According to science, about roughly 87% of all Star Wars games have featured the sister-kissing hero of the Rebel Alliance, Luke Skywalker, in the lead role. That’s not bad, but there happen to be plenty of other characters who deserved a shot at having their own game. Like Darth Maul, who had a title in development that was tragically vivisected.
According to Game Informer (Via Polygon), LucasArts had been working on a Darth Maul solo project, handing over prime development duties to Texas-based indie developer Red Fly. The studio, which had previously worked on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2, then spent the next couple of months bringing the Sith apprentice to life.
Here’s what the game looked like in double-bladed action:
According to the team behind the game, this would have been a timed exclusive for Nintendo platforms, before heading over to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. Prototypes for the game were coming along smoothly, until Star Wars creator George Lucas came along and suggested making the Darth Maul project like a “buddy cop-like experience”, wherein Maul would team up with Darth Talon. Who only existed 170 years in the future, in the Star Wars: Legacy comics. Typical crazy George Lucas.
Production carried on, but was finally halted after weeks of zero communication, with the game being cancelled in late June 2011. We all know the story from there. LucasFilm and all its remaining divisions were bought out by Disney for a staggering $4 billion. LucasArts was shut down shortly afterwards, with Disney Interactive and EA taking over development duties.
It’s a damn shame, really. Darth Maul was a great character, whose appearance was tragically cut short in the Phantom Menace (HA!) movie. If you’re a fan of the Sith assassin, it’s worth watching the animated Star Wars Clone Wars series. In it, Maul survived his 50% lightsaber counterattack discount, kept alive by his hatred for Obi-Wan Kenobi, going completely mental and re-emerging as a proper threat in the Star Wars universe.
I would have severed Geoff in half for this game, truly I would have.
Last Updated: April 9, 2014
Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!
April 9, 2014 at 15:35
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Dutch Matrix
April 9, 2014 at 15:55
YEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Come on. Darth Maul is Jar-Jar compared to Darth Vader.
Jedi JJ
April 9, 2014 at 16:30
Darth Maul is probably the best thing of Ep1 – 3.
Brian Murphy
April 9, 2014 at 16:56
I disagree, the credits were far, far better.
Sir Rants A Lot Llew. Jelly!!!
April 9, 2014 at 17:35
BOOYEAH!
Matewis Jubilai
April 9, 2014 at 15:40
Admiral Chief in Space
April 9, 2014 at 15:40
George should have NEVER had an input in the last 10 years
Alien Emperor Trevor
April 9, 2014 at 15:42
He does not understand gaming at all.
Black Mage [Umar]
April 9, 2014 at 15:41
NOO!!!! Dammit, I would’ve loved a Jar Jar Binks platformer though
Alien Emperor Trevor
April 9, 2014 at 15:42
I wonder if you can mod Abe to look like Jar Jar.
Admiral Chief in Space
April 9, 2014 at 15:47
I have him killed. Frequently
Dutch Matrix
April 9, 2014 at 15:50
You made Abe angry with that! (Refresh)
Alien Emperor Trevor
April 9, 2014 at 15:56
meesa sorree
Matewis Jubilai
April 9, 2014 at 15:41
cant remember where I found this, or who linked me this : http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2014/02/12/fall-of-the-empire-how-inner-turmoil-brought-down-a-legendary-studio.aspx
Alien Emperor Trevor
April 9, 2014 at 15:55
I saw that a while back. It’s a scary read.
Jedi JJ
April 9, 2014 at 16:31
Pah! Boba FTW
Pieter Smal
April 9, 2014 at 17:59
The music is irritating. Butchering Duel of the fates like that is heresy!
melodicmizery
April 10, 2014 at 11:18
george has canned some great projects
melodicmizery
April 10, 2014 at 11:29
battlefront i think it was was a extremely fun game that kept getting cancelled. the game where you run around the worlds and clear them of x amount of enemys. they should of went on with that game
Lizzard
April 10, 2014 at 14:38
So annoyed this is leaked footage of a canned game!