando's cancellation happened long before EA and Disney got anywhere near the brand, so the premature end of its production cycle is a bit different than something like Amy Hennig's Star Wars project.
DICE's Time to Shine After Battlefront
Still, the theme of Star Wars games prior to EA securing the license was disappointing cancellation, and the current era propagated this trend. As such, even though it wasn't EA that put the nail in Imperial Commando's coffin, it's somewhat immaterial. All Star Wars fans know is that too many games have been cancelled.
With that in mind, it would be a great olive branch to extend if EA and Disney reached back into that early 2000s Star Wars vault to revitalize some content. Not only would it be an excellent affirmation that EA wants to do right by its Star Wars fans, it would be an excellent opportunity for DICE.
While the modern Battlefront titles have been rocky content-wise, their fidelity has been outstanding. Not only do those games look and sound the part, the gunplay is weighty. From a fundamental perspective, these games are incredibly solid, and DICE's legacy with Battlefield speaks for itself. As that series is a bit slower and more grounded than the arcade-y feel of Battlefront, its pacing and Battlefront's presentation could combine in an excellent tactical shooter. Few teams are better equipped for Republic Commando than DICE.
This team understands the shooter genre and the feeling of Star Wars' ground conflicts. Melding together its work across franchises, DICE could assemble a contained narrative shooter that surpasses the greatness of Republic Commando. The success of Fallen Order and Squadrons was due in part to how contained they were, ensuring that the player gets a tight, worthwhile experience. Tasking DICE with creating a 10 to 12 hour single-player (or even co-op) shooter would funnel their skills into a controlled and polished environment.
A DICE-developed Republic Commando sequel is a recipe for success. In terms of both cementing fan confidence in EA's Star Wars initiative and delivering a quality gameplay experience, this a worthwhile endeavor. For as much as the original Republic Commando empowers the player, it doesn't hold up as well in 2020. The game simply shows its age.
The time is right for a sequel that modernizes the unique and innovative successes of that 2005 outing, and DICE has the skill set to accomplish this goal. While the focus is likely on expanding the success of games like Jedi Fallen Order with sequels alongside the new project Motive is seemingly hiring for, hopefully the slate has space for a little Republic Commando.