Featured Image Credit: EA/LucasArts
Star Wars has treated us to so many fantastic games over the years, so we’re going through the gruelling task of picking out some of its best.
Sure, it’s not always been sunshine and roses with the galaxy far, far away, after all, we’ve had stinkers such as Kinect Star Wars and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, but for the most part, we’ve been fed rather well.
In fairness to most movie-to-video game adaptations, most of them are so-so across the board, but perhaps what’s benefited Star Wars video games over the years is that most of them are inspired by the franchise, rather than being a play-by-play copy.
Perhaps if most video game developers and publishers followed the lead of how the Star Wars franchise is handled, we might see a better quality of movie-inspired adaptations. So, with so many fantastic games to choose from, we’ve gone through them all to pick out the absolute best Star Wars games of all time!
There have been quite a few LEGO Star Wars games over the years, and while many could have made this list, I went with LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. This includes all nine mainline movies, fun and rewarding gameplay, delightful visuals, as well as a massive open galaxy (so to speak), enjoyable adaptations of the movies, plenty of fun side-missions and unlockables.
Whether you were playing online or offline, Star Wars Battlefront II was an absolute blast, playing with friends on the couch or randoms across the world. It captured the intense battles of the movie franchise, taking us to iconic locations such as Hoth, Mustafar, and inside the Death Star. If you wanted to take a step back from its multiplayer, its story campaign, ‘Rise of the Empire,’ was a lot of fun too. It’s no wonder fans are still playing this game today.
Advert
Simply put, Star Wars: Empire at War is one of the best strategies of all time. While the likes of Command & Conquer were still all the rage on PC in the mid 90s, this Star Wars alternative was a dream come true for strategic fans of the galaxy, far, far away. Whether it was on land or in space, as the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire, there’s no RTS that quite managed to harness the Star Wars magic like Empire at War.
Widely considered to be one of the greatest video games of all-time, BioWare’s Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is an RPG masterpiece, and its sequel from Obsidian Entertainment wasn't too shabby either. This was an RPG that had many branching story paths that made each playthrough unique.
Depending on your actions, you would evolve into a beacon of light towards the light side of the Force, or a harbinger of evil towards the dark side of the Force. On top of that, your facial features would also evolve with your choices. Put it this way, by the time I finished my evil KOTOR first run, I looked every bit the half-Irish man, who’s scared of the sun, that I am.
This first-person shooter was like a blend of Rainbow Six and Halo. Star Wars: Republic Commando featured intense action, but with the strategic element of commanding your squads to make a formation, breach rooms, hack terminals and more. This was a solid alternative to the likes of Call of Duty and Medal of Honor at the time. Star Wars: Republic Commando not only looked and played great, but it also allowed you to explore the brotherhood that is the Galactic Republic’s elite special forces.
Say what you will about the short and seemingly rushed development of its sequel, the original Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is one of the most fun games of the franchise. You play as the upcoming, young apprentice of Darth Vader, Galen Marek, aka Starkiller.
Some say it's more fun being the bad guy, and that’s exactly what this game gave us. By the time you finished its story, your corrupted ego grew with Marek, and no one was safe from your powers of the dark side. But now and again, you were forced to question your actions and whether you were really on the right side of history.
Oh man, what a game this is. Taking place after the events of Revenge of the Sith and the Order 66, you’re one of the few remaining Jedi, Cal Kestis, and you’re being hunted by Darth Vader’s sinister, Second and Ninth Sisters.
However, before Cal was able to finish his training, Order 66 forced him into a life of hiding. But when destiny had other plans, Cal must be the hero he never thought he would be, and essentially, now complete his Jedi training on the go. Soulsborne-like gameplay, stunning visuals and a compelling story, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a game fans shouldn't ignore.
When it comes to being a complete Star Wars game, it probably doesn't get much better than Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. This action-adventure just about had it all: a compelling story of good versus evil, a charismatic protagonist with Kyle Katarn. Fun shooting and lightsaber duelling, surprisingly deep combat mechanics overall, and epic Force abilities. Oh, and a solid multiplayer mode to boot. Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast was probably the most authentic Star Wars game of its time.
When I had saved up all my money to buy a Nintendo GameCube in 2001, there were two games that I needed to own. The first being the Resident Evil remake, and the second game, Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II.
Don’t get me wrong, we had already had some fantastic games that let us live the fantasy life of being a starfighter pilot, but perhaps none better than this.
Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II pushed the newly released GameCube to its limits, with its awesome gameplay, stunning visuals and its cinematic presentation. Plus, taking down an AT-AT using the T-47 Snowspeeder on the planet Hoth has never been more thrilling.
READ MORE: Ranking The Top 13 Games of All Time on Xbox
