Footage Surfaces from Xbox Star Wars Fighting Game

[Marshall Honorof]

Footage Surfaces from Xbox Star Wars Fighting Game

[vimeo=7331336]
A prototype shows a lightsaber combat game that could have been.

It's not that a Star Wars fighting game has never been tried; it's just that the results weren't very good [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_Masters_of_Ter%C3%A4s_K%C3%A4si]. Still, if fans really want a fighting game centered around lightsaber combat, the idea could work as long as every combatant wields an equally deadly laser-blade. This was the theory behind the prototype for a Star Wars fighting game from defunct Studio Gigante. A tech demo of the game has surfaced, showcasing a well-animated lightsaber duel between Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and Sith Lord Darth Maul.

In the video, Skywalker and Maul face off in something resembling Emperor Palpatine's throne room. They hack away at each other with lightsabers, but to the game's credit, make contact very sparingly. Instead, the demo cuts away to intense parries, which often result in one character punching or kicking another, in order to reduce health. Slashes and impalements seem reserved for finishing moves, although the two warriors can also make use of Force abilities, such as telekinetically pushing an opponent.

Studio Gigante, which put out two other fighting games for the Xbox during its short lifespan (Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus and WWE WrestleMania 21), pitched this prototype to prospective publishers along with another one based on Kill Bill. Whether anyone would have accepted the pitch, however, is hard to say, since the studio shut down in July 2005 and was unable to finish the project.

The concept, mechanics, and graphics seem solid enough, and let's face it, it's not like Star Wars lightsaber combat games have Star Wars: Obi-Wan [http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-The-Clone-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B001BWRBB2] wasn't terrible, for all five of you who played that.

Source: Polygon [http://vimeo.com/7331336]

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[Harker067]

Hehehe funny obi-wan was exactly what I was thinking when I played the video.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

Looks a bit boring, in my opinion.

REBOOT/REMASTER THE JEDI KNIGHT GAMES, THEY KICKED ASS.

And the lightsaber-fighting felt frantic and fun.
The games had probably the best interpretation of actual Lightsaber physics ever made in a game.

 

[LostintheWick]

Wow... my opinion has already been thrown out there. It looks boring.
It's too bad. There are so many different approaches that could make this type of game fun.

I wouldn't mind a title that is super realistic. One hit and you are in trouble. Like that one samurai game on the PS1. I can't remember it's title.

 

[Fasckira]

its boring. if you want real lightsaber battles, go play jedi knight 2: jedi outcast.

Came here to post that. This demo just looks so slow and clunky. Its like ultimately it doesn't matter what lightsabre moves are done, it just boils down to kick, punch and headbutt till the health is low enough to kick in force powers.

Jedi Outcast on the other hand was brilliant (though I used to get fucked off with people who used key bindings!). Spent many hours in duel mode with friends, actually tempted to reinstall it!

 

[Ukomba]

Those cut scene mid fight became tiring even during the length of the video, I couldn't imagine playing it, not that a tech demo is very representative.

I wish they'd stop making lightsaber-centric Star Wars games. I miss the old Dark Forces games, sure you eventually got a lightsaber in 2, but you only had to use it when fighting other force users. I hope 1313 still gets made and the main character stays, at most, force sensitive. (It's ok for him to get a lightsaber if it's only used as a secondary melee attack, like Shepard's omni-blade.)

 

[itsthesheppy]

Do you hate this iconic property yet? No? Damn, well, we'll keep trying!

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Excuse me, but Revenge of the Sith game is the best lightsaber combat this side of Jedi Academy. They're both awesome.

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

I wish they'd stop making lightsaber-centric Star Wars games. I miss the old Dark Forces games, sure you eventually got a lightsaber in 2, but you only had to use it when fighting other force users. I hope 1313 still gets made and the main character stays, at most, force sensitive. (It's ok for him to get a lightsaber if it's only used as a secondary melee attack, like Shepard's omni-blade.)

I never got to play those a ton, but what time I did spend with them was fun. I actually did a "blasters only" run through KotOR for my second playthrough, and it was more fun than playing it the normal way. I finally got around to starting Lego Star Wars a couple weeks ago, and I wish they were a more viable option in that too, but you're pretty much gimped for half the stuff if you're not a Jedi.