Star Wars 1313

[Yora]

It's an upcomming Star Wars game that is expected to be released roughly at the time of the new Xbox at the end of 2012, and so far has been presented on a very powerful PC on E3 in June. And the graphics look really amazing. What I assumed to be prerendered CGI cutscenes of current standard quality, was actually in-game graphics, which is quite impressive.

It's apparently about two bounty hunters on Corruscant going down to level 1313, one thousand levels below the "surface" or roofs of the planet-spanning city. Some people coplained that it doesn't look or feel like Star Wars at all, but I think it actually does quite a lot. It's just a part of Star Wars that rarely has been shown in a visual medium so far. If you are familiar with Black Sun, Nar Shaddar, Kessel, and such, I really think it fits right in.
So far, I don't know what to make of it. Lots of people describe it as Star Wars Uncharted, but I never played those games. Interesting concept from what I can tell, but so was Force Unleashed, which was a total dud. And you have to be careful about any game that is marketed as "mature", which usually means "immature obsession with gore and boobies".

Edit: A yes, you might be interested in seeing the trailers in question.
Trailer
Demo

[Mando Knight]

It's an upcomming Star Wars game that is expected to be released roughly at the time of the new Xbox at the end of 2012, and so far has been presented on a very powerful PC on E3 in June.

...There is no new Xbox. They may be redoing the UI for the 360 (again), but the only new system coming out this year is the Wii U.

[MCerberus]

...There is no new Xbox. They may be redoing the UI for the 360 (again), but the only new system coming out this year is the Wii U.

Actually there are rumors, patents, and potential design docs that the next Xbox is rolling out sooner than expected as part of the metro/win8 family.


As for the game, this can likely end up good (Republic Commando) or silly silly bad (and the IP has a back-catalog of these). Speaking of which, there's a rumored RC2 on the horizon too in early dev.

[Siosilvar]

I know it's Star Wars, but do you really expect me to believe that a fairly normal human can survive being knocked back a good 20 feet and get up again like that? "Something's not right here" indeed. And then the jumps... are these Jedi in disguise?

I only have a few minutes of video to go on and already I find myself stretching to suspend my disbelief.

That said, the graphics are impressive, and in-engine (if not in-game; I reserve that for interactive bits) cutscenes are the best kind of cutscenes.

[Squark]

As for the game, this can likely end up good (Republic Commando) or silly silly bad (and the IP has a back-catalog of these). Speaking of which, there's a rumored RC2 on the horizon too in early dev.

You sure it wasn't people picking up bits about this and connecting dots the wrong way?

Cautiously optimistic. It has potential, but I'm not sure what was gameplay and what was cutscene with HUD there. Also, yeah, "mature" makes me kind of wary. It could be they're going to take a closer look at the seedy underbelly of Star Wars (What a spice addiction actually looks like, a closer look at the galactic slave trade, less tiptoeing around some of the things twi'lek dancers have to do). Or it could just be a gore fest (or close combat is to brutal for a T rating). Done right, the former could be a pretty good deconstruction of some things we take for granted in the star wars universe (Han Solo was, after all, a drug smuggler, and a lot of games use Hutt Dancing Girls without thinking about what that job means), but on the other hand... It could just be yet another Third Person Shooter in a dark and "gritty" futuristic world.

On the mechanics: I don't know what FPS and TPS have been like, lately, so I can't comment on whether any of these things are new or not. That being said, I like the distinction between less accurate snap shots from Cover and taking the time to aim, but being more exposed. And... There wasn't that much to see. Was the third part of the demo a scripted sequence, or will it actually have platforming elements?

[Farix]

I know it's Star Wars, but do you really expect me to believe that a fairly normal human can survive being knocked back a good 20 feet and get up again like that? "Something's not right here" indeed. And then the jumps... are these Jedi in disguise?

Hopefully not, Star Wars games (and Star Wars in general) tend to focus too much on the Jedi and the Light/Dark sides of the Force. That's part of what made RC a great game. As for the 20ft knockback, *shrug* might be unrealistic but since when has SW been about hard physics.

I'm with Squark in having some cautious optimism for this game. SW games have always been a hit or miss but this one has potential to do something right. That being said I would not be at all surprised if the plot ends up revolving around some sort of super weapon or rogue Jedi/Sith conspiracy.

The possibility of RC2? Yes please. Now if we can just get X-Wing Alliance 2.

[Yora]

Hopefully not, Star Wars games (and Star Wars in general) tend to focus too much on the Jedi and the Light/Dark sides of the Force. That's part of what made RC a great game. As for the 20ft knockback, *shrug* might be unrealistic but since when has SW been about hard physics.

In american action games, ordinary real wrld humans can survice being thrown through the air by an explosion without a scratch.

...There is no new Xbox. They may be redoing the UI for the 360 (again), but the only new system coming out this year is the Wii U.

I've seen "christmas 2013" for the Xbox and "somewhere in 2013" for 1313. To me, this yells "launch title".

[Aotrs Commander]

Now if we can just get X-Wing Alliance 2.

TIE Fighter 2 would be better. XWA had the best engine out of the flight games (sans them not modelling the MissileBoat's SLAM and nerfing the T/A and T/D..), and more modern graphics, but TIE was just better in all other aspects. (Especially music and quotable quotes...)

[Yora]

I was thinking of saying just that, but didn't.

But I completely agree. I even would be happy with a Tie Fighter remake based on the FreeSpace engine with new audio recordings and CGI cutscenes.
Though I wonder how you would do those. Can't really have a space sim with modern quality cutscenes in which the player character doesn't appear.

[snoopy13a]

TIE Fighter 2 would be better. XWA had the best engine out of the flight games (sans them not modelling the MissileBoat's SLAM and nerfing the T/A and T/D..), and more modern graphics, but TIE was just better in all other aspects. (Especially music and quotable quotes...)

Bring back either. I'd love a new Star Wars flight game.

[Farix]

So new dev commentary type video is out and it seems as though they're pushing the ambiguity and shadyness of the SW universe idea. Watching it I keep getting the same vibe I got from all the Force Unleashed hype, which isn't necessarily a bad thing since TFU was a good concept marred by some gameplay flaws and a sequel. Nothing new in term of info aside from some general "gonna be darker, tense, and will explore the underbelly of Coruscant" commentary.

Anyone know what time period this is supposed to be set in?

[MCerberus]

Bring back either. I'd love a new Star Wars flight game.

How about a Rogue Squadron Trilogy HD release while we're at it?
Just... you know... without the hoverbike and foot sections of 3.

[Mando Knight]

How about a Rogue Squadron Trilogy HD release while we're at it?
Just... you know... without the hoverbike and foot sections of 3.

So, the first two and maybe three or four missions of the third.

And the co-op and multiplayer modes, which had potential.

[Yora]

My brother and I played almost all star wars games for about 10 years. And Rogue Squadron was the only disappointment.

If you want a flight game, Tie Fighter with the updated FreeSpace engine.

I'd also like a new Jedi Knight. Force Unleashed was a huge disappointment.

[Rustic Dude]

How about a Rogue Squadron Trilogy HD release while we're at it?
Just... you know... without the hoverbike and foot sections of 3.

I loved the first Rogue Squadron and, being a PC player, missed the second and third games. So I'd buy something like that withour hesitation.

[Hazzardevil]

People keep unveiling these games which makes me say:
"All right, no more graphics innovations, we don't need them anymore."
Between this, that Final Fantasy Tech Demo from a few months ago and the ENB graphics for Skyrim I think we're done.

Anyway, the game looks good, but I'm not sure how the gameplay is going to be, it looks to me like "another third person cover based shooter". Which could put people off.

[Aotrs Commander]

People keep unveiling these games which makes me say:
"All right, no more graphics innovations, we don't need them anymore."
Between this, that Final Fantasy Tech Demo from a few months ago and the ENB graphics for Skyrim I think we're done.

I reached that point quite a while ago, myself. Games have, for some time now, been "good enough" graphically, at the point that where it's not really necessary to concentrate on graphics to the exclusion of everything else as the selling point.

Digital acting, maybe (like Mass Effect or something), yes, I can get behind; but then again, the ME series haven't exactly been graphical power-houses in terms of requirements (and that's a good thing; ME 3 is well into "good enough" territory.)

[Hazzardevil]

We need to show these developers and publishers that we don't need better graphics

[Mercenary Pen]

As regards a Star wars flight game, how about X-Wing Rogue Squadron vs. TIE Fighter 181st Wing- including the ability to play some missions for both the empire and the Rebel Alliance/New Republic (Brentaal springs readily to mind, as do Adumar and Derra IV, maybe even Coruscant).

I'd also quite like some of the fighters from the EU to be in there, like the E-Wing, the K-Wing and the I-7 Howlrunner- maybe a few designs of Uglies as well...

[Parra]

Anyone know what time period this is supposed to be set in?

One of the developers, in a recent dev diary trailer says "1313 is the sort of world where these crime families can exist and definitely thrive under the Empire"
Assuming that wasn't a slip up, that puts it in somewhere in the the time-frame of the original trilogy

[Squark]

One of the developers, in a recent dev diary trailer says "1313 is the sort of world where these crime families can exist and definitely thrive under the Empire"
Assuming that wasn't a slip up, that puts it in somewhere in the the time-frame of the original trilogy

Technically, post- RotS pre-RotJ

[Parra]

Didn't the empire still exist post RotJ? albeit in a reduced fashion

but yea, my guess is guess is post RotS but pre A New Hope

[Squark]

Didn't the empire still exist post RotJ? albeit in a reduced fashion

but yea, my guess is guess is post RotS but pre A New Hope

YEah, but it's glory days were behind it, so I suspect that's not the empire they're talking about.

[Mercenary Pen]

Technically, post- RotS pre-RotJ

I'd say post-RotS, pre- 7ABY (being the year that the New Republic captured Coruscant- the first time- if I recall correctly)

As somebody who knows the EU a little, whilst there were changes in the empire post-Endor, most of them wouldn't have made much difference to the average sentient on the street under Pestage/Carvin/Isard.

[Farix]

Ehh, not surprised that it looks to be set between trilogies. I figure its the least tapped time period in terms of EU material that they might have to work around/with.

I would like to see it centered around the aftermath of the New Republic's conquest of Coruscant, would have brought in the potential for conflict between the established crime syndicates and the new government as the old relationship dynamic between the Empire and the underworld gets replaced. Also you've got the Krytos Virus (Empire engineered virus which only targets non-humans) running rampant at that point.

[Starbuck_II]

I know it's Star Wars, but do you really expect me to believe that a fairly normal human can survive being knocked back a good 20 feet and get up again like that? "Something's not right here" indeed. And then the jumps... are these Jedi in disguise?

He got up slowly, it seems perfectly normal. I could do that.

The jumps...well have you seen parkour?

[Ninjadeadbeard]

I'm...cautious towards this game. I've been burned by these things before (see: TFU2).

A new Rogue Squadron game? Yes. Yes. Yesyesyesyesyesyes! Do this Lucas!

[Hazzardevil]

I'm...cautious towards this game. I've been burned by these things before (see: TFU2).

A new Rogue Squadron game? Yes. Yes. Yesyesyesyesyesyes! Do this Lucas!

So we all agree it looks good and we all praying, don'tscrewitupdon'tscrewipup.

[Parra]

yea pretty much

[MCerberus]

He got up slowly, it seems perfectly normal. I could do that.

The jumps...well have you seen parkour?

Still, you can't throw an Ewok in the EU without hitting a force sensitive.