The Mandalorian Would Make A Brilliant Video Game - Do it, Cowards

Star Wars fans have had something of a rough ride over the last five or six years. A woefully uneven sequel trilogy and a handful of games that didn't quite live up to their full potential felt like a real punch in the gut, especially after Disney's acquisition of the license promised to breathe new life into the franchise in the same way it turned the MCU in an absolute powerhouse of cinematic entertainment.

Things have certainly been looking up more recently. First, the excellent Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order took fans everywhere by surprise by actually being good, and reminded EA that actually people would much rather have a single-player game than a multiplayer shooter with several components hacked off it. Then The Mandalorian hit Disney+ and was an absolute smash hit, somehow managing to feel more like classic Star Wars than Star Wars had felt in a long time.

I'm up to date with series two now, and I still can't quite get over how genuinely great this show is. Not only does it look magnificent and maintain that big box office flair on the small screen, it has everything you'd want from a Star Wars show. The gritty sci-fi Western vibe that the original trilogy got so right. The adorable creatures and terrifying monsters. The action. The heart. The humour. The Mandalorian hits on every level, and even the weaker episodes have at least two or three incredibly strong set pieces or Baby Yoda jokes that will make even the hardest of hearts crack a smile.

For the first time in a long time, I can think of Star Wars and actually feel something in my heart, rather than the usual numb pang I've felt in my stomach ever since people started tearing each other apart over their opinions on The Last Jedi. And that got me thinking. People love Jedi: Fallen Order. People love The Mandalorian. Both are easily the best Star Wars has been since the days of the original trilogy, right? Why not put the two together and give us The Mandalorian: The Video Game, but, you know, with a better title than that.

In my head I kind of see The Mandalorian: The Video Game working along the same lines as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. You take on the role of Din Djarin, tasked with keeping your charge (The Child/Baby Yoda) safe as you travel the galaxy in search of a home for the little fella. You explore various open worlds which can be travelled between via spaceship (yes, you can fly between planets in real-time because next-gen baby).

There's the occasional bit of aerial combat in space and in the atmosphere of each planet, but for the most part you'll explore open worlds on foot or by speeder looking for jobs in the form of main and side missions.

These jobs would fall into your standard video game fare, of course. Maybe there's a gang of bandits hiding out in a nearby cave on Tatooine. Maybe there's a giant alien spider eating settlers out on Hoth. Like in The Witcher 3, it'd be your job to do some research, investigate, and go into battle with the best possible loadout for the situation. Your reward for completing missions? Gear to upgrade your ship and suit so that you can explore more of the galaxy, as well as valuable information that leads to better jobs and rarer gear.

As for combat, there'd be a mix of hand-to-hand, Mandalorian weaponry, and some more valuable skills that work on a cooldown timer. Things like using your jetpack to leap to safety or firing off six missiles at once would be the kind of special skills that you access via a menu and level up with the gear from completing missions and exploring. You'd also be able to bond with The Child over the course of the game, and the closer your relationship with the little guy, the more they can do to help in battle and reveal new areas, maybe by clearing massive rocks and other debris using The Force.

Anyway, I'm just spit-balling here, but it works right? The Mandalorian kind of feels like a video game in terms of structures a lot of the time anyway, so adapting it to make it an interactive experience wouldn't take much work. Realising that vision and making it as gorgeous and exciting as the actual show, on the other hand, would. EA would need to choose a developer carefully, but I feel like Respawn has already proven itself with Jedi: Fallen Order.

Basically, it's your move EA. Don't let us down - this is the way.