There’s a couple things that make a goodStar Warsgame hard to develop. One of them is mastering lightsaber combat and making it feel both satisfying and realistic. Motion controls keep coming back as a way to emulate lightsabers, and things are steadily improving in that area. However, motion controls aren’t always great for the other aspect of playing as a Jedi: using the Force. It’s easy to swing a motion controller like a sword, but doing very specific hand gestures to use Force techniques isn’t always compelling. However, one game far outside theStar Warsmythosdoes everything thatStar Warsgameswish they did with the Force:Control.
Controlwas one of the biggest games of 2019, a third-person shooter starring Jesse Faden as she investigates a secret government organization responsible for researching the supernatural. Many of the game’s core mechanics revolve around Jesse gaining superpowers from various objects around the Federal Bureau of Control, and most of the powers she gains look an awful lot like the Force. By the end of the game, the only thing really keeping Jesse’s moveset from completely imitating that of a Jedi is her gun.Star Warsgames might want to take note of the wayControlmanaged telekinesis and other psychic powers.
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Jesse’s Many Talents in Control
The bread and butter of Jesse’s supernatural abilities is Launch. It allows her to telekinetically pick up an object, or simply rip a piece of concrete out of the ground, then keep it suspended until she throws it at a target. It’s an obvious parallel for the Jedi’s ability to move things with their minds. After all, one of themost iconic moments inStar Warsis Yoda lifting Luke’s X-Wing out of the swamp on Dagobah. Control’s targeting system for Launch is accurate and efficient, and it’s great that Jesse is never out of projectiles for Launch since she can just tear up the terrain.
Jesse’s defensive techniques seem like close Force parallels as well. Shield is an obvious comparison: Jesse simply holds debris up in front of her to protect her, much in the same way that a Jedi could levitate objects in place to grant emergency cover. The lightning quick Evade ability is also reminiscent of the agility that the Force instills in Jedi, who are famously capable of leaping dozens of feet into the air when necessary. Launch might already be the type of ability thatStar Warsgames include, but Evade and Shield seemworth borrowing fromControl.
Seize is another ability that’s easily similar to a Jedi’s wheelhouse. With Seize, Jesse takes control of an enemy’s mind, making them fight for her, not unlike a Jedi mind trick. Levitate is the only ability that’s a little outside of a normal Jedi’s repertoire, letting Jesse float in midair andtraverseControl’s cavernous hallways and officeswith grace and ease. Still, Levitate seems like the kind of technique that a really masterful Force user could pull off with some effort.
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Taking Inspiration From Control’s Supernatural Abilities
Controllets players live out the fantasy of using a Jedi’s powers, without the context ofStar Wars.Although Jesse’s extrasensory powers are common in lots of different media, the particular abilities chosen forControljust happen to be a perfect parallel for the Jedi Order.Star Warsgames really ought to look closely atwhat Remedy Entertainment didand attempt to incorporate mechanics similar toControl’s. Remedy found a way to make these abilities strong but fair, as well as intuitive and rewarding. EveryStar Warsgame that lets players embody Force users should feel the same way.
So manyStar Warsgames put their focus on lightsaber combat. It’s understandable since that’s perhaps the easiest to design, and certainly the most iconic way of fighting in the franchise. However, it would be great to seeStar Warsgames puta heavier emphasis on the Force, perhaps compelling players to solely rely on the Force now and again. So long as the Force mechanics in such a game are satisfying and reliable, it could be a fun challenge.Controlproves that that kind of representation of theForcecan be done, it’s just a matter of replicating that success.
Controlis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
