Credit: Inside the MagicWhen it comes to Star Wars experiences, fans expect one thing above all: total immersion. Who doesn’t want to be swept away into a galaxy far, far away? But immersion isn’t something that can be done by half — an experience is either immersive, or it isn’t.
The popular themed land Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Disney World isn’t necessarily a place where one almost becomes convinced that they’ve stepped foot in the faraway galaxy from the films, but it’s still hugely entertaining nonetheless.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Lacks Immersion
Exploring the world of Batuu, the remote trading outpost on the Outer Rim, and discovering everything it has to offer, including two signature attractions, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Rise of the Resistance, will have any fan swept away to some degree. But actual immersion requires a whole new level of ambition and craftsmanship on the creator’s part.
These experiences can exist in most mediums, and theme park experiences are certainly no exception. One such venture designed to whisk fans away on an adventure and plunge them deep into the world as seen in the films was Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, the infamous two-night hotel experience that opened near Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2022.
But unless you’ve been living on Jakku in the last few years, you know how that turned out.
The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Disaster
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser was a lavish, two-night, role-playing hotel experience designed to immerse guests in the franchise. The hotel, thematically linked to Galaxy’s Edge, was designed to resemble a spaceship known as the Halcyon, which simulated a cruise in outer space. But between its enormous price tags and heavily criticized aesthetics (many argued that it didn’t even look like Star Wars), the experience got off to a troubled launch.
Just 18 months later, Galactic Starcruiser crashed and burned like the Death Star in A New Hope. Disney shuttered the experience and it now lives in infamy for all the wrong reasons.
Less than a year after Galactic Starcruiser docked for the last time, another highly anticipated Star Wars experience arrived. As we’ve already said, immersion can exist in many mediums, and where this franchise is concerned, most fans tend to get that kick from gaming.
There have been countless Star Wars games over the decades, but none have gotten us quite as excited as the promise of an open-world one. But did “Star Wars Outlaws” deliver, or did it also fail to transport us to the rich world made famous in George Lucas’ original trilogy?
The Failure of “Star Wars Outlaws”
The open-world RPG “Outlaws” promised that immersion, and though it ticks a few boxes, it ultimately failed. Many fans and gamers alike criticized the gameplay mechanics, the underwhelming lead Kay Vess, and the inability to create and customize your own character, something fans have wanted in a Star Wars game for decades.
But one of the biggest issues with “Outlaws” is its lack of immersion. Yes, you can explore several planets and experience the transition from surface to space and vice versa, but something is missing. The whole thing just feels like a lazy cash grab.
For an open-world game set in the faraway galaxy, it doesn’t at all feel like you have a vast network of worlds to explore. Most of the NPCs in the game are also poorly done, which instantly takes you out of the game. In a nutshell, “Outlaws” is far from the open-world Star Wars game we so desperately wanted it to be.
Last year, Ubisoft said that the game had not performed as well commercially as it hoped. Yet another commercial and critical failure for the brand.
Related: Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser’s Replacement Now Available at Disney Park
A New Star Wars Experience Is Here
Now, a new experience has put those two attempts to shame. Its name? Star Wars Genesis.
You may have already heard of Star Wars Genesis, which is a mod for Starfield, the giant 2023 role-playing game where players can explore an open-world galaxy, visit over 1,000 planets, create their own characters, build ships, take part in quests, and so much more.
If you haven’t heard of it, to give you a better idea, Starfield, developed by Bethesda Game Studios, has been dubbed “Skyrim in space” by gamers. In other words, it’s truly massive.
Star Wars Genesis isn’t new, though, and it isn’t an official project from Lucasfilm Games. But the fan-made entry is suddenly taking YouTube by storm. The original trailer for the mod dates back a year, but now, several videos are flooding the platform. Before we dive in, watch the story trailer to get a true sense of the scale, scope, and ambition for the game:
This resurgence in popularity for Genesis comes as the modders prepare to roll out a massive update that further enhances an already massively impressive gaming experience.
Recently, the pending update has been covered by news outlets, which has led gamers to discover or rediscover the existing version and share their positive reactions to YouTube.
What Is Star Wars Genesis?
“Star Wars Genesis is a free, fan-made total conversion project for Starfield, developed and continuously expanded by me, DeityVengy,” the creator says on the website, adding “It is fully playable via the Wabbajack auto-installer and receives regular updates and expansions.”
They add: “Many of its features, such as new enemy factions, bosses, unique locations, and original quest content, are exclusive to Genesis and cannot be found anywhere else.”
The boastful description goes on to say that “you can spend days exploring Tatooine as a drifter, building an outpost, hunting Tusken Raiders, and trading with Jawas in Mos Eisley,” and that you can “journey to Coruscant and navigate its vast underworld and black market while evading Imperial patrols, or take a different path and serve the Empire instead.”
Related: All 15 ‘Star Wars’ Movies Ranked From Worst To Best
It continues to go into detail, saying: “On Mandalore, you may uncover hidden locations offering rare crafting recipes that require contraband sourced from across the galaxy, or stumble upon a forgotten Clone Wars battlefield and loot authentic Clone Trooper armor.”
Ultimately, players are “free to wander the galaxy and take on both the Empire and the Rebellion, while contending with criminal syndicates like the Pykes, Hutt Cartel, Swoop Gangs, and more.”
“The possibilities are endless and expanding with every update,” it also promises.
If you scroll past the description on the website, you’ll find a list of all the modifications made, as well as information on gameplay, how to join Discord, the in-game lore, how you can help with the ongoing development of Star Wars Genesis, PC specifications, and more.
There’s also an FAQ section, which promises that lightsabers will be available in the upcoming Star Wars Genesis 8.6 update.
A blurb in the style of the iconic opening text crawl from the Skywalker Saga films reads:
Episode VII GENESIS
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… These modders came together and transformed Starfield into what it is today. With their efforts, the Ultimate Star Wars RPG was possible. A style of game we haven’t seen since the early 2000’s…
It’s unclear which early 2000’s title the blurb is referring to. Either way, some players are now saying that Genesis is not only the best Star Wars game ever made, but that it’s also better than the base game (Starfield) itself.
Per the website, “Star Wars Genesis is an experience unlike anything else. It is the ultimate RPG experience, set in a harsh and unforgiving galaxy not yet seen in modern Star Wars media. Heavily inspired by Star Wars Galaxies, Knights of the Old Republic, and Legends.”
The update is set to arrive late January or early February. The website says it’s a “huge step for Genesis” and will “add lightsabers, new backgrounds, crucial balance and progression changes, important bug fixes, an Imperial Agent storyline, cleaner lore, and so much more.”
The creator “begs” players new to Genesis to wait for the update, adding that it will be “game-changing.” Previews of the new features can be found on their YouTube channel.
While Genesis is not official, here’s hoping that Disney and Lucasfilm Games take note and one day deliver a licensed game that’s worthy of the brand. “Outlaws” might offer several hours of fun gaming, but it’s hardly the definitive open-world experience we were hoping for.
Official Star Wars Gaming Titles
For now, this hugely impressive Starfield mod will undoubtedly keep players occupied for years to come. But let’s hope that Disney and Lucasfilm don’t end up pulling the plug on it.
There are also several upcoming official Star Wars games you should be excited about. Sadly, none are open world, but some entries are likely to be immersive in their own right.
If it’s immersion you’re after, you might also wish to consider Star Wars in virtual reality form. While the Rogue One VR tie-in experience Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire at Disney Springs is no longer operational, there’s newer titles such as “Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge”, which is also thematically tied into the Disney Parks experience.
Have you played Star Wars Genesis? What would you like from a licensed open-world game set in the faraway galaxy? Share your thoughts in the comments!