Star Wars is a huge massively successful franchise with everything; movies, TV shows, comics, toys, and video games. It’s no surprise either with the fan base they have and the sheer amount of possibilities from the massive universe and its characters that come with it. The love for the series as a whole is undeniable and I respect anybody’s opinion for feeling as passionately as they do about it. That being said let’s get this out of the way, I don’t like Star Wars… Movies that is. I do, however, think that the games are awesome!
Why I Don’t Like the Movies
A lot of people tell me that its because the old movies have poor CGI and cheesy effects, to be honest I find that part of the series charming. I am a huge movie person, some of my favorite movies of all time are the classic Universal Monster pictures, clearly the cheesy effects aren't a problem to me. To me the reason I don't like Star Wars movies is because they're flat out boring. The fight scenes are enjoyable and fun but the in between becomes unbearable.
I'm sure this is a complaint that is thrown out all the time, but I don't appreciate how expansive and large the universe is but that it is so atrociously underutilized. There's literally infinite possibilities, yet nine movies are kept in the same span of 200 years and it's based around the same couple of families. I understand that this is a Saga and they are trying to fill out a story line, but if you need nine movies to fill out a story line then that is a writing problem because there are plenty of movies that feel more full and satisfying in one sitting.
On top of all that, I still feel like I don't know why the Star Wars have started, why Palpatine decided to have his army of clones and who decided that this was okay and why it worked so easily? Then there's the problem I have with these huge characters that are supposed to have insane powers like Kylo Ren. He is the highest commander in the New Order, what business does he have getting involved in these foot battles with ground soldiers? I know this is fantasy and comparing it to real life doesn't really apply, but I'm sure that in war scenarios you don't take your most powerful commander and let him fight on the front line, it just seems ridiculous.
Why I Do Like the Games
If I wanted to keep this short and simple I’d simply say, the games do everything the movies don’t for me. I think that the games give you more exposure to the surrounding world than the movies ever could. Even ignoring the exposure to the rest of the world and revisiting places from the movies, in the games they feel more full and purposeful. The games are more immersive by letting you either take the spot of a foot soldier and actually experience how tense the battles are rather than just have it been a blip of a battle in the background.
The character development in the video games is another huge part for me. I feel attached to characters and I feel that when a decision is made in the video games it truly matters and has precautions. A prime example of this is the title Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, you take the part of a character named Galen with a dark upbringing that you are exposed to in the beginning of the game. As you play through the game you get to pick your side whether you want to be on the dark or light side which either way you choose it has HUGE gut-wrenching plot points. An example from the movies where I don’t see this having the same value, Finn in The Force Awakens, he sees a comrade die so he jumps ship to fight the team he was once on now killing his former comrades? It’s just a little bit of a confusing plot point to me.
Why It Might Be Easier To Like The Games Better
I know a lot of what I have said has been stated before and I probably sound like a broken record. But I do want to say that I share no hate for anybody that loves the movies, its just not my thing. I think that the games are a better way for people to get Star Wars exposure because there is more opportunity to really show that there is a vast universe that has infinite possibilities. Also with having so many movies that tie into the same story, can cause fatigue very quickly. If I had no access to the video games I would feel that Star Wars as a whole was as wide as the ocean but as deep as a puddle. But the video games give Star Wars the depth that it deserves because you get the welcomed break from the Skywalker Saga.
What do you think? Are the games better than the movies?
