When Star Wars was released in 1977, it completely changed popular culture, establishing a massive multimedia franchise. For much of its history, LucasArts developed and published most Star Wars games, including the first exclusive one launched on the Xbox, Star Wars: Obi-Wan. The 2001 action-adventure game is set around 32 years before the Battle of Yavin. It focuses on the titular Jedi in a setting reminiscent of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. It’s been a long time since fans got to play Obi-Wan, and it’s high time it was remastered, or at the very least, re-released on modern systems.
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We are living in the age of remasters and re-releases, such that Amazon Games announced its next big AAA Tomb Raider title at the 2025 Game Awards alongside a trailer for a remaster of the franchise’s first game. Remasters tend to make a good amount of money, and while there’s definitely a time, money, and resource investment in developing them, they aren’t created out of a vacuum. There’s a pre-existing game to build from, reducing the time needed to make a game in today’s market. Star Wars games are almost always big sellers, so Obi-Wan should be added to the list.
Fans Want to See Obi-Wan Remastered on Modern Systems
Star Wars: Obi-Wan is one of the first Prequel Trilogy tie-in games, and it received mixed reviews upon release. Most movie tie-in games are dumpster fires that few fans would ever want to play, but Obi-Wan was worth at least one playthrough. It was ahead of its time in terms of lightsaber combat mechanics, which set it apart from other Star Wars games of the era. The game shares many features with Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles, another movie tie-in released on PlayStation, Dreamcast, and Game Boy Advance. Both have their fans, but only one has been remastered.
Jedi Power Battles got the remaster treatment in January 2025, launching on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, and Xbox Series X|S, which has led to renewed interest. This has sparked some in the Star Wars gaming community to request a remaster of Obi-Wan, as the games feature nearly identical mechanics, settings, and characters, all inspired by The Phantom Menace. Obi-Wan was initially developed for the PC, not the Xbox. It was George Lucas who decided to switch platforms, as he felt its performance wasn’t as good on the PC.
That delayed its release date; otherwise, it would have arrived around the same time as Jedi Power Battles. Regardless, the game came, had its time in the sun, and left. In 2024, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter got the remaster treatment, but there’s no word on whether or not Obi-Wan will follow suit. It’s unclear why it hasn’t been remastered or re-released, though, to be fair, Obi-Wan is hardly the best Star Wars game ever developed. That said, its utilization of the right stick for lightsaber combat was innovative. Additionally, exploration of the confines of the world established in The Phantom Menace enticed players, so it’s likely to renew interest if remastered.
Obi-Wan Should Follow Jedi Power Battles Into Being Remastered
Publishers take a gamble on any remake or remaster they produce, as they do cost time and money. Still, there’s no denying the nostalgic appeal of returning to a game from over 20 years ago on modern systems, and being a part of the Star Wars franchise doesn’t hurt. Like most video games released before the Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm, Star Wars: Obi-Wan isn’t canon and remains in Legends territory, but that also makes up a huge part of its appeal. One game fans want remastered above all else is Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which is a part of Legends, so Disney should continue exploring non-canon titles for remastering, starting with Obi-Wan.
Would you grab a copy of Obi-Wan if it were remastered? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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