Unfortunately, much like the numerous Star Wars films, TV series, and shows, the quality of Star Wars games can vary wildly. Luckily, we’re here to help. Scroll down below to find out more about the best Star Wars games to play, in no particular order.
Star Wars Battlefront 2
Think Battlefield, but with lightsabers, Jedi, and droids, then you got exactly what Star Wars Battlefront 2 was all about. Sure, it wasn’t a perfect game. Battlefront 2 had a poor excuse of a single-player campaign with a forgettable story. However, most people knew that the game was never billed to be played alone - it was a multiplayer game through and through. If you were one of those who avoided Star Wars Battlefront 2 like the plague because of the numerous launch issues, it’s well worth checking out now.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
The thing is, Star Wars has inspired so many other franchises from other media, including video games, that it can sometimes feel like Star Wars is copying the others that first copied it. This is why probably why Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order felt like an actual new Star Wars game. True, Fallen Order isn’t perfect. The protagonist is forgettable, but the adventures that you take him through are far from it. You’ll explore, solve environmental puzzles, and do some platforming, all the while fighting against enemies in a Star Wars game that arguably utilizes lightsaber battles the best. Not to mention, Respawn Entertainment found a way to fit the story of Fallen Order into the entirety of Star Wars. Fallen Order might not feel like the most Star Wars game, but it is the very reason why Fallen Order is also one of the best Star Wars games ever and why releasing a sequel makes a lot of sense.
Star Wars: Dark Forces
You’d be forgiven if you thought that Star Wars: Dark Forces was a mere reskinned Doom so that it would look like a Star Wars game. This 1995 classic title takes a lot of inspiration from id Software’s shooter. But, at the same time, Dark Forces is more than just a Doom clone, with LucasArts creating a custom engine that allowed the developers to create and add multiple floors on a single level. And, oh, unlike Doom, Dark Forces let players look up and down, which, might not sound like much right now, but back then, this was a huge achievement that made Dark Forces feel more realistic. Perhaps the only problem with Dark Forces was that it was a first-person shooter. The genre just doesn’t seem to fit with Star Wars. The first-person perspective tends to limit the kind of stories that you could tell and the adventures that you could go on as a player. Still, despite its limitations, Dark Forces proved that Star Wars had far more stories to tell and a surprising number of ways to tell each one of them.
Star Wars: Republic Commando
Further proof that the Star Wars franchise is versatile lies in Star Wars: Republic Commando. Far from letting you live your wildest dreams of becoming a lightsaber-wielding Jedi or giving you a vehicle to fly and/or drive around, Republic Commando was a first-person shooter where players could play together in groups of four as part of the elite Delta squad as clone troopers sent to finish the fights being fought from one planet to another. For a game released in 2005, Republic Commando goes as far as to warp your perspective, making you feel like you were actually someone stuck inside a suit of armor.
Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series
Hands up if you’ve ever heard of Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series. Most likely, it’s a title that’s foreign to all but the most hardcore of Star Wars fans. This is a huge shame, as this VR-only title with episodic releases deserves far more credit than it got, although we do understand why it never really received a lot of attention. Despite essentially shooting itself on the proverbial foot, it’s still not too late to experience the game for yourself. Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR series puts you in the shoes of a struggle who is just trying to make a quick buck. However, as the game goes on, you start to realize that you’re not just any regular smuggler. In fact, as you roam through the insides of the Imperial ship, you’ll find out that you can use the Force to some extent, which explains why a Rancor is hunting you down and why Vader is testing your powers. If you’re looking for a unique Star Wars experience, we recommend looking for a way to get your hands on a VR headset. All that effort just to get a chance to play Vader Immortal is well worth it.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Set thousands of years before the start of the Star Wars films, Knights of the Old Republic gave players timeless and quotable characters that pushed the limits as to what we could expect from a Star Wars game. It had you thinking twice before making decisions because you know full well that the wrong choice could come with some serious consequences. This is then all wrapped up with a rewarding turn-based combat system. Knights of the Old Republic set the standard, not just for Star Wars games, but for role-playing games. It was one of the first to truly give players a choice between doing things the easy way or the hard way. Of course, it remained a Star Wars game throughout and through. Lightsabers and Force powers were still very much part of the gameplay. However, one could argue that the spotlight was more on the very relatable story revolving around individuals who find themselves in rather unique situations. Perhaps the best part about Knights of the Old Republic was that you didn’t need to love Star Wars to appreciate what it brought to the proverbial table. Here’s to hoping that the rumored remake manages to live up to the inevitable expectations.
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Until LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga releases and proves that it’s a better game, 2007’s Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga remains the Lego Star Wars game to beat. One particularly interesting thing about Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga is that it was one of the first mainstream franchises to actually prove that a virtually rendered plastic brick version of itself would work. The Complete Saga contained each separate game from the film trilogy, along with new levels and others that were redesigned and improved. This all culminated in a giant brawl of a game that’s best enjoyed with friends.
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
If we told you that there was a time when a Star Wars game was considered a console’s best launch title, would you believe us? Probably not. Still, it did happen. Way back when the first Nintendo GameCube first launched nearly two decades ago, Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader was the technical showcase that the console desperately needed to prove that it could go toe to toe with the likes of the original Xbox and the PlayStation 2 and boy was it glorious. What really sold the Rogue Leader experience was that the game lets you get inside different Star Wars ships as you take part in some of the most memorable battles of all the films released by then. From Hoth to Endor and even the Death Star, it’s all in Rogue Leader. It also certainly didn’t hurt that the game’s graphics looked good for its time and remarkably enough, it holds up quite well for a game its age.
Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast
Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast was a Star Wars game done right. While most have tried to replicate the feeling of being a powerful Jedi Knight, arguably only Jedi Outcast has managed to do it properly. From the enemies to your allies, as well as all the lightsaber clashes and the Force powers that you previously only saw in movies, Jedi Outcast is nearly flawless. As a bonus, Jedi Outcast comes with a very popular multiplayer mode that, even today, sees its fair share of players trying to best each other in one-on-one lightsaber duels. No, we’re not joking. People still really do take lightsaber duels very seriously.
