If there is one franchise in the world that seems ideal for video game adaptations, it’s Star Wars. We all know that there have been some incredible Star Wars titles released in the past, but the real question is which Star Wars games are worth your time?
Luckily, the WePC team came together to talk about our favorites and finalize a list of the top ten Star Wars games available right now that we think are worth playing through. Check them out below, and if we missed off your favorite, then be sure to let us know what it is, and why you love it in the comments!
10: Star Wars Dark Forces
Star Wars Dark Forces was a stellar game for its time, a fast-paced shooter in the vein of Doom that took its players through the world of Star Wars alongside a cast of new characters who were all introduced exclusively in this game.
Players controlled Kyle Katarn, a mercenary who would come to appear in many future Star Wars games, and were taken through winding levels in familiar locations like Coruscant, Star Destroyers, Jabba’s Sail Barge – all kinds of locales that Star Wars fans know and love.
Not only did the game allow for players to properly immerse themselves in a first-person shooter set within the Star Wars universe for the first time, but the game also introduced some FPS staples that remain in the genre to this day – staples like jumping, ducking, and looking up and down that we all take for granted now.
Gameplay elements were also introduced in Dark forces that were pretty outstanding for its time as well – tools like a flashlight were available to the player, which lit up dark areas directly in front of the character, but made them easily discoverable by the enemy NPCs. Pretty groundbreaking stuff for one of the first major FPS games.
The title holds up, and it’s a great classic game to get on Steam and whittle away the hours with – especially if you are either a massive fan of Star Wars or love that retro FPS vibe!
9: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
The first of the two Force Unleashed games, and undeniably the better (and longer), as I feel the sequel never quite lived up to the madness or vision of the first.
Anyway, the Force Unleashed was a standout game in the Star Wars canon, as you got to play as the bad guy – something that many gamers can say is much more fun when it comes to Star Wars. Taking on the role of Garen Malek, Darth Vader’s secret apprentice who is being trained in the ways of the Sith by Vader, so that he might take the Emperor’s throne for himself.
Codenamed Starkiller, players are tasked by Vader with tracking down and killing the remaining Jedi throughout the galaxy – which makes for some really interesting and captivating gameplay. Players are treated to force powers like push, choke, lightning, and lightsabre throws to assist them throughout the game, which are all dialed up to 11 thanks to the massively over the top nature of the game.
While it didn’t exactly adhere to the classic Star Wars canon (or its rules) we can’t deny that it was a lot of fun. Not only did you get to play with ridiculous, OTT force powers, but you also got to square off against some big names in the Star Wars Universe, including the Emperor, Darth Vader, and thanks to the DLC even Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker.
While it might not be as technically impressive or as entrenched in the lore of the Star Wars universe, it’s definitely a lot of fun and a real departure from other games in the Star Wars franchise.
8: Star Wars: The Old Republic
Built off the back of the fan fave Knights Of The Old Republic series, this was the Star Wars’ universe second shot at a full-on MMORPG, the first being Star Wars Galaxies (more on that later).
Players took on whatever role they wanted – Jedi, Sith, Bounty Hunter, Smuggler – basically the Star Wars universe was at its players’ fingertips. Not only that, but the game was completely separate from the movie canon, which meant that the writers were totally free to do whatever they wanted when it came to the story, which was excellent for a huge portion of the Star Wars fanbase as they saw a massive influx of new canon.
Also, the game’s cinematics gave players and Star Wars fans alike something to look forward to in a period where typical Star Wars content might have been considered…underwhelming. Not really a major factor in gameplay, but check out the video above for an example as to why the Old Republic has gained such a following and reputation based on its storytelling and characterization of non-traditional characters.
The game is still available to play today, and you can actually play Star Wars The Old Republic for free – be sure to visit their site if you are interested in diving in – especially ahead of the announcement of The High Republic, a brand new era set to receive the same treatment as the Old Republic.
7: Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
The WePC team and I all agree that this is a high point in the long legacy of Star Wars games. The third true entry into the Lego games franchise, it collected the prequels and Original Trilogy together into one massively fun package that allowed players to take on the role of practically anyone in the Star Wars universe – even a gonk droid.
And, while the endless character roster and innovative level design were a massive contributing factor in the game’s overall success, its real draw was just how fun it was. Honestly, the game was a brilliant exercise in mindless fun within the Star Wars universe at a time when the saga was taking itself far too seriously.
Childish fun with a Vader helmet on – you can’t ask for much more than that. Plus, the game laid the foundations for its endless sequels and spin-offs (Lego Indiana Jones anyone?), which I think all act as a testament to just how fun and easily accessible the Lego Star Wars: Complete Saga was.
6: Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast
This is a game that set the standard when it came to all Star Wars action games that followed it. Released in 2002, Jedi Outcast once again brought players back to the character of Kyle Katarn, following on from where the stories of Dark Forces and Return of The Jedi left off.
This game introduced so much to Star Wars fans, allowing them to transition seamlessly from traditional FPS action with a blaster into something much more refined; the combination of lightsaber and force power combat.
The entire range of Jedi powers was on offer to players, in full, for the first time ever – force pull, push, choke, lightning, speed – they were all made ready to players alongside lightsaber combat that was programmed so well that even to this day there is a dedicated fanbase who use the multiplayer server to host one-on-one lightsaber tournaments.
The story wasn’t half bad either, and it even featured appearances from the original cast, making Jedi Knight 2 a brilliant addition into the Star Wars Canon. If you are looking to try it out, the game was recently re-released on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, so if you don’t fancy picking it up on Steam there are plenty of options available.
5: Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017)
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (at least the 2017 version) is a tricky subject.
On the one hand, ahead and up to its release it was guilty of committing a lot of sins where pay to win and loot box mechanics were concerned. So much so in fact that it sparked a lot of debate throughout the entertainment industry – even in courtrooms across the world.
The other side to that argument though is that the game pulled a complete U-turn, and now…it’s brilliant.
If you are a Star Wars fan then you couldn’t really ask for much more in a modern-day revival of the 2005 classic. You can play in the clone wars, galactic civil war, or sequel era, with both online and offline modes as options in each.
Not only are all of the different eras open to play in, but the game brings in all kinds of different characters and units that are bound to please even the most die-hard and speculative Star Wars fans.
Continual updates and live chats with the devs of the game went a long way in installing a new sense of community trust, and additions like the Clone Commando and Co-Op gameplay definitely made Star Wars Battlefront 2 into an incredible title – and seeing as there is no real talk of Star Wars Battlefront 3 yet, make sure that you don’t miss out on a cheap deal on Battlefront 2 when they come around!
4: Star Wars Galaxies
I already mentioned this game in the list, and with good reason. Star Wars Galaxies was an old MMORPG, one of the first big ones based on a real property, that allowed players a great deal of freedom when it came to choosing their path within the Star Wars universe.
Instead of being class-based, like World Of Warcraft, players would have to earn their classes by leveling up certain attributes. So, if you wanted to play as a soldier then you would have to level up your weapon and defense skills, traders their bartering skills and so on.
It was a really innovative leveling system, that allowed for a thriving player economy based on different player skills, and all culminated in players maxing out their skill points and being allowed to progress into becoming a Jedi.
This was a great endgame and saved one of the biggest incentives of the game as a true end game goal. And even then, there was a lot tacked onto it, including a wanted system that eventually brought an unkillable Darth Vader to you if you brought to much attention to yourself as a Jedi.
It’s still playable in one form or another – you just have to do some searching. But, officially, the game is dead, which is a real shame considering the high level of customization and individuality that the game allowed players to experience the Star Wars universe in a way they never had before.
3: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
The most recent entry into the Star Wars pantheon of games, Fallen Order was Respawn studio’s foray into a single-player adventure in the Star Wars universe. For all those gamers who haven’t tried it yet, it’s best described with a comparison; If Metroid, Dark Souls, Uncharted and Jedi Knight 2 all got put into a blender, then Fallen Order is what comes out.
While the game doesn’t bring anything new to the table per se, it doesn’t fall short of being a quality title, with lots of interesting and engaging characters and planets to rummage through whilst being taken through an engaging story, all set between episode 3 and 4.
Maybe the game ranks so highly for me because of Fallen Order being released at a time when not many other Star Wars games were seeing a release, and there hadn’t been a true single-player game in a long time.
Still, despite its flaws (*Cough* frame rate drops and bugs *cough*) it was definitely one of the better Star Wars games released, at least in recent memory!
2: Star Wars Republic Commando
I’m a sucker for single-player games, and so an FPS set at the height of the Clone Wars where you play as a commando in the clone army was right up my street – and still is thanks to its availability on Steam and some brilliant high res texture packs you can install.
Being set in the prequel era, the game couldn’t rely on original trilogy characters to give the game a bit of celebrity weight. Instead, the game introduced a couple of new villains that would be playing a big role in the upcoming movies, including General Grievous.
The gameplay shifted the focus from children into a more mature-rated title, with squad-based gameplay being key with hard to defeat enemies playing a tough but vital role in the overall narrative structure. In fact, the game is still regarded as quite hard, some sections even border on S.T.A.L.K.E.R like levels of pressure.
Republic Commando wasn’t just a standout title in the history of Star Wars games. It actually set the scene for a whole plethora of squad-based shooters that followed it thanks to its innovative AI and order based gameplay that left players feeling more attached to their squad both emotionally and in terms of gameplay.
1: Knights Of The Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic was a stellar RPG that really set the standard for future Bioware (KOTOR’s studio) releases. With a memorable cast of characters including droids, aliens, and humans, KOTOR brought a lot of different assets into Star Wars canon – including the fan-favorite Darth Revan.
Star Wars fans and gamers, in general, went rabid for KOTOR, thanks to its exhaustive storyline, encouraged exploration elements and the depth of the characters you were interacting with. Not only that, but it was also the first time in major Star Wars entertainment that fans were introduced to a whole different landscape of the galaxy and entirely strange cast of characters – which was obviously very exciting.
The RPG elements of the game also introduced a lot to that particular genre. The hybrid of real-time and turn-based combat made for the perfect mechanic for players to take their character either down the path of the Jedi or the Sith, with plenty of memorable encounters along the way.
Fans even got treated to a sequel which expanded on the world of the Old Republic in Knights of the Old Republic 2, and a semi-continuation in the MMORPG The Old Republic. However, that’s where the good news ends. Whilst some fans have been optimistic about a Knights Of The Old Republic 3, or even a KOTOR reboot, it remains in EA hands as to whether fans will ever actually return to that period of Star Wars history.
And there you have it: Our top ten Star Wars games of all time. Got a favorite that didn’t make the list, or unhappy at the order we picked? We’re sure that you will let us know in the comments below.
Wish you would have had either of the original battlefront games. I personally like the game play / campaign of Battlefront 2 (2007)
To be honest, I love it too. The fact that there are so many mods nowadays gives it almost infinite replayability – and Galactic Conquest was a brilliant game mode, I wish they brought it to the newer Battlefront.
To me though, Republic Commando just edges out 2005’s Battlefront 2 in terms of gameplay – I really enjoyed its shooting mechanics, the threat of its enemies and the AI in your squad – I think it represents the best of the 2005 Star Wars games. It totally hold up as well, you can get it on Steam for a really low price and install some pretty great testure pack mods.