Weep at footage from the Star Wars Darth Maul game that almost was

By Ryan Fleming April 10, 2014

weep footage star wars darth maul game almost — Image used with permission by copyright holder

A game starring Star Wars: The Phantom Menace bad guy Darth Maul was in development back in 2010, but now all that remains is a leaked clip containing a bit of gameplay. The game was commissioned by LucasArts and under development at indie dev Red Fly Studio, but it was cancelled after eight months, according to an upcoming story from Game Informer.

There isn’t a whole lot to see, but what’s there should be enough to make most Star Wars fans mourn what could have been. The game would have starred the Sith apprentice in an action game that, stylistically, isn’t far removed from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Recommended Videos

The game was eventually cancelled thanks in part to Star Wars creator George Lucas, who wanted the project to become a “buddy cop-like experience” with Darth Maul and Darth Talon cavorting around the galaxy, according to Eurogamer. While that sounds dumb, it’s also a something we’d expect from the guy that gave us Jar Jar Binks.

We may never know what happened to that potentially horrible buddy-Sith game, but there’s hope now for the interactive future of the series with Electronic Arts behind the wheel of the Star Wars video game properties.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…

Gaming

All Jet Vault locations in Star Wars Outlaws

Kay tries to enter Crimson Dawn territory.

One of the most tantalizing distractions in Star Wars Outlaws is the Jet Kordo Holodiscs. After you find your first one and gain access to the Holotracker early on in the game, you will be teased with a hidden treasure from this legendary scoundrel that is just waiting to be looted. Unlock other treasures that you can just lockpick, Jet put a bit more thought into keeping his loot hidden from anyone unworthy of it. You will need to find six individual vaults across the galaxy before you can get the big score at the end, but it will all be worth it. If you're having trouble locating each vault, we'll put an X on your map so you can go right to them.
Jet Kordo rewards

After you've collected all the loot from the vaults and returned to Toshara, you can claim your last reward.

Gaming

Xbox Game Pass in September is all about sims, strategy, and star truckers

Key art for Age of Mythology: Retold.

If you like sims, strategy games, or driving various vehicles, you're in luck with Xbox Game Pass in September. Xbox announced the games coming to its subscription service in the first half of the month, and it includes a seemingly random, smaller list of releases that hones in on a couple of specific player types.

The big addition from an Xbox perspective is Age of Mythology: Retold, which is hitting the platform at launch on September 4. The real-time strategy game is published by Xbox Game Studios, so it's of course making a day-one appearance. It's developed in part by World's Edge, the makers behind the Age of Empires series, but instead of real-world armies, you'll pit mythological figures against each other.

Gaming

One small Star Wars Outlaws moment gets autism representation right

Star Wars Outlaws key art that features Kay Vess.

While playing through the first few hours of Star Wars Outlaws, I found myself once again presented with an all-too-familiar trope. ND-5, the game's primary droid crewmate to Kay Vess, appeared to be yet another autism-coded droid that is typically played for laughs or treated as "other" by the main cast.

He is introduced as a stoic and serious character who appears to have no sympathy for anything but his mission. Once he and Kay officially team up, he is given the role of the straight man. Kay will quip and make ironic or sarcastic comments that ND-5 responds to with sincerity. Whenever she asks a question, he delivers his honest answer without cushioning the blow if it would be insulting. In times when Kay wants to act based on emotion, he counters with cold logic. Generally speaking, these are all common traits those on the autism spectrum present.