I am almost starting to feel bad for the developers of this game. Either they’ve just given up after numerous delays or they are letting marketing go crazy with no rhyme or reason towards their audience. Either way, they certainly don’t seem to be taking the fans, who would play the game, to heart in their latest moves. Of course, Lucas has said basically that the input from the large community doesn’t really matter, so I guess he can basically throw anything in the mix and expect people to lavish in it, even if it is kind of smelly…
Case in point, the new “trailer” for Kinect Star Wars. Now I’m not the kind of fan of Star Wars that dresses up as a stormtrooper at Comic-Con’s, but I do appreciate a good storyline and strong characters, something I believe A New Hope had in droves. And so I hate seeing those characters messed with in a way that downgrades the scenes they are in. Yes, Star Wars Uncut was pretty funny and forgivable in its inherent hokeyness, but it’s because the fans did it out of love, not malice. But this new video from the developer makes me wonder what their motive was.
One of the most iconic scenes, I’m sure you’ll agree is the one in A New Hope where Darth Vader finally comes across his master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and they battle in front of Luke. During that scene, Obi-Wan sacrifices himself to give his new apprentice the strength to do what must be done. It is a touching moment and one of my favorites. But the version displayed in the short clip for the game really destroys that image in my mind.
As in the film, Vader comes across a cloaked Jedi, but instead of Guinness, it’s Chris Pratt from NBC’s Parks and Recreation. I haven’t seen that show, so I don’t know how funny or not funny he is, but in this, he just comes off as lame. He prances around swinging his light saber in no particular direction, making Vader more confused than battle ready. Then Pratt puts his lightsaber straight up as Obi-Wan did to submit to the sacrifice, but for the first couple of times, changes his mind at the last minute. He then lets Darth Vader "kill" him, as Obi-Wan did in the original. Vader then does the stamping of the robe to see what happened to him. And if it had ended there, the trailer would have been half-way acceptable, almost. But instead we get a look at the rotund Pratt in his underwear wielding another blade. The point of the ad, of course, is to say that the player is put into the scene, even if they are standing around the living room in their underwear I guess. Is this the best that they could do? Really?
Missing are the scenes from the actual game. Are they afraid to show them now? Are they nervous that people won’t particularly like the Rancor stomping Mos Eisley or the even worse ill-fated dance moves in what is probably Jabba’s lair? On second thought maybe showing a guy in his tights wasn’t such a bad idea after all…
