Quantic Dream’s Star Wars game could fix the best character in the sequels

One of the most divisive video game studios around could be heading to a galaxy far away. Quantic Dream (Detroit Become Human) is reportedly working on a Star Wars game, and it has the potential to be one of the most exciting stories in the entire franchise.

The info that Quantic Dream might be working on a Star Wars game comes from French YouTuber Gautoz, and an English-language follow-up from Tom Henderson on DualShockers. The game has reportedly been in the works for about 18 months, but sources inside the developer have yet to reveal precisely what the project entails.

With that obvious lack of concrete information in mind, we’re here to throw our hat into the ring with our own shameless speculation. And, in our opinion, there’s only one viable direction.

Should David Cage build the next intergalactic senate simulator? Is Quantic perhaps the best fit for a new story in the High Republic era? Nay! Instead, why not craft an entirely unique narrative based on the best character from the sequel trilogy?

Here’s why Quantic Dream’s rumored Star Wars game needs to delve into the early life of Kylo Ren.

A narrative-focused Star Wars game

If you’ve played a Quantic Dream game like Heavy Rain or Detroit: Become Human in the past, you know this studio’s projects are all about the concept of player choice. In fact, despite its tonal flaws, Detroit featured one of the most dynamic narratives the games industry has ever seen. So if Quantic is involved, there’s a pretty good chance Disney aims to craft a narrative-based game focused on the idea of choice.

Star Wars as a franchise has always been based on the constant struggle between angling towards the Dark side and the Light. We’ll no doubt see those sorts of dilemmas in full swing in the upcoming Knights of the Old Republic remake, but the assumption is that this game would offer a more straightforward cinematic experience for players who may not be into hardcore RPGs. Instead of having a game where a player may struggle and get stalled fighting a particularly tough boss, this game would presumably feature almost no stoppages in play, where would-be Jedi are free to experiment as far as the plot allows, whether one wins or loses.

Kylo Ren is the perfect steward for this kind of project because, perhaps more than most sequel-era Star Wars characters, Kylo is unabashedly conflicted. Despite having a mother and uncle who specialize in the Light side of the Force and fight for the Republic, Ren is inexplicably drawn to the Dark. Fans have plenty of theories as to why this transition happened, but it’s never been fully explained. Was he a victim of high expectations? Did he become too infatuated by the story of his grandfather, Darth Vader? Was he always destined for darkness Is he truly dark at all?

These are just a few of the questions fans faithful have about Kylo, and a narrative-based game from Quantic could easily explore these murky truths. The only drawback is that only one path could be Star Wars canon, but there are still obvious avenues for players to craft the story of Kylo that they feel is most representative of the character. In this way, we can better understand why he chose the path he did, or maybe we see an alternate version of reality in which he makes a different decision entirely.

Think of the scene in Last Jedi where Luke has three different visions about potentially attacking his nephew. That concept could be expanded exponentially into a full game. The story of Kylo is an arc of endless choice, and Quantic is a leader in presenting that subject in a digital space.

The fluidity of games gives us more of what we love

As much as some Star Wars fans may have hated the sequel trilogy, few would argue that Kylo Ren wasn’t a bright spot in the story. He was a character whose motivations felt understandable and he was a young character who truly acted like it. Adam Driver played his role well, which allowed viewers to appreciate who Ren was. Simply put, a game gives players more of a character they like.

Aside from Ren and his knights, there’s also an opportunity to have a few more interactions with Snoke. Even though we now know this humanoid figure is just a puppet made to carry out Palpatine’s bidding, Snoke is still a character that has a past as well. And, it’s a past that might well be more interesting than where he ended up.

While we find it unlikely Driver would ever reprise the role of Ren in any extensive way in films, TV, or games, the fluidity of the video game medium allows Disney to seamlessly move forward with the character’s story by using his likeness with a sound-alike voice actor. We’d obviously prefer Driver take the role if he’s up for it, but, when it comes to making games, he doesn’t have to to make a decent finished product, especially if this game focuses on a slightly younger Kylo.

It’s no secret Quantic Dream is a divisive studio, so let its developers handle a project based on a trilogy of divisive films. But, if you’re going to make a game, you might as well make it a good one. Embarking on a cerebral journey through the mind of Kylo Ren would be more than a little interesting for fans who still feel they can craft a great Star Wars story if given the chance to do so.