Summary
Set in the underutilized High Republic era,Star Wars Eclipsewill take its players to a version of a galaxy far, far away centuries before the events of the most popularStar Warscontent. While that precludes most known characters from the franchise from making a cameo,Star Wars Eclipsewill feature at least one well-known character, highlighted via a scene in its teaser trailer that showed off a pensive Yoda in his more formative years.
Now that EA’s exclusivity deal withStar Warshas drawn its conclusion, fans shouldexpect a wider offering ofStar Warstitles in the upcoming years. One of the first announced games untethered from the decade-long contract was Quantic Dream’sStar Wars Eclipse, which will have players drawn into a narrative detached from the events of the Clone Wars and Galactic Civil War.Star Wars’prosperous golden era, the High Republic was a time when the Jedi flourished and the Sith were relegated to the dark hidden corners of the galaxy. Its timeline was far from utopic, however, and Quantic Dream should have no trouble manufacturing a story rife with drama forStar Wars Eclipse.
RELATED:Life-Sized Yoda Compared to Master Chief Shows Just How Tall Halo Hero Is
No Matter the Size of the Role, Writing Yoda is a Massive Responsibility
Star Wars' High Republictakes place between 50 and 350 years before the Clone Wars. Its timeline is chronicled in a series of books and other various scattered pieces ofStar Warsmedia, but to other eras ofStar Wars, it is a comparatively blank slate that Quantic Dream will be able to flex its narrative chops within.
There are iconic characters alive during the High Republic, including Jabba the Hutt and Chewbacca, but none more prevalent than Yoda, who lived to the ripe old age of 900, and was already a celebrated and adept Jedi during the height of the High Republic, albeit slightly less revered. The significance of the role Yoda will play inStar Wars Eclipseis unknown, but whatever it may be, Quantic Dream will have to tread carefully as it builds out the lore of what might beStar Wars’most celebrated figure.
There are a number of ways that Yoda could be worked into the plot ofStar Wars Eclipse.The game’s reveal left much to the imagination, without so much as a central protagonist that fans could begin to pin a theoretical plot onto. What has been announced is that the game will take place in the Outer Rim during the High Republic, presumably in a sector of planets outside the lawful grip of the Republic. Quantic Dream’s CEO David Cage has also been explicit thatStar Wars Eclipsewill be a massive departure from the studio’s previous efforts, so those expectingDetroit: Become Humanset inStar Warsmay be in for a shock.
Quantic Dream Has Plenty of Options for Yoda’s Role
Since the High Republic encompasses three centuries,the story ofStar Wars Eclipsein relation to Yodais hard to pin down. At the era’s onset, players could witness Yoda at the dawn of his status as a Jedi Master, navigating the politics of the Jedi Council with a relatively youthful naivety.Star Wars Eclipsecould also unfold during the end stages of the High Republic, as Yoda trains his young Padawan Count Dooku, long before his descent to the dark side. Whichever route Quantic Dream goes, it will be carving into stone the canonical origins of a legendary figure, which is no small task.
Star Wars Eclipseheralds a new age forStar Warsgames, with its unveiling and eventual release holding high stakes for fan reception in a post-EA exclusivity landscape. Yoda might be one of the game’s sole connective tissues to the rest of the franchise, and doing right by the iconic figure should be high on Quantic Dream’s priority list. Fans will hopefully not have towait much longer for more information onStar Wars Eclipse,though with a tentative release window extending into 2026, it could be a while.
