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As geeks, we owe George Lucas a lot for creating the world of Star Wars. But lots of the later things he did with his beloved franchise have lead many of us to believe he didn't even understand the universe he had created. In the latest issue of Game Informer they report that Red Fly had been tapped to develop a video game centered around Darth Maul.
Red Fly, who had successfully developed Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 for the Wii, pushed forward with development on the Darth Maul game in 2010. The game was intended to be released on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PC.
Around October 2010, things got derailed when George Lucas got involved. Via Polygon:
"According to Game Informer, Lucas wanted a 'buddy cop-like experience' with Darth Maul and Darth Talon — a Sith Lady separated by more than 170 years of Star Wars fiction from Maul — teaming up as friends. Red Fly tried to make that new direction work, figuring out gameplay mechanics to satisfy LucasArts' suggestions."
Damn you George Lucas! You took a perfectly good game and pooped on it. It's clear from the prequel trilogy that you had atrophied your storytelling capability. Then you're forcing a "buddy cop-like experience" into a Star Wars game about Darth Maul. What the hell?! He's a stealthy Sith assassin, why would he need a buddy?
Imagine an open world game like Assassins Creed where Darth Maul is roaming Coruscant and the universe at large killing targets for Palpatine. That would be badass and make so much money because it uses a successful game genre.
Maybe the team at Red Fly figured out a way that would make the "buddy cop-like experience" work, I guess we'll never know. LucasArts attempted to buy Red Fly at some point during development. The whole project and acquisition were canceled around June 2011. Ironically, as many gamers know, LucasArts was closed in April 2013 after Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm.
Being the dual lightsaber wielding Darth Maul is a game idea I still hope happens. With all the studios currently making Star Wars games, like EA DICE and BioWare, it seems like an idea that is ripe with possibilities.
Amidst the mists and coldest frosts he thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
Dont even get me started on how much I hate the The Clone Wars show that has no respect any of the previous lore done before that show. The idea that they added him back horrifies me.
So I heard this get cancelled and my response is "good, he was a dumb character"
curran12 wrote: How is 38 seconds of fairly ambiguous at best combat promising?
It gives the impression that the game may have had potential, or, (wait for it) had promise to be a fun game. In this case the promise went unfulfilled. There is no time limit on whether a person thinks something may be worth keeping an eye out for. If someone had said that it absolutely would be a good game I could see taking umbrage, but being abrasive because someone thought it might be a good game seems a bit spurious.
Amidst the mists and coldest frosts he thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
curran12 wrote: How is 38 seconds of fairly ambiguous at best combat promising?
It gives the impression that the game may have had potential, or, (wait for it) had promise to be a fun game. In this case the promise went unfulfilled. There is no time limit on whether a person thinks something may be worth keeping an eye out for. If someone had said that it absolutely would be a good game I could see taking umbrage, but being abrasive because someone thought it might be a good game seems a bit spurious.
Possibly. But let's not kid ourselves as to the way of preview footage and trailers are in today's gaming industry. As we've seen multiple times, trailers (Dead Island) and 'gameplay' (Aliens: Colonial Marines) are easily and regularly manipulated to present a product that may not be. I do not trust the word of any publisher now as to the quality of a product until it is reviewed.
Granted, this is not any of those, but I plain and simple do not see much promise in this. On watching it again, I see combat that is...at best, standard-issue white bread. The impression I most get is that it looks like alpha footage from Force Unleashed. It has something of the same style, but it is clunkier and unfinished looking. And, to get around to the point, just being that is not anything that I get fired up about. I'll give that the gameplay was the best part of TFU (it certainly wasn't the story ) but the gameplay wasn't anything extraordinary.
Like Qui Gon Jin, they introduced them and then killed them pretty much right off so they never had a chance to explore them beyond really broad, lazy strokes. Another in a long line of bad decisions and poor storytelling. The Darth Maul limited series comic wasn't to bad.
Amidst the mists and coldest frosts he thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
Even if they had died so quickly (and for what it's worth, Episode 1 felt so long that 'quickly' is not a word I'd use to describe the time I spent with them), decent writing would have gone a long way to make them better characters. The roles both characters could have played was interesting. But what we actually got, thanks to awful writing, was nowhere near that.
Maul was only in it briefly, with the vast majority of that time being a wordless lightsabre dual. Yeah, the movie itself seems interminable, and is barely watchable these days*, but with six movies worth of characters, some spanning all six, their poorly written time was comparatively brief.
*I can only watch it with Rifftrax running.
Amidst the mists and coldest frosts he thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
Both Qui Gon and Maul seem like they could be interesting...
Dakka Bingo! By Ouze "You are the best at flying things"-Kanluwen
"Further proof that Purple is a fething brilliant super villain " -KingCracker
"Purp.. Im pretty sure I have a gun than can reach you...."-Nicorex
"That's not really an apocalypse. That's just Europe."-Grakmar
"almost as good as winning free cake at the tea drinking contest for an Englishman." -Reds8n
Seal up your lips and give no words but mum.
Equip, Reload. Do violence.
Watch for Gerry.
If you want to learn more about Darth Maul the character there is actually a Star Wars book about him. The title was "Shadow Hunter" apparently (I just googled it). I remember reading it when I was younger and enjoying it. I think it actually had some noir detective moments going on during the first part, which was always fun. Of course I actually enjoyed Episode I and dragged my parents to the theater about 3-4 times to watch it, so take my taste in entertainment media how you will.
Like watching other people play video games (badly) while blathering about nothing in particular? Check out my Youtube channel: joemamaUSA!
BrianDavion wrote: Between the two of us... I think GW is assuming we the players are not complete idiots.
Rapidly on path to becoming the world's youngest bitter old man.
Anyway, maybe EA will get one of their studios to resurrect it and turn it into a competitive multi-player game with intrusive micro-transactions and over-priced map-pack DLC.
I just refuse to believe Maul survived getting cut in half combined with that fall at the end of Phantom.
The prequels could have been excellent, sadly we don't live in that reality. Lucas is a shatmaster.
This end of this fight is still OK though, even if it is a bit too theatrical.
Warning: loosely pulled together fanwank to follow.
Maul should have been the one obvious threat throughout the entirety of the prequels. Hunting and slaying Jedi. Always managing to get away until Anakin kills him in a fit of rage. Palpatine lurking in the shadows, influencing Anakin subtly before revealing himself. I always imagined that if Maul had been the "Darth Vader" equivalent his interactions with the film would have been as described below, with other stuff padding that out. Also I picture the "Clone army" as being some kind of monstrous force, or perhaps just sith trooper like soldiers.
Should have started with Anakin being Qui-Gons apprentice and Obi Wan being given the Rank of Jedi Knight at the start of the film. Anakin and Obi-Wan established to be friends and both trained under Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan goes on to further training with Yoda and the movie focuses on Anakin and Qui-Gon saving the day. Maul seen slaying Jedi on several planets. Similar scene to the one used to show order 66. Anakin and Qui encounter Maul on Tatooine or wherever. Maul fights Anakin. Toying with him he cuts his left arm off. Anakin fears Maul. Qui-Gon arrives to drive him off. Anakin & Qui-Gon head back to Coruscant. Speak of first account of Maul, Yoda senses fear in Anakin. Sinister beginnings... film ends.
Second film begins.. Maul seen leading mysterious clone army that has been attacking Republic worlds. Anakin, Qui-Gon and a large selection of Jedi Knights are sent to respond. Anakin hesitant to go, Maul too powerful. Qui Gon convinces him, saying that they are unlikely to encounter the sith. Obi-Wan and Yoda will be dealing with him. Maul purposefully confronts Qui-Gon and Anakin. Managing to separate them, he kills Qui-Gon. Anakin arrives too late but just in time to witness his masters death, see this as his failing. Maul fights Anakin. "The power of the Dark Side" explains his shadowy master has plans for Anakin. Anakin rejects this, continues to fight. Maul overpowers him, but before the mortal blow is struck Obi wan and Yoda arrive. Maul flees. Rest of film Anakin recovers and his friendship with Obi-Wan grows in the absence of Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan instructed to finish Anakin's training. Anakin resents himself secretly for failing Qui-Gon. Fear turns to Anger. Clone army attacks begin happening across many republic worlds at once. Republic army raised - republic conscript army are proto storm troopers. Film ends with Anakin becoming a Jedi Knight
Clone army converges on Coruscant. Anakin and Obi Wan find themselves on Maul's ship with other Jedi. Mauls ship is the Executor. Jedi encounter heavy resistance, many die. Jedi Masters are leading the ground defence of Coruscant from rampaging clone army. Obi-Wan and Anakin fight Maul on the bridge of his ship. Maul extols virtues of the Dark side. Anakin seethes. Obi Wan calms his friend. Fight commences. No match for a Sith Lord. Maul uses the force to smash Obi Wan against a console. He hits it hard and falls limply to ground. Maul taunts Anakin in scene similar to Luke vs Vader, "now you have failed him too.." etc. Anakin enraged. Cripples Maul, makes him suffer. Obi-Wan stirs to witness Anakin finish Maul with a force grip. He says nothing. Anakin overjoyed at Obi Wan being alive, Obi Wan does not express gratitude or any visible emotion toward Anakin. Secretly disappointed and worried.
I'd imagine that Palpatine would be blaming the suffering of the republic on the Jedi and their "religious" war with this mysterious Sith force.
Perhaps Palpatine was obviously a Sith from the very beginning. Just referred to in the first two films, but making an appearance in the final film. With the Jedi's crushed, the republic is swept aside for his (Sith) Empire. Leads through suppression hence Death Star. Jedi frowned upon if original films because they failed the republic. etc
This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 2014/04/10 23:18:41
H.B.M.C. wrote: Maul was pretty good in The Clone Wars series.
Anyway, maybe EA will get one of their studios to resurrect it and turn it into a competitive multi-player game with intrusive micro-transactions and over-priced map-pack DLC.
Maybe he says...
Dakka Bingo! By Ouze "You are the best at flying things"-Kanluwen
"Further proof that Purple is a fething brilliant super villain " -KingCracker
"Purp.. Im pretty sure I have a gun than can reach you...."-Nicorex
"That's not really an apocalypse. That's just Europe."-Grakmar
"almost as good as winning free cake at the tea drinking contest for an Englishman." -Reds8n
Seal up your lips and give no words but mum.
Equip, Reload. Do violence.
Watch for Gerry.
Dont even get me started on how much I hate the The Clone Wars show that has no respect any of the previous lore done before that show. The idea that they added him back horrifies me.
Darth Maul coming back with robot legs is not something that Clone Wars came up with, it happened in a "What If" Dark Horse issue years before Clone Wars was even announced.
From Star Wars Visionaries, "Old Wounds", 2005.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/04/12 23:04:49
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Dont even get me started on how much I hate the The Clone Wars show that has no respect any of the previous lore done before that show. The idea that they added him back horrifies me.
So I heard this get cancelled and my response is "good, he was a dumb character"
People getting resurrected in Star Wars Extended Universe stuff is so common that it'd be like you or me washing our cars today.
Which is one of the many reasons I'm glad there's a company that may actually be interested in cohesion and decent storytelling owning the IP now.
The return of Maul was, for me, the highlight of the last 2 series of Clone Wars, giving him the screen time he always deserved and treating him as a character far better than Phantom Menace did.
As much as I always prefer playing the 'good guy' in games, I would have been tempted to the Dark Side had this one happened.
Devilface McDoublesaber was as dumb as anything else in Episode 1 and bringing him back in Clone Wars was a disservice to the show. You know they were already out of ideas. No one with ideas names a character "Savage Oppress." The best part of Maul's return was watching Palpatine beat the tar out of him.
Ahtman wrote: It gives the impression that the game may have had potential, or, (wait for it) had promise to be a fun game. In this case the promise went unfulfilled.
The best part of being an unreleased game is that the promise or potential never needs meet the harsh light of reality.
That said, I am skeptical that it died due to Lucas' direct interference. He seemed to have little personal interest in the games of LucasArts. Also, if it was a real project, and if it really did get canceled in summer of 2011, then it was more likely due to the fact that 1313 was in internal development at LA by then and looked much more promising that anything in that short segment. 1313, like all internal LA development, got killed in the Disney acquisition.
"Your reality, sir, is lies and balderdash, and I am delighted to say I have no grasp of it what so ever."
Manchu wrote: Devilface McDoublesaber was as dumb as anything else in Episode 1 and bringing him back in Clone Wars was a disservice to the show. You know they were already out of ideas. No one with ideas names a character "Savage Oppress." The best part of Maul's return was watching Palpatine beat the tar out of him.
Says the guy with Voltron add his avatar. Clearly you have poor taste in what's good
Maul was and is an awesome bad guy
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/04/15 11:17:30