Disney Didn’t Ruin Star Wars, Video Games Did
I know this is going to be a harsh reality for some of the more vocal Star Wars trolls out there, but I’m just going to rip the Band-Aid off: Disney didn’t ruin Star Wars—video games did. As much as it pains me to say it, Knights of the Old Republic is more to blame for The Fandom Menace than The Acolyte. It’s not Disney’s problem that you think of the Force as a skill tree.
Jedi Would Not Act Like They Do In The Games
Look, I love Jedi: Fallen Order as much as the next fan, but to quote Han Solo, “That’s not how the Force works.” Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was my jam back in the day, but it’s time we recognized the majority of Star Wars video games for what they are.
Games like Force Unleashed or KOTOR are fun power fantasies that aren’t meant to represent the way things work in the greater Star Wars galaxy.
Because the truth is a Star Wars: Jedi Simulator video game would be boring. Imagine spending hours meditating and trying to solve disputes nonviolently.
Nobody wants to pay $70 for a game in which the goal is not to draw your lightsaber. I understand why they have to jazz things up with constant combat and XP.
Don’t Try To Turn The Video Games Into The Movies
The real problem comes when Star Wars fans want to apply those video game mechanics to Star Wars as a story. For example, the plot of The Force Awakens required Rey to defeat Kylo Ren in their first duel. In short, she won because that’s what the Force wanted.
Cue the angry Star Wars fans absolutely livid that a level 25 Dark Side Force User got beaten by a level 1 nobody. How did Rey even know how to use a lightsaber if she hadn’t earned enough XP to unlock dueling skills?
It’s not so much that Disney doesn’t understand Star Wars as it is that video games have ruined fan’s perspective of the franchise.
Star Wars Isn’t A Video Game
As Freddie Prinze Jr said in his now legendary Star Wars rant, “Video games have f***ed people up on what the Force is.” I might not have chosen such a strong expletive, but he’s absolutely right. Like the man said, “You don’t get to level up in the Star Wars world.”
Meanwhile, you have fans complaining that The Acolyte shows two random witches doing what the two most powerful Sith in history couldn’t do.
Palpatine and Plagueis are obviously like level 50 Sith with maxed-out stats and full control of all Control, Sense, and Alter Force Powers. How could a couple of mid-tier witches create life when those two couldn’t?
No Power Scaling In Star Wars
Gee, I don’t know, maybe because the Force knew one pair just wanted kids, and the other pair were trying to play god and take over the galaxy. I
hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but there’s no power scaling in Star Wars. Fights in Star Wars aren’t determined by who is stronger, like a video game.
If they were, then Obi-Wan Kenobi, who killed Darth Maul about a week before the events of A New Hope, would have put up a much better fight against Darth Vader on the Death Star.
George wanted Kenobi to lose, and Kenobi thought he would be more useful to Luke as a Force ghost. That’s how Star Wars works, not like a video game.
Let The Games Stay Games
Fans need to stop worrying about who’s stronger, who has more skills, etc., and just go with the flow—er—the Force. Star Wars video games are great, but don’t bring that kind of logic into the shows/movies because it will only make you angry. And anger leads to hate and…well we all know what that leads to.
