Editorials
[Editorial] We’re Ready for a Horror-Heavy ‘Star Wars’ Video Game
Do you want to pilot one of those stunning X-Wings? You got it. Perhaps test your luck in some cool podracing? Check. What about being a Jedi Master, fighting the dark forces of the Sith? If you are a Star Wars enthusiast and you like video games, you have a wild and extensive catalogue full of really good titles, and some less so. They range from RPGs such as Knights of the Old Republic. Fighting games (Masters of the Teras Kasi), FPS, six Lego-based entries to the absurd Dance Central experience, presented in Kinect Star Wars. From the Atari 2600 titles to the “Metroidvania” Jedi Fallen Order, it seems that one of cinema’s biggest franchises has touched every genre in gaming.
Or not really. As you may guess from the title of this piece, there’s still nothing like a good Star Wars game with some sweet horror elements in it. Maybe it’s not that surprising. The core of the franchise was always a fantasy adventure tale of good against evil, packed with action, clones and “higher ground” memes. Later films and a huge extended universe expanded on its roots and brought more nuance, complexity, and ambiguity to the table. However, with almost infinite planets, creatures and characters, I believe we could have a more than interesting experience if any studio would be willing to take the risk. I invite you to this “exercise”, to imagine how an ideal Star Wars horror game would be.
Before starting, let’s make this as “free” as possible. Don’t mind about the intricate timelines, if that character has ever been to that planet or if it’s canon or not. For once, let’s decontextualize things a little bit and create our own universe.
First of all, the protagonist. While what first comes to mind might be a human character, considering all the unique races in the franchise it would be more original and interesting to control an “alien” one. Perhaps a bothan, a togruta or even a sullustan may work, as long as we can identify and form a bond with them. Being defenseless and weak are usually descriptions you can apply to regular survival horror protagonists. We can follow the “tradition”, but I don’t see any problem in making our character grow, be stronger and more self-confident, even allowing for a relationship with the “force”, as long as the dangers they have to face are deadlier.
What about the planet? Where is our character “trapped”? There’s a varied selection of possible harsh environment in this universe. From the swampy and mysterious lands of Dagobah, the freezing lands of Hoth, the uncolonized aquatic planet of Pillio -home of more than three million species-, the junkyard of Lotho Minor or even the drylands of Ryloth.
There isn’t even a need for a planet: everything could just take place inside the Imperial Navy or any other ship traveling across space. Being a kidnapped victim or an imprisoned spy, your goal is to find your way home or trying to stay alive until the ship lands in a place where you could escape. A difficult task when these vehicles are full of droids, soldiers, and perhaps Sith, ready to cut short your personal galactic adventure.
Returning to the idea of the diverse planets, not only would you will need to survive the climate, dangerous Droidekas, and running from overpowered force-wielders, these lands would have their own wildlife waiting to have a taste of your blood. Iego’s carnivorous plants packed with spikes called reeksas, the large and muscular horaxes from Neelvan or the nasty rancors -like the one Jabba has in its palace- would be some fine choices, among many other possibilities. Nevertheless, my favorite pick for a particular “level” would be the Knobby white spiders, or even their “canon version”, the kryknas. As their name implies, they are horrendous-looking pale spiders that come in more than one size, from small ones to “I need clean underwear” size. What’s more, they are pretty resistant creatures, with a small vulnerability to blasters and they are almost indomitable by the force.
Another topic we need to think about is the appearance of famous characters. There’s no need for allies, not even small droids. The feeling of loneliness and “you are on your own” would be the cornerstone of the experience. However, this doesn’t mean there can’t be any well-known “villain” or bounty hunter passing by your planet while you are trying to survive. Honestly, you could almost select a random Sith and it would be at least an interesting option. From Darth Nihilus, the Lord of Hunger and member of the Sith Triumvirate, or the coolest of all, Darth Maul and his iconic lightsaber.
Even the Nightsisters, the clan of female dark side users, would be an excellent choice. Also, I’ll never forget that episode from Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars in which General Grievous made his first appearance. This four armed killing machine took a small group of Jedi’s by himself like it was nothing. I can still remember how it sent shivers down my spine as a young kid.
What about the gameplay? Although important details have already been mentioned in the protagonist section, such as preferably not having a powerful character, what else is needed? Movement and ability should probably be somewhat restricted, and resources limited. Like any good horror experience, rarely having the higher ground makes for a more terrifying experience. After all, too much power will just cut the legs out from under the terror.
What about you, reader? How would you create your own Star Wars horror experience?
From child-eating witches to village-burning dragons, fairy tales have always had a foot in the horror genre. That’s why it makes sense that, for every The Hobbit and The Chronicles of Narnia, there are also darker and more adult-oriented stories about magical worlds inhabited by ravenous monsters and cruel villains.
Funnily enough, these sinister tales were precisely the ones that I gravitated towards back when I was a kid, and I was reminded of this while watching Netflix’s recently released I Am Frankelda, Mexico’s first ever feature-length stop-motion animation and one hell of an entertaining parable about the intersection between fiction and reality.
In honor of this special kind of horror-adjacent fairy tale, today I’d like to share this list recommending six Dark Fantasy films that horror fans might enjoy.
For the purposes of this list, we’ll be defining Dark Fantasy as fantastical stories that don’t shy away from the more macabre elements that fuel classic fairy tales. That being said, don’t forget to comment below with your own grim favorites if you think we missed a particularly thrilling one.
With that out of the way, onto the list!
6. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)
I’m fascinated by bizarre attempts at blockbuster filmmaking – especially when the resulting movies are somehow still fun despite their corporate-mandated origins. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is precisely one of these strangely compelling studio projects, as this surprisingly successful action-thriller boasts a lot of heart (and tongue-in-cheek humor) for a CGI-heavy creature feature.
Directed by Dead Snow’s Tommy Wirkola, Witch Hunters re-frames the classic fairy tale as an origin story for a duo of badass monster-slayers. Of course, it’s the flick’s anachronistic aesthetic and overall visual flair that make it stand out from other action-horror endeavors from around the same time.
5. The Wolf House (2018)
Made in the tradition of faux cursed films in the same vein as Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made, the eerie backstory to 2018’s Chilean animated flick The Wolf House (La Casa Lobo in the original Spanish) already makes it a nightmarish experience before the flick even really begins.
After all, the movie is presented to us as a faux propaganda film produced by the leader of a death cult (heavily inspired by the real life Colonia Dignidad), with this hybrid animated feature using complex movie magic to simulate a single uninterrupted shot as it tells the story of a lazy young girl who runs away from an isolated colony and encounters a creepy old house in the woods.
4. The Brothers Grimm (2005)
Out of all the Monty Python alumni, Terry Gilliam has had the most interesting career outside of the original comedy group. From fascinating canceled projects (such as his scrapped adaptation of Watchmen) to dystopian parodies that feel more relevant by the minute (1985’s Brazil), even his “lesser” films are still intriguing in their own way.
2005’s The Brothers Grimm is one such project, with this peculiar movie attempting to combine the comedian-turned-filmmaker’s unique visual style with a more blockbuster-oriented plot reimagining the titular brothers as con-artists rather than mere writers. The end result isn’t exactly a masterpiece, but it’s still a legitimately fun ride with plenty of memorable monsters and wonderful performances by both the late, great Heath Ledger and Matt Damon.
3. Dante’s Inferno: An Animated Epic (2010)
2010’s Dante’s Inferno game may have a reputation as something of an unapologetic God of War clone, but I’d argue that the now-obscure game was aesthetically unique enough to deserve a bigger fanbase. However, while the title remains trapped on the seventh console generation, its highly underrated anime adaptation is a lot easier to get a hold of!
Animated by 6 different studios in order to make the 9 circles of hell feel unique from each other, this may not be a completely faithful adaptation of Dante Alighieri’s poem, but it’s still one heck of a great (not to mention gory) time that I’d highly recommend to fans of Netflix’s take on Castlevania.
2. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)
My personal favorite entry in the Underworld franchise, Rise of the Lycans, is a highly ambitious prequel that actually works better if you haven’t had the story spoiled to you by the previous Underworld films.
While the rest of the series features plenty of urban fantasy elements as the movies combine machine guns and modern environments with gothic storytelling, Patrick Tatopoulos’ prequel fully embraces its fantastical origins and tells a classic tale about a doomed romance between a werewolf and a vampire amid a medieval uprising.
And the best part is that we get a lot more Michael Sheen as the fan-favorite Lucian.
1. Solomon Kane (2011)
One of my personal favorite movies on this list, MJ Basset’s criminally underseen adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s other iconic warrior is thoroughly steeped in horror ambience and features plenty of memorable monsters. However, it’s also a classic origin story for a swashbuckling hero that wouldn’t feel out of place in a tabletop RPG.
While I’ve already written about how the film deftly combines both horror and fantasy elements without breaking the bank, I’ll never pass up an opportunity to recommend the bizarre movie where James Purefoy expertly plays a puritan John Wick.
It’s just too bad that we never got the other films in this intended trilogy.
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